Ethics & Internet Marketing

What role do ethics play in Internet marketing?

The role of ethics in Internet Marketing is to be honest with your customers and to be aware that it is your own responsibility to grow your business. Nobody likes the feeling of being cheated and you will not want to cheat your customer as it will only hurt you in the long run. You must be aware that customers will only purchase products from someone who they trust. So, when you are honest with your customers, you are building a trusting relationship with your customers. If you misrepresent the facts about your product, a customer will make the purchase but will later speak badly about your company to their family and friends. They most-likely will not purchase from you again. Negative reputation will lead to a damaged brand image.

One key thing to note is that once something is posted online, it is there forever. So be careful with what you post on a clients website because once its there, it can not be erased. You might change the website but it will always be in the archives.

The bottom line is that marketers need to be honest and fair and need to ensure they are not misleading internet users and consumers. This means no false or misleading advertisements. This also means that privacy policies should be clearly stated. This has been a hot topic for years, with companies like Google coming under fire. It's now easier than ever to collect information about consumers that can then be sold. It begs the ethical question if consumers have the right to privacy or if they are willing to give up that right to use a company's services. I think i'll create another post to explore this further.

For more information on ethics and internet marketing please click the link below to see a copy of the American Marketing Association's Code of Ethics.

http://www.helleniccomserve.com/marketingcodeofethics.html