10 Sure Signs of Trouble

If you have been online for a while you have probably seen your share of programs vanish. Rarely does this happen without any warning. If you know what to look for you can increase your results while decreasing risk. Look for these ten signs to see if a program you belong to may be in trouble.

1. No Support. One of the surest signs of trouble is not getting a response from support when you have a problem or question. Keep in mind that this is not always a sign of trouble; it is certainly a sign of being unprofessional. Either way, you'll have to decide if a non-responsive
company is one you will feel comfortable doing business with, or recommending to other people.

2. Disappearing earnings. It is important for you to keep track of your earnings in any program you belong to. Sometimes money will disappear for no logical reason. Get in the habit of 'cashing out' on a regular basis to minimize risk.

3. Strangely changing statistics. This is not the same as disappearing earnings, but it can be just as irritating. Get in the habit of checking your stats often, and understanding what they mean. If a stable company changes the way it calculates or displays statistics, they will explain why.

4. "Begging". It is acceptable to receive the occasional e-mail to remind you about benefits, new features, visiting the site, or telling a friend. What is not acceptable is begging, pleading, and whining. It is unprofessional and over time weakens a company's image.

5. Loss of value. For example, a paid-to-read e-mail program that once paid ten cents per e-mail now only pays two cents for each one. Even worse it has switched to a fluctuating points system, which might add up to only a tiny fraction of a cent per mail.

6. Excessive complaints. People can have bad experiences with good programs. However, when you see many complaints from different people it's wise to pay attention. When a negative pattern develops, it's time to investigate further.

7. Amazing promotions. Sometimes when a company is in trouble it will offer fantastic sales and promotions which seem too good to be true. There are of course many solid companies that use this technique for a profit surge. If a company is in trouble though, you may spend your money on undelivered promises.

8. Excessive or unexplained delays. This includes payments, upgrades, promises, and other things that are promised but never delivered. Also be on the lookout for habitual delays, with or without an explanation. Closely related to 'Amazing promotions'.

9. Can't login. It's a well-known fact that websites can be down for any number of reasons on occasion. If you are repeatedly unsuccessful in trying to login, and you are absolutely sure you are using the correct login information, then consider it another sure sign of trouble.

10. Uneasy feeling. This is the most important one of all. This covers everything else that just doesn't seem right to you. It doesn't mean you should immediately jump ship. It does mean you should be more alert.

The more of these signs a program has, the more likely it is in trouble. Ask yourself if you want to stay on a sinking ship to help bail water, or if you would rather move on to a ship that floats.


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Michael Oksa is the owner of My-Simple-Lead-System.com
( http://www.my-simple-lead-system.com/freelessons )
And offers free one-on-one training in profitable marketing.

Re-printing or use of this article on any website is permitted
but must remain intact and the About the Author section has
to be present with active hyperlink. More articles can be found
at http://www.my-simple-lead-system.com/blog
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