Giveaways, Deception and Scams
Giveaways
We are taught to giveaway free items on our websites as a way to gain followers and traffic. This is not a bad approach for new traffic and to gain back links as well.
The idea is not a new one and can be overused as well as being click bait for those who are not as honest.
I love giveaways. They can have great value and build a great reputation in the market. The better your reputation the better you will do on the average. Who doesn't like FREE? I have received some wonderful items in the past because I was willing to take a chance. I have a grill that all I had to do was enter my address. I have had that grill for 15 years now and it still cooks as well now as it did when I first got it.
Deception
Deception can be found almost anywhere you look in today's society. There are deceptive practices used by a multitude of people. They are the ones who give Affiliate Marketers a bad name.
We have to be vigilant every time we post to be certain that someone is not using our websites as a means of making money through dishonest means. It is not a bad idea to go to your website incognito to see if someone has added click bait to your site and siphoned off some of your customers as well as some of your revenue.
If you find that someone has done that you need to find a way to remove it from your website. This may mean that you have to report it to Google and if in the United States to the Federal Trade Commission as a deceptive click that you had no knowledge of.
Scams
Most scams involve supposed free money in exchange for a small fee. This happens a great deal with lottery scams but it can happen with other things as well.
Some of the other ways scammers use are in the area of romance. They are having trouble getting to you because they just don't have the money to get there. Just send them the money to get there and they will be with you forever, then after getting the money they are never to be heard from again.
Stay Alert
Stay alert and look for any changes to your website that you may not have made. You will also need to check your autoresponder periodically as well. There are some really bad people out there who will do anything to cause you harm.
They look for websites that are not secure or have not been updated in a while.
Please leave likes and comments if you are so inclined,
Jerry
Recent Comments
18
Thanks for sharing. I have had a first-hand experience so I know exactly what you are writing about. Sometimes when we allow our greed to get the better of us, we fall prey to scammers.
The bottom line is that we should be alert. If it walks like a duck and quacks like one, it is probably one.
Sometimes the ducks act like geese and get ahead of you. Always due your best to check out anything that sounds like a scam or where there may be some deception.
Jerry
Thanks for your 'shout out' Jerry.
Many things happened when least expected.
Thanks again. Enjoy your day!
The unexpected is part of what we have to look for as website owners. Stay vigilant.
Jerry
Thank you for the article - it is a good idea to check for these things. We know that scammers are out there because we see them all the time. Therefore, we should not assume that our websites are immune.
They seem to have found a way to attach to a perfectly legitimate site and exploit it until someone makes a complaint. Always check your sites for any unusual activity, even through an autoresponder.
Jerry
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Hi Jerry... I agree that we need to remain aware and alert both online and offline to spot scams.
I have one question arising from your first paragraph. I understand how to use a free giveaway to attract followers and build an email list. I’m not so sure how to use it to get backlinks? How does that work please?
:-)
Richard