Business Growth Strategies » Internet Marketing

Be Stingy with Testimonials

Ryan M. Healy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:11:50 +0000

On the one hand, getting testimonials from colleagues and clients can boost your credibility in the market and help you get more business.

On the other hand, giving out testimonials can be risky business.

If you give somebody a testimonial or endorsement after only brief interaction with him, you’re playing with fire. You don’t really know the person in question, and you don’t know what that person may (or may not) do in the future.

Consistency in behavior… longevity in the market… these are the kinds of things that breed trust. This is why I only give testimonials and endorsements to people I’ve known and interacted with for a couple years.

It’s also why I’ve turned down a number of requests for testimonials. It’s just not worth the risk.

I realize it’s easy to get caught up in the “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” world of testimonial swapping, but my advice is… don’t.

If you’ve really done good work, the testimonials and endorsements will come in over time.

No need to rush or hurry things up by whoring yourself out to every marketer who asks for a piece of your credibility in hopes they’ll reciprocate.

Be stingy with testimonials.

Protect your credibility.

Because at the end of the day, it’s all you’ve got.

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Workers of Iniquity in the Internet Marketing Cesspool

Ryan M. Healy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:56:45 +0000

If you’ve ever wanted proof that the guys running boiler rooms are workers of iniquity, look no further than John Paul Raygoza of PushTraffic.

The short version:

Raygoza and his thugs scammed people in desperate financial straits in amounts ranging from $4,200 to $58,000.

They manipulated “marks” through false promises of financial gain, then denied refunds.

They used deceptive means to capture credit card info, then charged credit cards without permission.

They intentionally targeted and preyed upon the elderly and those with physical and learning disabilities.

It’s apparent that John Paul Raygoza was running a criminal enterprise. That’s why he got slapped with a class action lawsuit accusing his company of racketeering and RICO violations.

Fraud, false advertising, unfair competition, elder abuse, negligence… these are just a few of the items listed in the lawsuit.

“Defrauded, Lied to & Cruelly Manipulated”

Quoting from the lawsuit…

The plaintiffs are a diverse group living on four different continents united by several common factors:

(1) They all sought out a legitimate home based Internet business due to disability, retirement, unemployment or other good reasons;

(2) All were defrauded, lied to, cruelly manipulated, and deceived by defendants who promised massive returns on their investments;

(3) Not a single plaintiff earned a return on their money despite the services that may have been provided by defendants;

(4) Plaintiffs lost well over $600,000, almost all of which was financed by credit card;

(5) Plaintiffs were approached multiple times and resold on the same program often masquerading under various trade names controlled by the same group of defendants;

(6) Defendants utilized strong arm sales tactics and made unauthorized charges on credit cards;

(7) Defendants, even during the pendency of this lawsuit continue to contact plaintiffs in an attempt to sell the same bogus services yet again under yet another program name.

As mentioned above, Raygoza et al targeted people who were especially vulnerable:

Extravagant promises were made to plaintiffs by the Criminal Enterprise’s salesmen including Raygoza, Sipes, Molina, and Denton in order to gain access to their credit card and debit card accounts. Promises varied by individual but all of which falsely promised guaranteed returns on their investment. High pressure sales tactics were utilized and the elderly, ill and unsophisticated plaintiffs were targeted especially.”

A Full-On Money-Sucking Operation

This wasn’t just a boiler room… it was a full-on money-sucking operation designed to string victims along until they’d been sucked dry.

The operation was was quite successful (by monetary standards) for two or three years.

Naturally, Raygoza got drunk on his own “success,” so he decided to host a $4,997 workshop to reveal how he became a millionaire and how others could (allegedly) do the same. He recorded the seminar and sold the DVDs first for $497, then for $147.

Here’s the headline from that seminar/DVD sales letter:

A few sentences later, another equally awful headline/subhead appears:

This second one is actually really funny. I mean, “finally”… I’ve been waiting for months and months and months for Raygoza to break his vow of silence and show me how to make $3 million this year.

Last but not least, Raygoza makes a blatant attempt to convince you that he’s not a professional con man. (FYI: If somebody is working hard to convince you he’s not a con man, he almost certainly is.)

Read the copy above carefully. In case you didn’t notice…

Raygoza Is Actually Revealing His True Character!

He is basically telling you that he’s selling you a “get-rich-quick piece of shit” and that he’s a professional con man who’s out to suck you dry.

You know what they say, “Out of the mouths of con men come the most ridiculous blabberings.” Or something like that.

Anyway, Raygoza lost the lawsuit and, as Salty Droid reports, a $1 million default judgement has been entered against him.

But Raygoza’s bad behavior did not start (nor did it end) with his boiler room scamming.

A History of Criminal Behavior

Raygoza’s racketeering is not his only criminal experience. In fact, he has already been convicted of:

Battery resulting in serious injury
Drunk driving

Both of these convictions ought to be enough to cause any normal person pause. Drunk driving is a crime of stupidity, not necessarily malice. But battery resulting in serious injury? That doesn’t happen by accident.

But I guess Raygoza isn’t yet satisfied with the length of his rap sheet. He’s now been charged with the following (serious) crimes:

Kidnapping with intent to ransom or extort
False imprisonment
Robbery
Witness tampering
Possession of a gun after being convicted of a felony and/or while addicted to a narcotic drug

I don’t know the story behind all these charges, otherwise I would share it here.

Now, here’s my point, which I’ve been a long time coming around to…

Internet Marketing Is a Cesspool!

You might be tempted to think Raygoza is the exception to the rule, but you’d be wrong.

Raygoza is the rule.

It took me a long time to see this because most of the “gurus” go to great lengths to make sure you never see what goes on behind the scenes.

Unfortunately, ignorance demands a steep price, especially in the Internet marketing space.

That’s why I’ve written this post as well as some others that detail the criminal and unethical activities that happen online.

Get educated. Be skeptical. Always do your due diligence.

It could save you from making some very expensive mistakes.

It might even save your life.

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. Mike Filsaime heartily endorsed John Paul Raygoza back in December 2008.

In his email, he encouraged his subscribers to buy Raygoza’s “The Truth DVD Series.” Mike claimed, “[Raygoza] doesn’t leave any stones unturned in this DVD course.”

Ironically, the one stone he DID leave unturned was the stone called “truth.”Similar Posts:

Mobile Pay Per Click: Start Here!

Ryan M. Healy — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:58:31 +0000

Ever been curious about mobile pay-per-click advertising? If so, you’ll want to read the following guest post by Mike Dolpies. Mike has been breaking ground in the mobile pay-per-click market. He shares why mobile marketing is important, who should be doing it, and how to get started below.

Organic search engine marketing can be slow and tedious and it is certainly worth the effort. But if you want to maximize your internet marketing you must also embrace Pay Per Click.

Do you use Google Adwords, Facebook Ads, or Bing’s Pay Per Click program? I have driven traffic to websites with Google Adwords. I’ve increased “Page Likes” using Facebook Ads. No matter how you stack it, Pay Per Click or Pay Per Impressions is key for your business.

Unless you’ve been living under an Internet Marketing rock somewhere you’ve heard all the buzz about “Mobile.” You’re either confused or you’ve taken action on “Mobile Marketing.” The truth is there’s no in between. Because mobile is on the rise it only makes sense that Mobile Pay Per Click (MPPC) is on the same path.

MPPC is about targeting only mobile devices for your key words and terms. If you log in to your Google Adwords account, you can see the option to target smartphones and devices. You’ll also note, in Google’s instructional video about MPPC, that they want you to send the searcher to your mobile website. Duh!

How to Get 9-Cent Clicks on Mobile

There are a few ways to do MPPC, but let’s talk two of them…

You can buy clicks on the Mobile Web when people search your terms. You can also choose the option of Google’s Display network. The Display Network is made up of content providers and publishers who partner with Google and sell ads on their mobile sites. The Display network will match your ad’s keywords to the proper audience.

You can extend your Mobile Ads with location information and a “click to call option.” Just be aware the click to call function will add a few dollars to your investment.

The key take away here is to get started. It’s amazing how the CPC (cost per click) is so much less for mobile-only campaigns. One of my campaigns is getting clicks for as little as 9 cents. That’s insane! A client of mine is getting clicks for 33 cents compared to over $3 for the “traditional” campaign targeting the same keywords.

How to Get Started

Log-in or create a Google Adwords account. Start a new campaign and choose “Mobile Devices.” Then, be sure you have a “Mobile Landing Page” ready to scoop up the traffic.

Your Mobile Landing page should contain all of the best practices of a traditional landing page. Make sure the page is relevant to the keywords and the ad. Offer some good information and be sure to end with a call to action so those clicks turn into leads for you.

Do this now. My prediction is getting clicks for 10 cents on the dollar will not last forever.

Who Should Be Doing Mobile Marketing?

Finally… A question that may be stewing in your mind. “Mike, who should be using Mobile Pay Per Click?” Good question. I must admit it was Ryan Healy who asked. So here’s my take…

If your business is local in nature, mobile pay per click is a must. For those of us with non-local businesses like consulting, copywriting or information marketing, it’s just a matter of whether you like getting ahead or not. The thing is most businesses can use mobile pay per click. If you use Google Adwords or have ever attempted to use Google Adwords, you should dive into mobile pay per click.

It really is no different. You just make some tweaks and adhere to mobile marketing best practices. Once again: Be sure your landing page is mobile and keep in mind your lead capture box will be at the bottom rather than on the top right. Be confident that most of what you already know about marketing applies to mobile marketing.

About the Author: Michael Dolpies (AKA- Mike D.) is an author, speaker and owner of CyberSpaceToYourPlace.com. He’s the co-creator of “Mobile Marketing CMS,” an easy to use Mobile Website Builder. Watch his Internet TV Show & Get a Free Report: 5 Ways to Grow Your Business with Mobile Marketing.Similar Posts:

Today We Tell Congress to Shove It

Ryan M. Healy — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:17:10 +0000

Today, many of the world’s largest websites are protesting SOPA and PIPA, two bills that threaten the open and free Web.

Wikipedia is protesting…

Google is protesting…

Reddit is protesting…

Craigslist is protesting…

And these are just a handful of websites fighting against what are ultimately government-led efforts to censor free speech on the Internet.

Please join the fight and make yourself heard.

It takes 30 seconds or less to sign the petition here.

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Why SOPA and PIPA Must Be Stopped

Ryan M. Healy — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:42:39 +0000

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is dangerous to the Internet.

It is also dangerous to all online businesses and anybody who voices an opinion on the Internet. I’m guessing that includes you.

Here’s a good video that explains what SOPA is all about (hat tip to Salty Droid):

Tens of thousands of people have already spoken out against SOPA.

But now there is a new threat: the Protect IP Act (PIPA).

PIPA is as bad or worse than SOPA.

As I write this, both bills are on the table. Whether one passes or both pass, it will have far-reaching negative impacts on the Internet.

Here are two good editorials about PIPA. I recommend you read both.

PIPA is the new SOPA

My Call to Senator Schumer’s Office on PIPA: It’s So Much Worse Than I Thought

In the second article, Amanda Peyton describes what she discovered when she called Senator Schumer’s office (Charles Schumer is one of the co-sponsors of PIPA). She writes:

The first question I asked was “why does the Senator support this legislation?”

The guy on the other end of the phone said: “well, he’s a co-sponsor so he’s not changing his position.”

He must have known why I was calling.

Asked the same question again. This time the reply I got this time was different: “Senator Schumer is in favor of censoring the internet.”

This is the real issue. It is not about piracy. It is about censorship.

The stated reason for the bill is to stop piracy. This is because most people will be in favor of stopping piracy, so this is what is pitched to the public.

But the real reason for the bill is censorship… the ability to control what is said (or not said) on the Internet. Almost nobody in the U.S. will support censoring the Internet, which is why the real reason is kept secret.

I imagine some will find this duplicity surprising, but it’s “business as usual” in D.C.

Politicians do they same thing to drum up support for wars. They tell the public that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction; but what they really want is to preserve the status of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.

Later the truth comes out that Iraq never had WMD. Of course, by then it is too late.

And so it goes.

If we don’t do our part to stop SOPA and PIPA now, the Internet will never be the same.

With that in mind, please share this post on Facebook and Twitter… and keep hounding your representatives. Thanks.

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

The Fluidity of Google Search Results

Ryan M. Healy — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:18:29 +0000

Google is making a significant change to its core search engine today. This change will result in your Google search results being more customized than they’ve ever been before.

The basis for the change is Google+. Google now plans to serve up results based on your connections: stories your friends have recommended, pages you’ve written, files you’ve uploaded, etc.

Mostly static search results are a thing of the past. They will now be fluid. Pages will flow in and out like the tide, an ever-changing “seascape” of search results.

TechCrunch reports in their article “Google Fuses Google+ Into Search – And There Are Bigger Changes Afoot”:

The short version is that Google search results are going to be automatically personalized (to a greater degree than they were already) for each user, with signals drawn from your Google+ Circles being used to highlight things your friends — or you, yourself — have shared. Any of these personalized matches will appear alongside ‘normal’ search results.

As you can see, social media and search engine results are merging. This is the continuing fulfillment of the prediction I made a year ago: that online businesses would shift their focus toward optimizing for social media instead of search engines alone.

Google+ is no longer just a place to post updates or hang out with friends; it now determines who sees your web sites in Google’s search results.

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Is Salty Droid Even Human?

Ryan M. Healy — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:15:33 +0000

Well, of course, he is.

In case you don’t know, Salty Droid is a persona created by Jason Jones to expose some of the frauds and scams that are happening in the Internet marketing space.

I happen to agree with what he’s doing, which is why I’ve linked to his site and quoted him on this blog before. (Those posts, by the way, are some of the most popular posts I’ve ever published.)

The purpose of today’s post is to let you know about an interview Jason did with Aaron Wall, the owner of SEO Book. The interview is an hour long. You can read the transcript or listen to the MP3. (I personally chose to read the transcript.)

If you like Salty Droid, you’ll probably want to check out the interview. And if you don’t understand Salty Droid or why he uses satire to skewer gurus, then you’ll still probably want to check out the interview.

Here’s the link:

Jason Jones Interview: Salty Droid Uncut

-Ryan M. HealySimilar Posts:

Why My Google AdWords Account Was Suspended & What I’m Doing About It

Ryan M. Healy — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:39:36 +0000

I’ve been suspended from Google AdWords since early September 2010. First, I got a vague warning in late August. Less than a week later, I was suspended. Here’s proof:

I still don’t know exactly why I was suspended.

I know it had to do with something on this domain. From what I was able to figure out, my site was classified as a “make money” site, probably because I’m a freelance copywriter who helps clients make money.

In Google’s eyes, it’s apparently an “unforgivable sin” to talk about making money or help others to make money.

I wasn’t using AdWords very much at the time I was suspended, and I hadn’t made any changes that would have a triggered a review. I can only assume my account was flagged in some sort of sweeping review.

What Fueled the Growth of AdWords?

I began using AdWords shortly after the program launched — back when GoTo/Overture was the biggest pay-per-click game in town.

Because the AdWords auction gave lower cost-per-click to better advertisers, savvy direct marketers quickly embraced AdWords. Google returned the love by adding better tracking tools for advertisers to measure conversions and ROI.

Translation: Direct marketers fueled the rapid growth of AdWords. Big brands didn’t understand AdWords and were slow to embrace it.

Fast-forward to July 2011 and the landscape has changed dramatically. Big brands have finally jumped into the AdWords pool. Google has tweaked its ranking algorithm to favor big brands and similar “authority sites.”

Worst of all, Google has suspended the AdWords accounts of tens of thousands of direct marketers — without any kind of recourse.

They won’t tell you why they suspended you. And unless you happen to be especially lucky and/or persistent, you’ll NEVER be able to advertise on Google again.

Google Snubs Big Spenders, Too

If this seems unfair, that’s because it is.

I would gladly fix my site if Google were willing to tell me what I did wrong. Isn’t that how a business relationship works? Communication has to flow both ways. The merchant and customer need to work together for a fruitful relationship.

But Google doesn’t seem to want good business relationships.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re spending $500 a month or $30,000 a month — they’ll cut you off without notice if you so much as blink the wrong way.

I spent exactly $9,825.74 on AdWords before my account was suspended. A client of mine was spending $30,000 a month up until two weeks ago when he, too, was suspended without warning.

Who the hell snubs a customer who’s spending $30K a month and then won’t even give the customer the courtesy of an explanation?

If there was a problem, you’d expect a friendly phone call first. Or a polite request to change your web site to comply with Google’s advertising rules — and specific guidance about how to do it. Or something.

But Google has so much money — power — and control of the search market — they couldn’t care less. So they treat even their best customers like dirt.

Kiran Mehta, a Google AdWords Qualified Individual, had his AdWords account suspended in April 2011. In this LinkedIn discussion, he expresses what many others have thought and felt:

Google cannot give me an exact answer to what the problem is. They keep sending me back to links relating to their terms and condition, etc. It’s like going to see a doctor and he/she tells you that you are sick, gives you a book and says go and find what’s wrong with you and fix it.

Google: A House Divided Against Itself…

True story… I wanted to run some PPC advertising this past spring. And I wanted to do it on AdWords. I hired a guy to do the work because I was too busy, and he tried to get my AdWords account reinstated.

He ended up talking to an AdWords consultant whose job is to bring new advertisers in the door and help them set up a successful campaign.

When the consultant saw the site we wanted to advertise, she was thrilled. “This is just the kind of site Google is looking for!” she exclaimed.

We nailed it. Navigation, all the proper disclaimers, an advertorial style landing page that wasn’t too pushy — all the right stuff. So she said she was going to push for us to be able to advertise.

There was a caveat… they would build out the initial campaign with our input. This was one of the conditions because she wanted to make sure we were successful.

Remember, this gal is on Google’s business development side — the side that offers $75 and $100 AdWords credits to bring in new advertisers. So she’s trying to bring in new accounts that go on to achieve long-term success with AdWords.

We were encouraged at first. We thought this gal would be able to help us. But things quickly went downhill.

Because while she said she was going to reinstate my account, she was unable to do it. Apparently, another Google team (let’s call them the “AdWords Nazis”) refused to allow us to advertise.

Worse still, she submitted some of the WORST keyword lists and ads I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t believe how untargeted the keywords were… and how terrible the ad copy was. This was their idea of giving us a “good start” and a better chance of success.

This was her final effort. She implied she might be able to reinstate my account if I agreed to use MY money to run THEIR campaign.

I politely said “no” and that I would no longer be using AdWords. And that’s when I realized…

Google Has a Multiple Personality Disorder!

My firsthand experience with Google’s AdWords Team caused me to realize just how dysfunctional they are.

They’re spending gobs of money trying to get new advertisers in the door… while at the same time permanently banning old advertisers for minor infractions and then refusing to divulge any specific information about the reasons for the suspension.

They’ve got one team trying to bring in new advertisers… and another team that has been given a “license to suspend.” The latter has the authority to override the former — causing all kinds of internal conflict and confusion.

I strongly suspect there are some individuals on this “AdWords Suspension Team” who are power-tripping. These individuals probably know zilch about running a business. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re former TSA or IRS agents hired exclusively for their lack of empathy for fellow human beings.

As John Jonas wrote in his 2008 post about his personal experience of getting suspended from AdWords: “The people who ‘run’ AdWords are Nazis with no feeling for human beings. If you make a mistake, there is no warning system and no appeals process.”

And let’s not forget, the people they’ve put in charge of business development have probably NEVER spent their own money to advertise on AdWords, yet they’re the ones building out campaigns for new advertisers. (As I said, the campaign they built for me was the worst I’ve ever seen.)

Is It Time to Boycott Google Search?

It’s my personal opinion that Google has grown too big for its britches. It’s become a virtual monopoly and is now behaving like monopolies do: with complete disregard for the customers it allegedly serves. (Emphasis on “allegedly.”)

There are, of course, certain things I love about Google. For instance, Gmail and Google Docs are services I would be happy to pay for.

But the fact is, until a company like Bing or Facebook steals a big piece of Google’s market share, Google will continue to be unfair and impossible to work with.

It’s for this reason I’m no longer using Google as my primary search engine. I’m using Bing instead.

Furthermore, I’ve been advertising on Bing and promoting Bing as much as I can. I visit Bing daily to see the new picture of the day, then I click the “Like” button so it shows up on my Facebook page.

Over time, I hope this builds exposure, familiarity, and usage of Bing. And I hope it helps them steal more of Google’s share of the search market. Now, I realize I’m just one guy — but maybe I can make a difference. :-)

Google Is Not the Only Game in Town!

Thankfully, when it comes to pay-per-click advertising, Google is not the only game in town. Bing and Facebook are excellent alternatives. And while search volumes on Bing are far lower than Google’s, you can drive a TON of qualified traffic through Facebook — often more than you can get on Google, depending on your market.

With that in mind, here are a few options to explore…

Bing Ads: At the moment, Bing is probably as close as you’ll get to a paid search experience with capabilities that are similar to AdWords.

Facebook Ads: Advertising on Facebook is fun because you get to combine images with ad copy. Advertising on Facebook lets you target groups of people by interests and demographics.

Amazon Pay-Per-Click: If you sell physical products, then you may want to advertise on Amazon. Right now, you can start advertising for as little as $0.10 a click.

LinkedIn Ads: If you are in the B2B market, then consider advertising on LinkedIn. You may actually spend less to acquire sales and leads on LinkedIn given your ability to target exactly who you want to reach.

Business.com PPC Ads: Another avenue for PPC advertising in the B2B market is Business.com.

Infolinks In-Text Advertising: This company lets you place text links on a network of publishers’ web sites. When a reader rolls over your link, an ad pops up. This medium is similar to Google’s Content Network — but you get more than just text to get readers to click.

And I’ve only scratched the surface here. The more I investigate, the more I begin to see how many alternatives to AdWords are available.

Whether your AdWords account has been suspended or not… I strongly suggest you explore other advertising options and begin to divert a portion of your ad spend away from Google.

Because the way things are going at Google, it’s only a matter of time before your AdWords account is “permanently suspended.”

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. If you agree Google’s business practices are unfair and Draconian… and you’d like to do something about it… then please share this post with all the online business people you know. Thanks.Similar Posts:

7 Membership Site Models Explained

Ryan M. Healy — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:58:01 +0000

If you’ve ever wanted to create recurring income with membership sites, then you’ll want to download this report right now…

http://www.ryanhealy.com/7-Membership-Site-Models-Report.pdf

In this 14-page PDF report (available for instant download), you’ll discover:

7 Membership Site Models & How They Work (plus, the software you’ll need to build each type of site)

Real-life examples of membership sites using each of the 7 models explained in the report.

The advantages and disadvantages of different membership models.

Why am I giving away this 14-page report for free?

It’s simple, really.

Throughout the report I’ve used affiliate links. So if you decide to buy a piece of software through one of my links, I will earn a commission.

Because of this, I’m able to let you download the report for free.

You can download it here now:

http://www.ryanhealy.com/7-Membership-Site-Models-Report.pdf

Enjoy!

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. By the way, I’d love to get your feedback on the report. Feel free to leave a comment below with any thoughts you may have.Similar Posts:

Warrior Forum Scammer Confesses

Ryan M. Healy — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:48:19 +0000

I recently stumbled upon a shocking story in which a scammer privately confessed to the scams he’d been perpetrating on Warrior Forum.

The scammer in question (Andy Tudor) charges from $250 to $500 for a solo ad to an opt-in list with 50,000 subscribers.

The problem: There is no list.

You pay a few hundred bucks and in exchange you get a bucketful of anger and regret.

I never go to Warrior Forum, and I have no interest in doing so.

This is just one reason why:

Warrior Forum Scammer Confesses

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. Want to be better at spotting scammers? Read my article “7 Traits Scam Artists Have in Common.”Similar Posts: