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08. May 2008:

Can You Ever Trust An Online Marketer?

Ever since I first went online back in the early 90's, there has been no shortage of scaremongers and those who delight in telling stories to ignite fear and mistrust of the internet. I'm not saying none of these are justified, plenty of them are, but there are people who would have you believe that you should never trust anyone online - period.

In terms of all the millions of people who decide to try and make some extra money, or even a full time living on the web, the failure rate is extraordinarily high. I believe that one of the reasons for this is the paranoia instilled in them by others. FOBRO I call it.

If you are going to try and make a go of it online, you are going to have to suspend your belief that everyone out there is a con artist, a liar, and a ne'er do well. If you don't, you probably won't make it.

Let's take a step back though and consider why so many people believe that the internet is swamped with dishonest, bad or downright shady characters. Well, it is true that there are plenty of those types operating online, but in all honesty the internet is no different to the real world. Applying a little common sense is all it really takes to stay out of trouble. When you see one of the many variations on how to make huge life altering amounts of cash online in no time at all and without lifting a finger, sure, keep that healthy skepticism close at hand. 

As someone who recommends and sells on the internet I am well aware that overcoming customer doubts online is a difficult and ongoing battle, particularly if you are an unknown entity as opposed to a household name. Anyone who sells anything online will inevitably face dealing with an unhappy customer at some point, and unfortunately, the "FOBRO factor" (Fear of Being Ripped Off) often makes this an even more difficult task than it would normally be.

You constantly come across individuals online lashing out at people and companies who they perceive have done them wrong - sometimes they have a case and sometimes they don't. In the internet marketing field, this kind of thing is rife. Some would argue that is because the arena is full of hucksters and I'm not going to deny that there are some less than honest people out there. However, I have also found that people's complaints often arise from a situation for which they share equal blame. I've touched on this in relation to web hosting before but let's look at other some other areas.

Let's take the person who buys an IM product that calims to show them how to make money from a specific venture. They buy the informational product, read it and then do nothing. Naturally, they don't make any money and somehow make the leap of imagination that they have been cheated. But have they? If the product they bought promised information and delivered it, they surely got what they were prepared to pay for, did they not? Their failure to act on said information does not, to my mind qualify the seller as a cheat or a liar.

There are many examples like this, and sadly they often arise from a lack of understanding or knowledge. I recall a product launch over a year ago where many people willingly parted with their cash only to realize that they had neither the knowledge or systems in place to use what they paid for. Why? Because they didn't understand or even look into what it was they were buying, got caught up in a huge marketing whirlwind and then claimed they had been ripped off.

I had a recent experience myself where, due to a slight glitch with a payment processor, I was accosted by an unhappy customer. I should add that the amount of money involved was very small, and that it took me 13 minutes to respond to the initial email. Despite immediate action which would have resulted in her receiving her download within the hour, her FOBRO mentality blinded her to all reason.

I refunded the money right away. Why? Because to argue would have been pointless, the customer having convinced themselves that someone was going to disappear with their cash and laugh at them from the safety of their luxury yacht anchored in the Bahamas, paid for with their ill gotten internet millions. So, instead of a really good bargain, the customer has a war story to tell and another "terrible experience" (her words) online to add fuel to the fire. FOBRO. Justification - absolutely zero. This is how the mentality thrives and is indicative of society as a whole. A sheep bleats, and other sheep will naturally follow.

The owner of the program in question is a very honest and respectable marketer. I would also add, that I consider myself honest and trustworthy too. My mama raised me right.

It is also true that many people still have a hugely irrational fear of giving out an email address online. There really is no need. One thing honest marketers really don't need is being labelled a spammer. As a result, double opt-in email marketing is the only path they will follow. This is great for you whichever side of the fence you are on. If someone offers something for free to get your email address and you really want the gift, sign up. The FOBRO should not stop you - it's what grandma used to call cutting off your nose to spite your face.

You can always set up an email account specifically for the purpose with Gmail or similar. If you really don't want to hear from the marketer again, opt-out as soon as you have the gift. It's simple, there should be no FOBRO. In actual fact, being on a few email lists is far  more likely to be of benefit to you. Does it bother me when people subscribe just to get a free book or report and then remove themselves? No, it doesn't - I offer the information freely and can't expect to hold a person hostage in exchange and wouldn't wish to. That attitude is the only one to have as far as I'm concerned.

So where am I going with all this? Well, I'm trying to point out that just because somebody sells something online, or recommends services or products, or points you towards something that is free, there is not always a catch. A lot of the time, these offers are very genuine, even the free ones and yes, even the internet marketing ones.

For you, as a marketer, you need to believe that sometimes, there are really people who are offering to help you. Yes, a reasonable degree of caution is advisable, but if everytime you see an attractive offer or read a testimonial or endorsement and your FOBRO kicks in immediately, you might not be cut out for making money online. You have to keep it all in perspective and understand that sooner or later you will find yourself in a postioin where you wish or need to buy something to help you in your own online marketing efforts.

Nobody can force anybody to buy something online, nor can they force them to download a free product or take a free trial or anything else. When it comes to the Internet, as a medium of communication you, the user, have complete control. If you're not happy about any aspect of an offer, ask before you buy - isn't that what you would do in the "real world"? As far as free things go, what do you have to lose? Marketers, despite their sometimes less than enviable reputations cannot turn up on your doorstep and threaten death if you won't buy their latest offer.

So, despite the horror stories from your neighbor, your workmate, your relative or friend, keep an open mind, use a little common sense and remember that making money online does not have to be a dirty word.

TCH 



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27. March 2008:

How Not To Run A Forum (Or Scrap The God Complex)

A couple of weeks back I visited a well known IM forum and decided, on the recommendation of several people who I respect, to sign up. Having set up my account and checked out the various guidelines and FAQ's I started reading a few of the posts and having a general browse around.

I was pleased to see a section where members could engage in a bit of self promotion by posting links to free ebooks - not free IM related ebooks or other restrictive definitions, it was an open invitation. It even stated that "This section is for listing every free ebook known to man. If you know where a free ebook is on the net please list it here for all the members to see.". (This is known as a hint BTW). There were, I saw, books on a wide range of subjects. 'Great', I thought, 'another excellent place to get the word out about An Absolute Beginner's Guide To Web Hosting'.

I checked the guidelines for adding my book, wrote a short description and provided my direct link as specified. After several days, the post was not approved and when I checked after about a week , it was only to find that the entry had been nuked. No notification of rejection was received, my post might as well never have existed. (They claim that if a post is rejected, you will be notified by email).

I tried again, thinking that I had probably screwed up somewhere along the line, this time being very careful to ensure there were no typos and the link was correct and functioning. I double checked my profile just to make sure my email address was correct too. Three days later, the same result. Baffled, I found the contact email address and politely asked if there was any reason why moderators were zapping the post.

After over a week, there has been nothing but a wall of silence, not even the courtesy of an acknowledgement. 

I have a strong suspicion that posting anything in that forum that might be viewed as competition to something that the owners/moderators promote themselves, will never see the light of day. Just a hunch, and their refusal to even demonstrate the good manners of a quick email reply suggests that they don't care who knows either. Perhaps if I had published the book with a link to Host4Profit as opposed to my own (and in IMHO superior) hosting affiliate program, I might have stood a chance. Probably an even greater one if I happened to be in the downline of one of the merry forum crew.

Is that any way to run a forum, or indeed any online business?

If they profess to exist in order to help their members, how do they justify censoring information that might well interest those members or benefit their online ventures? Could it be that their only real interest is in lining their own pockets? Could it be considered that they abuse their established position with such actions? Heaven forbid! Slap me and call me Mary, for even suggesting such a thing. Is it really any wonder that internet marketing is so often the butt of criticism and derision?

As you can gather they lost a member and I won't be returning despite the aforementioned recommendations. I have seen other negative indictments of the forum in question, accusing them of greed, spamming the membership base and taking advantage of the unwary. I'm inclined to agree with some of that negative publicity now, even though I know there are doubtless some decent members. 

I just don't care for, or need, that kind of regime thanks very much.

TCH



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12. June 2007:

Google Adsense Rules

Back in April, Google announced that publishers could no longer show ads on sites rotating in traffic exchanges of any kind, be they manual or auto surf programs. This will probably catch a lot of people out for various reasons. 

It seems a rather harsh and uninformed stance to take if you ask me. For one thing, I doubt very much that the average traffic exchange surfer spends time looking at a site long enough to click on Adsense ads, and, if they do, it will presumably be for the exact same reason as anyone else clicks on an ad when they land on a website - because they want to! I know there have been instances of a couple of so called "Ads View" exchanges which blatantly encourage members to click on other members Adsense ads and Google are certainly right to clamp down on such blatant "click fraud". That type of site and its members are deliberately stealing - not from Google, but from Adwords advertisers trying to make an honest buck. I'm guessing that it is these bad apples that have contributed to Google's decision. To me though, it seems more a case of being seen to be doing something about a problem, rather than an effective solution. It is a problem which is unlikely to go away anytime soon and will barely register in the overall fight against invalid or fraudulent click activity.         

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12. June 2007:

Adwords Tycoons Launch

Adwords Tycoons Landing Page - Click Here 

Hot on the heels of Chris Carpenter and several others claiming the key to untold Google adwords riches, comes Adwords Tycoons. I guarantee that anybody will be entranced by the three pre-launch videos - earning over $7000 for one day using two Clickbank products has to impress anyone after all. I'm a bit late with this, having only just received an email from one of many lists to which I subscribe but the general approach is to show you video screenshots of various campaigns and the money earned as a result. If you are interested in Adwords , are playing the game already, or just plain curious to see a Clickbank account that most can only dream about, (including me) you will need to register your address to see the three prelaunch videos. It will get you interested in finding out more, but when the time comes, I can't see this being knowledge that will be shared cheaply. 

Great marketing videos nonetheless, no matter how cynical things may have made you......gets those hopes and dreams cranked right on up again. So, if you decide to take a look, after you've watched the videos, calm yourself down a little by reading the earnings disclaimer which is almost essential these days and remember - yes, it can be done, but it is never easy - simple perhaps, but  that's a whole different ballgame. 

TCH

Hosting/Autoresponders/Marketing/Conference Rooms 



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11. June 2007:

Free Niche Marketing Sources

Free Niche Marketing Source by Jeremy Lawrence

Niche marketing strategies are something all Internet businesses and entrepreneurs are having to reckon with these days if they want to keep their head above water and profits in the black . I have had to learn niche marketing begrudgingly, perhaps like you, through some painful trial and error, and wasted money on over-hyped, expensive Internet marketing products. Yet, learning the ins and outs of niche marketing has been a matter of survival for my business. In this article I will share with you one of the most powerful and overlooked sources of free niche marketing traffic.

It is incredible to me with all of the hype over “Web 2.0” all of the so-called “gurus” have overlooked niche marketing strategies from one of the most visible and vibrant sources of free traffic on the Internet. This traffic source has been around since the beginning of the Internet and it is still important.

Internet groups.

Yes that means, Yahoo! Groups, MSN Groups, Google groups and other places where people freely congregate around their shared interests.

These groups offer a gold mine of interested, rabid prospects. People in these newsgroups will devour your information if it is good and properly conveyed to them. These are people who voluntarily joined a group to interact with others around a common interest; The same interest you are promoting in your niche. They were not bribed by a free newsletter, nor did they have other carrots dangled in front of them to join. You are not trying to sell them on your idea. They already get it and deep down inside, they want you to have the answer they are looking for. Read Full Article Related Posts

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24. May 2007:

The Rich Jerk And Other News

Over at John Chow's blog there is a very interesting discussion going on about The Rich Jerk and the fact that the business would appear to be for sale, TRJ being not quite so rich after all. Is it all one big publicity stunt? Well, you can never tell with this guy but it's certainly provoking a lot of comment. Read more here The Rich Jerk for sale

 

More news on other business opportunities arrived in my inbox today and one in particular caught my eye regarding My World Plus.  Although I'm not warning people off of this site because it is not genuine, there is one thing potential opt-ins should know. Should you decide to leave your details and take the tour, the follow ups take the form of voice mail as opposed to email and some people are unhappy about receiving at least one call per day urging them to upgrade. It is worth noting that My World Plus uses a powerline system - this means that after signing up you are repeatedly advised that others who joined below you have upgraded and it is impressed upon you continuously thereafter that if you don't upgrade yourself you will lose out. It's not a tactic I like myself but all I'm saying is "be prepared" if you decide to take the free tour. You will be subjected to powerline pressure tactics.

 

And so to Adsense, and in particular Adsense arbitrage sites. It appears that Google have decided enough is enough with Adwords campaigns designed only to send traffic to poor quality sites set up purely for Adsense revenue gathering. Read the full story at the Jensense blog. I have said before on these pages that publishers should not keep all their eggs in one basket  and although this only seems to be  affecting publishers who are earning several thousand dollars monthly from their arbitrage sites, it is a fair warning to everyone playing the game.

 

And so to "Mad Guru Disease", are you one of many infected by this insidious plague? If you're worried about it, you might want to read the latest diagnosis over at Click Newz

TCH

Set And Forget Business  

 

 

 

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