There’s a lot of rubbish on the web.
Some of it stems from mistakes.
Some of it comes from bad writing and inadequate research.
Some of it is a collection of outright lies.
Which means the web is no different to the real world. One of my College text books was called ‘How to Lie With Statistics’ and I remember how, after reading it, I found every survey or news report a source of fascination.

‘Over 40% of readers say this is the best thing since sliced bread’ sounds good until you realize it means most people don’t.

Psychologists have shown that we search for and retain more information that confirms our existing view. One result of this is that we hold on to our cherished beliefs even after they have been discredited.

So my question – and it is a question because I don’t know the answer, is how important is the truth? If you are starting a web based business, is it OK to lie to bring customers to your site?

How do you interpret those  ‘standard’ calls to action and ideal headlines – the ones that promise  the universe in exchange for your email address? Has anyone ever really given you the ONE THING you need to know to make money online? Or told you the Seven Secrets of Successful Blogging?

So, why am I writing about this today? Believe it or not there is a reason. On August 25th 1835, the Sun, the a recently opened New York newspaper,  published a series of articles detailing discoveries made by the eminent astronomer Sir John Herschel.  Over the next few days the articles, taken from the ‘Supplement to the Edinburgh Journal of Science’,  described the discovery of a civilization on the moon, complete with buildings, animals and finally, people. Not people like you and me, people with wings and fur, a bit like bats.

Six articles appeared, from August 25th to August 31st 1835 and with each article the circulation of the newspaper grew. Other editors went frantic and even went so far as to republish the articles as their own. According to historybuff.com the circulation of the New York Sun grew to an enormous figure for the time, greater than that of any other newspaper.

And then, on 16th of September, the Sun published a modest column which hinted that yes, it might have been a hoax.  There was no supplement to the Edinburgh Journal of Science, and although Sir John Herschel was busy at the cape of Good Hope making useful discoveries, he had not found a civilization on the moon and had most definitely not written the articles.

What was most interesting, was the way the public reacted. Were they outraged? Did they refuse to buy the Sun?

Quite the opposite. The public were amused, circulation stayed high and never  fell back to its original figure; The Sun went on to greater and better things, including the famous editorial ‘Yes Virginia, There Is  a Santa Claus.’

Does this just confirm the view that selling stuff through exaggeration to the point of lying is a business practice which works?

And if so, does that mean it’s OK to promise the Earth and deliver a handful of  mud?

The truth for me is that I hardly read a sales pitch these days, especially if I can see it is long and won’t tell me the cost.  But I think I must be alone, because people keep asking me to write that sort of thing and when I ask them why, they say ‘Because it works.’ And judging by the story above, they are probably right.

All the same, what I’d like to try and do, is promise the Earth, deliver it, and throw in some stars.
That, I think customers would get  excited about.

How about you?

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