Traffic Toolshop Times

With all the talk lately, and proposed legislation about government control of the internet, have you thought about what will happen when they come for your online business(es)?

Never happen? That’s what Chrysler and GM said. That’s what several large banks and insurance companies said.  But, you may say, those were greedy CEOs and Wall Street fatcats, they had it coming to ‘em.

Allow me to tweek the environment just a bit. Let’s say all the fuss is about big internet, big online marketers, etc.  It’s not fair that you have a list of 250,000 email addresses, say Obama and Tim Geithner. And let’s say that those in Congress had passed legislation and then forced online businesses to comply just like they did with the mortgage industry. This legislation demanded collecting email addresses from every customer, whether they had a computer or not.

Now, in the midst of an online business crash or meltdown, those same lawmakers are blaming you for this crisis. They are portraying you as an email address predator even though you were complying with the laws they passed in order to stay in business.

On another blog of mine I wrote about Socialism For Young Voters using the X-box gaming system as an example. Read more about it at http://mrwebsmith.blogtownhall.com/. Translation for internet marketers? You have too many websites or online businesses, so the government is going to take some of them and give them to people who don’t have an online business.

You are caught advertising a product not made by an official government vendor - your website has been confiscated. Perhaps you commented on a blog about being against taxing the internet - therefore, you’ve been targeted for an audit of your business and your family’s income.

Mark Hendricks said it best in a post on Twitter: I was asked “Mark, why do you twitter political stuff, along with marketing stuff?” - a: without freedom you will not own your business. So internet marketers beware! If those at the helm of government can trample on the rights of those on Wall St here in the United States, they can dominate every aspect of your domain (yes, the website name pun is intended).

I know, I know. The previous post was dubbed as the conclusion. My original plan was to combine parts five and six of Six Men Who Made Internet Marketing Possible. However, I decided to separate the parts again after working on part five and neglected to change the title. So, there you have it–that’s my story and I’m blogging with it.

Now, part six! Imagine for a minute that you have just been elected to lead the USA out of dark times-energy crisis, double digit inflation, mortgage loan rates of over 20 percent, domestic and international uncertainty in financial markets and diplomatic relations, to name a few problems of the time. Now imagine that ideas and innovations are waiting for implentation because of government fees, taxes, regulations, policies, … *sigh* … being so overwhelming and brudensome that expansion and growth are punished, so businesses are waiting for a better climate in which to release such projects.

As a business person, you wake up on Inuaguration Day in January 1981 and hear that it’s morning in America again. Government is not the solution - government is the problem! Shortly thereafter, capital gains taxes are dramatically reduced as well as individual tax rates. Ideas and innovation are now to be rewarded rather than punished. As many of you have already surmised that is precisely what Ronald Reagan promoted and signed into law his first few weeks in office and beyond.

Say what you will about him, love him, hate him. You would not be reading nor would I be typing on this blog had it not been for Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Income tax rates were dropped from 70 percent(!) to 28 percent on the highest income bracket. Think all that money “rich people” got to keep just sat in fat bank accounts? Think again! Entrepreneurs and corporate executives put it to work. Researchers obtained funding for science, technology, medicine, and other pursuits. Companies developed new products and implemented expansion plans, bought new equipment, hired additional employees.

The personal computer appeared. Little known start-ups like Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Oracle, and others nearly impossible to number sprang up all over the country from the Research Triangle to Silicon Valley. Economics, at it’s most basic level, is easy to grasp. Let people keep more of their income and reap a greater percentage of rewards for their ideas, inventions and labors and prosperity is the result for everyone willing to work for it.

Without the Ronald Reagan presidency there would not have been a military buildup. Chances are pretty darn good that the cell phones, laptops, GPS devices, even the internet itself would not be in the hands of consumers had Reagan not brought an end to the Cold War. Technology, once classified and used for national security is now the driving force behind everyday modern life for the masses on virtually a worldwide basis.

Also, let’s give credit where credit is due to President Bill Clinton who resisted efforts to make domain names and internet services the business of government bureaucrats (like in the UK or Canada, for example) and fostered the environment necessary for private companies to be issuers of domain names and to also be internet service providers.

For all of the above reasons and many more that have gone unmentioned here, I nominate Ronald Reagan as the one who is responsible for “inventing the internet” as we know it today. Sorry, Al Gore.

Now that the elections, Thanksgiving,Christmas, the NFL season, and numerous other events are over - we now return to regular programming. By the way, congrats to the Cardinals and Steelers for providing us with the best Super Bowl in years, if not decades! Okay, where were we when I last posted?

Ah yes, six men who made internet marketing possible. We’ve looked at Larry Ellison (database king), Scott McNealy (Java man), Bill Gates (Windows) and Marc Andreessen (Netscape Browser). Part five commences:

As many of you know, this wonderful tool we know as the internet is possible because of technology that enables computers to talk, or share information with each other. TCP/IP, or Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, “included universal addressing and end-to-end connection management. The end-to-end management meant that the end-point computers were responsible for error recovery rather than the underlying data circuits. The universal addressing system meant that any computer on any network could be reached.” (Source: http://www.stratford.edu/?page=techtalkorigin) Bob Metcalfe, in 1973 envisioned a way to keep these transmissions from “bumping into each other” by developing a decentralized data packet delivery system. He named it the Ethernet. (Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-129477.html) The huge volume of traffic traveling along the information superhighway today is possible because of the Ethernet’s “partnering” with TCP/IP. Like peanut butter and jelly, from that point in 1973 to the present day the Internet and Ethernet have complimented each other.

Notice to all Traffic Toolshop members:  When attempting to access the Traffic Toolshop website over the past few hours you may have seen the message below: 

Thank you for your patience while we move our website to a new server courtesy of ZootHost.com

We will be back online shortly…

Jon Atwood and I are working to resolve these issues as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience!

I’ve taken more time than usual between blog entries to develop a story idea.  Are you as tired as I am with all the hoopla about this next product or that new cant-miss strategy, not to mention the dozens of cut-and-paste emails arriving in your inbox?  If so, then read on …

Sylvie Fortin, in her ebook Internet Marketing Sins does an excellent job of squaring up the main problem when she writes, “I have heard what some really nasty marketers say about their customers and how some don’t give a s**t about how their customers are treated.”  Only in internet marketing (and perhaps on some used car lots) can these shady characters stay in business.

Principles are always at work whether you think so or not.  Like an airplane these junk peddlers may stay in the jetstream for a while but, eventually, gravity comes calling - and gravity always wins.  To make things simple, let’s refer to this kind of person as Mr. Rabbit.  Of course, he (or she) is fictional and any similarity to a real person is (at least kind of) coincidental. 

 Mr. Rabbit is ready to sprint off the starting line at each new product launch. He doesn’t care who or what he leaves in his dust trail. Only the carrot known as “commissions” has relevance in his world. Mr. Rabbit prides hmself in his ability to hop around those who dare to question his ethics. He reasons that as a speedy rabbit he can always get more “carrots” during the next product launch, repackaged ebook, or other commission grabbing event.

Enter another marketer whom we will call Mr. Turtle. Of course, like Mr. Rabbit he, too, is an internet marketer. Insert disclaimer: he (or she) is fictional and any similarity to a real person is (at least kind of) coincidental.

But unlike Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Turtle believes he has a responsibility to his customers or clients to provide them with value. In other words, Mr. Turtle places the needs and wants of his customers above his own. He surveys the landscape before the race starts. He is willing to go slow on the course in order to build relationships with his patrons. You see, Mr. Turtle knows that ideas and long-term planning are where his fortune will be found. So as Mr. Rabbit speeds by, hurling insults about how stupid Mr. Turtle is for not doing it the rabbit way, he smiles and simply continues his slow but steady pace towards the finish line.

Fast forward … a few weeks, months or even years. We find Mr. Rabbit is busy counting the number of “carrots” he has acquired before dashing off to the next big product launch (mistakingly … known as a JV opportunity, it’s really just a list trading event). His eyes grow big and a smug little wave of confidence makes his ears and tail quiver.

Meanwhile, Mr. Turtle is still making slow and steady progress towards the finish line. He really isn’t concerned at all about the temporary stockpiling of commissions being earned by Mr. Rabbit. Unlike the other guy, Mr. Turtle knows that if all the “apple pies” are consumed before he gets to the finish line, all he has to do is put another one in the oven, so to speak. Additionally, Mr. Turtle has spent time making sure his customers are happy with his services or products.

“So what?”, you might ask. Herein lies a major difference in business/marketing philosophies! When his apple pies are done cooking, Mr. Turtle has a list of people he considers his delivery route. Because he has genuinely shown he cares about his clients needs they are eager to purchase a fresh apple pie from him. When Mr. Rabbit crosses the finish line, he realizes his apple pie has already been consumed along the way. Faced with this reality Mr. Rabbit does the only thing he knows to do — wait for it — hop, hop, hop as fast as he can to the next big commission-grabbing product launch. His whiskers hang low as he realizes he might not beat other Mr. or Mrs. Rabbits to the “carrot” patch. And when he finally gets to the next big event, he immediately starts blasting everyone on his list about how good this new batch of “carrots” is! Of course, he has only a list, and he has no concern, no genuine interest, no time to spend with clients or customers to make sure they are satisfied with the product or service.

The story goes on, as I am sure you know. If you haven’t guessed by now, you probably realize I am very glad to be a turtle. To all the rabbits out there, I wish you the best, I really do. But when your rabbit’s foot gets injured or your ears droop from exhaustion, simply find one of the many turtles you raced by and ask them to help you learn how business really works!

Stumble It!

Have you ever noticed how some blogs are nothing but cut-and-paste sales pitches?  You can search entry after entry and never find an original thought from the blog owner on marketing or doing business online!  Last week it was a product to help you build your list, this week an e-book containing secrets to make X number of dollars by the weekend (and resale rights included so you can pawn it off on others), next up a software program guaranteed to automate everything for you while you sit on the beach.

It seems like unscrupulous marketers are conducting their own experiment on how many sales it takes to get their customers to salivate for the next big thing.  Notice that I said unscrupulous marketers.  There are lots of hard-working, honest business people offline and online.  However, it seems the internet marketing ”doctors” are flooding websites and inboxes everywhere with pieces of “dog food”.  A launch could be considered as operating a can opener.  Hear the hum?  That’s the sound they hope gets you reaching for that credit card.  Oooh, look at that dish of stuff, guaranteed to make you successful!

I am reminded of Armand Morin’s no-holds-barred statement in the last BigSeminar webcast where he asked if these practices should be defined as manipulation rather than marketing.  Honestly, anyone who says you must use their product and only their product to be successful; anyone who says success is guaranteed with your purchase of their wares, is only interested in your money, not in helping you succeed in the online world, or in any other business for that matter!

Treating customers and clients with respect will make your business sustainable over the long term.  Ringing the bell and hoping customers come running is very short-sighted and demonstrates a lack of confidence in your own business or product’s perceived value.

Stumble It!

Okay, it’s been just over a week since my last post and I’m still in a ranting mood.  That said, I want to be clear, I’m using these email and website copy excerpts as an example of a much bigger problem. Personally, I have nothing against Easy Offline Riches or Mark Laraeu, just the methods being employed.  Instead of claiming old forms of media are dead, instead of claiming Albany has banned phone books when they haven’t, instead of participating in the commission grab stampede, why not show the customer the value of the product itself?

From the website copy, “So here’s the bottom line…will you invest just $69 to be plugged into a system that Guarantees Your Success?” Really, success is guaranteed? From the disclaimer on the same website, ” … there is no guarantee that you will earn any money using the techniques and ideas in these materials. Examples in these materials are not to be interpreted as a promise or guarantee of earnings.” As the old maxim goes: What the large print giveth, the fine print taketh away!

I wonder how many people who are promoting this as the greatest thing since sliced bread have used any of the tools - or even purchased the product themselves?  This whole experience is but one example of Sylvie Fortin’s concern in her ebook Internet Marketing Sins, Part Two.  I highly recommend her book, even though there is no commission for doing so.

Okay, as I’ve said so many times before, affiliate marketing is not bad, making commissions on products is not bad either.  From my perspective, what is bad is having an attitude that “the sale” is all that matters.  And while it is true that if there were no demand for such products then they wouldn’t be sold, often what happens is the “gurus” do their best to make it seem like buying their offerings is the ONLY way you can succeed.

Sales tactics such as those described above, in addition to a number of others are, at least in part, the reason Google bans their ads from use on traffic exchanges and paid-to-click or paid-to-promote websites.  Why?  Unlike these “gurus” who take the money and run, Google’s success depends on providing continuing value to their customers. … Whew, ranting done for now … until my next post 

 
Stumble It!

As with many others, I have family members who live near Houston so the past couple of weeks have been very busy for me.  All of them are doing fine and will be busy for a while removing tree limbs, checking roofs and windows, cleaning up debris, etc.  Okay, enough about my family for now - on to the subject at hand. 

A new product must be available.  How else would you explain the flurry of emails announcing that the Yellow Pages are dead?  The thought of making quick cash on the latest launch has some people cutting and pasting copy at record speeds.  Now there is nothing wrong with being an affiliate marketer, and nothing wrong with trying to sell products.  However, your reputation is at stake so wouldn’t it make sense to verify the statements or claims made before sending out the latest offer to your list?

Case in point:  The Yellow Pages are dead. Knowledge Networks SRI, a world reknown analytical service found that 13.8 billion Yellow Pages searches were conducted compared to 3.8 billion online searches.  Also, Simba Information, another research company focused specifically on media and technology declared: “Last year, Yellow Pages publishers logged about $16.8 billion in revenue. That figure is on pace to rise to $17.2 billion this year, and $17.6 billion in 2009, according to Simba’s projections.”  (View the full article at http://www.biz-journal.com/articles/2008/08/09/national_and_international/doc489e6d39770e5288007744.txt)

“Yellow Page delivery is being banned in some cities for environmental reasons (such as Albany, NY),” says the copy of the cut-and-paste emails arriving in my inbox.  This is not true.  An Albany city councilman has tried several times, without success, to get a bill passed that would restrict the distribution of phone books in Albany.  Other cities, counties, and states have also turned away legislative attempts concerning the banning of phone books. Internet advertising revenue is increasing in size and scope, but so are other forms of advertising.

The Yellow Pages are dead? Why insult your customers’ intelligence by making such outlandish claims?

So, feel free to see if you can get an email out quicker than others in hopes of making “the sale” before they do.  Yes, some will say you can always make more sales.  But if you don’t care about your reputation, why should those on your list care about the latest product you want them to buy from you?

Part five of Six Men Who Made Internet Marketing Possible will be posted soon.  Thanks for reading my rant, and as always feel free to post a comment!

It has come to my attention that the Traffic Toolshop domain is showing as expired, making the website unavailable for use.  The domain has been renewed but for some reason is unaccessible both for members and for me as the admin.  Thanks for your patience and know the Traffic Toolshop will be back online ASAP!

If you have read several posts on this blog you know that I am a firm believer in dynamic marketing, particularly when it comes to doing business online.  And as I’ve said before, no where does the marketing environment change faster than on the internet.  There is nothing wrong with using methods or practices that have served you well for several years.  However, just because one way of doing things works now does not mean it will work later.

Yes, you could continue using a typewriter because it’s comfortable and has produced results for you for years.  But why would you?  Word processing software allows you to make changes and add features to your presentations much quicker and easier than a typewriter.

The same reasoning applies to doing business online. Here’s a dirty little secret - change is happening right now whether we want it to or not.  There is no standing still, no maintaining the status quo.  Like the universe cyberspace is growing by leaps and bounds.  As in all business environments those who are focused on the changing needs and desires of their customers will stay relevant.  Entities that resist adapting may not cease to exist but will become obsolete just like typewriter makers have.

Someone may say, “What the heck does a typewriter have to do with internet marketing or online business?”  A changing business environment, staying relevant, your product or service and it’s perceived value to your present and future customers, to name a few.  … (to be continued)