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Carolan's Profile About me ... |
Member since: 6/19/2009 Last login: 5/17/2013 |
Creative former teacher in the midwest USA, passionate about internet marketing. I've earned income online since 2009 mostly through affiliate marketing and eBay sales. I enjoy providing support to those who are new to the online income life as solopreneurs and that is my focus at SoloSpark.com
I've been caught up in hype and internet scams, so I do support this site. We need ways to filter out the crap and separate what works from what has little substance nor integrity. When this site was brand new, I think they did a much better job of keeping the site quality. Unfortunately, that quality seems to be dwindling.
People who are brand new to a site or program are NOT in any position to review them yet. For example, I just read again the list of 'reviews' about Internet Income University. Most of them lack substance, include phrases like 'I just joined' and should never have been posted. Same goes for a newer opportunity called Empower Network. The two companies are very similar, and so it's wise to know what you are getting into if you decide to join. That means reading more than just a couple of reviews - even the ones on this site.
Both Chris Farrell and Jim Cockrum are top notch trustworthy guys. The home page here features Kevin Blue (Internet Income University) right along with them. Please, he's not even in the same universe. It's sad when a site that exists to expose scams actually begins to promote them.
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Location: Midwest USA Interests: blogging, photography & graphic art, affiliate marketing My site: http://www.netclickscoach.com My blog: http://www.solospark.com Twitter: http://profile.to/carolross |
Carolan has posted 22 comments with an overall 98.3% helpful rating...
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Carolan's comment on Empower Network ...
Behind the Curtain of the Empower Network
The marketing and blogging system is awesome, no surprise that's a powerful draw to many who are technically challenged. Yet if you haven't figured that out, then who will you sell this gig to?
Those who jump out of the gate making money are already established marketers with a list and large following. The rest? Well enough of them dumped their links all over Facebook that Empower Network was banned from the network.
$25 a month is hype. Add another $20 for a merchant account (you can't earn a dime without it) then another $100 to be in the 'inner circle'. So consider the investment closer to $150/month. Some will SAY that the 'inner circle' is optional, but you need to sell something to make money, right? And if you opt out then those sales pass you by and you'll earn nothing.
About the promise of 100% commissions... Say you make 6 sales. 3 of them pass you by to your upline. Do the math. That's 50%. They can say that 100% of commissions earned as a whole are paid out and that they retain no overhead expenses. In a way that's true, just not paid to YOU. Who is at the top of the upline? Dave & Dave.
All of the products sold are training products. Beyond the inner circle at $500, you'll be pressured to buy even more training for a grand or more. Be prepared - if you choose not to buy these higher priced products, then you (and your 'prospects') get called a wussie. Wussie? Are we in high school?
The first leg of 'training' in their 'fast start videos' is much more upsell than actual training. Be prepared to hear over and over that you must get 'all in' (buy everything they have) or else you are a wussie. Countless times you'll hear... "Get all in. " and 'Don't be a wussie. "
In fact, Dave says he'd refuse to talk to anyone who is not 'all in' and recommends you do the same. So after all the work to get someone to actually look at the opportunity and join, then you should refuse to speak to that person unless they buy the entire store. Hmmm...
I'd be embarassed to promote a 'business' that results in my people being called names unless the buy the entire store. No can do.
About 'branding' - you will hear Dave say that 'branding' is not important. Ever wonder why it is then that so many successful marketers say just the opposite? Because you are branding HIM and not yourself.
There's a hungry market of newbies to internet marketing who desperately want to make money online. The economy sucks and most of these people have little to invest. It's my feeling that companies such as the Empower Network take advantage of these people. Internet Income University is very very similar, in fact they even call if 'free' when it is not even close. Both companies have extremely impressive marketing systems that allow one to jump in and immediately have a website. That's enough to make a newbies eyes pop and they know it. What they don't tell them is that they'll have to sell the same gig many times over in order to make any money, and that there's HUGE competition for those sales from slick experienced marketers.
If they disappeared tomorrow, what would you have? Zilch. The 'business' was never yours in the first place. You simply bought into a system, a brand created elsewhere with the promise of 'easy money'. These companies thrive on dropping just that bait, to bring in people with crap like 'it's easy' or 'it's free' or 'only $25/month' or 'all ya have to do is... ' and once you get inside, you'll find that to be hype. Then in order to build a business, you must go and spread around that same brand of hype. The bottom line is integrity.
Carolan's comment on The Elevation Group ...
EVG Provides a Unique Financial Perspective
The Elevation Group (EVG) provides a unique financial education not available elsewhere. Fans of Robert Kiyosaki will likely value Mike Dillard’s perspectives about wealth cycles. The EVG is about ‘unlocking the black-box investing strategies of the rich’ and sharing these methods among like-minded folk.
I learned of this group in December of 2010 and did become a member for few months. What I learned via the EVG has shaken up my thinking considerably – in a good way. While I decided not to continue paying the monthly fee for membership, I do continue learning and keeping my mind open to these valuable perspectives that are critical to building wealth and preserving it. I still follow some of Mike Dillard’s own mentors including Mike Maloney and Simon Black.
EVG membership originally cost $97/month and now has doubled to $197/month. There are also options for paying for membership on a yearly basis at a discount for originally $597/year, now $2000/year. Over 12,000 people have ‘liked’ their FB fan page. I’m one of them and value the input there.
I found a few EVG methods to be disappointing, for example that for some reason there was a cut off on becoming an affiliate for EVG, which they refer to as a 'publishing partner'. I've yet to understand why a paying member couldn't act as an affiliate for the group when in most cases one can affiliate for free. Maybe they've changed that by now, I'm not sure. I also found the $97/month for membership to be steep, not because the EVG lacks value but more due to the stark realities of our economy, that people need this information desperately. If the EVG premise is to allow the average person to learn the wealth strategies of the rich, then why not keep it affordable to the average person. When they doubled the price and cut off the 'publishing partners' program to members, I canceled even though I was in for the lower rate.
Carolan's comment on Internet Income University ...
Internet Income you Might Not be for You!
I signed up with IIU based on the many positive recommendations here, but was disappointed in it and canceled. While it is a complete system that includes all elements needed for a working e-commerce site, I would not recommend it for the following reasons:
First, the IMRC review above claims that "Once you sign up for a free account, you are setup with your own income generating website for free. All that's required on your part is to get your domain name and hosting for a small investment of less than $20." is not true. Hosting the site is 19.99/month, however that is only the beginning.
FREE? Becoming an IIU member is free, however it is one of those seeder programs that require one to invest in enrollments in several other programs before it is possible to make a dime. Their affiliate income streams include: Secure Online Hosting @ $15/month, Market Samurai @ $97, My World Plus (online shopping discount membership) @ 19.95/month, and Resorts 360 at $795 to $9995/year! Some of these have additional joining fees. Then there are the IIU special coaching sessions that are not free (Protege Coaching) and also the opportunity for Scalable Advertizing starting @ $97/month and up to $497 monthly!
EASY? cPanel is a quality site building platform, but to call it easy is a major stretch. The written directions inside the member site are very complicated. While the IIU training site includes video training about things like having a millionaire mindset, etc. it does not include video training about building a cPanel website, just long lists of written directions. I have some experience with website building using other platforms and found this one challenging enough to not recommend to a newbie.
I received phone calls from a few IIU reps soon after joining. When I said I found the website building instructions to be complicated and asked for additional support the man's response was simply 'it is all inside the system' - telling me he surely was not calling to offer assistance. I assumed his intention was to sell me something additional and didn't stay on the phone with him.
The IIU teaser of 'free' when it is actually quite expensive to run is disappointing. Members must enroll in their many programs in order to earn income as an affiliate.
If so many people are signing up with IIU and then basically creating similar websites that attempt to sell the same handful of programs, won't that result in high competition for sales and so definitely a need for their 'scalable advertizing' system? Their scalable advertizing system (called SEO Infinity) looks impressive, however the cost to members ranges from $97 up to $497/month!
If a person were actually interested in joining all of the programs chosen by IIU anyway, then it might be a great system for that person to learn how to sell such memberships to others. However, IIU requires membership in each of them in order to affiliate using their system when there is no charge to become an affiliate outside of their system. I've seen similar feeder programs in the past and do not think highly of them, especially because they promote a 'free' membership that ends up being anything but free in order to promote and feed into their own affiliate rankings.
Carolan's comment on Instant Banner Creator ...
Instant Banner Creator is an Awesome Tool!
I've used Instant Banner Creator for well over a year now and consider it one of my favorite online tools. The name 'Instant Banner Creator' may be slightly misleading since this tool allows one to create all sorts of online buttons and logos - NOT just banners.
Users can create images of many different shapes and types, store them on site free, and link the images to whatever URL you wish. You can even upload your own images and add text, making your web images 100% unique.
This Instant Banner Creator tool allows webmasters to save the cost of expensive custom graphics while enjoying the fun and rewarding feeling of learning to create your very own unique graphics online.
Carolan's comment on Eight-Fold Path to Affiliate Profits ...
Bob Jenkins is a Talented Teacher
If you've ever tried learning any new skill, gave up and then tried again later with a different teacher and were amazed at how much simpler it was ... then you know the value of one with a talent for teaching. That's Bob Jenkins.
Bob leaves no stone unturned in a step-by-step path toward the goal. He over-delivers in content that is presented in different ways from print to audio/video to illustrations and mind maps. He goes above and beyond to make each step crystal clear so that one who follows all of the steps can understand the big picture and master the process.
The various pieces of the affiliate marketing puzzle are inter-related in such a way to trigger each other for the desired outcome, which is not simple process to master. I've learned some of the steps elsewhere, yet the big picture perspective is put together in this tutorial by one who is much more than a successful marketer - but also a professional educator. Detailed, comprehensive and right on target.
Carolan's comment on Jim Cockrum ...
Silent Jim is the Real Deal
I bought Jim's 'Silent Sales Machine' many years ago, and it was one of the very few products I bought early in learning about internet marketing that was and still is of great value to me many years later. His private site membership is also well worth it, not only in all of the freebies for members, but the forums are a goldmine. I've referred to those forums frequently to find the real and truly reliable information we all seek to find strategies, programs, people and ideas that actually are worth the investment of time and money.
Maybe the biggest roadblock in terms of success with internet marketing is information overload! There's always another shiny object out there, another slick sales letter to lure your focus away from the current goal. Jim knows that and specifically teaches how to avoid that huge pothole. Along that road, I have canceled most of my subscriptions to various newsletters and blogs, but never Jim's.
It has become so common in the make money online world to hear regularly of a new 'launch' of some new product or service, usually highly marketed by several of the top gurus who are all JV's for each other. Jim is not part of that crowd. Rather than jump on the bandwagon of new launches, Jim will recommend only after the product or service has been tested by him and team members to insure value.
After many years of listening to Jim, I'd recommend him as a man of integrity who is true blue without reservation.
Carolan's comment on Caroline Middlebrook ...
Caroline Middlebrook is Top Notch!
Last year I had built a web page featuring some of the most successful women in internet marketing, and a woman in my network suggested I add Caroline Middlebrook. So I looked her up and have read her blog ever since, learning more from her blog than in many paid-for products. She has become one of my favorite bloggers, has earned high respect for her knowledge but also for her unique personal style and talent for teaching.
Carolan's comment on Harvey Segal ...
The Ultimate SuperTip is SUPER!
Fresh strategies with very unexpected twists, Harvey went the extra mile on 'The Ultimate Sales Tip' to make complicated processes simple, especially with PLR. I love the way this guy delivers over and over without all the hype and promotional wordage and familiar 'buy now or else' kind of tricks usually used by the 'gurus' online. His style is very refreshing. This is a compelling read, very straightforward and extremely clever marketing ideas in a very complete package, ending with links to helpdesk and other resources, even how to contact him. Highly recommended.
Carolan's comment on Multi Profit Websites ...
Multi Tasks
Just purchased this program and and found it frustrating. The first step in the guidebook is to pay for hosting with a company they recommend called D9 Link (never heard of it) with claim that 'cheaper hosts my be problematic'. I hate paying hundreds of dollars for a product, then step one in the set up is to fork out more money.
The claims that one can 'set up a site in minutes' or that even a kid can do it are just silly. Here's a quote from their guidebook: "Once you have your domain name and hosting package you may have to wait a couple of days for your website domain name to propagate the system and be available for uploading. Check with your hosting company as to when your site is ready, we cannot tell you so please contact them for all your hosting needs. " This is just one of 27 steps, 13 pages of site set-up information. So much for set-up in minutes.
I have decent web skills yet found the guides complicated and confusing. I sent a message asking for support getting started and received a response telling me to go to the help pages (where I had already been). Simplicity was the primary reason I bought the program, but with many complicated steps and no support I will be asking for a refund.
There are several videos (which the buyer is directed to watch each one several times) and many many pages of instructions. People who have already learned programs like Dreamweaver may find this program simple, and might even love it, but without advanced skills it may be an exercise in frustration.
Carolan's comment on Rosalind Gardner ...
Rosalind Gardner is the Queen of Affilate Marketing
I made the mistake of jumping into affiliate marketing BEFORE reading Rosalind's book, and what a difference it has made! I'm starting to earn, but more important right now is that I am getting high traffic on some of my affiliate pages that had remained dead in cyberspace for such a long time. For the most part, this is a direct result of learning specific strategies from Rosalind.
Rosalind is not only very wise on the subject, but also very straightforward and honest. She patiently outlines the credible and professional ways of marketing via affiliates in a step-by-step way with the style of a true mentor. While Rosalind is a good source of information for beginners, she also provides more advanced techniques as well. Her Affiliate Marketing Handbook is over 200 pages of pure content, for the most part not found elsewhere. I'd call it the Bible of affiliate marketing and would call her Rosalind the Queen.
Carolan's comment on Mike Filsaime ...
Filsaime is slipping in credability
If you look at the sheer numbers of programs Filsaime has 'launched' at the top of this page, does that indicate anything? Sure he's a brilliant marketer with plenty of JV partners and internet marketing clout, but what does he DO with it? I've been on his 'lists' for years and have purchased a couple of his products, however I've lost respect for him lately. He appears to be on a roll with product launches and is turning out some poorly developed systems and products with virtually NO user support, apparently while he's off launching the slick marketing on the next one. Seems Filsaime is spreading himself WAY too thin in supporting too many product launches, then dumping them for the next one before they even get off the ground. Once known as an internet expert, seems he's ridden on name alone for a bit too long. These days I approach anything with his name on it with great caution.
Carolan's comment on Secret Pays ...
Does the Secret Pay?
I wonder WHY folks think that a $125 ONE time payment is high for such a system. For that you get the system itself, training and updates, not to mention a HUGE vault of free ebooks, training AND software. The items in the vault are yours to keep, use or even sell if you want and new items are even added now and then with your membership lasting a lifetime on ONE payment. I go into the vault and search through the ebooks, training and software items now and then, often finding what I need for free rather than purchasing more. That alone is worth the investment for me. I have not marketed this program much, but good marketing is what sells any program, so I don't blame the system itself for the fact that I have not sold it. I know of others who have done well with the program, so the potential is there. The lady I bought it from does have some well-developed distribution lists AND she walked me through the initial stages of signing up, answered my questions, etc. She's worked hard with this and other programs and is successful online because she's earned it. I also do not have a problem with the first sale going to upline since that is quite common in such programs, in fact many require the first 2 sales to go up (ie. 1-ups and 2-ups). You do the initial work to sell and by showing your new person the ropes you get paid on that first sale. Hopefully then that person will do the same. The system itself may not be for everyone, yet that applies to every program out there. Many sell for higher prices yet have much less substance.
Carolan's comment on Affiliate Jump ...
Don't Jump on Affiliate Jump
Mike Filsaime is a slick marketer, but I found this product to be very disappointing. First, the promised bonuses? Never did get them to download. Was it intentional to make this so difficult? Have to wonder cause a guy like Filsaime certainly has the resources to make this simple, yet it was very complicated. I do like systems such as what I thought Affiliate Jump was going to be, but once inside I was disappointed at a lack of substance. Seemed like he had a good idea for such an affiliate system, but should have worked on developing it for awhile before launching it and charging people money. There were a handful of site templates to choose from around a chosen 'niche', however the affiliate sources were actually very limited and some had none at all, yet were listed there as a possible niche. (???) Worst of all is the lack of training, support and response to concerns. Very little training in how to best use the system was provided, only a few very basic videos. Requests for support required a long wait after submitting a ticket, slow and inefficient responses. For example, after I reported being unable to download the bonuses, I received directions a few days later and followed them to the letter yet STILL was unable to download and finally gave up. Some refer to Filsaime as a guru, but I think he tarnished his reputation BIG time getting people to JUMP on the Affiliate Jump bandwagon before the wagon was ready to roll.
Carolan's comment on Squidoo Queen ...
Kelly Stone, Squidoo Queen
Kelly provides excellent information for getting traffic on Squidoo. I had created about a dozen or so lenses and none were getting much traffic. After implementing just one of the methods learned from her, I saw a significant difference. Her methods are described in easy to understand steps that are simple to follow. Her blog is one of my favorites, well worth visiting often. Kelly Stone is highly recommended.
Carolan's comment on Renegade Network Marketer ...
Renegade Rocks!
I had all but given up on mlm until I read this book 'The Renegade Network Marketer' by Ann Sieg. She takes a bold and serious perspective toward the network marketing industry, has the guts to say what needs to be said. In her earlier (free) ebook titled 'The 7 Lies of Network Marketing' she outlines the many myths common in the industry that are often the basis for failure. While some criticize this being negative, I'd challenge anyone who has had real experience in the industry to deny they've been in the exact same shoes she describes. In 'Renegade' she takes it a step further and offers real options and answers of integrity.
Ann Sieg has also partnered with professional marketers such as Mike Klinger, Mike Dillard, Ken Evoy and most recently Art Garfinkel to further support this revolutionary system. She does a great job at teaching improved and professional strategies step-by-step to replace those archaic methods that have given mlm such a bad name. Also this is NOT just an ebook, but after reading the book, buyers get access to the basic Renegade system which includes online tools and ongoing training that apply across the board in mlm, regardless of the company one represents. This product can truly be a lifesaver for those struggling in network marketing. The Renegade program teaches how to focus on target marketing in a professional way rather than chasing around friends and family with hyped claims to build a business. If for all, we might then foresee a day when respect and integrity is restored to the industry across the board.
Carolan's comment on USANA ...
USANA Products are Quality, Biz Opp only Mediocre
I was a representative for USANA for about 5 years. Their product line is top notch. However, I found as a business that USANA left some variables to be desired.
Products: USANA products are made with pure raw ingredients, no chemicals or synthetics in contrast with nearly ALL products sold in stores. Companies who manufacture truly non-synthetic nutritional products do charge more for a FAR superior product. Would one expect a Ford Escort to cost the same as a Mercedes? There is solid research finding that synthetic products not only have no positive effect, but can also be HARMFUL to health. Google searches would find it. All nutritional products are NOT created equal. While sadly a large number of Americans will buy the lowest priced item on the shelf, there are those who understand the quality issue and will pay the price difference to protect their health.
The BIZ-OPP: The business opportunity includes similar challenges to most other direct marketing companies. The binary compensation plan requires balance, yes. Virtually ALL compensation plans require balance in order to earn income. This simply means that one needs to DO something, to sell and distribute product prior to expecting an income. Those who expect otherwise have fallen for some hype of thinking all they had to do was join to make money. With that said, I found the USANA plan difficult to build due to the 3 business centers needed to be activated in order to earn large income. Other binary plans are much less complicated and have higher potential to build significantly without as much effort.
Other Concerns:
1) USANA corporate includes a lot of scientists who are Harvard types and well-trained in nutritional medicine, however severely lacking in real life marketing. The company will provide a replicated website (for a fee) to their reps (which is useless for marketing and costs the company nothing at all), yet will NOT allow much freedom to their reps in terms of using targeted marketing strategy to sell the product line. Very strict corporate policy on this has caused many reps to turn elsewhere. I had spent months developing a website, and corporate forced me to shut it down - not because it made any false claims nor was of poor quality or anything like that - simply against policy.
2) About 5 years or so ago, USANA was spreading wide into foreign markets and many in the USA felt that focus ignored them and their needs. While it SEEMED there was high growth given the expansion into international markets, at the same time the US volume dropped considerably.
3) The corporate office has been known to pressure some of their top-ranking leaders with threats of suspended compensation due to suspected activity within other companies who are competitors of USANA. This resulted in a LARGE number of top earners to quit and go to other companies around the same time frame. In general, while the corporate office SAYS they support their field of distributors, there were many highly successful reps who felt otherwise.
A final note: One very positive current trend in the industry of network marketing is that distributors are realizing the need for a much more professional approach to marketing. This is in direct contrast to those old-fashioned methods of chasing around friends and family, hype, hotel meetings, etc. Replicated corporate websites have a purpose, but are NOT an effective marketing tool. A better choice might be a company more open to effective ways of internet marketing to find target audiences.
Carolan's comment on Build a Niche Store ...
BANS is a great product... Just one Issue to Beware
I bought the BANS software, too, and agree is not only has great potential but is highly supported both with updates and suggestions on the forums and the BANS blog. However, in order to USE it, one has to get approved by the eBay Partner Network. This used to be simple, but now they are more stringent. The website address included in the application needs to be well-developed and related to the niche. Not knowing this, I had entered the address of a fairly new blog that was not yet getting a lot of traffic, and my application was denied. No reason was given, so I didn't know why at first. Then I read about it over at Jim Cockrum's SST site and learned the same has been happening to a lot of folks lately. eBay has become much more picky about who they approve. So I'm developing the blog and will have to try again to be accepted into the eBay Partner Network before I can use the software.
It seems I remember reading somewhere that PepperJam might suffice in lieu of EBAY Partner Network, and that it is easier to get accepted there as an affiliate but I'm not certain about that. The bottom line is that BANS is high quality clever software, but one must jump through a few hoops to be allowed to USE it, so it might be wise to get accepted as an affiliate FIRST, then buy the software.
Carolan's comment on Barbara Ling ...
Ling is an Internet Superstar!
Barbara Ling provides more content rich advice on her websites and free downloads than most people to in ebooks with a price tag. Truly amazing! She has a unique style of writing with fun humor and real life perspective that grabs attention. Ling does an excellent job of mapping it all out step-by-step in the how-to-do various projects related to making money online.
Carolan's comment on Frank Kern ...
Kern is a Character
His products ARE very expensive. While I have not bought them I HAVE watched many of his videos and visit his web pages now and then. In his videos, he is usually barefoot and wearing faded jeans, sitting cross legged. His casualness and the way he speaks (some street language and humor) might bother some, while others find it entertaining and unique.
Carolan's comment on Joe Vitale ...
Vitale is a generous genius!
His writing is truly hypnotic. Joe has a gift to deliver clarity and deeper meaning to concepts we THOUGHT we understood. His marketing and copyrighting skills are genius, but also unique in that his perspective comes from a spiritual viewpoint. Once homeless, Joe is now quite successful and gives away many of his books for free in a genuine spirit of raising consciousness. His blog alone is loaded with inspiration and content rich articles that inspire and educate far beyond some other products with price tags on them. Not only a genius, Joe Vitale is a good soul.
Carolan's comment on Site Build It (SBI!) ...
SBI is a complete web system that is perfect for some, not for everyone.
I have used Site Build It (SBI)and would highly recommend it, for certain uses. Some people only want a website, and do not plan to extend to a full online business system with newsletters, autoresponders and all of those other tools. But if they later decide to add them, they will find it could have been MUCH cheaper - and already integrated - by using SBI.
The online member forums are quite active. New tools are added regularly and most are included in the same price, which has not risen in years. I paid about $25/month. If anything I'd say there's SO much included in SBI that a complete newbie might quickly become overwhelmed. However step-by-step instruction are clearly provided and support is excellent.
Carolan's comment on Silent Sales Machine ...
Silent Sales Machine - Worth the Sale
There are tons of 'how to eBay' resources out there. I believe Jim Cockrum wrote this ebook as a more advanced and beyond the usual resource describing creative uses of eBay. Those looking for simply how to sell on eBay can find that anywhere and for free. I bought this book years ago and got a new copy free when he updated it. True that it has a lot of content about internet marketing, but I don't see that same information provided elsewhere. His audience is mostly eBay sellers who have gone beyond the basics. They still sell on eBay but in different ways that are more profitable and ultimately take less time.
I'm also a member of Cockrum's online group called Silent Sales Team (SST) and find that an invaluable resource in a similar way as this site. His forums are very active, visited by pros such as John Thornhill, Cockrum and others. When I have a question about a product or strategy, how best to use or troubleshoot through a roadblock - they are my Masterminds.