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Commonly, software is sold either through online purchases or at retail stores. Each of these methods has its up sides, both from the point of view of the consumer and from the point of view of the merchant. It is to the merchant's benefit to advertise, so that consumers can learn more about the product.

The disadvantage of advertising software directly at the store is that other products may compete for the client's attention. But there are also some advantages: one is the constant presence of a salesman/woman who can answer customers' questions about that product and give more information. Also, some customers prefer to buy software which is being distributed on portable media such as DVDs or CDs. The layout of the medium can also draw the attention of the customer.

The distribution and advertisement for a product soled online is different from techniques used in stores. advertising software over the internet can be done a lot more consumer specific. The use of marketing software, which for example automatically sends out e-mails to customers who have bought a similar product in the past, is also less expensive. This is one example for the use of ecommerce software to promote a product.

Although the approach is much less personalized, the use of popup windows to advertise software is often cheaper than the use of costly ecommerce software because the advertiser only pays for the views received. The quantity of individuals reached via the popup window method often compensates for the reduced personal touch.

One down side to advertising online is that people who spend a fair amount of time on the Internet become inured to online ads, because they see so many of them. Because many sites use advertising extensively, even intrusively, viewers may simply block out the ads they are shown.

It is also noticeable that some Internet users are now afraid of clicking on any advertisement online, especially in the case of advertising software. Consumers have become aware that they might inadvertently install a virus packaged along with software they have downloaded, and it is no wonder that this makes them leery of clicking on an advertisement.

As for myself, I'm a person who would rather do my research online and make my purchase in a store. So when I am buying software, two kinds of advertisements influence me: those I have seen online, and those I see in the store.