I’ll make this short and sweet.

Win an Apple iPad from Sweeva traffic Exchange.  Simply join, surf 100 sites (required to qualify) and then refer as many people as you can until June 19th 2010.  The one with the most referrals wins.

Join Sweeva Now for your shot at a FREE Apple iPad.

Well the “out of control” popularity of buying  “boxed” traffic exchange scripts and cranking out more mediocre exchanges takes on new heights as now we have owners that don’t even spell check their DOMAIN names!  Ok…I’ll cut them a little slack, maybe the correct spelling of the domain was taken, and in some cases you can use cute variations, but there are just some that don’t work when not spelled correctly.

Hence the release of “traffic Pharoh”.  Correctly spelled it’s “Pharaoh” of course.  But even if the correct spelling was taken, this was a lose-lose domain.  Firstly, I am not sure what percentage of the average net user can even spell Pharaoh correctly to begin with!  (I’ll admit it…I had to look it up).  So even with name recognition, many users would struggle to get the right spelling  to get to you on word of mouth or by trying to “recall” the web address.

I won’t go into my whole philosophy on exchange after exchange opening up…..I’ve been over and over that topic.  But if you are going to get into the exchange game, at least use domains that the average person can spell from memory or at the very least get the spelling correct to begin with!

DOH!

We’ve just released 30 copies of Rotator Maker 2.0 for only $5!

If you’ve been searching for a URL rotator script or link rotation solution, this is your chance to have it for less than a meal at McDonald’s!

Read More:  Rotator Maker 2.0

Ok…so most of you know my view on traffic exchange launches and how I feel that there are just way too many “cookie cutter” traffic exchanges as it is.

But, today I have to say “hats off” to David Foley (traffic Taxis Owner).  Today was the launch of PromoLotto.com and while at first glance it looks just like another launch of yet another traffic exchange using the same old script as the majority of the rest,  look further and give it a try for a bit.  You’ll quickly find it is not.

I have to say, surfing PromoLotto was the most fun I’ve had surfing a traffic exchange in a long time (and let’s face it, surfing traffic exchanges isn’t much fun for the most part).  There’s plenty of features to keep you engaged and I guess as a lottery fan, the lotto aspect of it really kept me “into it”.  Heck, everyone likes to win right?  And here you can win promotional gain for your marketing efforts so it’s even better.

I really hope this one makes it.  I am already somewhat addicted to traffic Taxis, even though deep down even that exchange is just another cookie cutter except for the fact that David definitely works harder than most exchange owners to keep members engaged, excited and surfing.

Let’s help this one make the traffic Hoopla rankings, as this is my gauge (as it should be yours) if it’s a keeper on my exchange list.

Join This One: PromoLotto

If you are a traffic exchange user and do not use traffic Hoopla as your primary source for deciding which traffic exchanges to use, then you may likely be spinning your wheels (for those of you not familiar with U.S. slang…that’s “wasting your time”).

The primary advantage with traffic Hoopla’s statistical rankings is that they are completely independent of any traffic exchange and are based on actual use data.

When you look at other traffic exchange ranking services, there are factors that you may or may not be aware of that can greatly bias the results.  For example, Hit Exchange News is a very popular newsletter that offers traffic exchange rankings.  However, the author of Hit Exchange News also owns multiple traffic exchanges and also offers advertising space, often purchased by traffic exchanges.  Because of this and his relationship with other traffic exchange owners….the results in many cases are almost “predictable”.

Another example, affiliate Funnel’s traffic exchange rankings, is based on a voting system.  traffic exchanges provide a link for you to vote for their exchange.  The flaw with this type of system is much like that of American Idol where often the more “popular” contestant wins out over the best singer based on shear number of votes.  Add the fact that some exchanges may offer “incentives” for voting for “their” exchange and you have essentially worthless data.

traffic Hoopla is the only ranking system that I am aware of that is completely independent and uses a uniform method of collecting data based on identical use methods.  If you’re not a member already, I suggest you look at doing so.

Read More:  traffic Hoopla

By now most of you have gotten the email: TE Browser is now LIVE!

I don’t know about you, but I am not ready to run out and install some browser that I know nothing about other than the developers being traffic exchange owners.  Has it been beta tested?  Where’s the data?  Has it passed scrutiny for security vulnerabilities?  Not too comforting a thought is it?  Not when you sit back and realize how many YEARS have been put into browsers such as Firefox, IE and Google Chrome.  And they are still developing on a daily basis to address bugs and security issues as they come up. (Funny….as I am writing this I am getting a popup that Firefox 3.6 is here and ready for download…..case in point…)

The first red flag should be that as far as I can see, there is no method of bug reporting.  So I guess I have to assume they have just developed a downline building browser and save for adding or deleting TEs as necessary, there is no vehicle for critical updates.

Yet, the pre launch hype will have everyone clambering to be one of the first to download it, set it up and promote it.  But let’s explore that prospect for the general user why don’t we…….

The tsunami of emails from traffic Exchange Owners announcing the launch has begun and no doubt THEY will be the recipients of the majority of downlines built (and commissions earned if there is an upgrade scenario) just for the shear amount of people they can reach in a short period of time.  What benefit do you think you will find promoting this in any TE when no doubt every member of just about every TE out there has already been informed of  TE Browser and is likely (if they are brave enough to actually us it on their PC) already in someone’s downline.

So, now you have yet another diversion from your focus of promoting and advertising YOUR products or services based on a promise of HUGE downlines which in reality have already been snapped up in the first few days.  Let’s not forget this was in a period of “pre-launch” as well, where certain privileged individuals were given the opportunity to promote it before the official launch with their embedded referral ID.  So bottom line is, it’s already out to the masses.

If you find it useful to surf exchanges, then so be it.  But don’t be fooled by the promise of hoards of traffic when they’ve already consumed most of it for themselves.  If you are looking for great tools to surf with, they are already out there with tabbed browsing and grouped bookmarks available with IE, Firefox and Google Chrome.

I do suggest that if you plan on using TE Browser, make sure you have a current and working Anti Virus and Malware suite in place because I don’t know anyone that can predict what the vulnerabilities are.

Personally, I use ESET’s NOD32 which in my opinion is hands down the best protection you could ever have running on your PC or laptop…

First let me qualify that I am not a big fan of new traffic exchanges.  There are too many already and 99% are using the same old boxed scripts, just changing the graphics.  Do you realize how much money you could save and how much time could be saved if everyone avoided the temptation and simply used the top 5 or 10 exchanges?

Well, Thumbvu was released a few weeks ago and this launch was particularly annoying to me.  Fellow exchange owners everywhere were touting Thumbvu as “innovative” and “industry changing”.  Well most of us know that when an exchange owner promotes another exchange’s launch, it’s usually about earning commissions on upgrades.  In this case, they were offering a lifetime upgrade for $297 so of course every exchange owner and his mother wanted a piece of that one.  Unfortunately, it just displayed how these exchange owners have no conscience and more importantly that their focus in not to “help” you but rather get a share of the contents of your wallet.

It was quite clear that most of these exchange owners had not used Thumbvu for a reasonable evaluation period.   The first thing that should have jumped out at them was the surfing process.  While it was really cool to be able to see the next few sites coming in rotation, the fact that you can select which one to see next is a huge problem.  Basically, this means the user can also choose NEVER to select certain sites thus meaning that those site owners don’t even get the chance for their site or message to be seen.  Who in their right mind is going to waste their time with a traffic exchange where the end user can render their marketing efforts useless?  Even worse, who in their right mind would PAY as much as $297 to upgrade at and exchange where the end user can render their marketing efforts useless?

Thumbvu’s next claim to “innovation” was the integration of Social Networking tools, though of course, only if you are an upgraded member.  Frankly, there are third party applications which would serve most people better, an you are not held hostage by any traffic exchange upgrade in order to use them.

Then there is the supposedly “innovative” ability to surf from your mobile device but immediately you notice that there is no “mobile enhanced” version of  Thumbvu.  Frankly, depending on what device you are using and what kind of browser it has, in most cases the surfbar doesn’t even work.  On some devices, such as the Blackberry Curve, you can’t even login.  I sent a support ticket regarding this to Thumbvu but surprise, surprise, it was never answered.  Developer Kits are available for almost all mobile platforms (such as BB, Android and more) and are available for free.  If Mr. Guanzon and partner were such programming gurus and so innovative as other exchange owners had led you to believe, I would think they would have developed mobile apps for surfing a mobile version of their site.  Except in this case they couldn’t even manage a “mobile enhanced” version of their site.

Hey, I am happy to give credit where credit is due, but this latest launch was a string of misrepresentations driven by the opportunity to separate you from your hard earned money.  I am not quite sure how Mr. Guanzon courted these other exchange owners to bestow upon him “guru” status when his previous claim to fame was simply another mediocre traffic exchange which never made any rumblings in the traffic exchange world.  Thumbvu has not even made rank at any of the traffic Exchange reporting sites even though it is so “innovative”.  No, I am not talking about  the ranking sites owned by other traffic exchange owners who rank according to relationships or ad revenue.  I mean those like traffic Hoopla which remain untainted by (and often unpopular with) traffic exchange owners.   Yet, now Mr. Guanzon is supposed to be an expert at list building and traffic exchanges yet his true claim to fame  now is merely ownership of 2 mediocre traffic exchanges.

I really feel sorry for those that fell victim to the hype and dropped almost $300 on upgrades to this one.  It sickens me to think what kind of main stream and effective advertising those members could have purchased with that hard earned money.

Folks, let’s let this be a lesson to us all.  Exchange after exchange being added to the mix is not really improving your marketing options.  It’s really hampering them.  It really results in more time and more money you have to spend. If you want to streamline your marketing efforts on traffic exchanges, then it’s time to focus on those with a proven track record and let the others fall to the wayside until one comes along that really IS different or “innovative”.

And if nothing else, let’s be realistic about these exchange owners that are so quick to promote what SHOULD be their competition.  I think the motivation is quite clear.  Do you think Wal Mart would be out there eagerly telling their customers to go shop at Target if there were not some huge payoff to do so?  No, me either.  And this is exactly why when you get that email from your favorite traffic exchange that tells you “You’ve Just Got to Join This New Exchange” it should be a sign to hide your wallet not to rush on over and join up.