LinkExchange Teams up with Better Business Bureau

San Francisco-based LinkExchange Inc. and the BBBOnline, a program of the Better Business Bureau system, formed a partnership to promote ethical business online.

They will work together to increase online awareness of good business guidelines, help encourage ethical business practices on the Web, and further educate the online community on the various pitfalls and opportunities for Web-based business.

LinkExchange said it will leverage its online reach to launch an awareness campaign for BBBOnLine. The goal of the partnership is to familiarize the online community with BBBOnline and the importance of BBBOnline standards for online business operation.

“LinkExchange is continually looking for ways to assist small, member businesses in their operation and practices,” said Ali Partovi, vice president for business development at LinkExchange, which claims a membership of more than 200,000 Web sites. “Now, with the help of the Better Business Bureau, we can encourage these businesses to adopt ethical advertising and commerce practices on the Internet.”

“Because of the expansiveness of the LinkExchange network, and the opportunities it presents for small businesses, this partnership offers us a great opportunity to reach out to quality online businesses,” said Russ Bodoff, general manager of BBBOnline. “We want to make the BBBOnline standards and sign-on process easily accessible to businesses, and LinkExchange will help us reach the types of businesses we can assist.”

Visitors to the LinkExchange site will now be able to find information on the Better Business Bureau including BBB standards and benefits, examples of Internet scams, and signs of questionable business practices. LinkExchange said it is the first major Web advertising network to be approved by BBBOnline and carries the BBBOnline seal on both the LinkExchange and LE Express sites.