Issue 193

One To Click On by Jon

Welcome to the new issue of Hit Exchange News!

November is here! Wow, for some of us up in the Great White North of Canada, we are about to start our ritual of staying inside for the next 4 months as winter is quickly approaching. That means I'll be in front of my computer even more than I already am...And that's a very scary thought. Speaking of which, I hope everyone had a safe and 'spooky' Halloween last night. The ghosts and ghouls were out in full force around my neighborhood!

Onto traffic exchange news gossip and scandal. And while this week has been 'interesting' to say the least, I wanted to showcase on my associates brand new traffic exchange to start the week off right!

Tina Sparby of TrafficTruckers.com just released this brand new traffic exchange last night. If you ever get a chance to meet and chat with Tina, do so. She has been a sponge like no other for the past few months, met all the right people and asked all the right questions. The result? One of the most impressive looking new exchanges in quite sometime.

I'll dive more into the topic of 'new released exchanges' in my deep thoughts this week and discuss a few things which mean the traffic exchange industry is as strong as ever. In the meantime, be sure to click over and join TrafficTruckers.com right away. This is going to be a very well managed program!

Thank you very much for being a subscriber and enjoy 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

The Voices of the Industry

Program Review -- Traffic Spawn

Things the make you go...Hmmmm

Advertising Options

The News

• StartXChange has taken the bull by the horns and started a brand new Traffic Exchange Competition. The rules are simple, vote for your favorite T.E. It's a pretty nice list of choices and should be a fun little competition to see who the surfer's favorite T.E.
• Doctor Traffic has got a brand new look! I figured since the thing has been online since 2003, it was time for a new fresh update. There are other things about to happen at the internet's premier traffic exchange co-op in the next week or so. Get ready for Doctor Traffic Version 2.0!
• Want a hot topic? You could of course read our guest column this week in the Voices of the Industry section. But before that, you may want to get a quick refresher of why I'm calling this week in the traffic exchange industry 'interesting...Check out this thread in NMF!
• This Week's Splash Page Hall of Fame Entry is this page! It's a new exchange alright! And with a design like this, expect BIG things!

  
  
  

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

Too Many New Exchanges? No, Not Enough Good Ones!

I love when new exchanges get released that 'look' like the owner has put effort into the design and structure of it. It's quite refreshing. It tells me so much even before the first page is loaded into my browser on how well the potential growth could be for this new program.

Folks, it all comes down to the owner. Plain and simple. There are two different types of owners in this industry. There are the ones who sign up for a quick fix solution and do not spend a dime on their own design and ideas. And then there are the owners who meet the right people, discuss in the right forums, spend the cash to make their site look like a million bucks. And in my opinion, there is not enough of these owners on the net.

Sometimes I get into the debate about whether or not I think there are too many traffic exchanges on the net. I think there are not enough serious owners who look at their business as just that, a business. And are ready to invest a few years of their life into it.

So that's why when new exchanges launch that LOOK great, I will make sure to talk about them. I feel these people need the support of the industry and will do everything I can to make sure their sites are seen and talked about. If you see an exchange that looks good, chances are the owner is there for the long run. Simple, crazy? Maybe but it's what I have found out to be the case year after year!

------------------
Want to own your own profit pulling traffic exchange? Learn exactly how to build a successful business directly from Jon Olson! Check out the Traffic Exchange Guy Consulting.

The Voices of the TE Industry

Why downline integrity will stunt your growth!

By Soren Jordansen

Lately there has been a lot of controversy and debate about the concept of downline integrity. Normally I wouldn't care, but since the proponents of this idea have started tossing around words like unethical, illegal and downright calling other business owners thieves, I thought it was high time that someone put a few facts on paper. This article will be very traffic exchange centered. Not because I want it to, but simply because exchanges are the only place where anyone has embraced the idea of downline integrity.

Traffic Exchanges aren't special.

First of all you need to understand that traffic exchanges do not differ from any other kind of affiliate program. It is the same basic principle, you promote an affiliate link and when some one enters the program through your link you get paid for your efforts, either in credits, cash or both. Although residual commissions are common, the owner/affiliate contract ends when the new members steps through the door. Just as it does when you sell a Clickbank product. Think about it, would you expect Ewen Chia to refrain from selling to his list of customers? Would you expect him to sell stuff to them using your link? Of course not, you got paid for the sale and that is the end of it, and traffic exchanges aren't any different.

How any affiliate program decides to monetize their site and backend is their business, if you don't like it then you don't promote it. But a traffic exchange owner mailing his list is no different than a CB vendor mailing his customer list...period. In fact here is an interesting quote from Mike Filsaime’s Butterfly Marketing Manuscript:

"The way it works is this. It is my site and I offer you a free service. I am entitled to monetize the site in exchange for my free service".

The downline mentality.

Believing that downline integrity is necessary naturally implies that building downlines is the best thing since sliced bread. And that notion is exactly what will stunt your growth.

There is a good reason why everybody tells you to build that all important email list – and that is because it works. Build a list and build a relationship with your subscribers. They then become your personal downline and a pool of traffic you can send to all the products and programs you want to. You don't care how the owner monetizes your people when they sign up, because 1) you have been paid 2) you still have them on your list 3) you already have a relationship with them (after all they followed your recommendation), so you have an advantage over the owner you sent them to. On the other hand, if you don't build a list you will forever be at the mercy of product/program owners. And worse, you will fight a constant uphill battle to build and replenish that downline – that is a battle you can not win because your efforts can only take you so far. The only people that win from that approach are the program owners, and that is why the downline mentality will stunt your growth.

So why have affiliate links.

Most of what I do is centered around list building and I try to pass that on to people at any given chance, and a prominent downline integrity crusader have started asking the question. "Why do you have affiliate links then?"

Well duh, if people are building a list and they wanted to use that list to promote my products and programs they would need an affiliate link wouldn't they?

Furthermore, even though I would like nothing more than having all my affiliates building huge lists and using those lists to promote me, I'm not stupid. If affiliates want to promote my business directly I'm not going to stop them - I will provide them with everything they need to do so, anything else would make no business sense whatsoever.

Team, business model or something else?

There is one thing about this whole downline integrity debate that really bugs me, and that is the fact that people can't see that it is just a clever business plan some owners use to keep people in their place. Downline integrity is not about sticking up for the little guy, it's about keeping the little guy in his or her assigned place in the downline structure. So they don't run around joining other things, or *gasp* break out of the shell so they don't need to be a part of a given program any longer.

It's about making you believe that you are part of a team or community, nothing wrong with that per se. But you need to understand that a program owner does that to build loyalty and in the end to get you to spend more money and/time with the program.

These exchanges become useless.

In my opinion traffic exchanges that actively pursue downline integrity are useless. Think about it, if members are trained to join everything from inside the downline structure, what is the point in advertising to said members?

These exchanges become a gathering of yes-men that stick together and are happy to live off the scraps that falls from the owners "downline table".

On the other hand they are forced to go out in the real internet marketing world to advertise their little club in order to bring in new people. When they do so they are forced to face the harsh reality of a marketing world that does not play by their rules. And because they have been lulled into the false sense of security their downline integrity program gives them, they start crying foul play.

But there is nothing wrong in internet marketing, these people have just been kept in the dark for the benefit

Final myths and points.

Some of the downline integrity people will try to tell you that the fortune is the follow up, but they are only telling you half the truth. They want you to do the follow up and relationship building from inside their programs because it benefits them and prevents your ability to promote other things.

Build your own list and do your own follow up. Don't rely on a traffic exchange to do any of that for you. Use the downline mailers and PM systems in traffic exchanges as they were intented – an extra perk that will help your relationship building, not do it for you.

... and finally take a good look around the internet marketing scene and see what the successful people are doing. Following the path of downline integrity will lead you down a certain path and that path won’t end anywhere near where I am!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Soren Jordansen is the owner of the popular Dragon Surf traffic exchange. A place where you will experience real results without being lulled into the downline trap. Feel free to distribute this article in any form as long as you include this resource box. If you are a member of Dragon Surf you can even include your own affiliate link.

Program Review - Traffic Spawn

There's something that must be said about programs like Savvy Clicks, Traffic Bunnies and Real Hitz 4 U. The owners behind those programs have basically changed my mind when it comes to the popular Walker Script. They have shown what can be done with these scripts and have made some of the most exciting new programs to be released in the past few years.

Remember above where I talked about when an exchange 'looks good' chances are the program will be managed well? Well this thing looks GREAT and we shall see if my theory holds true. Traffic Spawn looks like a million bucks. It's got to be one of the most eye catching traffic exchanges I have ever seen. I love the color scheme, the theme and the entire package.

There are a few things that aren't clear enough for me in the members area, and I think this comes from my unfamiliarity with the script itself. But it's minor. This thing could be a very solid addition, it's got the whole package, now it's time for the owner to show and prove!

Overall Rating: 4.0 Mouse Clicks (Rating out of 5.0)

Have a look at Traffic Spawn by clicking the link!

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

• The basketball season has started! Joy and happiness, let's go Raptors! Hmmm....
• The new trend seems to be these video presentations that talk to you when you are surfing the web sites in rotation. Interesting, and I guess this is what happens when you finally install flash onto your browser. It's a whole new world... Hmmm....
• Issue 200 is coming soon...Wow! Hmmm....

Advertise with Hit Exchange News

Affordable Advertising, Targeted and Very Effective!

Why should you advertise in Hit Exchange News?

We offer highly effective ad space for a fraction of what other e-zine's charge. Hit Exchange News is a 100% unique content e-zine (no recycled information here folks!) With dozens of new subscribers each week, H.E.N. has one of the most dedicated and loyal subscriber lists online.

Ad Space is sold extremely quick and for ONLY $49.97, it's the best bang for your online advertising buck!

We also offer banner ads for only $9.97 that deliver unlimited impressions each month. This is not average e-zine advertising, because this is not an average e-zine! See what Hit Exchange News can do for you!

Click Here for more information!

And don't forget, H.E.N. Super Packs are the ultimate in online advertising! Check them out and save BIG!

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