The price
The price is difficult to estimate because it's a mixture of software, platform, resource consumption, internal and external resources. Internal budget processes often make it more difficult, as different solutions can vary considerably in the composition of operational and capital expenditures. As always, it is a good idea to ask for the price of a defined service; potential providers should offer their solutions seriously. But this requires clear specifications and an idea where the journey should go in the next 3-5 years.
More functionality, flexibility and enhanced connectivity
Arguments about functionality, flexibility and increased connectivity can be valid, but often have their origin in promises made by providers. In general, cloud applications are less flexible. Often there is already a considerable set of functions available but implementing customization is mostly not easy to realize what limits you to the functions the provider supports. On the other hand limitations can also be a good argument to keep focused on the essential and necessary needs.
Location independency and scalability
Location independence and scalability are convincing arguments to use cloud services. However, it is difficult to calculate your final price for scalable solutions, especially when it comes to consumption of hardware resources and the associated pricing model. Often these arguments can be a good reason for hybrid environments, basically using on-premises services, but going to the cloud for exceptional peaks and proximity to users.
Extended security
Security is a central argument for the cloud, but there are pros and contras to consider. The fact that many cloud providers are investing much more in security because their services and corresponding reputation are their primary goods, adapting more quickly and have a broader staffing base in place is true, at least for the majority of large providers. However, these providers are also number 1 target for attackers. To estimate the security perimeter of smaller providers over all can be very difficult. The general rule about security in the cloud is, that you are going to outsource the central question of security. A cloud provider should present answers to the most important cloud security and privacy question without hesitating it's a clear sign for a lack of reliability if he is not prepared for that.
