Do Online Business Ethics Exist?

In the world of online busines something has gone wrong. Something has gone badly wrong. In the pursuit of wealth and success business ethics have not so much fallen by the wayside as been torn up, stomped on and burned to ash. Where some loose form of rule may have applied before there now only exists chaos, greed and hype.

Where are these businesses that lack ethics?

Look around you. Every automatically generated content or directory site that pops up is search engine spam. You can call them doorway sites or any other cute name you want but the end result is the same - spam. These sites are run by the quick buck guys and gals. Sure they make quick money. They also clog up the search engines and make it far more difficult for legitimate marketers to make an honest buck. These people have zero respect for the industry they're in and calling what they do "business" is at very best a joke.

What about scraper sites that steal content from other websites? Is using somebody elses content on your website without even linking back to the original site ok? Is the online theft of other peoples content now legal? In the offline world there's a name for this practice - it's called plagiarism. Plagiarism can get you kicked out of school, thrown out of college, cost you your job or land you in court - in the real world. In the online world you get a pat on the back from your fellow cronies for coming up with yet another way to steal other peoples content for your use.

What about the guys selling yet another overpriced, overhyped infoproduct that is the, alleged, solution to all your traffic, content or financial woes? Selling a product for a fair price is good. Selling the same product for a vastly inflated price is well.... criminal. In the offline world companies are forced to offer the best possible bargain to consumers to stay in the game. Online the prices are created at a whim because online marketers know a sucker is born every minute and their product WILL sell - regardless of how good or bad it is.

What about the online clubs and services where you pay anywhere from $100 to $1,000 per month for access to their features or facilities? 90% of this information can be gathered online for free but several of these marketing gurus stick the words "secret", "hidden" or "never seen before" all over their sales letter and again the suckers flock in to be parted from their hard earned dollar.

This is the point of this article. What the current crop of online marketers are forgetting is that the vast majority of people have to work for a living. Every time they release yet another hyped up, over priced product that promises the world they're delivering false hopes into the hands of hopeful blue collar workers. Just because you're parting these people from their hard earned cash from a distance doesn't make it right to overcharge them. The only difference is that in the real world you'd have to face these same customers stomping back to your shop looking for a refund and possibly a fight. Anybody who has ever worked in real world sales can identify with this.

Running an online business does not mean that you can pull any trick, stunt or marketing ploy you want and then hide behind an email address.

Running an online business does not mean that you can do no wrong.

Running an online business means that you are parting hard working people from hard earned cash.

Ethics still matter.

People still matter.

Some marketers should seriouly consider this the next time they look at the bottomline of their next marketing adventure.

This article was provided courtesy of Affiliate-Advocate.com where you'll find tons of information on online affiliate marketing

---

10-Essential Points When Considering Pop-Under Advertising

I have been running tests on the use of Pop-Unders... Read More

Marketing Your Web Site

Congratulations! Your Web Site is finished! Now what? Your first... Read More

Seven Strategies To Make Money On The Net Regularly

You can attract 1,000's of prospects to you. You only... Read More

Information - The Art Of Selling

Money may well make the world go round, but facts,... Read More

Five Proven Methods For Increased Internet Sales

There are hundreds of ways that you can promote your... Read More

Six Techniques to Triple Your Website Hits

Welcome,Over the past five years I have learnt many tricks... Read More

Use Landing Pages to Boost Sales and Capture Metrics

If you are sending out a periodic email newsletter, no... Read More

Niche Marketing Nuggets: Picking the Gold from the Internet Mine

Building an Internet business based on a specific niche is... Read More

Overcoming The Fear Factor In Online Sales

No I am not talking about the classic board game,... Read More

Hocus Pocus? Its Just Focus!

How many times have you wondered what magic formula the... Read More

E-Mail Accounts For Your Home Based Business

As a Work at Home Business you need to have... Read More

Internet Marketing Guide

If you are considering launching a website for your business... Read More

Generating Sales with Lead Generation and Online Marketing Tools

One of the best projects to undertake as an online... Read More

GoDaddy?s Super Bowl Commercial Success

GoDaddy made a calculated decision to nationally "brand" their name... Read More

10 Search Tips for Internet Marketers

From kids to the old, everybody searches and search engines... Read More

Why Offline Advertising is So Important for Websites

It is important that anybody with a significant online presence... Read More

Road Map to Internet Marketing Success

Today, the internet has become part of our life. We... Read More

Internet Marketing and Leveraging the Power of Networks

Creating a network -- meaning a community of users --... Read More

What Big Pharma Can Teach You About Niche Marketing

A recent newspaper review of a new book, Selling Sickness,... Read More

Internet Marketing Tip - Go For The Bronze

Go for the bronze.Repeat...go for the bronze.That's right, DO NOT... Read More

Five Step In To A Successful Online Shopping Business..

Before you set out to explore the online shopping market... Read More

Web Success Secret - Overdeliver

A few days back I got an email telling me... Read More

Targeting Online Customers

Although generating online traffic is an important goal of any... Read More

Kindergarten Dropout Makes A Fortune In Internet Marketing

Hyperboles abound in Internet Marketing. Myth has its own area... Read More

Online Marketing And Promotion: 10 Profitable Ways To Recycle Your Content

You may have heard the expression that "content is king".Yes,... Read More

Start a Fire Sale! Give Your Faithful Clients Bonuses!

When is the last time you received an unexpected gift?... Read More

An Introduction to Mortgage Marketing

The other day I had an appointment to meet with... Read More

The Tao of Web Marketing

A few months ago I was watching a stream meandering... Read More

Web Site Marketing Tips To Keep You Ahead Of The Field

Web site marketing is the most important part of your... Read More

Network Marketing Online ? The Method

Network Marketing online works by giving you your own online... Read More

Keep those Back end Sales Flowing 24/7 Using The Funnel Theory of Marketing and Automated Tools

The Funnel Theory of Marketing Relies on the fact that... Read More

Is Internet Marketing Saturated?

Is internet marketing and the potential for it saturated? I... Read More

Identify your Target Market by Tracking and Exploiting Profitable Search Engine Keyword Phrases

There's a very lucrative "marketing formula" to targeting prospects on... Read More