Here are 10 tricks that websites use to make money off of us:
1. Adware - As if your proclivity for shopping online isn't enough of a
financial burden, now these websites are collecting your shopping info so
they can sell you even more unnecessary stuff. I don't need someone keeping
track of my spending habits, unless it's my accountant. And now that I think
about it, I'm not really so sure about him either.
2. Pop-up ads - Sure, you can filter them out, or just close them yourself.
for the most part; but then there are the ones that move around when you try
to click on them, or activate an ad regardless of where you click the
window. I honestly don't know how this seemed like a good idea for sales,
but I guess it must work on some people because they just keep popping up.
3. Selling your personal info - Why does every e-merchant need to know that
you've just purchased an ionic air humidifier for R1699? I suppose because
when you hook a sucker, you've just got to brag about it to all of your
friends and business partners.
4. Cookies - This is sort of like maintaining a dossier in your files on
every person who walks into your business. They know every transaction they've
ever made with you, which is supposed to make your life more convenient. The
truth, however, is that it lets the site owner know how you've been using
the site so that they can repeat the success they had with you the last time
you came by and, you know, bought that humidifier.
5. Masked keywords - Search engines like Google have begun to crack down on
such SEO tricks, but regardless it's still being done. Web owners will post
keywords on their pages invisibly by using the same color font as the
background. This will then lead you to pages that are irrelevant to your
searches and result in earnings for the owner, from site visits at YOUR
expense.
6. Memberships - Some websites offer the option to become a member, implying
the opportunity for a preferred status or enhanced website experience. As
often as not, it merely guarantees the website owner some cash flow and the
benefits of membership are seldom worth the added expense.
7. Plagiarism - Theft of content is a serious matter, but when someone needs
to monetize their own website and lacks the originality to provide their
own, they will steal yours. In such instances when your content is
plagiarized, the website owner is literally making money off of you.
8. Shipping and handling - This became such an issue between buyers and
sellers on eBay that the TOS had to be re-written. There is a finite amount
that needs to be collected in order to ship a product of a specific weight
and size to a given address. Anything above and beyond that figure is pure
profit.
9. Back-linking - When done reciprocally and ethically, this benefits both
parties. However, when a visitor to your website drops links to theirs, it
can draw traffic away from you, costing you money, which goes to him
instead.
10. Identity theft - Disreputable websites can use the information that they
collect from you when you visit and do business with them, and either use or
sell that information to third parties for their own use.
If you have any questions or comments please contact me.
Regards Gerald
Website: http://www.webcraft.ws
E-mail: gerald@webcraft.ws
Twitter: WebcraftGuru
Facebook: Webcraft Guru
I'm protected by SpamBrave
http://www.spambrave.com/
Comments