Affiliate Marketing

Is Wealthy Affiliate University A Scam?

October 30th, 2009  |  Published in Affiliate Marketing, Business Opportunities

Wealthy Affiliate UniversityAs the Wealthy Affiliate University continues to grow in popularity this question is being asked with increased frequency.  People get recommend to this program via a plethora of sources and ultimately want to know if the whole thing is legit or just another clever scam.

As a member of Wealthy Affiliate I can do my best to explain what’s inside and how you can use that info to grow an online business.

Before I go on I want to make it clear that I endorse this product based on its value as compared to currently available alternative learning sources and not on the fact that I am an affiliate of the product.

With that said I want to dive right in and explain what the Wealthy Affiliate University is all about.  If you haven’t already derived this from the name of the site, this system is about all things affiliate marketing.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

In simple terms affiliate marketing is a system in which advertisers earn commissions by referring customers to products or services.  A great example of this is that DIRECTV commercial, in which they encourage you to have friends switch satellite companies for a reward of $50 per referral.

Online this system is a bit more sophisticated as you’re not limited to referring friends and family but literally have the entire world at your finger tips.  With the availability of internet advertising, massive social networks, and personal blogs you have myriad avenues for reaching customers in all types of niches.

Moreover, as the internet shopping trend continues to grow there are more and more opportunities developing each day.

You might be asking yourself why a company would want to split commissions, or for that matter pay an affiliate anything at all.  The answer is simple; it’s cheap and very effective.  Instead of having to spend millions of dollars on advertising campaigns, market research, tracking and testing, and so on a company like NetFlix simply says, “You do it, and we’ll pay you $12 per subscription generated.”

In an instant they’ve increased sales without having to carry any of the workload.  From the affiliate’s standpoint they benefit just as much as they’ve been given an opportunity to enter a booming market having done absolutely no product development.

Now the affiliate goes off to create ads, run promotions, build mailing lists and promote the heck out of the product earning themselves and the parent company a hefty profit.  Without boring you to death with all the minutiae this is affiliate marketing at its essence.

So what Does The Wealthy Affiliate University Do?

This community centered site walks you through every step of setting up your own affiliate marketing business.  There’s a mountain of resources available that’ll show you how to analyze a niche, choose an offer to promote, set up a website or ad campaign, create high converting sales copy, test and tweak your work, and ultimately succeed at this new and exciting business venture.

Now that alone does not make Wealthy Affiliate University special, there are plenty of places where you can find solid info on internet marketing.  The real hidden value in this program is the members and contributors.

Wealthy Affiliate is home to one of the most active forums in the industry and encourages participation and collaboration among all its members, from the 6 figure earners down to the up-and-coming fledglings.

In addition to the standard support this allows you to get questions answered and have your work critiqued by real entrepreneurs.  In this day and age of fly by night scams and deceptive marketing I feel that Wealthy Affiliate University is one of the only places where beginners can come and learn this business without getting fleeced or lied to.

I don’t want to get carried away here, there’s no guarantee of success and it’s solely up to you to proactively immerse yourself in learning the ins and outs of affiliate marketing, as well as seeking out help when you need it.  No one’s going to come to your home office and run your business for you, it will take time and effort on your part but as the hundreds of testimonials on WA show, success is definitely possible.

Wealthy Affiliate Testimonials

Now to Answer the Question: Is Wealthy Affiliate a Scam…?

It’s pretty clear that I’m a huge fan of this membership and would recommend it to anyone.  Calling this a scam is equivalent to calling your local college or university a scam.  Yes, there are dropouts and not everyone is an A+ student but what they’re offering is simply information and tutorials.

Like I said before, you have to take the reins and build your business but if you join Wealthy Affiliate you’ll have tremendous help and resources along the way.  If you’ve been craving a solution to creating an online income I suggest you take a look at what Wealthy Affiliate University has to offer, Click Here to Learn More.

Cell Phone Glitch Review: Is it a Scam?

October 21st, 2009  |  Published in Affiliate Marketing, Business Opportunities

Cell Phone Glitch is the latest course to jump on the mobile marketing bandwagon. Similar to Cell Phone Cash, these guys claim they’re making lots of money in the smart phone niche.  The latest trend in internet marketing and make money online opportunities has been to target mobile phone users, specifically “smart” phones like the iPhone.

What’s going on is that traditional internet marketing techniques are being applied to the mobile market.  So much like with search engines, companies are now paying top dollar to advertise directly to peoples’ phones.

The most effective way for them to do that has been through the massive software applications market; there are millions of downloads of both free and paid apps for these phones.  You can find games, tutorials, recipes – almost anything you can imagine to download for your phone and this is quickly becoming a booming market.

Many of the apps now come with advertisements, which you may already have noticed; I recently did while using a popular sports score app for my iPhone.  Much like with Google’s Pay-Per-Click advertising, marketers are now buying ad spots directly on apps through several companies.

This is where courses like Cell Phone Glitch come in.  In this case their method is slightly different, as they are selling a “Business in a Box” type of program.  They set you up with a simple website that directs customers to purchase an apps package for $49.95, of that amount your referral commission is 75% or $35.00.  The package they want you to be an affiliate for promises smart phone users the ability to download unlimited apps, music, and movies for a one time upfront fee.

Cell Phone Glitch will show you where to advertise your offers; they say they’re targeting free online classifieds which is good since you won’t have to spend money on getting traffic.  However, those sites don’t receive that many visitors so you may have to do some Pay-Per-Click advertising with the major search engines.

So is Cell Phone Glitch a Scam…?

I think the success of the Cell Phone Glitch system rests solely with the quality and demand level of the software applications product they’re selling.  I haven’t used it so I can’t comment on its worth, but I can tell you this with 100% certainty: if it’s a quickly thrown together junk product then you’ll make no money with this method.

You may get a lot of sales upfront but they’ll be quickly taken away as the charge backs and refunds start rolling in.  Since Cell Phone Glitch is recommending selling a product on Clickbank it better be worth its salt since CB offers no questions asked refunds on all their merchandise.

Technically, if you know how to setup a blog or website then you don’t need Cell Phone Glitch at all.  You can create a ClickBank account for free and start marketing these offers on your own – you  just need to find the right products to market for your website.

One word of caution, I would recommend researching the “apps” niche first, especially before doing any kind of paid advertising.  I’ve never marketed smart phone products so I can’t say if there’s a demand for this type of product or not.  I do know that ClickBank earnings can easily be faked and misrepresented so I wouldn’t go by that info alone.

Also, it’s a bit worrying that there are so many different names and websites associated with this opportunity.  When researching it I came across the following sites marketing the Cell Phone Glitch opportunity:

eCommerceTraffic LLC: SUPPORT@appssuccess.com Telephone (504) 267-2097.
www.appssuccess.com/
www.phoneappsbiz.com
www.appsprofits.com
www.appscpl.com

I would recommend trying Cell Phone Glitch at your own discretion; there aren’t clear signs that it’s a scam but at the same time there are some concerns about your potential to succeed with this product.

Note: If you came to this website because you're looking for a way to make money online then I suggest take a look at my top recommendations. These are the best methods I've found that anyone can use to make money online, Click Here.

Cell Phone Cash Review

October 12th, 2009  |  Published in Affiliate Marketing, Business Opportunities, Product Reviews

cell phone cashMach Michaels, creator of Maverick Money Makers, has once again made internet marketing headlines with the release of his newest training course, Cell Phone Cash. In this latest program he aims to teach people how to make a boatload of money tapping into the underutilized yet massive cell phone market.

This course has been promoted by pretty much every single known internet marketing Guru and as a result there are tons of opinions out there about the program. The downside of such overexposure is that it’s difficult to find real honest info about the benefits of Cell Phone Cash when everyone out there is just trying to make a buck through their affiliate links.

It’s not hard to tell who’s simply promoting the course in hopes of making money and who’s actually using the product as indicated. The sad fact is that most marketers, top gurus included, are simply pushing the product because it’s hot, without any regard for their customers’ satisfaction.

The truth is that not everyone finds Mach Michaels’ materials helpful and his last course, Maverick Money Makers has received mixed results. This is why it’s important to get all the facts first and then decide whether the course is right for you, and if you can actually see yourself using it to make money.

What’s the Cell Phone Cash System All About?

The concept of the course is to show you how to take internet marketing mobile. As cell phones like the iPhone become more powerful and more affordable, this is clearly the next frontier of marketing. The idea is to market affiliate offers through a mobile based ad platform and make money on commissions.

Here’s where it gets tricky: the Cell Phone Cash course is being blasted to millions of email addresses and advertised on tons of sites to regular people – Not Marketers. So the average person sees the ad, “Make $3,000+ from simple cell phone system” and thinks, “Maybe I can do this.”

In reality, you’d need an understanding of pre-mobile internet marketing to even have a slim chance of making this system work for you. If you have used Google AdWords or other Pay Per Click advertising systems in the past you have a much better chance of succeeding.

Because the Cell Phone Cash program is exactly that – buying mobile ads and having cell phone users click, buy, or sign-up for offers. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if you weren’t able to do this with traditional marketing then you have no business attempting to make money in the newest, untested, and more technologically advanced mobile marketplace.

To those who feel like they have a handle on marketing and are willing to pioneer this latest opportunity, there are some things to keep in mind.

Training Modules and Mobile Marketing Strategies…

Like his previous course, Cell Phone Cash is a video based training course that’s split into 7 modules. There is a lot of controversy about how these modules are distributed. The course is listed at $24.97 but there is actually a monthly fee of $24.97 as well.

The way it works is that you only get a handful of training videos at a time and the rest are released on a weekly schedule. Proponents of Cell Phone Cash claim that this is done to keep you from getting overwhelmed and to keep you on track. The obvious assumption is that it’s done to keep you signed on for as many months as possible and increase the total amount you’ll pay for the system.

However, if you are experienced in Internet marketing and can make the system work for you, then the cost and the video distribution seem worth it. And since it’s a ClickBank product, you always have the option of canceling – no questions asked – whenever you like.

Here’s Where it Gets Hazy…

The problem with this method of drip feeding info is that it doesn’t stop people from applying the system before they’ve gotten all the pieces of the puzzle; the results, as expected, are disastrous.

Mach Michaels directs people to AdMob, a mobile advertising service like Google AdWords, instructing them to purchase ad clicks to several product offers. So far, based on customer feedback, the majority of people have experienced very similar results.

In the course of roughly one hour they get several hundred clicks, 0-1 sales, and the result is an operational loss of $30-$40 depending on what they were selling. This is why I believe the course should not be sold to marketing newbies.

There are people who have reported making money with Cell Phone Cash but they were able to modify the system using previous marketing skills and knowledge, while the beginners are out there blowing through their ad budgets without knowing if the things they’re promoting are made for mobile devices.

So is Cell Phone Cash a Scam…?

The answer is it’s hard to say. Since the info is split up into multiple weeks the majority of negative reports are based on what was presented in the early stages. Since it’s such a new product there are few people who have stayed the course all the way through. In addition, after initial failures most people either cancel the coaching or don’t have enough funds to continue.

Bottom line is if you’re expecting some kind of get rich overnight miracle then think again. This course does shine light on a developing market which can and will yield huge profits, but if you don’t have an advertising budget and no experience with internet marketing I would recommend trying a more beginner friendly product instead of Cell Phone Cash.

Note: If you came to this website because you're looking for a way to make money online then I suggest take a look at my top recommendations. These are the best methods I've found that anyone can use to make money online, Click Here.

Is MyProfitSite.com by Jeff Jackson a Scam?

September 21st, 2009  |  Published in Affiliate Marketing, Product Reviews

jeff-jacksonMyProfitSite.com is the latest uninspired work at home program bombarding hundreds of thousands of email boxes.  From the moment you land on the site you are assaulted with promotional nonsense that should send you running for the hills.

“If you wana work from home and make more than $175,000 this year just working an hour a day from a home computer then this is probably the most important page you’re ever gona see…”  – This is “Jeff Jackson’s” greeting when you arrive at  his site.

The next thing that you find out about Jeff is that he’s a former Walmart employee who’s now making more money than the CEO, all plausible because – as you can tell by the crudely photo-shopped picture – Jeff is in a Walmart work shirt.

Next comes the expected series of checks proving his income; however in this case the blurry checks seem to be from Google yet the opportunity Jeff is describing is Affiliate Marketing.  This doesn’t make sense since the only way you can get checks from Google is by hosting ads on your site through their AdSense platform.

If you keep scrolling past more marketing hype you’ll get to a countdown for how many of these profit sites Jeff Jackson has left to give away.  Here’s a hint: it’s always seven… Typical make money at home marketing strategies used to create a false sense of urgency, mainly to get you to stop thinking and start buying.  Overall the whole thing seems very familiar to an already existing work at home program called Underground Cash Secret.

My Profit Site for Half Off?

The way companies that run sites like MyProfitSite make money is not actually from the product they sell but it’s from the slew of up-sells that they bombard you with after purchase.  You’ll see that if you try to leave myprofitsite.com you’ll get a pop-up offering you the program at a discounted rate of $19.95.  They do this because, as I said, this is not really where they make their money.

Once you get the affiliate marketing website from them, they will try to sell you hosting, traffic, and business consulting at an absurdly high mark up.  The additional services they sell rarely yield results and most people never make money with these gimmicky affiliate sites.  You’re basically signing up for a time sink that you get to throw your money at.  Other home business review sites have posted disparaging info about MyProfitSite.com as well.

Finally, the address Jeff Jackson lists on the web site is fake, and it appears that the company who runs MyProfitSite.com also operates a series of home business “review” sites that all laud MyProfitSite as “the best opportunity out there for making money.”

So is My Profit Site a Scam?

I’ve seen opportunities like this come and go hundreds of times before and it’s always the same story.  It’s not a scam in the legal sense of the word; you get what you pay for, unfortunately that is not enough to run a successful online business.  It takes a lot of hard work, serious study, and some know how to run a successful website – you can’t just buy your way into it.  That’s not to say that a novice can’t succeed, you just need to focus on getting high quality training from places that offer a lot of support and resources.

If you want to run a successful online business, ultimately you need to learn how to accomplish all the aspects of marketing online that MyProfitSite wants to sell you on your own.  You need to learn how to drive traffic, rank well in the search engines, and other online business features in order to actually succeed.

Note: If you came to this website because you're looking for a way to make money online then I suggest take a look at my top recommendations. These are the best methods I've found that anyone can use to make money online, Click Here.