Yesterday while going through the PTP list to clean out dead sites I noticed a ton of sites offering free upgrades to X amount of members till X amount. I wonder really if the Free upgrades are beneficial to the site or to the members.

If a site for example is giving away 1000 free upgrades that is advertising from at least a big group of members monthly to send out. Since i am not a member of these sites I am curious if the member really is getting anything for Free? Are the clicks really worth it you might get for your ads.

For the site whether the ads or points or banners the PO has to pay for that somewhere. Whether it be in point conversions, redemptions, time, bandwith or other.

I am not sure how offering a 1000 free upgrades is beneficial to the site. Besides the fact those who join just for the advertising but do not bother to participate in the site. I am not saying all do but I would assume a large majority do. So this alone would lower overall ctr rates.

Then of course we have the other question which I am not sure fits in with this but are these sites banking on only PTP advertising?

PTR right now is in a downward spiral. There are a few sites trying to be something more but it seems the majority have the attitude why try to do something innovative ride the ride as long as you can till you can't go any further. I think it would make more sense to focus on what one could do in the long run and make sure they are still here then looking at short term goals.

Anways any opinions of the good and the bad of sites which offer Free upgrades? Are they beneficial to the site or the member?





____________

~Owner: PecoMail~Blog: Freebies and More~

I really don't see a benefit to the free upgrades as far as being a member.  The ads are mostly lower value ads no one wants to click on from what I've experienced.  I think it is just a way to attract members and hope to get a few good ones from it.  On most of the sites which offer the free upgrade you have to maintain a certain level of activity or lose the upgrade and on some you have to be a member for 30 days and then request the upgrade.  
I kind of compare it to what I've heard referred to as loss leaders in the retail business, give away something in hopes that they'll buy something while they're here to get the freebie and it will offset the cost.





____________
Want a break from PTP/PTR? Check out TheUnKnownZone. You can even get your very own folder for almost any topic you want. http://theunknownzone.us/smf/index.php

I tried one of these type deals a while back. I didn't think it was as good a deal as they try to make it out as. I got an extra ref level, but low an behold so did every other member who joined. That didn't help the blind join rotation. I got a few banner impressions monthly. The banner got put out there but the actual click thru was nil. I don't honestly feel that it helped as the site still is under the 500 member limit they were allowing for the free upgrade. To me it was actually a waste of my time and energy, but since it was the newest, lastest craze at the time, I had to try it out to see what the fuss was all about.

I don't see these free upgrades as anything but trouble for everyone involved. Where exactly is the money coming from for these? Oh right, I forgot... POs are banking on more money coming than they know what to do with, hoping the site will pay for itself.  

I'm sorry but what is up with that mentality?

From my understanding as it was explained by one PO They are point ads and banners things that don't cost them anything. Some of the sites dont do anything with points but allow redemptions. Oh geee lets all run out and join these sites we can send emails that are worthless.





____________

~Owner: PecoMail~Blog: Freebies and More~

The banner impressions do cost the WMs bandwidth.

I have a lot of those free upgrades, and I'm almost to the point where I won't join a site if they offer a free upgrade.  You end up with weeding thru tons of low value emails and/or PTCs.

Sorry I know they cost money, thought with the smiley's one would get me being sarcastic...





____________

~Owner: PecoMail~Blog: Freebies and More~

I see free upgrades to be as bonus's. Prizes for things. I never understood a free upgrade for just joining to get the numbers up. That always seemed like a site strain to me.





____________
There are always some, whom you can never let go of. Do you remember them justly or do you degrade their memory?