The Impact of Net Neutrality on Digital Marketing

Net neutrality has been a matter of concern, lately. It has been in the news for so many years now but with the US government getting aggressively against net neutrality, it has been brought to the hot news once again!

And this time, things are much intense and serious. Not only in the US, but the matter of net neutrality is also spreading its wings in the rest of the world as well. So, there is a constant threat lingering on the small websites and professionals delivering strategic internet marketing services.

If youâ€™re confused about the whole matter, letâ€™s start unfolding it bit by bit. To begin with, letâ€™s have a quick look at what net neutrality actually is.

Net Neutrality VS Non-Neutrality
You must have an access to the internet through your mobile phone, computer system, tablet, etc. Now, to access the internet, there is a requirement of the Internet Service Providers (ISP) that are usually the giant service providers like Verizon, T-Mobile, etc. in the USA.

The current situation on the internet is that all the ISPs are providing an equal access to the whole web. And this situation is called net neutrality, as in a neutral internet access by the users through any ISP being used.

Whereas, in the case of non-neutrality, the situation is going to be a lot worse.

In the absence of net neutrality, the ISPs are going to give a limited access to the internet which will be based on the prices being paid to them.

In other words, the more a customer pays, the more access he will get to the internet and different websites on the internet. Now, this situation seems good for the ISP as it is kind of a gold mine for these companies, but for the companies struggling to find a place on the web, and for the professionals engaged in strategic internet marketing services,the situation can turn out to be a nightmare.

Why Is Net Neutrality Necessary?
Net neutrality is a must for almost every user of the internet. This includes the users, the small, new, and upcoming websites, and a digital marketing company or professional.

For the Users
For the users of the internet, it is only fair to keep the net neutrality alive on the web. This is because the non-neutrality situation can be very painful and sometimes, quite unaffordable for the users.

With different ISPs charging differently for providing the access to the internet in portions, things might be quite unpleasing, inconvenient, and expensive.

This bars the users from using the internet openly and freely, which is unfair.

In the case of non-neutrality, the users wonâ€™t be able to access any and every website present on the internet and thus, this will in turn affect the digital marketing, online existence, and business of these websites and also, the work of professionals delivering strategic internet marketing services.

For Small, New, and Upcoming Websites
For the bigger websites with an existing good repute on the web like Google, Facebook, etc., the lack of net neutrality will not be a big deal as they will be able to get user access anyhow.

But for the websites that are small, new, or are still in the development process, it will be a lot difficult to find the right audience in the absence of net neutrality.

Also, it would be really hard for a digital marketing company to help businesses reach the right audience through the strategic digital marketing plans and strategies. So, for small, new, and upcoming websites on the internet, non-neutrality will bring a lot of trouble.

For Digital Marketers
Again, for a digital marketing or SEO company it would be quite hard to let their magic work in an internet space with tight lanes.

How is a digital marketing company supposed to work for a website when its access is blocked by most of the ISPs on the internet? Sounds impossible? Well, it is close to impossible!

The only thing that can keep these websites going uninterrupted on the web is if the owners of these websites or the digital marketing experts working for them, pay the ISPs to let their websites be accessed. And this is not possible for every website owner or digital marketer.

Thus, non-neutrality is nothing but a huge impediment in the way of almost every internet user to have the freedom of accessing the whole internet with a great ease. Also, it brings about a number of other problems like high prices of internet access, unfair competition among the websites and online properties, unfair burden on the users and professionals delivering strategic internet marketing services, etc.

So, the prevalence of net neutrality is a must for all! Here is a list of benefits of net neutrality for businesses, digital marketers, and the internet users:

1. Equality for all

Needless to say, net neutrality is another name of equality on the internet. With net neutrality, every business has an equal opportunity to run in the digital race for growth and success. Be it a small business, a multi-dollar one, or just an upcoming startup, each one sees the internet as a platform of growth and success, equally.

So, with just good efforts from the best SEO Company or a digital marketing expert, every business has a chance to maintain a good rank and brand on the internet.

But that is not the case with non-neutrality.

With non-neutrality, only the websites or businesses with enough resources and a great repute, can survive in the market. Thus, for the small and upcoming businesses, things will be quite tough!

2. Fair Competition

With net neutrality, the competition on the internet is fair and square. A website that is still in the making can think of competing with the internet giants like Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

This is because the space on the internet is equally shared by all with net neutrality. However, in the absence of it, there would be an unfair competition as the digital giants would stay untouched while the small and upcoming websites will face troubles.

So, in the lack of net neutrality, no matter how efficient digital marketing company a website hires, the results will only be seen if a sum of money is paid to the ISPs, which is quite unfair and unaffordable for many.

Thus, to let a healthy competition prevail in the digital market, it is essential to let net neutrality prevail.

3. Less Costly

Net neutrality saves a lot of money for the websites and businesses as getting on the web isnâ€™t much of a hassle for them right now.

On the other hand, in the case of the non-neutrality, things might get a lot costlier. This is because in the latter situation, to get your website on the web requires payments to the ISPs and a follow up of a specialized procedure.

This adds to the cost and thus, the non-neutrality situation is much heavier on the pockets of businesses and professionals delivering strategic internet marketing services as compared to the situation of net neutrality.

Thus, in a lot of ways, net neutrality has a great impact on digital marketing. For users, websites, and even for a competent digital marketing or SEO company, the prevalence of net neutrality is a must! If this ends, a lot can get messed up and things will turn unfair.