Parts 1, 2 and 3 of this topic outlined some of the so-called "secrets" of website traffic being offered on-line and what you might expect for your money. If you missed any of these three parts you will still be able to "pick up the thread" of this subject by clicking on the links appearing in the resource box at the end of this, Part 4.

As I stated previously, Parts 3 and 4, were not planned. They just happened as a result of all the mistakes I have made trying to get traffic to my website. Incidentally, these mistakes have had a rather deleterious effect on the balance of my credit card. Hence, my outspoken words on this subject.

If you have been following this series you will know that I am exposing some common "web traffic" frauds. Yes, I am up to calling most of them downright fraud and scam ideas now because I am just plain sick of their lack of information and virtual rubbish content.

In Part 3, I said I would reveal my experiences with the "schemes" which promise (hah!) to deliver a deluge-barrage-feast-battery of traffic to your site by way of banner advertising on "start up pages." I am referring, of course, to the opening page of your browser when you click on to the internet. In essence it is the default page. You can set it to whatever you want. Just be careful if you set it to a series of banner ads promising you more traffic. Here's why:

To explain this web-traffic "idea" properly I will create a fictitious name (not too far removed from what they actually call themselves, by the way). Let's call it "Hit Magnet Extraordinaire" or HME for short.

HME offers to place your banner on a start up page supposedly viewed by "millions" of viewers. They will even do it FREE. Fantastic, you think. Here is how it works. First, "to be fair", you have to set your own computer browser start up page to HME. When you do this you will be presented with six or eight or ten nice little banner ads.

HME always takes the prime "real estate" on your page right at the top. The HME banner is also very colorful in relation to everybody else's dull banners appearing below. It is usually three or four times bigger too, so it is very dominant. At this point you get that sneaking feeling that you might have been hijacked.

Other viewers get to see your banner (you do this by filling out description and detail forms). In return, you get to see their banners. Seems fair, doesn't it?

HME will even start you off with a quantity of FREE credits. Let me explain my understanding of how this works.

Every time you click on another website's banner and view their webpage for a minimum of thirty or sixty seconds, you earn credits. These credits add to your "credit aggregate." Every time somebody clicks on your banner you lose credits. Simple enough. It's a bit like debits and credits on your bank statement, if you want to think of an example.

I have tried some of these exchange programs. Here is what I found:

1 - from day one of your participation, you are always in credit points decline so you must devote precious time every day towards building these points up,

2 - to build credits you continually have to click on other people's banners even if you have absolutely zero interest in them, just to increase your credits,

3 - because other "traffic" participants are doing the same it just becomes a time consuming exercise in futility for everyone,

4 - often the banners you are basically forced to click on take more than a minute to load and some links do not work at all,

5 - the banners you see on your start-up screen are almost always the same with little or no variation day to day and week to week,

6 - the banner exchange site will not allow you to collect credits for any websites you have viewed in the last 24 hours (you can see the difficulty point 5 represents),

7 - often your computer will jam trying to access links, giving you that dreaded "fatal exception" message,

8 - any traffic you do receive (and believe me - it will be minimal) will be completely unqualified and therefore worthless (reason - see 2 & 3 above).

You may have better luck but I have tried several of these "traffic generators" and despite their magnificent promises, no appreciable increase in traffic eventuated. I have the statistics to prove it. This leads me to my next point.

Statistics are something you simply must keep. I have a journal. Into it I write all the things I try to increase my hits. If you have a spike or a dip in your normal traffic trend you can trace it back to a certain event or events. If you get dips, stop doing the thing that caused it. If you have spikes, do more of the thing that caused it. It's that easy.

Now, some marketers may deem this little idea of mine so important they will base a whole $19.95 "special report" on it. Hey! - don't laugh. I have other reports that are equally banal. You can have that tip from me FREE.

I am very disillusioned with the schemes, scams and plans - call them what you like. I prefer to call most of them complete time and energy wasters - not to mention the money waste. If anybody has had any success at all with any of the so-called "traffic magnets," or "special reports" or "secret reports" or "information guarantees," I would like to know about it.

Similarly, if you are one of the people behind these techniques and you think I am being blatantly unfair - email me. But don't just say: "Mr Simpson, you are wrong!" Build your case. Give me clear proof, not rhetoric, that what you are promoting really works like you say it does.

And please, if you take up my offer, use your real email address and your real name. If you come at me with "Abraham Lincoln Continental" using an email like "alias753@hotmail.com, don't expect me to take you seriously. In fact, you will probably go straight into that "Deleted Items" folder heading for... you guessed it!

Perhaps I should not be so cynical. However, I am tired of spending good money on bad junk. It annoys me that there is so much high-priced junk for sale.

I hope I have been able to offer some useful comments to other website owners. For my part, I might try other schemes. However, they will all have to pass the credibility tests that I have written about in this four part series.

Happy website building and don't forget - if you approach these things with the wariness they deserve, your credit card will be a lot healthier when you receive your statement.

All four parts of this topic are covered by copyright. However, all may be freely used providing there are no changes whatsoever to the content and the following resource box remains intact.

PS: If you think this information might help a friend from falling prey to these dubious practices you can send them a copy of this article (or any related parts) or direct them to the website URL above. Let's get the word out and put a stop to this.