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slaughteredlamb
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« on: August 19, 2010, 09:23:15 AM » |
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A couple of weeks ago I got an e-mail from MoreDigital basically asking if I wanted to allow them to place text ads on my site for which they'd pay me a flat fee. About 2 nanoseconds later I deleted the e-mail assuming it to be spam.
Today I get another e-mail from them saying that they hadn't heard from me and wondered if I was interested in their offer.
Googling MoreDigital immediately brings up pages talking about a scam but I don't really understand how/why it's a scam. I don't really have any intention of taking them up on their 'offer' mainly because even if they are legit they seem to run ads for services that are nothing at all to do with the content of my website so other than for a few quid, why would I want to run them. I'm just interested to understand why or how it's a scam or if anyone else here has heard or had dealings with them?
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sarahA
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« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2010, 05:57:14 PM » |
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MoreDigital.com? Looks like a UK marketing company to me ('Web Marketing Ltd') who happen to offer a service to clients to get their ads/textlinks on publisher websites. A bit like text link ads except they have other business around it too (ie. doesn't just focus on selling links).
In regards to a scam, couldn't see anything immediate in the results but from my own experience with another company, they wanted to pay for a link on a specific page on my blog. After saying okay, they sent me terms and conditions to agree to, which I found a bit interesting as they were approaching me, and not the other way around, and some of their ts and cs I just couldn't agree with (you must update the link and text when we request you to do so - hmm how often could that happen?!, you must not have contact with our client, you must not accept payment from our client - despite the fact that their client may come to my company and ask for work...). I wasn't happy so told them no. Admittedly they started to ask what they could change but I was too busy to mess around for not much money.
I've had loads since, I just ignore them all.
If you fancy the cash, then it's worth going through and seeing how far you get with them, you never know it could be easy money, but if not then just ignore it or tell them no thanks.
Maybe this is what others have found as a scam, the ts and cs.
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Charisma Bypass
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« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2010, 06:26:43 PM » |
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I had a similar offer from a different bunch, I blogged about it on osworld, but cant find it now.
Anyway, I ended up earning about $200 every 6 months, no problems at all.
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slaughteredlamb
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« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2010, 08:41:56 PM » |
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Well I dropped them a line and this is what they said: We represent several industries that might interest you: - Online gaming: you would receive 120 USD per year - Finance, telecommunications, tourism or health: you would receive 100 USD per year. Our adverts are embedded in around three sentences and are drafted to fit existing text identified on your site. It will look as natural as possible. To give you an idea of what a text advert looks like, please view our example at the following link: http://www.discoverdisney.co.uk/family-diary where the anchor is 'Virgin Atlantic'. If the copy we provide is not to your liking you can suggest alternate text provided the anchor text remains the same. We aim to complete payment via secure payment partners Paypal or Moneybookers within 48 hours of the advert going live on your site. Also, please read our terms and conditions: www.moredigital.com/terms.pdf. Please let me know which industry you prefer, we'll then let you know which client fits your site best and draft an advert. Let me know if you have any questions for me. I can't really see how online gaming, finance, telecommunications, tourism or health is going to fit in with any of the content on my site which is all about photography, computing and fishing. Or more accurately I can't see how any of the existing articles would have a word or phrase already in it that would be something that they would want to market. Surely then I'd have to generate a completely new article on something that I don't really want or need to publish just to be able to place an ad? |
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Mr Anderson
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« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2010, 08:52:36 PM » |
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Surely then I'd have to generate a completely new article on something that I don't really want or need to publish just to be able to place an ad?
Judging by the terms they write a post for you that you have to use. Which seems a bit OTT just for a single link. You can get more than they're offering from other companies, without the ridiculous terms, having them write your copy for you, or 12 month tie in. And you can choose usually categories appropriate to your site and veto any link that you don't want to accept. |
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slaughteredlamb
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« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2010, 08:56:44 PM » |
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Surely then I'd have to generate a completely new article on something that I don't really want or need to publish just to be able to place an ad?
Judging by the terms they write a post for you that you have to use. Which seems a bit OTT just for a single link. You can get more than they're offering from other companies, without the ridiculous terms, having them write your copy for you, or 12 month tie in. And you can choose usually categories appropriate to your site and veto any link that you don't want to accept. Yeah I think my first instinct of telling them to shove it where the sun don't shine was the correct one. There does seem to be a lot of people who have said that they didn't get the money when stated and others pointing out that it would break Google's Adsense T&C's. A bit of extra bunce would come in handy at the moment but I'm not sure I can be arsed, don't want a page on my site that I don't actually want and don't entirely trust the company. Not really much reason then to do it  |
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sarahA
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« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2010, 11:16:35 AM » |
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You could also interpret those ts and cs as saying that you need to have written consent from them if you wish to alter the design/layout of your website. Similar to the ones I read and disagreed to.
If you had the time you could send your own ts and cs back to them and see what they said to that! They may be paying (a pretty low amount IMO) but it's your site so it's your control.
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net-curtains
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« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2010, 08:31:46 PM » |
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(you must update the link and text when we request you to do so - hmm how often could that happen?!,
I had an approach from a similar company with similar terms. They offered £20 per article per month and wanted me to feature three articles on one of my sites. I was a bit sceptical of being paid, but as there wasn't much effort required on my part I thought I'd give it a go anyway. They asked me to take them down after about 5 weeks, but said I'd be paid for 2 full months, and was pleasantly surprised to see the money appear in my bank account straight away. I've been approached by other companies asking me to feature links on my company website homepage for rival companies, which I ignored, but the article stuff was great, I'm only sorry they stopped! |
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sarahA
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« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2010, 08:41:16 AM » |
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I have no real doubt that they'd pay. Afterall, you're in control, if they don't pay you don't put the article/text link up.
However having someone ask to place something on your site, you agree, then suddenly you have to agree to their terms and conditions... that's what I don't agree with. I appreciate some things should go without saying and unfortunately have to be said (eg. don't contact the client directly without our permission), but to be told you have to have written consent to alter the layout/design of your site, that if they wish to update the link/text you need to do it (and you don't get paid for your time), and that you must have no dealings with the client at all, so if that client checks their logs, see your site as a referrer, take a look through it, follow on to perhaps your business site and decide they want to do business with you away from that text link, you're not meant to deal with them. It's a small and unlikely issue I'm sure, but it could still crop up and I don't like having my hands tied over my own site and business. Not for the paltry amount that they usually offer.
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net-curtains
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« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2010, 12:50:43 PM » |
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It's a small and unlikely issue I'm sure, but it could still crop up and I don't like having my hands tied over my own site and business. Not for the paltry amount that they usually offer.
I don't think I had to agree to any terms or conditions with the lot I dealt with. They did say I'd have to update the content occasionally, and after pressing them to see how often this would be they said it would probably only be every few months (if that). It'd only take a few minutes in Wordpress anyway so it seemed a good deal at the time. I certainly wouldn't agree to anyone telling me how to design/layout my own website though. |
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net-curtains
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« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2010, 05:37:02 PM » |
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I've just had one of these through from them.
Looking through their terms there doesn't seem to be anything about making changes to the ad once it's live (though I'll query this) and certainly nothing about changes to the site design - they're just covering their backs by requesting that any changes affecting the ad require their written consent, which seems fair enough.
I'm going to have a look at what they're offering, and like the shameless hussy that I am gratefully accept their cash.
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sarahA
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« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2010, 07:52:33 PM » |
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any changes affecting the ad require their written consent, which seems fair enough. A redesign or shift around will affect their ad. Depends how far they want to go with it. They may be pretty relaxed, but I would clarify it with them to be sure. I had a request last week off some marketing company. I figured, as we need some cash, I'd follow it up. 3 emails later we'd agreed a year long price for a small text link and they paid. No agreeing to any ts and cs. I just told the guy I'll email him next year and see if he wants to continue with it. Simple and straightforward - no hurdles  |
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« Last Edit: September 16, 2010, 07:55:19 PM by sarahA »
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net-curtains
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« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2010, 09:10:33 AM » |
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A redesign or shift around will affect their ad. Depends how far they want to go with it. They may be pretty relaxed, but I would clarify it with them to be sure. It is a bit of a cheek asking me to sign T&C's that could restrict what I do with my own site. I guess any design though would enhance the current design, so if they complained I could argue that it actually makes their content more visible. I had a request last week off some marketing company. I figured, as we need some cash, I'd follow it up. 3 emails later we'd agreed a year long price for a small text link and they paid. No agreeing to any ts and cs. I just told the guy I'll email him next year and see if he wants to continue with it. Simple and straightforward - no hurdles Sounds perfect, and if they're looking for any other sites to advertise on I could recommend a couple  Haven't had the ad from Moredigital yet. If they're asking for space on the home page then they're going to have to multiply their offer by ten anyway. |
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Mike@TheWhippinpost
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« Reply #13 on: September 17, 2010, 10:49:09 AM » |
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Make sure to no-follow the link if you're worried about Google.
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This sig is sponsored by International Gayboy of the Decade, Deepthroat Yawner. Yawner - A man who takes it all  |
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sale007
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« Reply #14 on: October 01, 2010, 04:43:26 PM » |
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THEY DONT PAY
THEY USE YOU TO INCREASE THEIR GOOGLE RANKINGS!
Beware
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