dilemma...is this ethical??

10 replies
hey people,

i'm working in this particular niche.

for some search terms, i've noticed the top ranking
sites to be affiliates of my competitor.

i'm thinking about sending them emails with benefits
about promoting mine and my partner's product instead
of theirs (or something along those lines?).

but just wanted to know..is doing this ethical?

or is it wrong?

cheers

prashant
#dilemmais #ethical
  • Profile picture of the author greenovni
    You can send them information about why promoting you would be better, it is up to the webmaster to change over to your product. Nothing unethical about it
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  • Profile picture of the author sjedwardz
    I wouldn't explicitly mention your competitor just say that you would like them to promote your links and if they do they will get blah blah...

    That seems fair - its business after all and we all generally do something to get something back - that's how business works

    If they come back and say they already have a relationship with your competitor then fine - nothing ventured!


    Originally Posted by prashie91 View Post

    hey people,

    i'm working in this particular niche.

    for some search terms, i've noticed the top ranking
    sites to be affiliates of my competitor.

    i'm thinking about sending them emails with benefits
    about promoting mine and my partner's product instead
    of theirs (or something along those lines?).

    but just wanted to know..is doing this ethical?

    or is it wrong?

    cheers

    prashant
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    • Profile picture of the author toskan
      I don't see any problem with it. If your product is better than competitor's they will appraise it and will change link to your website. This is fair competition.
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      • Profile picture of the author eidorian
        As long as you can prove to them that they can gain more benefit by promoting your products, there is a high chance they will switch.

        I do not think this is unethical. We are talking about doing business and such thing are common in the business world.
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  • Profile picture of the author prashie91
    cool!

    thank you for your advice.

    cheers

    prashant
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  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    Originally Posted by prashie91 View Post

    i'm thinking about sending them emails with benefits
    about promoting mine and my partner's product instead
    of theirs (or something along those lines?).
    Well, why are they promoting that other crap, anyway? Clearly they don't know how great your product is! Go tell them!

    Yeah, it's perfectly ethical. Affiliates are affiliates. If I were the affiliate, I'd probably put up a whole new site for your product on a different domain and sell them both.
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    "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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  • Profile picture of the author Pufferf1sh
    Nothing unethical about that. It's just business. Whichever product makes the affiliate the most money will probably win out.

    But if you approached the other website and discredited the competing product, that would be unethical.

    Best outcome is to have your own pages ranking ahead of the affiliate in the first place.
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    • Profile picture of the author jagsenghera
      I see nothing wrong it that. There is a really fine line between ethical and unethical isn't it.
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  • Profile picture of the author mark z
    Yes, it is ethical. It is a free market, right?
    Make them an offer. The one they can`t refuse
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  • Profile picture of the author Nahar
    What you want to do is not unethical (and I agree with the previous posts encouraging the civilized approach as you write to the affiliates).

    However, what you want to do is WRONG if I am your competitor.
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