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The following is a paid review and is my complete and honest opinion. If you would like your own paid review on my blog please visit the advertise page.
At the end of March, I entered WinningtheWeb.com’s $15,000 blog contest and sponsored a free review for one lucky winner.
It turns out, I won an autographed copy of Kris Jones’ upcoming book about SEO. For those of you who do not know, Kris Jones is an online entrepreneur and he owns the popular pepperjam network.
As for the reason of this post, I would like to congratulate Derek Salyers for winning a free review on my blog for his site. Derek is the owner of a blog called Click Consultants. This blog focuses on helping you learn affiliate marketing, which is something that I am getting into.
On my first glance of Derek’s website, I was visually pleased. I am a big fan of orange and black color schemes (if you couldn’t tell already), and Derek has a phenomenally brandable logo. In blogging, you want to be as unique as possible, and the design and logo that Derek has definitely will do that job for him.
Derek’s theme is optimized for the first time reader, with an easy to subscribe button at the top center of the page, as well as popular and recent articles to the left and right of them. This allows first time visitors a fast chance to see the newest, as well as the most important stuff Derek has ever written.
Derek has monetized his blog with the standard 125×125 advertisements on the sidebar (like this blog), and until he sells his advertising it looks like they are affiliate network affiliate links right now.
Below the 125×125’s it looks like two columns, and it makes the blog look crammed. The one thing I regret when I had my new theme designed was that I should have just kept it at one sidebar. Just like my blog, Derek’s theme has too much sidebar room with the two columns and this results in having more than one post on the homepage have a completely empty sidebar.
Moving on from appearances, the content on Click Consultants appears well written. Derek has gone a completely professional route by having nearly 80-90% of his posts as professional as can be, with the only 10-20% being personal posts or blog contests.
Click Consultants has a popular affiliate forum, which boasts over 1250 members already who have made over 8750 posts. The forums are made to help beginners learn affiliate marketing, as well as help the median marketers improve their game. The cost of joining the forum, however, is $29.99 a month or a one time payment of $279.99. While a monthly charge is a huge turn-off for most people, the amount of money some affiliate marketers make is incredible. While I am a bit leery to fork out $30 because I do not know how much good knowledge is listed in this forums that can’t be found elsewhere for free. Shame the forum doesn’t have a few day trial for a dollar or two, as that would probably increase sales.
Well, if you are looking to learn affiliate marketing and want to give the $30/m forums a shot, I would love to hear if they helped you.
Excellent honest review…40k per month ain’t bad huh.
I wanted to say tho, that I think the “empty sidebar” effect has more to do with post count then double sidebars.
Right now he’s set to 10 posts per page…cut that in half and your side is no longer empty. You shouldn’t have a long scroll anyway.
He can always up the post count one by one if the sidebar stuff extends…in effect keeping it even.
Also, if he would add an easy way to subscribe to comments, I know I for one would re-subscribe.
I’m not a big fan of the color on their forum. For these old eyes, that’s too much orange for me.
I can see the value in the forum for affiliate marketers. Too often information is spread across the Internet, and providing that in one niche forum would be useful.
I am going to check out click consultants when i get the chance… the forum for affiliate marketers is interesting to me… good review
Awesome - I agree that the forum is kind of harsh on the eyes, but the page is great overall. I’ll definitely add their blog to my RSS reader.
I think the idea is great, but $30 a month is a little pricey.
It is quite pricey, but might have benefit.
Hey guys, thank you all for the feedback, I’ve actually gotten mixed reviews on the forums colors, so its actually probably going to be changing soon, I was trying to match it with the main blog some, but it didn’t seem to work with most people.
Also thank you for the kind review, and the reason the forums don’t have a trial or anything is because I actually am trying to keep them pretty limited
I don’t want them to turn into a wickefire or digitalpoint’s affiliate forum. So I’m a little hesitant on taking down the price at all.
Again thanks everyone and I’m looking into a good subscribe to comments plugin just for you Dennis!
So please check back, in fact, I’m going to look now!
I used to be on the forum, was a grand waste of time and money. Not to mention Derek himself is a rip off.
He collects $500 for one on one training, yet he didn’t put out the effort to help some of us who paid. When asked for a refund,he shows his true colors.He is stupid and unprofessional.He says dumb things like “its my business and I can do what I want, go tell the world see if I care”
Not to mention he ripped off a forum member by having her write all the articles for one of his site(http://www.correctpcerrors.com/pc-pedia/index.html), used them all and never paid.She showed me their conversations, one of the reason I left. I felt uncomfortable dealing with someone like that.Check his record on Digital Point, you will see the true him.
My 2 cents.
Not to start a big argument here, but why don’t people ever post their names when they make comments?
There were only two people on dp that had a problem with my one on one training, and I responded to both of them on DigitalPoint explaining why I wouldn’t give a refund. I clearly stated on the DigitalPoint forums that I would offer a refund if they didn’t make their money back after they started their campaigns. Both individuals paid and then I was never able to get a hold of them and I would finally get a hold of them and then they would disappear again.
As for the lady that claims I stole her articles I have proof of every payment made via paypal (via paypal receipts). Again this was explained on DigitalPoint when she made a big thread about it. I even showed proof. I didn’t pay her for articles that she ripped off of another site. Why should I pay someone for stealing someone else’s content? The articles that were made via stolen content were never used. I did however use the articles I paid for.
I’m not trying to force anyone to sign up for my forums, those that are members know they are making money from the information. When I won this review I said I wanted the blog reviewed, he included the forum, which is fine by me, but I was never trying to push the forums.
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