The Ethics Of Successful Internet Marketing

Internet Marketing is an umbrella term for a broad range of online business models.  The term embraces the personal blogger writing about training puppies, baking cakes or trading Forex; the high-profile marketing gurus and their million dollar product launches; and the ‘Pay Per Click’ supremos – hugely successful famous faces, and the discreet entrepreneur who prefers to practise the high art under the radar.

I’ve recently been waving a banner for the reconciliation of ethical Internet Marketing principles with successful online business practices.  At the start of my adventure into Internet Marketing, I was attracted to the easy automation of the ‘set and forget’ business model, the whole remote management of making money online had me hooked.

When I fully grasped the structure and underlying psychology of some aspects of certain Internet Marketing techniques, my feelings changed about wanting to be involved. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in my own skin, and it would be quite bizarre to start my own business, and end up loathing the boss!

If you have ever subscribed to an Internet marketer’s mailing list, you’re familiar with the relentless stream of promotional emails promising to teach you the latest tricks, cheats and underhand Internet Marketing tactics.

One of my least favourite business models is ‘forced continuity’, which works by offering you, say, the first month’s subscription free of charge, and accompanied by fabulous bonuses.  All you pay is $1 Shipping & Handling (S&H).  Only $1? What a bargain, eh?

That S&H elicits your credit card details, and in a month’s time you’ll notice an unfamiliar charge on your card for a relatively small amount, say, $9.99 and you make a mental note to check it out.  People don’t tend to get over-concerned about little charges and may never get around to cancelling it.

Where did this monthly charge arise?  When you requested your free first month’s subscription and free bonuses for the one payment of $1 for S&H, you didn’t notice the tiny additional text informing you that in one month’s time, your card will be charged the full monthly subscription fee of $9.99.  By signing up, you’ve signed up forever… unless you take action to CANCEL it.

What an abhorrent principle on which to build your future online business reputation. This brand of Internet Marketing is neither attractive nor desirable, and yet it’s a much-copied business model.  If you’re as disenchanted by underhand practices as I am, be sure to distance yourself from strategies designed solely to trick your customers into parting with their hard-earned cash.

If you’re serious about your long-term future involvement with Internet Marketing, and building a successful Online Business, give careful consideration to how you wish to be perceived by prospective customers in your target market, and by other marketers - the latter may be potential Joint Venture partners in the future. Making a profit isn’t the be all and end all, how you make that profit is also important.

In the beginning, your personal ethical stance is pretty much all you have, so be groomed to present yourself in the best possible light.

Layne | Reward Rebel

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Filed under Attitude & Focus, Internet Marketing, Online business | Comments (8)

Internet Marketing And The Impossible Dream

Last Summer, when Internet marketing entrepreneur Harris Fellman adopted the persona of Sal the Sitestealer as a gimmick to promote his latest product, I thought it was an hilarious gag, but after a wee while, I got tired of the whole charade.

During the past year, now and again, I’ve dipped into Fellman’s overall online output – some good, and some not so good. However, I’ve just been perusing his blog, The Weekly Buzz and in particular, a post titled How 4 Hour Work Week Fd Me Up.

In this brief article, Fellman highlights an important aspect of attempting to create a full-time income from a part-time work (at home) ethic, and anyone tailoring their income generation strategies to ‘work smarter, not harder’ should benefit by reading this piece.

It’s not a lengthy post and will take just a few minutes of your time, but you’ll learn something very valuable.

Let’s ensure we enjoy our Internet marketing adventures!

Reward Rebel

Filed under Attitude & Focus, Internet Marketing | Comments (6)

Hey, I’m Back! How Y’All Doing?

My last post is dated 1st June and, incredibly, now the month is almost over. Where have I been? I wish I had a tale of excitement and adventure with which to regale you, but quite simply I had nothing new to say, and the more I pondered blogging, the more I realised that it was taking up much more of my life than I’d planned. And with less going on in my life, there was less to blog about!

Blogging was an ‘add on’, it was intended as a supplement to my internet marketing, and Reward Rebel blog was supposed to be the reflection of my work. Somehow it started to eat up so much of my time that there wasn’t enough left for me to maintain the projects I already had set up, never mind research new ones.

Well, I’ve had a break, and I’ve caught up on TV – I’m particularly enjoying Battlestar Galactica. In the UK we’ve just reached the midway point in the story, the Humans and Cylons have located and landed on Earth, only to find it dismal and desolate. Who is the final undisclosed Cylon? I think it might be Lee Adama, but most of my theories so far have been dashed, so I’m probably wrong! Ooh, it’s so exciting – have I ever mentioned I’m a massive sci-fi geek?

I’ve also been enjoying Euro 2008. Four years ago, I was in Crete when Greece won the 2004 championship, and it was a total trip! On the night of the match, there wasn’t a bar, restaurant, store, nowhere that didn’t have the match on the TV, and when they won, the entire island exploded into lunacy and revelling unlike anything I’d seen before. It was brilliant.

After watching the match, we went straight out to bedlam on the streets — along with the town’s entire population! There was a pick-up truck driving erratically into the centre of town, halting abruptly every 25 metres or so, to eject a passenger brandishing a shotgun he’d fire wildly into the night sky, jump back in and off they’d drive another 25 - 30 metres, stop and do it all over again!

Ah, Crete. If anything inspires me, it’s my plan to relocate to a waterfront villa on the Greek island of Crete. Nothing fancy mind, just as long as it has a private pool and extensive grounds, I’m not fussy.

Before I sign off, I’d like to thank my beautiful friends online who have enquired about my wellbeing and whereabouts… I felt rich.

I’ll be seeing you around.

Reward Rebel Returns

Filed under Attitude & Focus, Blogging | Comments (11)