Internet Marketing

More On Affiliate Marketing

April 27, 2015 by Dave

Roy’s Article On Affiliate Marketing

I just read a more honest post about affiliate marketing by Roy Furr.

You can read it here:

https://www.breakthroughmarketingsecrets.com/blog/the-dirty-truth-about-affiliate-marketing/

I like what Roy had to say there and I agree with him.

I want to expand on one major point that may not have been made clear from Roy’s article.

Even though the word “Dirty” was in the title of the post. It wasn’t really touched upon greatly in the article.

I have a fair amount of affiliate marketing experience over the last 12-13 years.

The Bad

Here is what I want to say. There is a LOT OF CHEATING going on in the affiliate world.

There are so many ways that honest affiliates get cheated out of money that they earned that it makes this business model really difficult for an honest person to succeed in!

Honest affiliates are cheated by both Merchant programs as well as other affiliates. It’s a tough world. It’s a jungle. I do not believe I’m exaggerating that truth either.

I have the experience and I’ve seen some of what is being done out there.

Merchants can do a lot of nasty things. There is no one there to hold them accountable if they cheat you.

Sometimes, you account will be quietly eliminated while they continue to make money from the links that you worked hard to create.

I know of one program in particular where I suddenly could not login to my account. That’s because it no longer existed.

I got confirmation from someone (I don’t want to be too specific) that they did this to 100s of affiliates very quietly. However, the links that I made to their site and I suppose that the hundreds of others made still work! Mind did when I checked them.

In other words, the merchant was still enjoying the traffic and any sales that came out of it, while the affiliate was left with NOTHING.

That is just one small example.

If you can get them to talk about it, other affiliates have stories too. There is even speculation that one of the bigger network companies, who no longer exist, cheating their affiliates out of a LOT of money – particularly at the end of their existence.

It seems to me that the tracking systems are also not fool proof. Many things can go wrong with the tracking of your sales. Browsers may block cookies.

The customer could order by phone. Reference numbers, if your merchant even provides any, are often ignored by the customer.

The Customer has no idea what that is for most of the time. They are seldom asked for it by the phone reps either.

If you don’t believe me, go ahead and phone some orders in and you will see what I mean.

That’s just a few examples of how bad the situation is in my opinion.

Other Affiliates

There are some really shady things happening in the affiliate world. There are people dropping their affiliate cookies where they arguably should not be dropped.

That means that perhaps an honest affiliate’s cookies are overwritten by another affiliate – arguably in a way that is not honest.

I’ve also seen where some affiliates are unduly favored over others to the point where sales are ‘moved’ from one affiliate to another.

Or perhaps an affiliate with a little better relationship with the company or affiliate manager can get another affiliate kicked out. Goodbye to a strong competitor?

Of course, I’m not going to name any names because I don’t won’t those kind of hassles.

Suffice it to say, I’ve seen some things. And they are not as ‘limited’ as you would like them to be.

Conclusion

If you are going to market on the Internet as Roy alluded to, the best thing to do is sell your own products. In my opinion physical products are best.

Control the checkout process. In other words: Be the person who gets paid directly for the product transaction. There are less things that can go wrong that way.

Well, I said my two cents. I want to thank Roy for starting the conversation.

Roy is right to send you in another direction. (Away from affiliate marketing).

I’ve seen too much. Just don’t go there if you can at all help it.

I would like to say more, but if I get too specific, I could bring some trouble my way and I don’t want to do that.

Please share your thoughts and comments below! Thanks Again to Roy for his post and stimulating my thoughts on this topic.

-David

Disclaimer – some of this site is still about affiliate marketing. I still do some, it’s just not my main focus and I don’t think it is a good idea to make it one’s main focus.

Is It Better To Offer Physical Products Or Digital Ones?

December 25, 2013 by Dave

Digital Products

In order to answer this question properly, it is important to think about what the customer ultimately wants and what the customer will ultimately be satisfied with.

For example, you can sell a digital product. It could be an e-book, video training, membership site, or whatever. At the end of the day, if that customer is not happy with that digital product, how will she feel? Sometimes, I am a customer of such products. I always feel like I was cheated or ripped off when the quality of the digital product is not good.

Some marketers of digital products will make fun of those who complain to their other customers. They may not name the person, but the message is clear: “You are an idiot for not liking my product”. This strategy may ironically lead to less refunds but it is psychologically abusive. Do you know what I mean?

The other thing is, once you have been around this Internet marketing space, you will start to see the same themes recur in training over and over again. And how do you feel when you buy an expensive digital product only to find out it really isn’t anything new or special?

Physical Products

Now, let’s examine the case for physical product sales. This is the time honored approach. It is respected in practically every culture in the world and has been for thousands of years. You go to a market and buy a product. You get something tangible in exchange for your money.

This is the way commerce has been conducted for a very long time. It is deeply rooted and ingrained in humanity’s psyche as a legitimate form of doing business.

Maybe you decide you don’t want, need or like the item you purchased. It is relatively easy to get a return of your money most of the time. You return the product and you get your money back. You don’t really have to worry about getting on some Guru’s ‘bad side’.

Contrast that with a digital product that was hyped up and made to sound really great compared to how you feel when you realize the product is not worth what you paid for it.

Hybrid Products

Software would be a bridge between physical and digital products. It is more like a tangible item, even though it is digital. You often decide you don’t like it and can get your money back. Oh, with the notable exception of the App Store, right? LOL.

The problem with software is that it very often needs continual updates and upgrades. If you are not buying from a company that intends to make those updates and upgrades, preferably for free, then you might think twice about getting it. Why? Because in a few short years or possibly sooner, that software will become obsolete. Maybe it will no longer work on your updated operating system. Maybe new software has come along that is way better. Both of these scenarios could be prevented by a company that supports its product.

How do you know if a company will provide that kind of support? You do not and cannot know for sure. If the business model of that company fails, they will no longer be able to update that product. Even big companies change their business model from one time fee for their product to a monthly subscription. (I’m not naming any names here but I bet you can think of at least one notable example!) The old stand alone software will become obsolete relatively quickly. This will also leave a lot of angry customers behind.

Conclusion

Out of all of these scenarios and situations, it seems to me that selling physical products is going to be your best choice. It is the most time honored and respected form of commerce out of these three examples. Customers often know what they want and they give a fair exchange of money for the value the physical product represents. All parties generally walk away happy or at least content. “I paid x amount of dollars for this product”. That’s the end of the story. There is a conclusion. But with a digital product you don’t feel good about, or will not feel good about in two years, you carry that feeling of dissatisfaction with you. It transfers to the brand, the person and the product itself.

Which do you think it is the best item to sell? I will enjoy hearing your opinions. Thanks for sharing, in advance.

6 in 6 Coaching Program Review

October 20, 2013 by Dave

This is a review of the 6 in 6 coaching program by Rapid Crush / Jason Fladlien and Wilson Mattos

I’m going to assume that you are already familiar with Jason and Wilson. If not, they are both successful Internet marketing entrepreneurs who have built a multi-million dollar company online.

At the beginning of the program you work on an important questionnaire that helps you understand where you are spending or wasting your time currently. Learning to focus is an important part of your success online according to Wilson who leads the first webinar training.

He explains the results of the survey that everyone initially turned in and what those results mean. These video format trainings are really packed full of information and insights. They don’t try to get you to buy more products. They focus on training YOU how to be successful with your own online business /marketing career.

One of the nice things about that first video is that Wilson helps you to understand that success and monetary gain can come from a variety of places – even offline. My take is that you utilize your strengths, even if that means crochet or some other thing that you have expertise on.

So, your ability to earn and income and start a business is not necessarily limited to online. You can begin to see the world as a big opportunity for yourself.

Check out this special offer for the training now.

Plenty of Training

Currently, at the time I write this, there are over 60 video trainings in the program. They cover just about every aspect of online marketing that you can think of. They cover physical products to digital products. They cover traffic, conversion, organizing your business and becoming an expert on multiple topics. Then, they show you how to leverage your expertise in multiple ways.

It really doesn’t matter if you are just starting out or you are growing an already successful business, there is plenty of good information in there to help you achieve your goals.

As I mentioned there are over 60 videos already and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. Currently, there is a new training coming out every 2 weeks. Many of these trainings are over 2 hours long and packed full of information. Then there are questions and answer sessions for those who attended the coaching call live.

Check out this special offer for the training now.

Success Can Be Enhanced By A Coach

It really doesn’t matter how much success you already have, a constant influx of good quality information can make things better for you. Instead of spending a lot of hours finding good training, you can get it all in this one place. There will be more there than you can implement. But it is not just about techniques and methods. It seems to me that it is more about understanding business principles, big pictures and getting a real strategy behind what you are doing.

Check out this special offer for the training now.

Getting Stuck In Business

Take it from me, you can have a business. But, it can be one that is not scalable. That means the business and income can be stuck within a certain range. Maybe you have to work hard to keep it going. Maybe you don’t, but you are still stuck within a range. That means you may need to launch another business (related or unrelated) if you want to keep on going / growing.

Information like you find in this coaching program can help to propel you forward and onward. Information CAN be priceless. Information at the right time and in the right place for you, could make a huge difference. Searching around for information can be time consuming and you have to worry about filtering out the good from the bad. The problem with that, is sometimes you have trouble differentiating good advice from bad advice. Why not eliminate that and get quality information that can be helpful?

Check out this special offer for the training now.

No One Has All Of The Answers

No one has ALL of the answers. That’s just not possible. But, having high quality information available to you can save you a lot of time and money. That’s where the value in this program is in my opinion. Therefore, I have to recommend that you check this special offer out.

– David

If you enjoyed this post. I would like to recommend that you sign up to hear more from me as well:

Need Help With Your Marketing?

October 2, 2013 by Dave

Marketing your product, blog or service can be a frustrating task sometimes. Do you know of anyone who doesn’t or hasn’t struggled with this aspect of their success or business?

Sometimes, you just need fresh information to keep your creative fires going. Listening to how others keep their business going, can be very helpful and even inspiring.

I purchased this coaching program last month. The information is quite thorough. There are well over 60 hours of business, marketing and productivity / efficiency videos to help you expand your horizons. It is inspiration to help you see new ideas and new pathways.

There is a $1 21 day trial if you want to peek behind the doors and see what they have there. Listen to the insightful videos and figure out if this is something that can help you or not.

Check it out here

I’m planning to continue the program until I graduate. The good news is that the lessons keep coming even after graduation! Now, that’s what I call a program that over delivers! Why don’t you join me. Don’t miss out on this. It’s always fun to know what others have access to. And it is also fun to have access to information that others do not have access to!

Click “like” if you agree.

-David

PS: Want to be kept up to date on stuff that is good for your marketing and business?

Sign Up Here:

The Power Of Webinars For Improving Your Business

September 30, 2013 by Dave

As it turns out, quite a few online business have done very well
utilizing webinars to sell their products and services.

If you would like to learn how you can do this for your business,
watch this:

https://toothynext.com/webinar

(watch it quick, because it won’t stay up long)

It’s true that they are selling training for about $200, but
the pitch video is worth watching.

He gives a lot of secrets away for both webinars and for regular
sales psychology.

I would even suggest you record this video because it is going
away at midnight on September 30th 2013. (LA time)

I listened to this webinar twice already and I can assure you that
you will almost certainly learn something about business and / or marketing
from this video.

In fact, you will probably get a LOT of really good Ideas
from it.

Some of those ideas, you can probably start to implement right
away to improve your current business.

That’s the reason why I’m telling you about this video. It’s
definitely worth your time.

Here is the link again: https://toothynext.com/webinar

Sincerely,

David Snape

PS: I’m at 1-888-586-6849 if you want to chat.

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If you Need Help Marketing and Growing Your Online Business

June 26, 2013 by Dave

Just sign up below for the Building Your Business Right List:

Adsense For Feeds Going Away…

November 22, 2012 by Dave

A few weeks ago, the adsense team sent out a note that they were ‘retiring’ their google adsense for feeds product.

I did not find that much revenue was generated for me from that program.

Why?

I can only speculate, but my guess is that most people are using feed readers that merely show the headline of the item. They simply click on a link and they go directly to the page if they are interested in viewing it. This would bypass the adsense for feed product.

Is it possible that, as a result, the adsense for feeds product was generating such little revenue that it was not worth it, even for Google? That would seem odd. One would assume that that even with the few remaining feedreaders that might show the whole post or snippets of it, that they would still be earning good revenue from it.

On the other hand, perhaps there are not as many people utilizing feed readers as we might think.

Another possibility is that perhaps they were unable to detect and control the false clicks as they are with the regular adsense product.

I suppose we could speculate all day long, but the bottom line is that adsense for feeds is going away.

Alternatives

I would say that from my own personal, subjective experience, adsense is still the best game in town regarding revenue generating ad platforms.

My limited experiments with other platforms has not generated equivalent results.

I still hear stories about other people being ‘more’ successful with these platforms. My rule of thumb is, even if it works for others but not me, it is useless for me. I have to go by what is working / not working for me regardless of what others say.

This world of Internet revenue is an extremely complicated game. You really cannot go by what others say. Many people lie in order to sell you a product, a subscription or worse : ‘information’.

The question of the skeptics: “If it is working so well, why would someone ‘sell’ the secrets?

The answer would appear to be: The money is made in selling secrets that don’t actually work! I highly suggest that you don’t become like those people… Try to work and trade in a fair and ‘above board’ manner. Give an honest product or service for an honest amount of pay.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, many people could care less about ‘the right thing’. This will lead to bigger problems in the future. Without moral integrity, the entire system is in jeopardy. The only thing that makes systems work is the willingness of the people to ‘do the right thing’ and abide by what is morally and ethically right. Without that in place, problems will surface. When too many people become that way, society will have trouble existing.

I Digressed Again

I’ve been doing that lately, I did the same thing in my last post as well.

The truth is never easy to get at or find. That’s what makes it valuable. One book that I know of that seems to speak a great amount of truth is the book: Zhuan Falun. I suggest you read it. You can get a free copy at https://falundafa.org

About The Author

Guest Posting And Amazon Affiliate Linking Opportunity…

November 19, 2012 by Dave

Place Your Amazon Affiliate Link or Banner On Your Guest Post For This Blog

I thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if I gave guest posters an opportunity to place their own Amazon banner or Amazon affiliate link in their guest post. (It sure would be nice if you used to affiliate link to link to my book on Amazon – But not required 🙂 LOL.

You can contact me for this opportunity on the contact form OR (and I prefer this) give me a call at the number on the top of this site. (mention that you are calling about this post right away)

There Are Some Requirements

1. The first one is that you most be a real blogger. (Regular links from your guest post must point to your blog)

2. Your blog guest post must be 100% unique. No rewritten, spun or copied content. In addition to being 100% unique, you must agree to never use that article anywhere else on the Internet in the future. You can post it in a print magazine offline though.

3. I may edit your article for spelling, grammar and perhaps even other minor edits.

How It works

Once accepted, I will create an account on this blog for you and you will be able to create your post, complete with your Amazon affiliate link or Amazon banner ad as well as up to three links back to your own blog. (One of which should be at the TOP of your post so people can find you more easily)

Of course, your post MUST be family friendly and NOT propagate hate, slander, prejudice or other negative mindsets.

Then I can check your article for approval and posting.

That’s it.

If you want to take advantage of this article, you know what to do.

If you have any comments or questions, post them below.

About The Author

List Your YouTube Channel Here…

November 9, 2012 by Dave

Share Your Youtube Channel – Maybe You Will Connect With Other Youtubers…

This is the place to list your youtube channel.

Building a community of fellow youtube users could be very useful to you.

For example, here is my youtube channel: ToBeInformed or : https://www.youtube.com/user/tobeinformed

Another cool thing you can do with this page is to List Your PlayLists

For example:

Hiking in Germany

Illegal Organ Harvesting

Dental Health

If you want to join in, list your youtube channel and your playlists (optional). Use the comment section below to do so.

*Please note: do not post a comment if you are not posting your youtube channel. This is a place for youtube channel owners to connect. There are plenty of other pages to comment on this site, this page is only for those listing their youtube channels.

* I suggest you ‘subscribe to comments’ on this page so that you can be alerted when other youtube channel owners post their channel links.

List Your Brand Here…

November 7, 2012 by Dave

List Your Brand Here…

A while back I remember readed a quote from a certain google exec that stated the Internet was full of [spam] and the answer was “Brands”.

From this information, we can reasonably conclude that ‘brands’ are important to google.

For example: I have a number of Brands that I market.

The most important of which is currently Toothy Grins Store

That’s a unique name and I have had that store, domain and name for a number of years.

This site: All Things Pondered is a brand. Who knows, maybe I will sell this site to a big investor one day?

And if you are up-to-date on Internet marketing strategies, you have a brand too.

– Network with other Brand owners – maybe make some new connections? This is the place to List Your Brand – in the comment section below.

Feel free to add links to your brand(s) etc.

If you don’t have a brand – What would your brand be?