I wandered over to the Best-Reviewer site and clicked on the "forum" link (found at the top of the page). Boy, I wish I hadn't done that.
What I found was interactions from the creator of both sites blatantly saying that they don't care if their contributors are happy or not , pretty much they could care less. For a site that I am sure earns far more than the average contributor (judging off the way the site is monetized 1 ad for you 3 to 4 for them on each page of content) that is simply poor behavior.
I can't say at this point in time that I could recommend either one of these sites. I definitely think that it needs a complete makeover from the site design and layout right down to the owners attitude.
11 comments:
Hello, you're too sensitive I think :-)
What harm did I do to you honestly?
I take care of my users but as you don't know, users are good AND bad, how many of my users did I have to delete along with all their posts because they started sending crap on my site, putting my adsense id and the adsense id of their referrer at risk? I have rules on my sites, but some users simply don't care.
So personally I provide a service but I'm not FRIEND with my users, I answer emails promptly and politely, but don't expect me to go too much out of my way to please this or that.
But I'm ranting, I don't even know exactly what you're angry with me about :-)
Cheers,
James
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James - There is a certain level of appreciation that you have to show people when you run a site. Now personally I've dealt with you before and found you quite personable and you are telling the truth the email I received was very prompt as well. The problem is when you engage "publicly" in conversations that make those of us who "want" to contribute to your site feel like you don't care if we are there or not.
Honestly those conversations on your FB page should not be there. If you don't want to provide a certain service - it is your site and that is ok. But I'd suggest that you DO NOT go publicly stating that you don't care if people quit using your site - otherwise they will. It is like a bad cyber-virus - writers will start avoiding your site like the plague if that is the case.
This post is not intended to be controversial in regards to you James. It is merely a personal perspective. You have a "forum" for members to visit and within that forum you (I believe you are the one running the page) make some very bold statements that for a writer like me doesn't leave me with a good feeling.
I've supported and promoted your sites to others. When I make a suggestion to others to join a site it is because I believe it is a good thing and a good company. If that site or company then does something, I feel, could cause those I've recommended to the site to become upset - well it is my job to make sure I'm the first one there addressing it.
I don't want to promote your sites to others if you don't care that they are there contributing. We as writers know that some of us can be quite needy and expecting and like to make a lot of suggestions to sites we write on. But we do that because we want YOU to be successful because then we have a better chance of being successful ourselves.
If you will take a word of advice - don't knock those who are the ones who in time will make you successful. Without the content on your sites you mean nothing to advertisers or search engines. That doesn't mean you need to bend over for us but you should always be respectful even when telling someone you don't agree with them.
Hello, I can take the criticism for sure, but what are we talking about here exactly?
I know where it comes from. To sum it up, there is a recurring problem with adsense url channel not working properly for some members. In the past I've found that contacting adsense will solve the issue. OK, as an alternative I coded a solution, to add a custom url id to use that instead as it seem to work all the time (so far no report of not working, but it's quite new)
Now a member on the forum told me to add it also on my other site shetoldme.com I simply said yes I'll do it eventually, but not now because I'm feeling a bit lazy. Then she said that I should do it quickly because she knows some people stopped using my site because of that.
Well that's when I said that to put it simply: those kind of people who suspect me of scamming them because they see the url channel not reporting correctly, either don't look at the faq page or don't want to contact adsense.
I just said that people stopping using my site is not a good reason for me to go out of my way (my lazyness) in order to implement something very quickly.
That's all I said, I didn't say or feel bad things about my members. It's just that I'm fed up of people suspecting me of scamming them when it's obvious I have no way of scamming anyone since the way it works is public and I have no interest to scam whatsoever, even if I could, which I can't.
Anyway, that's all there is to it. I don't think it's too bad and if some people including you cannot stand this poor level of user support, and want to quit using my site, what can I do? nothing because there is nothing I want to do, I'm not here to convince you otherwise, if you use my site it is for your own benefit, not for me, the fact that I benefit from your submission is because I created the site and promoted it that way, if you refer people to it or write good articles about it is only because I made a referral program which benefits you, so I don't feel guilty about anything and neither should you feel I owe you anything :-)
Sorry to be honest and bold about it. Maybe what can explain it is that I'm not a company, I'm just one guy with no boss and no customer making a living online for many years now, so I surely lost all kind of hypocrisis that you learn in social circles such as school and workplace or with direct contact with customers.
I don't feel my members are my customers, they are simply on my site in order to benefit from using it, if one day my site gets no more traffic then members will stop using it without a second thought, and it's totally normal.
Cheers,
James
Hello, I tried to answer but it was tooo long, thanksfully I copied the text before pressing publish, and it's good because otherwise I would have lost all my answer text, since blogger returned an error and when I pressed back the text was gone.
Instead I pasted it on my facebook forum you can read it and reply on your blog or there, up to you.
I was also considering to erase all the promotion articles I have done for this rude man.
Melanie you can't erase any of your post yourself, but a quick email to me and I can delete your account and all your content in a heartbeat, it's still your content.
But try to think about what you're reacting to, and probably OVERreacting to. Simply nothing happened, simple reminder and let's get back to reality, who are you calling rude? Are you not rude for calling me rude for nothing? :-)
Cheers,
James
James, I do not think that your sites are scams. Let me make that clear. I know for a fact that you do implement other peoples Adsense on their page as claimed. That is easily verified through the page source -here's an article that can help explain how to find it http://www.ehow.com/how_5122798_ads-being-shown-revenue-share.html.
I read your most recent forum post and I understand the frustration - I really do. The problem is - you run a site that is based on contributor support so you can't let that frustration trickle out and be taken out on your contributors.
If a member says "I want ___" and it is not something that you can do or don't have the time to do - don't get mean or say "I don't want to" or "I don't care" - a better response is "Thank you for your suggestion. Unfortunately at this time that is not something we (site name) are able to do. We will, however, keep that in consideration and let you know if that is something we can implement in the future" - even if your reasoning is simply that you don't want to do it your response needs to show the member that you are listening and keep them from feeling shunned or unappreciated.
Don't let it get to you. The best thing that someone in your position can do is focus on the big picture. You have a site to make money - in order to do that contributors play a big part - so to maintain a healthy site/contributor relationship it has to be all about respect-respect-respect.
Does that make sense?
Oh and P.S. - Yes, you are correct. We are there for our own benefit but you, by far, benefit more by us being there than we do by you being there.
I think you are perhaps forgetting that without "contributors" whatever your sites make you, income wise, leaves if your contributors leave. It is why a healthy "relationship" needs to be established between writer and writing site.
Google, I promise you, is not interested in a site with no content. This day and age - content is king!
If you established a healthy and respectful relationship with your members I would be completely happy to promote your site - that has nothing to do with your affiliate program. I have numerous sites listed in this one blog alone that I have no affiliate link for and promote simply because I know that they are/can be beneficial to those who read here and are looking for answers or a direction.
And there is a such thing as "bad press". Especially in the online freelance world. We rely heavily on word of mouth and promotion from fellow writers - if a site does not have that all you are left with are those whose content will eventually get you listed as a "spam" site.
That is a lot to think about. I am not trying to bombard you and again - in no way do I mean any disrespect. I simply think you need to look at the bigger picture and see it all in perspective. It is like a game of Jenga - one wrong move and it all falls apart.
Before I end this let me say: Thank you for actually responding. That is a big move and hopefully we all walk away a little more enlightened, one way or another.
Kara thanks for the answer, honestly I know you're right in the approach you suggest, I could write more by saying "yes but.." but that would be a waste of time since there is nothing to argue about with what you're saying. You're simply speaking the truth and if you don't see me acting the right way when I pretend to recognize it in your words let's just say that this is just ONE instance or the "do as I say, don't do what I do". I mean there are things I/we know how to do right but still I/we do wrong, like eating, exercising, relationships, finances, etc.
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