What Email Spam Tells You About Internet Business

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.