Great technology

[mistakes r crucial]

I was cruising around the web yesterday and thought this was excellent for anyone considering a part time career on line but doesn't have the technical know how to get started, most impressive.
http://simpleliving.smmsite.com/compose_customer_web_site.php?smmDomain=simplelivi ng.smmsite.com&smmAdID=
MAC

[Proteus]

Their is always a catch... :wink:

[mistakes r crucial]

Proteus, how cynical are you this morning lol! There are rip offs on the internet, surely not!

I was impressed with what I saw basically because of the technology. We used to run a web development company way before any of this stuff was available, it would appear that life has been made much easier for the average Joe to get involved and nowhere near as expensive. In 2000 our average e-commerce web site with say 500 products would cost a client $10,000-$15,000, some of them were up around 30 grand, not any more.
MAC

[Proteus]

Having built several e-commerce sites lately, and in the process of building a few more things have got a lot cheaper and easier... however I am not a fan of the packaged ecommerce sites for several reasons.

You never have real ownership of the online business, i.e. if the provider goes bust or offline there goes your business, backend and software solution.

There are limits as to the products you can list, and the quantities of such.

Some of these cart solution providers only allow internal backups, not remote backups so if there is a catastophic failure you are left high and dry.

IMO free ecommerce solutions are just as bad, and they are heck easy to hack into.

Either use a fully self coded system or a licensed product and you will be on a winner. If you dont understand HTML, PHP or ASP getting a good programmer isnt that hard to do and isnt hard to learn

[mistakes r crucial]

Mate, I'm sat here trying to work out how to add a bit of HTML to my ebay auctions and you reckon PHP and ASP aren't hard to learn? I'd rather learn how to breed the most difficult L number catfish! It's all bloody gobbly gook to me.
MAC

[DiscusWidow]

So are you going to do it... ?? I am looking at it.. Do you think it works?

[mistakes r crucial]

The internet works DW, there's no doubt about that but it's no different to any other business IMO, it takes no less effort than any other business but the learning curve is a different one. It's not only marketing a product, its technically challenging as well unless your name is Proteus, sign of a bad upbringing it is lol!

There are fortunes being made on the internet but I suspect those same people would make it off line also, it's all about apptitude and effort. However, it does seem you are able to start with zilch seed capital and still make a bundle providing you know what you're doing which is very different to off line businesses IME. I think the problem with the itnernet to a great extent is that many people though and think that it's a get rich quick scheme, it couldn't be further from the truth.
MAC

[Proteus]

bad upbringing... grrrrrrrrrr

:twisted:

[Proteus]

FYI, Six Degrees Media Inc. who promote this "Get Rich" scheme werent featured on "A Current Affair" for nothing a few months ago.

:wink:

[mistakes r crucial]

Come on Rohan, I can see it now, up til the wee hours after your parents told you to turn the lights out and there you were with a torch researching PHP and ASP code moo haa!

Tell you what though, was reading today about using ebay members to drive traffic to your web site, now that's not a bad idea.
MAC

[Proteus]

I only learnt HTML 4 years ago, and PHP and some ASP in the past couple of years (still learning).

Dont bother about using ebay to drive traffic to your site, ebay have banned all such activity and are really clamping down on it. The only web links allowed now are for informational purposes only, and even then, as I have found first hand, many still get removed and the listing suspended (was talking to ebay support staff about it only days ago due to a bunch of listings that were removed for a company I work for, all because, in their opinion their was too much information and the potential of cross selling other products via the links, so the bye bye to the links).

Dont be sucked into a con like this money machine con, if you seriously want to make some money via affiliate marketing (after all that is what they are promoting) go direct to the source and arn 100% of what they pay, not a percentage of it such as what this scheme does. Yes, you may make some money, but so will they from your work, or ideas.

An example of such is the Amazon link I have at the bottom of this and every DiscusForums.com page, they only promote Discus books and every sale that goes through the link in gains me, or more to the point, this website up to 10% of the sale, and what have I done??? nothing really, just added some code that Amazon provided and there you go... done

If you seriously are interested in affiliate marketing I will help you in every way possible, and the cost, nothing...

This Money Machine place want to scam US$378 from you for something you can get for free, you just need to know where to look.

If anyone is serious about this I would be more than happy to set them on the right track, heck, if enough people are interested a hidden discussion group can be set up...

[DiscusWidow]

I want to know more about it Proteus... Something I can do around my study. add me to ur messenger... u have the address..

[Proteus]

I want to know more about it Proteus... Something I can do around my study. add me to ur messenger... u have the address..

I will get in touch during the week...

After spending over 10 hours straight on the box today validating a new online store in preparation for its deployment this week I am all computered out...

[mistakes r crucial]

I fully understand where you're coming from Proteus but I don't know whether I agree with your comments about Simple Money, they are not trying to get you to go through them for affiliate programs, you are able to promote whatever you choose. They simply give a novice the ability to produce a simple sales web site without all the normal required programming knowledge. For people that don't need hum dinger web sites I reckon it has to be a good thing.
Only downside I can see right now is that they are all hosted on their servers so as you mentioned, you are at their mercy.
MAC

[Proteus]

It should be pointed out that they do promote having 15 websites, which will cost you US$1134 (AU$1330).

The feature on A Current Affair had a myriad of Aussies that had been ripped off by this same company, people that had paid the $1400-$1500, was more back then due to the exchange rate, and they had recieved little more than what you can find doing a google search on affiliate marketing.

Dont you think with all the testimonials on there website, it is a little strange that there is not one link to one of these sites that are earning so much money, after all, this is aimed at people that no nothing about coding, so why not show these sites, the wouldnt know how to view the cource code and replicate it...

Simple money provide a list of vendors in a multitude of products and industries, so yes they do control a large proportion of what goes on, basically they are resellers.

If you want something for free look at OSCommerce, or one of the pre-made templates available for about $50 to $200, then get a host, they are dirt cheap, I sell hosting plans from $5 per month with all the basics. The top of the range premium hosting plan is less than $25 per month for hardcore users.

I have been involved in affiliate marketing, reselling programs etc for years and have known about these other programs for quite some time. I am simply passing on what I have learnt over time, plus relaying events, such as what has been reported on TV relating to the people that had been ripped off by the organisation in question.

[Proteus]

This will help answer some questions...


It you’re a a computer geek who’s great at creating websites, or you’ve discovered the magic that your autoresponder can bring you, then Simple Money Machines is probably not for you. But if you just want to make money on the Internet by promoting affiliate products, and not deal with the hassles of building a website from scratch, then bingo...you’ve hit pay dirt!

Many people have discovered that promoting affiliate products on the Internet is one of the best ways to break into the Internet Marketing field. Becoming an affiliate marketer simply means that you advertise someone else’s product and when a purchase is made, you get a commission.

But the model that many people use, especially when first starting out, is missing one vital component. If you’re advertising someone else’s product and sending readers directly to that website, you’re passing up the opportunity to capture the names of those people who responded to your ad. You are building a list, but not for yourself!

So why is a list so important? Well, marketing statistics show that it takes approximately five to seven follow-ups before someone will purchase a product. If you have your own list, you can write those follow-ups yourself. And you can also promote other products to your list of customers because they are YOUR customers.

But if you’re not a computer geek and the thought of learning how to build a website and add an autoresponder seems too daunting a task, take heart! Simple Money Machines is a program that takes the worry out of websites. It takes the tedium out of technology. It allows your creative energy to flow by removing the frustrations that technology can bring for those of us who are “technologically challenged.” Finally, you can put your energy where it should be...driving traffic to your website and building your list.

Simple Money Machines is unlike other business-in-a-box offers. It is totally individualized, and the website you create will reflect you. It is a program that was designed so that you could promote affiliate products and capture email addresses with a few clicks of the mouse.

This is how it works. You sign up for a trial which costs one dollar. Hosting is included along with an automated domain name registration. You choose an affiliate program that you’d like to promote. You follow the simple instructions to create a pre-sales page. You simply point and click to add the following features to your new website:

• Your own autoresponder to capture names, build YOUR list and send emails to promote other products.

• Split testing so you can test out two different versions of your website.

• Ad tracking so you can see which ads bring in the most clicks.

• Statistics which give you various information on your visitors and where they came from.

And...my favorite part...you can add audio! You just make a phone call and tape your message!

This time saving program allows you to forget about learning HTML, FTP, webservers, back up strategies, page editors, and you certainly won’t have to hire an expensive webmaster. You save time and money because your business can be up and running within an hour. A complete manual is included and gives you step by step instructions on what to do.

That’s it. Now it’s up to you to drive traffic to your new website. You can write articles for free, you can advertise in ezines, you can go the pay-per-click route, or you can be as creative as you want. But the important thing is that now your time can be spent on advertising your website, rather than figuring out how to create it.

In no time at all, you’ll be excited to learn that your very own list is quickly building and creating a life of its own. Now you can start broadcasting more messages to your list and you can begin promoting other complementary products as well.

Congratulations! You’re in business and you did it yourself!

Dorothea Carney - EZine Articles

[mistakes r crucial]

I'll take your word for it Proteus. To be quite frank I've got information overload at the moment and no wonder the whole scene is so confusing for the general public. I was involved at the leading edge of technology 6 years ago and thought I knew a bit but spending quite a few hours this weekend researching a few things I am interested in I realise how little I know and how much it has all changed.

Bit like telecommunications for small business which I do know something about, if you don't stay current you lose!
MAC

[Proteus]

Nigel, I dont mean to be a negative nelly, but I dont like seeing people I know or respect get sucked into something that I know quite a bit about.

This is what I do for a job to put things into perspective, the company I am working for at the moment have had a revenue increase of over $100k each month, each month, due to marketing technologies online, plus using initiatives I learnt when doing affiliate marketing research. Previously this same company just had a simple HTML website online, averaging 20,000 to 30,000 hits per month, in less than 3 months traffic has increased to over 350,000 hits per month, with minimal additional investment, it comes down to how things are used and the way in which they are used... it should be stated that the website has only had a minor change, although now it is updated every few days, plus a new dynamic site will be launched shortly, with an online store.

To break things down a little further:


But if you just want to make money on the Internet by promoting affiliate products, and not deal with the hassles of building a website from scratch, then bingo...you’ve hit pay dirt!


It is a program that was designed so that you could promote affiliate products and capture email addresses with a few clicks of the mouse.

There you go, affiliate marketing...


Ad tracking so you can see which ads bring in the most clicks.

This isnt easy, considering most public sites, such as this will not allow such links, and if found will be removed as it is deemed to be commercial, so the only option is paid advertising space, therefore another expense.


That’s it. Now it’s up to you to drive traffic to your new website. You can write articles for free, you can advertise in ezines, you can go the pay-per-click route, or you can be as creative as you want. But the important thing is that now your time can be spent on advertising your website, rather than figuring out how to create it.

Driving traffic to your site, aside from SEO technologies, which will take months to start working, you would need to use a PPC option, i.e. Google Adwords, Intomi Slurp (Yahoo), MSN Live Ads etc, unless you are prepared to allow a budget of at least $90-$120 a month, dont bother.

[mistakes r crucial]

Thanks for the heads up. It's not something I was going to get involved with, I don't have time or the inclination. I was more interested in ebay but came across that and thought wow. Now that you've explained it's not such a wow is it.
MAC

[mistakes r crucial]

I just read what you said earlier in the piece, I'll most certainly take you up on the offer of some help with my ebay ad's lol. HTML, more gobbly gook.
MAC