What Email Spam Tells You About Internet Business

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Consumers spend over $100 million per year on spam email scams. How can anyone still be duped into this? The answer may be a big business opportunity.

 

Submitted: Jul 25, 2007    Views: 456    Comments: 4    Likes: 13   


I was reading an article in the most recent edition of Forbes on Spam.  In it, the magazine states that certain Spam companies make up to $100 MM per year hawking fake Viagra, sex stimulants, OEM software, weight loss products, and more.  My question is, who in their right mind is buying these products?  I mean hasn't everyone heard about these email scams?  Doesn't everyone know you don't buy Viagra from an unsolicited email?

Apparently not.  Which got me thinking.  Those of us who spend a lot of time on the Web really take for granted the level and sophistication of the bulk of mainstream Internet users.  I mean if millions of people are buying fake Viagra tablets online, I can guarantee you they aren't using Digg or plugging into Twitter, or figuring out how the latest widget can help them, or even buying on Amazon.  No, the masses are thinking about much more mundane things.  How can I get it up for my wife tonight, how can I lose 50 points easily, how can I get a cheap piece of legal or illegal software for my computer? 

These unsavvy, apparently unsophisticated Internet users represent the silent majority on the Internet.  They are there, they spend money, but they are largely ignored. 

If a spammer can convince them to hand over $50 bucks to buy Viagra then you should be able to convince them to spend some percent of money on a legitimate product.  Do that, and you'll make far more money than MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube combined.




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Comments Received:

Jerry Hirsh

The $100 million number strikes me as particularly low given the fact that most email users are naive and unsophisticated.

Posted: Jul 26, 2007

JRodgers

The burden to society in terms of viruses accidentally downloaded, lost time filtering through these, etc. is dramatically higher.

Posted: Jul 26, 2007

EmilyZ
EmilyZ

I think the article means that certain companies make 100 million per year, not that spam in total generates that much.

I often wonder who click on those ads. If people stopped clicking and buying, spam would go away. It lasts because the spammers get a return for their efforts.

Posted: Jul 26, 2007

Starting A Business

It's the same group that buys scratch tickets and expects to win.

Posted: Jul 26, 2007



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