Apr 11
11
If you’ve been using traffic exchanges for a few years, perhaps you’ve noticed a decline in the results you have been getting.
There are quite a few experienced marketers who have been taking notice of this, many of which use to be regular buyers of traffic exchange credits but no longer purchase like they use to. They were regular buyers because they routinely got a decent return on their investment in the way of sign ups, opt-ins or referrals — all of which ultimately resulted in sales and justified their purchases.
Several factors go to the core of this trend of declining results, and I applaud Steve Ayling, another traffic exchange owner who has not only been speaking out about this but is taking corrective action too.
In time, I intend to address these many different factors that are adversely affecting results. Today, however, I would like you to consider something quite important and perhaps, controversial, in this equation…
Are surfers contributing to declining traffic exchange results?
When you look at what is happening in the industry today it is almost hard to believe that at one time, traffic exchange members surfed on their own, of their own accord, to get traffic to their sites and get exposure to their websites.
Surfers didn’t have to be “bribed” to surf because they weren’t just surfers, they were serious marketers with an actual goal in mind.
More than ever before people are bombarded with tons of “daily” bonuses for doing what they once did on their own initiative; credits, banner and text impressions, material prizes and yes, cash too.
This has continued to escalate, with traffic exchanges trying to keep pace with or better their competition, until now most surfers expect (even demand) to be continually rewarded for surfing.
Many surfers are no longer marketers at all. They simply surf relentlessly at whichever exchanges are offering them the most in credits, cash or other prizes; most especially those who have high or no surf limitations.
What use to be normal activity now takes giving away cash and prizes all day long to generate, and it doesn’t even create a residual effect once the promotion is over. Activity typically plummets back the moment the promotion is over, because there is always another promotion being offered by some other exchange for the “surfers” to chase after.
What we end up with is contest and incentive chasers who care little at all for what is being promoted, burning up your hard earned or purchased credits.
Many of these surfers are jamming to music, watching TV, or doing other activities that detract from their ability to pay attention to your sites. For them, it’s all about winning the prize.
Because so many exchanges are offering these incentives and prizes routinely now, many so-called surfers are surfing 10, 12 and as many as 14 or more traffic exchanges at the same time. In my opinion, such people are cheaters just as sure as if they were using automated surf bots.
So what’s the solution?
For starters, stop wanting what you don’t want… Stop chasing cash prizes, the highest bonuses, prizes and surf ratios. This is imperative because as long as people continue to focus on the wrong things, results will suffer.
Start being “marketers” focused on what delivers results and on building yourself an online income. This also means taking responsibility to learn what you need to know to more effectively utilize traffic exchanges.
Give your attention, your loyalty and support to traffic exchanges that get this and are making efforts to change the tide. It won’t hurt for you to start expressing your concerns too at traffic exchanges where the owners are still bribing people to surf.
And, by all means, give the sites you view while surfing the same attention you would like your fellow marketers to give your sites in turn.
Finally, walk the walk and talk the talk. It’s likely you know and even converse with other traffic exchange members. It’s time to speak about such things as “integrity” and “honor” and “responsibility” where using exchanges is concerned.
The results that any traffic exchange can deliver is directly proportional to the willingness of it’s members to adhere to the principle of what makes true traffic “exchange” possible and effective. It comes down to everyone’s willingness to extend the same courtesy they want extended to them while using a traffic exchange — viewing each others sites with the same attention that you’d like extended in return.
There is plenty of blame to go around to we traffic exchange owners too, and yes, I’m sorry to say I have contributed to the problem as well. I’ll delve more into this in the near future.
Even then I don’t put my links in the chat. I tell them to click my name or watch for my page and give them the title, which almost always shows on the top of the browser window and on the page I am advertising. If someone wants a url, I will PM it to them rather than link spam the chat.
