Issue #31 - Traffic Exchanges – The Revolution Begins
Sometimes it’s the smallest of events that can bring about the bloodiest of revolutions.
History may remember it differently but, in my view, this is how the traffic revolution began.
A new down-line building program came in for some criticism at a popular web marketing forum. The owner of the program tried to log on to the forum to give his side of the story and, for some undetermined reason, was unable to do so.
Assuming foul-play, the program owner proceeded to bad-mouth the forum to his members.
The misunderstanding was resolved, but sparked a heated debate on the future of traffic exchanges, or the lack thereof.
The owner of the forum picked up on some of the comments made and started a new thread, seeking ideas on how traffic exchanges could raise their profile in the marketing world and adopt a more professional approach.
Some excellent and original ideas were thrown about, but the one that stuck was the suggestion that traffic exchanges should form some kind of union that would enable them to establish a standard for traffic exchanges across the industry.
A dramatic idea, to be sure, but apparently not an original one.
It seems this idea had been considered on more than one previous occasion.
But the right people, in the right place, at the right time, meant this idea was finally taken by the scruff of the neck and dragged, kicking and screaming into something resembling reality.
The Traffic Exchange Alliance was born.
Even as you read this article, plans are afoot and the creation of a new website is in the works.
Of course it may be some time before anything tangible is available. There are still a number of hurdles to overcome and I have no doubt that there will be some opposition to these plans.
But let me tell you why I think this project is so important.
New traffic exchanges surface daily and the majority of them are unoriginal, impractical and badly designed. You could build up a stack of credits only to see them sit in your account, unused for months.
You could purchase a ton of credits at a rock-bottom price, only to see them dribble from your account at the rate of 1-2 a day.
Worse still, a traffic exchange could send thousands of credits to your website within hours, leaving you with the suspicion that either the webmaster is cheating, or the members are.
Now imagine a world where out of the hundreds of Traffic Exchanges, only 20-30 carry the badge of the Traffic Exchange Alliance. That logo is your guarantee that this traffic exchange has been fully checked and approved by traffic exchange experts who have been running successful programs for years.
You are virtually assured of strong cheat protection, credits neither under-priced nor over-priced, excellent customer service and, most importantly, good traffic delivery.
Choosing the right Traffic Exchange is no longer a matter of guesswork. Spreading yourself thin over dozens of exchanges is no longer necessary, since the majority of the members spend the majority of their time surfing the programs that are proven to deliver.
The best will get better. And the new traffic exchanges run by people who are uninterested in customer service, uninterested in good cheat protection and uninterested in committing themselves to creating a solid, high quality traffic exchange will simply fall by the wayside.
Of course there will be complaints. The people I mentioned above will be most upset that they can no longer fleece people by selling worthless credits at ludicrously low prices for little or no work.
Some will also complain that this approach is shamelessly undemocratic and that individual surfers should decide for themselves what is, or isn’t, qualified.
Don’t listen to them.
Using trial and error to find the best marketing approach is only for the rich. If I am going to spend time and/or money on an item, I want to read reviews and find out what the experts are using.
A qualified and un-biased alliance of traffic exchange owners and users could provide just such an output.
As long as this proposed alliance is handled correctly, a moderated traffic exchange industry will become stronger and more effective than it has ever been throughout its checkered past.
What better way to encourage the uninitiated to sample traffic exchanges than some assurance that what they are using is tried and tested.
And if the Traffic Exchange Alliance is indeed successful, then watch others follow suit.
How long do you think it will be before you see the Safelist Alliance, or the Rotators Alliance, or the Downline Builders Alliance, or… well you get the idea.
A Revolution? Maybe. Let’s see where we are in a month or two.
But, whatever you do, don’t dismiss this as overblown hype. Unless you want the web marketing industry to remain an unstructured mess where the con artists live and breathe, hope for something better.
And do what you can to support it.
Comment on this article and you could win 1 month of PAID membership at the Mystical Maze. Click here to post your views in The Nettle Forum .
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David Congreave is joint owner of The Nettle Ezine. When he is not editing this weekly newsletter, he is looking for new programs worthy of being announced at The Early Bird and administrating the PayPerShop website.
David lives in Leeds in the United Kingdom with his wife Leanne.
This article can be reproduced in your website or ezine after six weeks from the publication date. However, you must seek permission first. Please email David if you would like to use this material.
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CaptKirk - A sideways look of the web marketing industry
CaptKirk offers an independent view that does not necessarily co-incide with that of The Nettle. You can respond to his column at The Nettle Forum
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A Face Only a Mother Could Love
Folks, adding your picture to your website is not for everybody. The only thing worse than having one person’s picture on a website is having two of them.
These pictures may get my attention quick, fast, and a hurry, but I have thoughts along these lines:
- What were these people thinking about when they put their picture on the site?
- Do they know that they have a face only a mother could love?
- Do they think this will help their sales?
Frankly, I believe your picture takes the focus off the website, products, and services you are promoting.
Folks, if you know for a fact that you aren’t model material, don’t be misled by anyone telling you that you need to add your picture to your website to build a relationship with your visitors. Your visitors don’t care how you look, as long as your products and services can be of benefit to them.
You could even be the most beautiful model in the world, but if your product or service does not fill their needs you won’t make a sale.
Mrs Captkirk and a friend were discussing this point and the friend said that God only makes beautiful people. Mrs Captkirk said that the bible never said that God makes only pretty people, it said that God makes GOOD people.
I agree with Mrs Captkirk.
Until Next Time Stay Upbeat and Positive!
P.S. Lets Have Some Fun On Our Journey To Success!
PROMOTE ALL YOUR SITES (1, 25, 50, or 75+) ON 1 SITE - FREE!
GENERATE 10,000+ REAL FREE VISITORS IN THE FIRST 30 DAYS!
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Editors' Note
Joel is currently busy with a new job and settling into a new house, and will be unable to add his input to The Nettle for a few weeks. Hopefully this will just be temporary until he can get online.
I'm going to be out of the office for the next week, hence this issue being published a day early.
I will try and check my emails mid-week, but if I don't get back to you until next week, please don't take it personally.
Next week I'll be reviewing the best sources for traffic exchange news, views and advice. I'll also be keeping you up to date with news of the Traffic Exchange Alliance as it breaks. Remember where you heard it first.
I couldn't find any new programs this week that managed more than a raised eyebrow, so I've repeated the details of IPowerFun in case you missed it last week. There are only a few more days before pre-launch ends, so don't leave it too late.
Best wishes.
David Congreave.
david@thenettle.com
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This website has been in pre-launch since April, but only has about two more weeks to go before its full launch.
The homepage is a little uninspiring, but the concept sounds interesting. A entertaining twist on the PTR concept, iPowerFun offer credits in exchange for referring new members, viewing advertising and playing our online games.
Credits can then be exchanged for a variety of products including "Profit Shares". These will, apparently, allow you to receive commission and can be earned without having to build a downline.
25 points are given away upon signup, but if you join during pre-launch you will receive 200 points. This is enough to purchase 2 profit shares as soon as full launch begins.
This is free to join, so click the banner below to get started.
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COMING IN ISSUE #32:
Hit Exchange News / NetMarketingForum - Reviewed
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May 2004 Competition
Here is the new competition for May, sponsored by:
1st Prize - One member of the "Early Bird" mailing list, drawn at random will win one month of PAID membership in the Mystical Maze exchange and 2500 banner impressions.
2nd Prize - The individual who posts the most interesting comment in our Debate section on The Nettle Forum will win 500 credits in the Mystical Maze exchange and 2500 banner impressions.
3rd Prize - Send an email to david@paypershop.com and tell us the three things you like most and the three things you like the least about The Nettle Ezine. One submission drawn at random will win 500 credits in the Mystical Maze.
Winners will be announced in the issue of The Nettle after 1st April 2004. To win the 2nd prize, go to The Nettle Forum and get posting. If you want to win the 1st prize, subscribe to The Early Bird, using the box below.
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If you like building downlines, hearing about a new program or website immediately after its launch can give you a head-start on your promotion.
At The Early Bird, we scour the internet, join the mailing lists and hang around forums to bring you details of the newest programs!
Add your email address now and we'll enter you into our prize draw to win one month of PAID membership to the Mystical Maze
You can view our splash page at www.thenettle.com/earlybird/.
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Essentials
There are four websites that carry a standing recommendation from The Nettle, each of which will be reviewed in a future issue. Until then, you can read the brief description below.
The Early Bird: If you like building downlines, being notified when new programs are released can be extremely helpful.
Mystical Maze: An effective Traffic Exchange that is rapidly gaining a loyal following. A clean surfing experience and the Maze make it less tedious than most.
MPAM: Massive Passive Advertising Machine. An excellent introduction to the weird and wonderful world of web marketing, and a great community spirit.
Join up using the above link and work your way through the lessons to achieve Gold status. Once you've achieved this, email us with your MPAM link and we'll give you $100 of advertising in The Nettle.
Hit Exchange News: If you use Traffic Exchanges to any degree, a subscription to this weekly ezine is essential. Complete the form below for your free subscription.
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