Traffic Toolshop Times

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!