Issue 117

One To Click On by Jon

Welcome to the new issue of Hit Exchange News!

Welcome to the third year of Hit Exchange News and the first issue of 2006! This year promises to be one of the most exciting 52 weeks in traffic exchange history as more and more people are coming into our side of the internet and seeing the power of these programs.

This is just a note that I will be on the road *again* as soon as this issue is released. I'm heading down to the Affiliate Summit in Las Vegas to meet up with some progressive exchange owners to see what we can do to bring even more people into the programs for 2006.

There is a lot of talk about where will we find these new surfers and business seekers, and to be honest, I don't think we need to look very far. In fact, just to give you an example of how close we are to a major explosion in this business, let's look at some numbers.

SFI which is arguably one of the largest online marketing companies in history has over 7 million members. Traffic Swarm, the largest manual exchange, has about 300,000. Now, doesn't it make sense to promote the traffic exchange concept to these 7 million affiliates of SFI for example?

That is what 2006 will be for me. I'm on a mission to get more people into this business and with seminars happening almost on a monthly basis, you can be sure someone new will learn of the power of proper traffic exchange advertising!

Thanks for reading this week's issue of Hit Exchange News!

Jon Olson
The Traffic Exchange Guy

Want to have your say? Do you agree, or disagree? Why not visit the Net Marketing Forums and join a community of REAL people, building ideas and businesses...Together!

In This Issue

The News

The HEN Top Ten

Deep Thoughts

Rich's Rant

Program Review -- Hit 2 Hit

Things the make you go...Hmmmm

Advertising Options

The News

• Traffic Pods celebrated it's one year anniversary this past week. Does everyone remember the hype from a year ago when this program launched? It's safe to say that Pods has become a success and while it's not as popular as it's sister site, TS25, Traffic Pods is still one of the best performing programs on the net today! Congrats on 365 days of traffic delivery!
• Aquatic Traffic changed it's script from a LJ back end to a Walker script this past week. Not totally sure of why the change happened because Aquatic used to be an extremely active program, but for the past few months it has slowed. And it seems if you are a newer member, you will need to sign up again as some data was lost in the transfer?
• I noticed something while surfing this week, a revolutionary traffic exchange seems to have gone offline. A few months ago, a program called Traffic Cells came online claiming to be the next big thing. Well, after a mediocre launch, it looks like this program has disappeared from the internet.
• This Week's Splash Page Hall of Fame Entry is .... Take your pick! Derek Blandford of BusinessAngler.com gets it! These splash pages are creative, they are eye catching and they look great! Take a look at the various splash pages in this rotator and you can see why I think Derek has a very bright future in this business. These could be the best splash pages on the internet right now!

The HEN Top Ten results are based on traffic statistics (unique hits, traffic flow, hits delivered, traffic quality) and a touch of good old fashioned 'opinion'. The industry changes just like in the real world, so an exchange may not be on the list this week, but will be number 1 next week! Discuss this week's Top 10 list in the Net Marketing Forum!

Enjoy this week's list!

Analysis and Tracking by HitsConnect.com - The Official Link Tracking Service of Hit Exchange News! Sign up today and get your 30% Discount!

Hey Jon, how come I Love Hits, Click Crazey and SWAT Traffic are never on the top 10 list? Since I own them, I feel it would be a conflict of interest to place it on any of my rankings. If you want to see how well they are performing each week, please check TestHoopla top 20 weekly ranking!

Deep Thoughts - Feature Articles

Deep Thoughts by Jon Olson

The Passion That Separates Us?

I find it very disturbing at times to be a traffic exchange owner and surfer. Not so much with the state of my businesses but the attitude that seems to project from certain exchange owners and surfers. Simply put, they have no passion.

I used to do sales in an offline company and the first thing you are taught is to be excited about the product you are selling. What are we selling? A product? A program? Your brand? You? So why are we so 'ho-hum' about our businesses?

I have a 5 year game plan, and this is how I see it. Without passion, these plans will crumble. Let's be honest, surfing for 6 hours a day to see zero results is very disheartening, so how do we remedy this? Simple, have some passion in your business and pride in your business models.

If you hear someone comment on how ineffective exchanges are, tell them to go get a splash page. If you are seeing little results, revisit your game plan and try new things. When you pour that first cup of coffee in the morning, get excited that you will make some sales today. It starts with you and the attitude you have in your business.

If we constantly feel sorry for ourselves and have a negative attitude about our business, guess what the outcome will be? However, if we put some passion into our business practices and have a game plan there is really nothing that can stop you from reaching those goals. It works!

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Are you tired of getting little or no results from the traffic exchanges? Learn exactly how to build a successful business using the traffic exchanges directly from Jon Olson! Check out the Hit Exchange Survival Kit!

Rich's Rant

Why do people ask for advice and assistance, then REFUSE to follow it?

Why do people set themselves up to fail, then get pissed when they do?

Why am I supposed to care?

Over the past 6+ years that I have been working on-line, one of my *pet peeves* has been the overwhelming attitude that it is *someone else’s* responsibility to ensure everyone succeeds, even when they will not make the most insignificant effort on their part.

It seems there is a growing segment of this business that just wants to be part of a *community* on-line where they can *feel good* about themselves (and pat each other on the back), never do a damn thing, and get rich off other peoples efforts and expense.

Well wake up and smell the coffee people, it’s time to be accountable for your own future.

Before I continue, let me clarify one thing . . . I, and everyone I am associated with, will help ANYONE that makes an effort to help themselves. Pretty simple, really. Believe in yourself, your business, your future, and if possible, we will help you achieve it.

But don’t expect us to do so without YOU making some effort first, or at the expense of our businesses. And, heavens forbid, we ask that you LISTEN to the advice, and take action.

I see it everywhere. People asking for help, but unwilling to listen when it is offered. No, I am not some *magical guru* with all the answers. Nor are my associates I do business with.

But we do have experience on our side. We all own and operate successful businesses on-line, and off. We can relate to the problems associated with building a business on-line as we have *been there*, and continue to develop our respective businesses everyday.

So why then, when we respond to these requests for assistance/help, do we get called elitist, or get accused of using the *good old boy (and girl)* network against them? We get ripped for seeming to be *better than them* when all we did was the work to build our own businesses.

Of course, they then return to their *community* where they are told (by everyone else of the same mindset) how great they are doing, and that *those big bullies* are wrong.

Isn’t it time everyone took the responsibility of building a business a bit more serious?

There are 10 people I work with headed to Las Vegas next week to attend a marketing seminar. We will *network* with each other, work *together* to develop new ideas and concepts for our businesses, form *strategic alliances* with many of the other 1000+ people attending the seminar, and *build our future*. This would not be possible if each of us did not accept the *responsibility* of building our respective (and joint) businesses seriously enough to do what it takes to grow.

We *invest* in our future by continuing to expand our knowledge, enhance our abilities, and develop long-term relationships that will benefit us all. And yes, this CAN BENEFIT YOU as well. As we grow, so do those associated with us either through our programs, interacting in public Forum’s, or personally. It is up to you to take advantage of these opportunities. We can not force anyone to grow, nor can we *hold your hand* throughout the process. You must be proactive, and seek out your own future.

Everyone reading this has an open invitation to join me, and any of my associates in attendance, at any event we are at in 2006, and there will be several to choose from. No, it is not without cost, as there will be expenses involved to do so. But I can say without doubt, that the benefit to your business will be returned many times over and above the money spent.

And yes, there will be on-line opportunities to network with people from all aspects of Internet Marketing made available for you to enhance your business, and future. But here again, it may not be without some associated cost, and effort.

No, the *good old boys (and girls)* are not out to *destroy the small guy* by any means. In fact, we are working hard to make it easier for them to grow. Provided, that is, they take the time to determine what works for their businesses, and are willing to put forth some effort (working with, and listening too, others) to achieve a better future.

Show me that you are not in that *feel sorry for me* market segment, that you are willing to learn and working for your own success - not failure, and I (and everyone I work with) will care if you *make it*.

Seek out the information you need. Place yourself in a positive environment. Become proactive and diligent in your efforts. Move away from those that hold you back. Open your mind to new ideas. If you do this, I can assure you a better future awaits. It is not an *impossible* undertaking. IT CAN BE DONE!

If you want more information about how you can position yourself for a better future, seek out those that have done what you want to accomplish. Align yourself with them. Learn from them. That is what I have done in the past, and continue to do everyday. And I must say, my future is looking better today than it ever has!

Are you ready to start the Journey? There are people willing to help you start down the path.

****

Richard Taylor is the Co-Founder of Rx2 Central, and Focus 4 the Future.

He has launched numerous programs under the Rx2 name, including ClickCrazey, the Internets premier themed exchange.

Currently Focus 4 the Future is planning several seminars around North America to assist the small business owner establish a presence within the Internet Marketing arena.

Richard can be contacted at 970-630-8483 for further information.

****

Program Review - Hit 2 Hit

Has anyone else noticed, that there seems to be a slow down in manual traffic exchange releases? This is a good thing, and it allows us to focus on not only established programs but also on up and coming exchanges that are not stuck in 'pre-launch' mode.

Hit 2 Hit was released in late 2005 and has grown to over 1000 members already. The program is based on an LJ script back end, so if you are familiar with these scripts, you will have no problem navigating this exchange.

It's traffic delivery has slowed a bit over the past few weeks, but it still delivers the hits in a steady pace. With new members joining everyday, Hit 2 Hit is growing at a very respectable rate. The biggest challenge for this program is to continue to bring in new members down the road as they are today.

Uptime: 4.0
Features / Bonuses: 3.0
Site Design: 3.5 out of 5.0
Customer Service: 4.0 out of 5.0
Ease of Use: 4.0 out of 5.0

Overall Rating: 3.5 Mouse Clicks (Rating out of 5.0)

Have a look at Hit 2 Hit!

Things That Make You Go...Hmmm? (A 'Different' Look at the Industry!)

• How cool is Tim Whiston's new e-book From Zero To Profit? Hmmm....
• What happened to TVCoOp? Hmmm....
• Does anyone remember Traffic Jumbo? Hmmm....

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Comments and Suggestions

That's it for this week folks, thanks again for subscribing to Hit Exchange News. Next week we will continue to bring you useful information and late breaking hit exchange news.

If you want to see anything addressed, looked into or discussed, please let me know. This is your e-zine with content that YOU want to read. I value your input and look forward to talking to each of you! Drop me a line here or visit me in the forums. We're building a professional community in there and we'd love for you to join us!

And finally, if you know of anyone that would like to receive the News, please feel free to let them know about HitExchangeNews.com as I appreciate all the extra promotion I can get *s* !!!

Have a good week everyone and may the CLICK be with you!

Jon G. Olson
Publisher / Editor - HitExchangeNews.com