View Single Post
Old 05-03-2010   #4
RawAlex
Members
$100 for every ImLive sign-up
 
RawAlex's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,036
Default Re: Visa Says Bye Bye to Cross Sales

Quote:
Originally Posted by Far-L View Post
I don't think anyone will be going out of biz but it could be putting a freeze on some business as usual shenanigans...
Far-l, don't you think that groups that were snapping up older, worn down programs in a hurry were not in the process of setting up their cross bill empires? Do you not think they were careful to keep existing corporate / company structures in place for each of these properties rather than merging them, which in turn allows them to obtain merchant accounts for each of these "separate" programs, all the while operating them together with a common purpose?

There are plenty of programs purchased and operating today that haven't have a single piece of new content in years, yet can magically pay $100 per signup without issue? With a $29.99 or whatever pricetag, do you honestly think they are recurring 4 months to even allow them to break even?

The only way they stay in business (and keep getting tons of traffic) is by being able to make huge payouts. Those huge payouts only happen when they can manage to make more than the payout amount up front. So the $29.99 site needs at least 3 or 4 pre-checks to make enough income to pay the bills. Remove the cross bills, and suddenly these sites will actually have to retain to make money. It's doubtful that people will be lining up for sites that haven't been updated in years. They might make a few sales, but not many.

if they drop the payouts to reasonable levels, their conversions need to improve dramatically or they aren't worth it. 1 in 5000 on a $1000 program beats 1 in 2000 on a $35 per signup site. But when the drop to paying out $35 a signup and are still converting at 1 in 5000, they will rapidly drop off of people's lists.

Like I said, my feeling is that you will see many of those "old" programs that were rescued seemingly only to support a cross bill empire end up closing out, mostly because they won't want to put the money back into them to make them functional businesses at only 20% of the income levels.
__________________
Let's go to the edge of disaster Push the pedal and go a little faster Let's slam into a wall at ramming speed Let's go to the edge of a mountain Jump off and lets start countin' Hit the ground and tell me if it bleeds
RawAlex is offline   Reply With Quote