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I was searching through clickbank looking for a product to promote via article marketing and I came across a "Directory Of Ezines." The product states: "Earn $90 Per Sale! Ezine Advertising Is Hot And Proven Effective! Now In Our 10th Year, (person's name) Helps Members Succeed With Ezine Advertising, Article Marketing, Joint Ventures And More! Members Get Free Teleseminars, Lifetime Access And More!"

However, when you click on the title link, you are taken to a landing page that is nothing more than an OPT-IN page for a free e-book.

My question is. How, in the world are you supposed to earn $90 by sending someone to a free OPT-IN page. I smell a rat. Is the seller just hoping that people will blindly click the promote button without seeing where the link goes? All the while, using their articles to send him visitors thinking they are promoting a product that will earn them money. Is clickbank full of scammers?

Derek Thomas

My guess is there is an OTO thrown in there somewhere plus some future email advertising. Assuming a person purchases everything the guy is selling then maybe yes you stand to make $90 per sale.

However, I wouldn't hold my breath that a majority of people purchase everything...then again, I'm not for certain what product you're referring to

///Derek

Avdo

if they go through your aff. link, they are cookied, and when they purchase something from them, you get credited..

YseUp

I've seen this a few times as well.

Does anyone think this might be a better clickbank strategy than just asking affiliates to send people straight to a sales page? This way you might get lots of e-mail sign ups and the affiliates get more chance of a sale.

Edk

You'd get your money back off Clickbank, so if you're really curious...

sbucciarel

Yeah ... I'd never send traffic to a clickbank vendor whose page went to an opt-in form rather than a sales page. Let him build his own list on his nickel. What are you supposed to get out of that?

Joseph Then

Directory of ezines is not a scam. This service has been around for years, started like 2001, I think. And, if I'm not wrong it was recommended by well-known gurus like the late Cory Rudl.

Things change when he has just the opt-in page, that's what pisses affiliates...

Richnana

I have toyed with the idea of joining DOE for several months, however, I could not justify the $197.00 fee then having to pay to advertise in the ezines. I received email after email from Charlie??? and kept thinking... What is the benefit of a lifetime membership, yeah, you get your articles submitted, he helps you write articles, but if I wanted to find an ezine why wouldn't I just go straight to the ezine? Could not justify the expense in my head so I just passed on it.

Brad Callen

Not a scam. Joseph is right. This has been around for AGES. I'm a member.

Brad

Joseph Then

To admit, I'm also a member.

And I remember that the membership fee wasn't $197 when it first started, right?

Texjd

I've been a member since it started. I know Charlie and have worked with since the 90's. He's very legit and will bend over backwards to help any member with what ever they need from writing ads to helping with conversions.

It's like any tool, it helps you find targeted ezines for your product or service quickly. You could do it by hand but it would be very time consuming. Plus many of the ezines give you a break for being a member.

Is it worth it? That depends on you, your product, and your offer. What you're buying is convienence. Getting Charlie to help you with your ads and salescopy is probably worth the price. He's well know for being one of the best copywriters out there.

There's a button that you can click on to go to the main sales page. Here's the URL:

Directory of Ezines

I'm an affiliate but that link is not my affilate link =8~).

Brad Callen

Yeah, I think it was $97 back in the day.

Brad

ezine ads

First of all, 3 general ideas (not about a specific product/service or a specific person, but in connection with some comments from this thread):

1. The fact that I, for example, don't need a certain product (or service) or don't understand how to use it ... doesn't automatically mean that the product is a scam and the owner a scammer.

2. In the same time, the fact that a certain person (called by some persons guru) "recommended" (you can read made money instead) a certain product ... doesn't automatically mean that the product is not a scam.

3. The fact that some years ago X bought something from Y ... doesn't automatically mean that now Y doesn't cheat his affiliates (on purpose or by mistake).

When in doubt, the surest path is this: TEST YOURSELF. THEN complain, if the case may be

I suggest you to do what I did.

1) I clicked on my affiliate link for Charlie's Directory of Ezines. The opt-in page has been loaded.

2A) I clicked on "No thanks - I already have the book". On the next page I clicked on "Add to Cart". The ClickBank payment page was loaded. At its bottom ... there was my ClickBank username. This means that everything is OK.

2B) I checked what happens after I submit a name and an email address... On the next page again I clicked on "Add to Cart". Again ClickBank's payment page was loaded and again my ClickBank username was at the bottom. Great.

It didn't take more than one minute to come to this conclusion... everything works fine for DOE affiliates.

tmursch

Get more info about it at Clickbank Analytics

iSoftware

I just got off the phone with the guy - the totally free phone consultation is worth the price of membership. He has a wealth of knowledge. This guy's service is for serious business people not people who want to invest $5 and make $500000000000 million in 30 seconds. He's been online for ages. I heard him on a Jack Humphrey podcast and knew I was listening to the real deal. He sincerely wants to help and I appreciate his personal touch.

That's all I have to say. I' am quite happy with the small investment of $200 or $300 (can't remember which one) that I made. Either one it was worth it. He suggested a change to some ad copy on a blog post that brought in an extra $180 with about 15 mins of work (focus on end results vs. features). That's ROI

akdiver

Clickbank has definately expanded its revenue models but from all accounts this seems a legitmae deal

Charlie Page

Charlie here. I'm just seeing this thanks to a member letting me know we were being labeled as a scam. Sad really that people jump to these conclusions or make these accusations without knowing the facts.

First things first - I am incredibly grateful to DOE members who responded here. Thank you all. That alone means more than words can say.

So, why do I have a squeeze page instead of a sales page?

Because putting up a squeeze and selling via email increased all sales (including affiliates) by about 40%.

To clear up the matter of who gets paid. The best I understand it, the way Clickbank works is that a cookie persists until it is overwritten or it expires.

Since I do NOT use my own affiliate link in my follow up emails, I am not overwriting their cookie. That means they get paid when my marketing system makes the sale for them. Seems fair to me.

So if John sends a person my way as an affiliate the cookie is set. If they buy today, John gets paid. But what if they don't buy today? Because my email follow up system works, and because I do not wipe out John's cookie in my email follow up, John still gets paid if his prospect buys down the road. And they do.

Think about this. The best sales letters online convert at 5% or less. So what happens to the 95% who don't buy? While we would all love to think they return, the fact is they don't. They get busy and don't return. They buy something else.

But if we follow up with them via email *many* more of them end up buying. That's a good thing.

My squeeze page converts a very high number of visitors to subscribers. These subscribers are reminded to return and buy and reminded why the DOE is a whale of a value. More of them buy. More affiliates earn money. Everyone wins.

To sum up - the reason I put the squeeze page in place (and the reason I have a "no thanks" link AND the reason I have an exit pop) is so that we can all earn more.

If that is not what you want or you don't like how I market, don't promote the DOE. That's okay too. Not everything is for everyone.

But this system works for me AND works incredibly well for affiliates. I'm shocked more people aren't doing it.

Hope this helps clear it up.

Charlie

Clint Butler

I think its great that you took the time to come in and explain things to everyone. All too often people in this and other forums are quick to label a program or product a scam and results are very negative for that product or service. Especially in the Warrior forum where new marketers are coming to learn about programs and services that will aid them in internet success. Successful marketers or business professionals need to act responsibly when throwing words like "scam" around without understanding or trying a service out for themselves. Me, if I was looking to promote a new product. I would take the time to fill out the opt-in form and see what everything is all about, understand the product or service so I can promote it better. I wouldn't see something I don't agree with and label it immediately a scam. To tell you the truth I never heard of your service, but now that I know its being run by someone who actually wants his customers and affiliates to succeed rather than create a piece of software that's supposedly the next greatest thing, I will be promoting your program post haste. I do have an issue with the cookie theory though. If you have spent any time online and know better you clear your cookies often, and that affiliate link is cleared and affiliate commissions are lost. Perhaps a sales page right away would be good for the affiliate in this case that comes up immediately after the sign-up for (may be there havn't checked as of the time of this post).

Edit: there is a link to click if you don't want to enter your email addy and check out the sales page.

pearsonbrown

We have strict rules about naming threads in this forum.

However, I'm never sure what to do when a thread is transferred here from the main forum. I can rename threads - and sometimes do - but people looking for the thread will expect the same name.

Retrospectively, I think I should have removed the word 'scam' from this thread title.

Pearson

iSoftware

Hello,
I know alot of people find info about people on the web so I want to take the time to write this. I am DOE member. I just got off the phone with the manager of a top email services related firm. I started the conversation with, "Hi I am so and so and I am a DOE member and was referred to you by Charlie Page".

The conversation after that was most informative. For anyone who's spent time in the corporate world you'll recognize that being able to do such things is worth it's weight in gold. The guy gave me info in a good 20 minute conversation I'd probably have to pay $97 in an ebook sold here or someplace else online.

Charlie Page's phone consultation services and the reputation of DOE is worth more than $197. I can truly say it's one of the best investments I've ever made online.

There are so many charlatans in the IM space, I am just writing this review to promote the furthering of high standards here. If Jack Humphrey ever reads this, he should know that one of the best things I ever did online was hear that podcast of his and here Charlie speak about the DOE and email marketing.

That's it everyone - have a great day!

Jack Humphrey

I may be a little late, but I read this! Thanks - and yes Charlie is the real deal, goes waaaay back, and treats customers and associates with the utmost respect and professionalism.

The "P" word is something not thrown around much these days. People can learn a lot about running a proper online business/service by just watching Charlie work.

Honest Abel

While I wouldn't label it a "scam," I would voice an opinion on forcing someone into "lifetime membership" with no other option when the cost is nearly $200 bucks! I think there should be an option to may monthly to check it out to see if it's going to work for you.

Way back when... you COULD pay monthly/yearly.

ezine ads

Not a bad suggestion but... I'm pretty sure that Charlie doesn't FORCE anyone to buy that lifetime membership

jasondinner

How he chooses to sell his service is his choice.

Maybe he's asking $197 because he doesn't want tire kickers and serial refunders who will end up just wasting his time joining.

This is for serious marketers who actually know what they are doing and I suspect it would take a lot more than $197 worth of your time to compile the list he has.

You're paying for the years and countless hours of time and effort it took Charlie to compile and update his directory...not for the ezines themselves.

Or for free, you can go and do it yourself and not find nearly 10% of what he already did for you.

And for the record, ezines and articles directories are 2 completely different animals.

Article directories are just that. You submit articles and hope they get picked up by search engines.

Ezines you pay to get in front of the leads on the list with your message, and you better not be sending them an article or your money will be wasted for sure.

Think direct response marketing when you're thinking ezine marketing.

Just sayin,

Jason

Jackaroo

Charlie, excellent explanation, I have just come in on this. What puzzles me is the idea of a cookie being set, what happens when anti virus software and reg cleaners delete cookies Or if when the computer slow right down and one deleted history manually, which also deleted cookies, does that mean the chance of being paid by Clickbank is lost? Jack

jasondinner

There's really no way around that. This is the limitation with affiliate marketing.

Clickbank doesn't have advanced cookie technology. From what I understand, they're still using the same technology they've always used.

There is flash cookies that you can use (clickbank doesn't) but not sure if they are immune to the anti virus software or people just clearing their cookies.

Only way around this would be for the product owner to capture the affiliate ID in the background when they are collecting opt-ins and then dynamically place their ID in the link of the follow up.

That's really all you can do, but not much people do.

- Jason