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Originally Posted by PipCop  I do understand where you're coming from. I also have to do something to help absorb some of the costs of running the site and servers. I also think you also over-estimate the effect of ads on the site, and how many people "believe" them.
I never really thought much of it as I am VERY SKEPTICAL OF ALL ROBOTS, and I spell that out all over the site. The site is also entirely free for all visitors, unlike some other Forex sites that charge to see "Premium" content, or perhaps the whole site. No one has to pay me a dime to learn here. In return, I am providing a service which not many other people are providing, I like to think I'm doing a good job.
Keep in mind that I am literally paying visitors to come to my site. My expenses thus far have greatly exceeded my income every single month I have been operating the site. Who pays for that? I do - The difference comes out of my pocket - my personal take-home paycheck. Go ahead, ask me what the wife thinks about this ... I dare ya!  However, after seeing my electric bill for the servers, I am glad that I have ads on the site. Last month my electric bill was $457 instead of the usual $80! 
So ... sure ... I could be picky and take some ads off the site, or I could try to say "I endorse all ads fully, 100%, and personally recommend them" but we all know that's not very feasible. I don't know of one website out there that can boast they have actually tried/tested/reviewed every advertised product or service on their site AND personally recommend it AND can say it will work well for the buyer. Heck, just seeing how these robots work so VASTLY differently on different brokerages, I could have tested on on ALpari and "busted" it, when someone else was using Alpari and doubled their money. Or vice versa.
So I don't think it's too unreasonable to expect that some of the advertisments on the site are unsuitable to some members of the audience. I believe that the majority of the Google ads on the site are bunk (in my opinion) and I think most advertised sites are shady and rip-offs and you're going to probably get reamed if you truly believe everything they say. And the ads just link you to other affiliate sites! Did you know that I've even reported it to Google to try and do something about it? I don't like it one bit. But it pays the bills.
Yet for anyone to say "Hey, don't advertise that. People are idiots and will BELIEVE you and will BUY it and you're misleading them - STOP doing it!" is a bit much. What you're really saying is not so much that my choice in advertising is poor, but that people are so stupid and helpless that they can't make good decisions for themselves. I don't feel that is true at all. If it were, then nearly every time someone clicked an affiliate link it would convert to a sale - and that is CLEARLY not the case. Less than 1% of visitors click on ANY ads on my site, and my actual coversion rate  for sales is then 0.01%. Did you know I make around 2 ClickBank sales out of 75,000 visitors per month?
So really, that's the bottom line - I have to advertise to all visitors on the site. And believe it or not ... it seems like the majority of the people don't "fall" for the ads anyway, don't click, and don't find the products suitable. But at least I give them the option to research it for themselves.
And the 2 people who buy? Thank you for supporting the site, and I sincerely hope the product works well for you!
-James Fullerton |
Well James... I appreciate your thoughtful response and being receptive to my comments and concerns...
Believe it or not, (well, per our other convos you do know) I also host forums - as we had a talk about "free" vs. buying annual licenses from VBulletin - so - we've both been down this path before, and we're both well aware of the costs and risks - as well as the little "reward" we do or don't get for what we do here... (in internetland)
All that said, you've said your piece and I now understand (better) where you're coming from, and you've allowed me to express my opinion as well... So after this, we'll just leave it be, as I hijacked this thread in haste when I was caught off guard by said advert... But I appreciate you letting me vent.
So to kinda wrap things here... 2 comments did stand out: Do I think all people are "stupid and helpless"? Honestly, no.... No I don't... But I do think they buy into all the "hype"... and do so with ease... Until they go and blow up a few cash accounts and learn the hard way that all bots are pretty much rubbish... (and out of these ruins, PipCop was born, no?) - So that's my entire
point really, PC was created to help SAVE people from losing their hard-earned money on USELESS EA's, no? Per your "FAQ" and "What does PipCop do?" - I believe wholeheartedly that you're here to try and "help" people from making huge mistakes with useless EA's (and Yes! it IS written all over your site!)
Anyway - so we're *all* here as a "community", trying hard to improve on the few EA's that *may* be decent... But back to your
point ... I don't think people are stupid, just gullible
- And I'm not "anti-advertising" at all!... it was just this ONE
untested EA I am concerned about.... And FWIW I turn about 750,000 page views/month (each with several dozen GoogleAds on) and know for a fact, that very few people actually "click" (PPC) on anything... Readers know what they want (content) and zoom in on just that... So, I agree 100% with you, that no one is gonna get rich off forums and adverts (short-term) - But your site is truly unique James - and we know you're working hard to make it the best EA test site out there...
As to "free info" and paying members, etc... For a few months now, I get the feeling that you're wanting, and expecting, the success of your previous RS25 site here (and now)... But with ALL the other free Forex sites out there, I also suspect you're fishing in a very crowded and shallow pond... and is not quite as niche as the RS25 market (plus I suspect you were early in the game there) - Whereas, yes, whilst this site is very unique by actually testing EA's (as very few others do not even bother - yet still sing their praises!) you are head and shoulders above the rest... However, I suspect if you slapped a "pay to join" tag on here (so soon, only 8 months into the game) - you'd lose all but your most die-hard subscribers... So, the harsh reality is, for now, we do what we can (adverts, donations, upgrade memberships, etc) to help cover some our costs... The average (well managed) site, takes 3 years to break-even...
That said, when you speak of your electric bill and wife (trust me, I have both and know both all too well!)
But really James, you're building and using your own "servers" from the proceipts from THIS site, for *other* OneWeb projects
too - as well as farming them out for a monthly fee to other non-PipCop clients... And you *could* host this forum on a remote server for pennies vs. the huge electric and server bills you're now facing (granted, you couldn't do all the VPS tests like you're doing now) but hell, I was happy with one
broker running one "EA of the week" (FAPS and Steinitz) back in the beginning... So, whilst I fully understand you're not gonna get rich overnight (and we don't have to face the wrath of the Queen!) - we didn't hold a gun to your head telling you to buy servers... or to do the very nice and awesome things you've done here... Fair?
Long term? If you keep the site integrity focused (as you've done) and keep debunking the popular bots out there (FAPS, FAPSTurbo, and maybe even Megadriod)... you'll do very well with the site - and will be rewarded, eventually... It took what? 8 years for the RS25.com site to really gain enough momentum to "cash out"? - Just take it a day at a time mate... I know you're busting your ass for *US* - and trying your hardest - and doing a great job... but no one here is gonna complain if you pull several brokers offline - or remove some deadbeat bots we've never even heard of... (though those efforts are appreciated too) -
I've watched this site grow and develop over the past year, and you obviously have a knack and a talent for both design and
SEO traffic-building... and yes, I personally know, and understand, and feel your financial pains... but there are cheaper ways... (SMF *cough*) and there are less aggressive ways (remote *cough* hosting)... You just have champagne tastes, and a huge vision... and sadly, for now, a beer budget... but have done a stellar job with what little you have thus far... I suspect if we have this conversation a year from now, "the site" will have grown just that much more from what it is today... You have great vision and ideas James... and you already know, it all takes time... And we'll be here... but reality is, in "these times", everyone is strapped, and we're all counting pennies... That's just an ugliness we all have to face for the time being...
Anyway - Off my soapbox...
We (I) do appreciate your hard work - and I can fully relate, as we are in the same biz... But we're all looking at Forex to supplement our incomes with EA's... Hence this site... And who knows, maybe some day, we may actually find the infamous "Holy Grail"...
Thanks - And have a good Easter...
KB
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