Issue 257 – Spring Cleaning For The Traffic Exchanges
Author: Jon OlsonActivity is sky rocketing! New members are coming in by droves. Sales have been wonderful. So we should all be excited right?
I’m concerned. I’m concerned about the lack of activity I see in certain parts of the industry. The networking is slowing down. Sure, people are surfing like crazy, and traffic is flowing. However every single week, posts are limited at Net Marketing Forum and other T.E. related forums, attendance to the SWAT Traffic training seminar seems to have the same people with trickles of new members, and the general feeling of ‘community’ is going.
Traffic exchanges have always been a people business. This entire industry was built by the surfers and the co-operative nature of traffic exchanges. So where is it all going? I have a theory…We are getting too comfortable, we are forgetting what made us unique.
You see, results are great, the numbers are increasing, more people are making money so the drive to innovate, roll up the sleeves and get dirty, seem to dwindle. It’s not one’s fault either. In fact, if it’s anyone’s fault I could take the blame because I noticed this months ago but ignored the potential problem.
So here’s my challenge. Get out of your comfort zone. Try new things. Try a splash page you would have never thought you would 3 months ago. Attend a seminar or two. Make a post in a forum. Heck, argue with me if you want, there are some people around the net that will be your best friend if you disagree with Olson. The message here though, is don’t get comfortable. Let’s get that fire set under our seats again and keep pushing forward!
Thank you very much for being a reader of Hit Exchange News and have a wonderful week!
Jon Olson
The Traffic Exchange Guy
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The News
- I Love Hits is my baby! And I’m so pleased with it this week I could grin from ear to ear for another 7 days. You see, about a year ago I almost destroyed my own traffic exchange. I offered way too many credit specials and it’s taken almost a year to correct itself. Well, I’m please to say we are going to be averaging about 300 page views per URL per day this week and I wanted to THANK each and every member for sticking with ILH through the rough times. It’s full steam ahead now…
- According to the guys at Logiscape, a new ‘VIP’ add on will be sold to current members to give them more bonuses and traffic. I’ve been harping for months now on new features for the paying members of Traffic Era and it looks like they will be coming…We’ll need to pay to see the new VIP features though. Not sure of a release date, but they did say it’s coming soon.
- Traffic Splash just keeps on going! They are giving away random 5$ bills to people that bring in a new member. You are guaranteed at least $1 for every new member you refer, but you may even get 5 bucks. Another great example of why Traffic Splash continues to be a surfer favorite!
- Cast your vote today for your favorite traffic exchanges at Affiliate Funnel’s Surfer’s Choice ranker. This is YOUR voice and YOUR opinion on what traffic exchanges you feel are the best in the business. Be sure to vote every day and get your opinion heard!
- Splash Page Hall of Fame – It’s the splash of all splash pages… Fast Easy Traffic has got a real winner here! Note: Why do I focus on splash pages every week? Simple, you MUST be using them in the traffic exchanges to get results. Get a custom made splash page by clicking here!
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The Famous Hit Exchange News Top 10 (Disclaimer: These are my top performing exchanges for the past week. Alexa rankings and fancy numbers have nothing to do with how I rank my list. This is based on my results and my opinion, nothing more, nothing less.)
1. Traffic Witch
2. Dragon Surf
3. Traffic Splash
4. StartXChange
5. Traffic Taxis
6. Farm Traffic
7. Royal Surf
8. Hits Booster Pro
9. Top Tier Traffic
10. Soaring 4 Traffic
Note: Analysis and Tracking by Hits Connect – The Official Link Tracking Service of Hit Exchange News! Sign up today and get your 30% Discount!
Question: Hey Jon, how come I Love Hits 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. (But we all know how great they are anyways lol)
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Deep Thoughts – Jon’s Weekly Rambling
Here’s Something To Help With Surfing…
I’m a member of a lot of traffic exchanges. A lot! However, I tend to have a select group of favorites that I either surf regularly, purchase credits or upgrade my account in. How do I manage these ‘favorites’? Simple, I use a good old fashioned bookmarking system. If a T.E. impresses me, it gets bookmarked.
So this past weekend I took a few days off, when I got back I wanted to have a little surf session (yes, I sill surf for hours each and every day). However, I got annoyed with the amount of exchanges in my bookmarks so I started to delete some of the ‘unattractive’ ones from my list.
What do I mean from unattractive? The ones that are a carbon copy of another more popular exchange, the ones without any ‘WOW’ to them, the ones that have boring email updates that just tell me about a credit special going on, the ones that send an email every day to let me know who won their ‘top surfing contest’ from the previous 24 hours…
So out of the 50 or so exchanges I have, I removed about 15. I even took it one step further, I deleted my account in a few simply because, they have been dead wood for my business and aren’t shocking and awe-ing me to their program anyways. Seems harsh? Maybe, but wow, it was a load off my shoulders.
So if you see that I haven’t logged into your program in about 30 days, or have deleted my account (usually realincome is the username), you can re-read this article and hopefully it will give you some motivation to WOW your customers more…
The point of all this? I was able to manage my 30 or so traffic exchanges that I surf regularly, I look forward to the owner’s updates now and I’m excited when I see their exchange being promoted because I know that program is working to build it’s member base. I HIGHLY recommend you do some spring cleaning in your traffic exchange advertising!
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Things That Make You Go Hmmm…
- Traffic Exchange Focus Group…Wonder what ever happened to the good folks that ran that forum…
- Almost 1000 followers on Twitter and I didn’t have to follow 1500 to get those 1000. Imagine…
- It’s the last day of April, so that means that magical summer ’slow down’ is coming soon. This means, business will be extra good in the next few months…Do work when your competition doesn’t…
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Trimmed my exchanges sometime ago and when I am finished with beta testing and ready for launch of my new site, will mostly be using Co-ops managed by people who know traffic exchanges. Then stick with about 5-10 exchanges who have produced regularly.
I got Rick rolled by HEN!!!
First Swine Flu and now this! – Nothing is safe anymore lol
LOL No sir. It’s never safe when Rick Astley is around!!!
Dear Jon,
I try to join a few TEs every month. The exercise gives me an idea what my competitors are doing. I find that about 20% are good surfing and well run. The others [80%] are not well run and not worth surfing for a veriety [my spelling] of reasons. This is quite educational in what to avoid in my TE.
Thanks,
warren
I’ve done the same before too dude. Now I only log into maybe a dozen or so. I haven’t actually went as far as deleting my accounts, but I focus a lot more on the ones that deserve my time
I have whittled my daily surf TEs down
some too Jon. But like Solomon I did not delete any I have two bookmark groups I call extras and go in and surf them once in a while just to see if anything has changed.
Mark
Hi Jon, yes I did the same thing with the TE’s I am a member of after running a splash page for 3 months. The results were a real test of which TE’s work and which dont. Trimming the ones I use down has certainly helped me surf more often with the ones that work. Not surprisingly most of them are in the top 20 in the Affiliate Funnel list. Cheers Martin
I totally disagree with you no need to attend seminars waste of time be your own person new breed of marketer online who does not surf is not a people person but is focussed and targeted to get traffic and build downlines with in the exchanges. Surprised in low posting in NWF well here is food for thought just look at the wallys you have in there who try to talk down to people rude nasty people I have seen people ask basic questions because they are new online to be replied with a sarcastic answers and worse.
Your not the only Forum to go down hill the arrogant big headed know it all Puddy Forum is going downhill like a express train for partly the same reasons I stated above and this has been stated by other members be nice be friendly to newbies.
Results are all that matter attractive or unattractive does not matter if the exchange is producing results. All your exchanges look good and return results though one of them is a bit slow with credits.
Hey Jon – I like your comments on networking. This seems to be one of the most difficult things for me to keep up with lately. Yet I know how important it is. I guess I just need to keep working at it. Thanks for the motivation
Yeeha! got Soren on the rick roll. My day is complete already and it’s not even 8am
Thanks for the mentions Jon. Had a brainstorming with Tim yesterday for something we think will be very very cool – big wow factor – just 2-3 weeks away I think…
Hi Jon,
Thanks for your consistent reports. It seems that people get stuck in the habit of surfing (-) minus tracking results, testing landing/splash pages, and sadly networking. I myself used to do exactly that, because it was easy. As exchange owners we have a duty to our members to go beyond delivering traffic and providing some sort of blueprint for surfing success. Thank you for being one of those examples.
For everyone reading this, I am a veteran surfer and new TE owner but it is still not ‘comfortable’ for me to post here. However, you may be surprised with the results of your actions. I’ve had plenty of help getting started just by asking for it, give it a shot.
Network marketing is merely a bi-product of networking. Mark Joyner refers to ‘word of mouth’ as one of the most powerful forms of advertising there is. He created Simpleology and relies almost entirely on word of mouth to share his unique knowledge of success with funny, step-by-step cartoons.
Thanks for letting me share my 2 cents
-Jerokiah
This is a question rather than a comment. I have recently started a few TE’s, for now I’ll just mention http://7-16-54.com, I know that by starting a new TE I’m a potential competitor but I’ve no where else to learn, so here is my question; how do I become part of these traffic exchange networks and reap some of the traffic rewards? I need members and really dont know how to get them. I am a surfing member of many of the most popular TE’s. Apprentley I’m doing something wrong cuz I just cant get any members.
HELP!
Thanks in advance.
Gil
Gil – Step one, you already did it. Asking questions =) Now take it further. Attend the seminars (free ones at http://www.promoteyoufirst.com ) or the paying ones at http://www.swattraffic.com . Also, come to the forums, ask questions in there too. Try http://www.netmarketingforum.com . The big thing, get out there. Get your name known, get in with the people you want to align yourself with. Small steps, but they do add up =)
Bill – All I can speak on is my experience. My experience is that once I got off my arse and got out of my comfort zone, the world opened up for my business. This is because I attended an offline event. As for SWAT Traffic (I know that must be the one you are referring too) , it’s steady at about 50 hits per URL per day, but it needs to be improved. It’ll turn around, I just did it for ILH, so it’ll happen =)
Jerokiah – Well done =) I applaud you for stepping out of your comfort zone and making a post. Good stuff!!
Right on Jon!
People are so scared to step out of that comfort zone and participate in most forums & community events – some I have to say because of the comments of a few – remember everyone was a newbie at one time – treat people with respect and the results will come back 10 fold!
Making changes to align with that last statement should bring more people “out of their shell” to ask questions – let them know by your actions this is possible – intelligent answers, not sarcastic remarkes will generate more interest.
Keep up the good work and to Jerokiah: don’t stop asking questions. IF something “bugs” you, ask and you shall receive – don’t let anything or anyone stop you! Live and learn