Burgeoning online media budgets are creating a tighter market for long-time players, increasing the costs of media and reducing the opportunity for the companies long enjoying an under-utilized medium. MediaWeek reports some agencies are reporting "diminishing options," particularly for direct marketing clients.

Old internet bubble-era management issues also seem to be popping up, most notably staffing and automation. Online marketing has only gotten more complex, and the scrutiny on tracking continues to heighten. Organic, one of the original online agencies, has 60 unfilled positions.

Agency instincts seem to be to attempt to simplify the process, although much of the benefit of online marketing comes from the careful control of additional controls and levers that the medium offers.