Saturday, March 12, 2005

Have YOU taken the plunge yet?

No doubt about it, email marketing is well established and here to stay. Most of us marketers get “our feet wet” so to speak using a few (sometimes up to as many as 20 or so) “safelists” before we finally bow to the inevitable: in order to get your ads out, you must mass submit. Ok, that means a submitter.

Now there are submitters and then there are submitters if you get my drift. There are the submitters you acquire and download to your computer or whatever, then add in your lists and then “auto” submit to those. (Assuming the lists allow you to do that.) Yeah, that is something that the companies who offer these little programs fail to tell you sometimes: many safelists only allow “authorized” submitters! And, usually, the submitter you just obtained “ain’t on the authorized list.”

So, now we come to what we can call for convenience sake “commercial” submitter services. These are sites which you subscribe to on a monthly basis that have lists preloaded into their own databases which you then join, validate and then “submit” your ads to depending on your membership level. Now, among commercial submitters, there is a wide range of services and prices offered between companies. These are some of the services you want to examine when choosing a submitter (or several) which is/are right for you:

1. The lists: as stated earlier, submitters come preloaded with lists for you to join. These lists come from many sources including “syndicates” or a group of like styled sites/scripts in which the submitter pays a monthly “fee” to submit to. Individual owners also will put their sites up on a submitter. Sometimes, the script/host/server service collects the sites which want to go up on a submitter and then relays those lists to the submitter host/providers.

There are many types of safelist scripts out there and you will not always find every type of list on every submitter. And, usually, the more and varied lists in a submitter, the more the submitter costs to cover THEIR monthly submission fees to the lists! So, you want to look at the lists, how many, and etc.

2. VALIDATIONS: This is increasingly the BIG KEY when choosing a submitter. Most lists are going to making subscribers validate their CONTACT email boxes now as well as the subscription or “list” mail box. Yeah, this is a major issue now. The standard onboard validation software only allows you to validate one mailbox, one time. This leaves you with A LOT of contact emails to validate…and who has the time for that? The point of all this is to AUTOMATE and MAKE EASIER…not create more work! So, you want to look for a submitter which uses a program called “THE VALIDATOR”. This is an industrial strength program brought to you by Debra Challinor http://www.youraff.com/thevalidator/stetje.cgi?45 which she leases out to submitters. Xtream Submitter http://xtreamsubmit.msnethosting.com/ uses this program in place of the onboard validator. I call him “Mr. V” and he is a true automated glory.

3. Those darn mailboxes: This leads directly to another issue you must address when making the decision to take the submitter plunge: YOU MUST HAVE 2 SEPARATE POP3 SMTP mailboxes! One for that subscription list and another for the contact mail. Yep. 2. And, they must be POP3. No yahoo or other web based service! Reason being, validators and mailbox cleaners only work on the Pop3 style servers. There are lots of good mail providers out there, I recommend fas2004@just4uu.com due to the superior customer service you receive from Debra.

4. Other submitter features: you also want to get as many of the other “perks” as possible that submitters often offer like: auto submit, mailbox cleaners, banner ads and etc. You really want to be able to automate as much as possible so being able to auto submit an ad a number of times is helpful as is being able to CLEAN OUT YOUR MAILBOX! Lol. You get lots of email with a submitter and you need something to help you keep up with the cleaning chores for sure.

Aside: just because you or other members have their boxes on “cleaner” does NOT mean no one is reading your ads! Cleaners are there to help you manage your mail so as to eliminate bounces. Of course people read their mail for heaven sakes. For one thing, they need to check on their own ads! If you buy an ad in the newspaper, of course you are GOING TO AT LEAST READ THE PAGE WHERE YOUR AD APPEARS to check the ad out. Same thing with reading your email. Of course people look at their email. They scan subject lines looking for good stuff as well.

So, next time you see a silly ad from someone telling you that “no one reads their email anymore and all we do is auto delete all day long”, take it with a big chunk of salt: they are trying to sell you one of their own products and have to knock another product to do so. This is called “negative” marketing and one must always be skeptical of a product or service which can not be sold on its own MERITS! Hello…am I alone in this thinking?

5. Next, you want to look at “value-added” products in addition to the submitter service itself. Many of the good services also offer “tie-in” features such as an FFA submitter, Pro FFA service with daily leads, adblasters, software downloads and other goods and services all designed to enhance the value of your membership.

So, the above are some of the things you want to weigh, examine and consider when looking at, comparing and then choosing submitter services! Now, here is a great deal to get you started using submitters: Xtream Submitter http://xtreamsubmit.msnethosting.com/ just launched as is building it’s membership base. You can get Pro service at just $5.77 per month which allows you to auto submit daily to the lists (growing daily), has Mr V and his UNLIMITED contact and subscription list box validations, mailbox cleaners, adblasters, and is adding to it’s services all the time. Join now, lock in your low rate. Plus, there is a referral contest underway and you could win big!

http://xtreamsubmit.msnethosting.com

By: Cherie Halliday
http://xteamsurf.com/
http://xtreamsubmit.msnethosting.com/

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Traffic Hurricane: making a difference for me!

If you have a web site that sells a product or service,then you know one of the most important things necessary in order to create sales, is traffic.

There are only so many ways to get your site(s) up into the top listings of the search engines toget that traffic to your sites. Unfortunately, most of them either:

1) Cost A LOT! Have you checked out what SEO'scharge? $500- $600 for 5 pages of your site - andthis will be for only a few keywords! Most of usare NOT about to invest that - especially if you are trying to promote an affiliate site!

2) Take FOREVER! Back door this, posting there,submit and wait, exchange your link with abouta zillion other sites!

Don't get me wrong, I know these work, but who has hours PER DAY to invest?And if you're trying to promote more than onesite, program, product? Can you do this for3, 5 or 10 sites? I haven't found the time warpfor this, and I bet you haven't either! So when I came across Traffic Hurricane - I though"oh boy, here we go ... another back door, flip overjump-through-the-hoops expensive waste of my time!"

Man, was I wrong!

Without so much as One Dollar invested in getting laser targeted traffic to my web site - Traffic Hurricane made over 5000 web pages promoting my product web site, in less than 1 hour! All of them linking to MY site, pointing the way for the search engine robots to follow, and bring search engine traffic with them! And I only had to do it once, not do it over again the next day (posting/e-mail), not checking and re-checking (links exchanged with other sites) - and best of all without paying (SEO's & PPC's) - not 1 cent!

I just made the pages with this fr*e*e software, and moved on to other business! Knowing that after I put Traffic Hurricane into action, those thousands of pages will keep pointing the way to my sites and programs day after day, without any checking or maintenance. (the BIGGEST gurus on the net have been using similarbut 10x LESS powerful software to make over $2,000 perday.. and only explaining SOME of their techniques attheir $3,000 a seat seminars.. and for now you can get a copy fr*e*e..)

http://www.TrafficHurricane.com/williamp

The only limit has been finding all the keywords forwhat I am promoting, and those guys at Traffic Hurricane even sent me a fr*e*e tool to do that! They had videos to teach me how to use it, step by step, and an FAQ with almost every question I could think of. And their helpdesk has been great when I've asked other questions.

Now every program and product I'm involved with has thousands of pages helping me make money, instead of only a few. And I know it's working by the commission deposits I get now! (before Traffic Hurricane, my commissions wouldn't get me a cup of coffee!) Since Traffic Hurricane was released, it has been receiving rave reviews, (including mine!) And they are about to release an upgrade that will make it even better.

As a matter of fact - they are about to triple the price of this software (to almost $600!) because of the outstanding new features being added! But you can still download a copy of Traffic Hurricane absolutely F*R*E*E! for a very limited time. And you'll automatically get the upgrade because you are already a Traffic Hurricane user.

Sincerely,William Prouty
http://www.TrafficHurricane.com/williamp

PS - Don't wait - I don't even know if you will still be able to get it free after the new version comes out!http://www.TrafficHurricane.com/williamp

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

So, exactly what is a Traffic Exchange?

A new member recently contacted me with this question:

“Hi,I am currently a Gold Member and truthfully, I just don't understand how to use the site. I have read the info and still just don't understand. So, when it comes to one having to spend a lot of time trying to do something and it just seems futile..I am sorry. Would like to support your business. Just don't know how. I am doing well with my other programs...would like to do well with you and hope that I can.”

Wow, did that bring back memories of my first experiences with a traffic exchange! I was really lost at first and have a clue about to what was up with them. But once I got the hang of them, I loved them a lot! Lol. Now I have 4 soon to be 5. http://www.xtreamsurf.com/ is my first traffic exchange and now the flagship of our marketing network.

Ok, first things first: let’s talk about these things called a Traffic Exchange, also referred to as a “surf” site. This particular member joined on a special gold offer which means they also have several added features not available to basic members like banner and text ads. So, what does this all mean to you?

The basic principle behind an Exchange is to “exchange ads.” You view other members’ ads on the surf bar earning credits to rotate your own for other members to view. On the script I use, Basic members have a 5:3 surf ratio meaning for every 5 sites they view, they get to show 3 of their own. In addition to the ads/sites being shown on the surf bar, there are also banner ads and text ads being shown INDEPENDANTLY from the surf. Also, when you access the main site, you see text ads and banners from members, as well as inside your member’s area.

So, the basic value is: you put your sites up on 1. The surf, 2. On banner ads, 3. On text ads. Inside your members’ area are the icons for adding urls, adding credits to run the urls, adding text and banner ads. Once you get your ads and sites loaded and credits added, the sites go to admin for final approval. Once approved, as long as there are credits added to the sites, they run until…well, they run out of credits!

That is the BASIC value of an exchange. Xtream features many “value-added” resources such as the adblasters found on the forum, exclusive and discounted offers, other free marketing resources, the forum itself and several blogs, safelists and other sites, all of which tie in together and create a marketing network. We also work to create a dynamic COMMUNITY of marketers, business owners, entrepreneurs, affiliates and etc in support of one other.

Now, as a gold member, you do not have to do a lot of surfing at the present time, but surfing is what keeps an exchange alive. It rotates the sites, everyone gets to see what’s up, going on, out there and etc. You can access your surfing icons either from your member’s are under “surf options”, or copy, paste and load your preferred method of surfing from the surf url itself (also found under “surf options.”) onto your browser.

The surf works on any browser. I love http://www.maxthon.com/en/download.htm It is free to download. Very easy to load, user friendly and blocks pop ups, adware, downloaders, spy ware, and etc dead in its tracks. We try to keep the surf as clean as possible, but, there is so much stuff out on the web anymore it is impossible to keep everything off. Maxthon browser is by far the best I have discovered for facilitating the surf while preventing the nasties from entering your computer.

Also, since it is a “tabbed” browser, you can get a surf session going and still work on other things as you watch the surf. Great for “muti-tasking.”

As far as the surf goes, some people swear by manual surf, others by auto. Manual surf you have to click on the GO icon at the end of the surf rotation to load a new site. Auto does it for you. Personally, I am an Auto surf fan.

So, to summarize to this point: you joined a traffic exchange where you surf sites in exchange for credits to have your sites surfed and thus seen. You can also load banner and text ads as well. You can “auto” or “manual” surf. You are upgraded with lots of credits so do not have to marathon surf, but some surfing on your part does help keep the exchange viable.

On the blog http://xtreamnet.blogspot.com/ are some articles on “how to” do a number of things like “add urls”, banners, text ads and etc. Our forum (accessed from your member’s area) has even more articles, and is also where many rules are posted and explained, provides even more offers and information. Rules are pretty simple: anything which disrupts or stops the surf or is of “an inappropriate nature” are not allowed.

There are many ways you can support our/your site, chief among them (besides surfing a bit) is REFERRING! You have a referral url which earns you credits (and a bit of cash) every time you “show” it on another site, someone clicks on your link and etc. Traffic exchanges, especially “free exchanges” which offer generous sign on credits and “value-add ons” are really quite easy to promote and it will surprise you how many people will sign up for them. You earn commissions on any purchases your downline makes plus, credits for their surfing!

Some of my first real marketing successes where in promoting traffic exchanges, so much so that I decided to “promote” my own so to speak! They are great communities when managed correctly, giving members and Admin/owners alike a chance to communicate, bond, get to know one another and etc. It gives you a chance to “network”, build alliances, make friends and escape the “nameless, faceless” syndrome found so much on the net anymore.

Traffic exchanges are a part of a balanced marketing portfolio: they are not the end all and be all of marketing nor should they take up a lot of your time, but, like anything else, they take “some” time to use properly and manage. They can also become a source of income! Some people (my partner is one) makes a tidy little sum every month via surfing some “paid-to-surf” programs. We will be bringing one, http://www.powerpaysurf.com/ on board very soon. Exchanges can also be powerful sources for ideas, comradeship, creating networks, building business alliances and exchanging ideas and information going way beyond just “traffic.“

By: Cherie Halliday
http://www.xtreamsurf.com/

Monday, March 07, 2005

It's NEW! It'sExciting! It's SafeAdList!

It looks rather like a Safelist: but IT IS NOT in the traditional sense of the word! So, if you see Safelist and immediately think: "bizillions of ads in my mailbox!" you can rest easy. No bizillions of emails, no bouncing email, no over-full mail boxes, none of the bad stuff usually associated with traditional lists. Nor is it a message board, an FFA post, or a traditional safelist script. It does have the ease and advantages of a safelist without some of disadvantages, chief being you do not have to have a huge mailbox to deal with all the usual mail you get with a traditional safelist.

It is credit based. You earn credits by reading mail. You send out your mail using your credits, with a twist: you get points deducted ONLY when someone reads your ad. They do this online in their members area. Readers receive points for READING the ads, which they then use to post THEIR OWN ADS. So, no need for huge mailboxes, no bouncing mail, and etc. because it is all done within the confines of your member's area.

Readers can "opt-in" to receive solo ads from Admin, or point mail. You can also "opt-out"! So, you never have to get an email in your box if you do not want them. Also, as you read the ad, if you want, you can email it to yourself for future reference. Or not!

You can join as a free member here:
http://www.impressions-hosting.com/Safelistads/index.php?referid=xts2005

Once inside the list, you will see a side menu similar to the one's found on most safelists. From there you can edit your account, upgrade, check your stats, send an ad, read ads and etc. It is very easy and user friendly.

It does not stop there! You can become an owner/admin of a script for a very reasonable charge! http://www.impressions-hosting.com/safeadlist/

This new concept has been developed by a very safelist savvy business woman and enteprenuer, Debra Challinor, author of "Safelist Warrior, Inside Safelist Secrets Revealed." http://safelistsinsider.poolofwisdom.com/safelistsinsider.htm?hop=xtreamsurf.peterlim

She also provides superior member support at all her sites which include (but are not limited to: http://www.fastadsubmitter.com/g.php?r=10 , http://www.postadsubmitter.com/g.php?r=70 , http://www.youraff.com/thevalidator/stetje.cgi?45 , http://www.impressions-hosting.com/ffa/p.cgi?xts2004/index.html , and http//www.fas2004@just4uu.com

Traffic Exchanges: Part 3b, editing text and banner ads

In TE Part 3 we discussed entering your text and banner ads into the surf at XtreamSurf. Once loaded you will want to check on them for stats, credits balance, and occasionally to edit or change. To accomplish this, log onto your account. Look at the far left hand side in your member's area. You will see a link to "edit your banner and text ads."

Click on this link. There you will see your banner and text ads, whether they are "live" or not, click through stats, times shown and credit balance. You can also see how your banner looks. If it is showing, great. If there is a big blank space there, you know you have a "problem Mission Control." Usual problem is you entered the banner url in the incorrect place. You can click on "edit" to remedy.

Once your banner runs out of credits you can either purchase more credits, or, contact admin to move some of your member credits over to your banner. Some scripts allow you to do this yourself, this script needs admin to do it for you. Just contact us and we will do so for you asap.

by: Cherie Halliday
http://www.xtreamsurf.com