"Wisdom is the fruit of knowledge."
-- Christina Nikolov
ChartWatchCentral - Financial
Interviews
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Traffic Exchanges - An
Interview with 21st Century Entrepreneur Jon Olsonby
Christina Nikolov
Founder/CEO, ChartWatchCentral, Inc.
The
current spate of outsourcing and economic uncertainty
among investors,
and the population in general, have led some to concluded
that stormy weather and choppy waters have become
a permanent fixture of 21st Century life. However,
as has always been the case, opportunity seeks those
with vision and the courage to seize it. Today
we profile a true 21st Century entrepreneur, Jon Olson, who
saw opportunity and introduced a burgeoning industry
to the mainstream Internet marketplace.
ChartWatchCentral:
How long have you been active on the
Internet?
Jon Olson: I have been online for almost a decade now, but working with my online
businesses for about 5 years.
ChartWatchCentral: How has eCommerce changed in your Internet
career?
Jon Olson: It has opened up so many doors for me. I have really tried to embrace all the
technology and while I'm not a very technical savvy person, I love learning. I
think this business is great because it's something new everyday!
ChartWatchCentral:
How do you see the current state of the world
economy?
Jon Olson: Interesting question. About a year ago, I was making a lot more per sale than I
do today. Reason being, world economics. As a Canadian, our dollar is not worth
as much as the American dollar. So about a year ago, I earned 1 Canadian dollar
for every 68 cents American I earned. Now it's closer to 80 cents. So, while
it's great for my country to have such a strong dollar, it hurts my bottom line.
However that is the price of doing business on a global scale, which is what the
Internet is.
ChartWatchCentral:
You are the unquestioned leader within the Traffic
Exchange Industry. Could you give our readers a brief rundown on what a
traffic exchange is?
Jon Olson: I would not consider myself the 'leader' of the industry, but a piece in the
puzzle. The exchanges are basically like a huge advertising co-operative, that
are being used by business professionals, website owners, affiliates, home
business entrepreneurs and more recently the blogging communities. The basic
idea is for every website I (the viewer) see, another viewer will visit mine. I
scratch your back, you scratch mine. Pull all the fancy graphics, complicated
scripts and that's essentially what a hit exchange is, people helping people.
ChartWatchCentral:
Who is a typical traffic exchange user?
Jon Olson:
A hit exchange user is anyone who wants a cost effective means of advertising
one's website. It can also be a casual surfer, looking for new and interesting
sites. The majority of this market however, are home based business
professionals, looking to promote their sites.
ChartWatchCentral:
How do you see the traffic exchange industry
evolving - where will the industry be in two years? Five?
Jon Olson:
There needs to be growth. Not just program to program, but industry wide. I
really feel that this business will continue to grow, because of the hard
working owners that are in place. Everyone benefits when these owners start
promoting their programs. The surfers get new people to check out their site and
the owners get more potential advertising revenue. In 2 years, I would like the
hit exchange concept to be a commonly used term when discussing web site traffic.
In 5 years, given the dedication of current owners and new technology, I think
the hit exchange can become one of the most useful tools for finding websites
online.
ChartWatchCentral:
How can a traffic exchange benefit an
entrepreneur?
Jon Olson: Traffic. I mean that is what we are doing, exchanging traffic. A business
person, especially an entrepreneur is always looking for new and innovative
ways to promote their business. But beyond that, they want cost effective
advertising and results. Hit exchanges do this on so many levels, when you use
them properly. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle with the thousands of
programs online today, but when you get all the right tools in place, hit
exchanges can be the best friend your website can have online.
ChartWatchCentral:
What sort of businesses take advantage of traffic
exchanges?
Jon Olson: All kinds of businesses enjoy hit exchange traffic. However the majority, again,
are home based businesses, affiliate programs, casinos, and online MLM. As hit
exchange owners, we are always trying to broaden our reach however a lot of us
like and need to stay true to our core audiences.
ChartWatchCentral:
What is your estimate of the number of people
utilizing traffic exchanges on a daily basis?
The most active exchange online probably has close to 200,000 members. User
activity is much less, I would estimate a very active exchange would have
between 1,000 - 5,000 surfers a day using their system.
ChartWatchCentral:
Traffic exchanges are not only utilized for commercial purposes, but by
individuals for personal reasons. Do traffic exchanges interface with the current
blogging phenomenon?
Jon Olson: There are a number of blog exchanges out right now, I actually co-own
Blogazoo.com and believe that the blogging community and hit exchanges are a
great match. People want traffic, and hit exchanges deliver that. However if
your content (in a blog) is interesting, you will get readers. if not, surfers
will breeze right past your site. That is why I always say when using a hit
exchange, make sure people's attention is grabbed immediately when your site
loads. Get their interest first, then either get them to bookmark your site or
make a sale.
ChartWatchCentral:
What is the biggest hurdle facing the traffic exchange industry? The
individuals who utilize traffic exchanges?
Jon Olson:
Diversity and numbers. We need more people, more websites and more choices in
the industry. It's still very early and this business has not yet developed,
however growth is always taking place. Hit exchanges need more people surfing,
more websites in rotation and increased awareness of the industry in general.
These kind of interviews help out so much, and I thank you for helping to get
the word out about the exchanges.
ChartWatchCentral:
You have helped countless persons who were new to traffic exchanges and
many entrepreneurs who have started their own traffic exchanges. What is your
most gratifying experience along those lines?
Jon Olson:
Just seeing people achieve success online. Whether it be through owning their
own business, or developing a hit exchange advertising plan. It's great to see
people start to make money online. Everyone benefits when someone does good
online, because if they received a sale from one of my programs, I guarantee
they will let someone know where they made money. The power of word of mouth
advertising. I just want to see everyone get a piece of the pie, because there
is PLENTY to go around!
ChartWatchCentral:
Is starting a traffic exchange a viable profit-making opportunity for
an entrepreneur?
Jon Olson: Yes and no. Yes, if you want to invest thousands of dollars in design,
development and advertising a new exchange. No if you are expecting immediate
wealth, income and success. A hit exchange is a slow and steady process, as long
as you understand that you have to create something unique and it make take up
to a year to see any kind of decent return, by all means, it's a great business
to be involved with. Looking to get rich quick? Not a good decision.
ChartWatchCentral:
You have almost single-handedly established traffic exchanges as a
vibrant facet of the commercial and cultural landscape of the Internet, what's
next?
Jon Olson: I am only one part of this community along with tens of thousands of surfers
that click each and every day. Names like Dan Moses, Bill Carr, Jeff Trumble,
Michael Russell, Rich Taylor, Doug Williams, Stephen Ayer and so many others
have really developed this into the industry it has become. I am just one part
of the community. There are so many exciting things I think of doing with the
program and I really enjoy seeing all the great stuff those people have come up
with as well. It's very exciting because again, this is still a new industry and
the best is yet to come.
ChartWatchCentral:
What advice do you have for an entrepreneur in today's global
economy?
Jon Olson: Find something you believe in. My 'niche' was hit exchanges. I have a passion
for them. Find your passion and really explore avenues of income generation. You
have to love what you do online, because this is such a wonderful business, you
need to be having fun (and making money)!
ChartWatchCentral:
What advice do you have for anyone starting out with a traffic
exchange?
Jon Olson: Take your time, there is no rush. Do lots of research, visit the forums that are
frequented by other owners, really network and try to get your name known. The
greatest thing you can do for any business, especially online, is to network
with others. Forums, conferences and email are great ways to do this. But above
all else, have a game plan and really set in stone what you are trying to do and
have that target goal established before you even spend one dime online.
ChartWatchCentral:
Any further comments for our readers?
Jon Olson:
Just to enjoy your time online. Really pay attention to the sites you view in
the exchanges and remember that co-operation theory - treat everyone's website
like you want yours to be treated! Again, have fun with your business.
ChartWatchCentral:
How can anyone interested in traffic exchanges contact you, or obtain
more information?
Jon Olson: http://www.hitexchange101.com is my
new website that I set up for an 'information portal' about the exchanges. That
is now home base for all my businesses and a great starting point for anyone
looking for more information about the programs. And of course, all my contact
information is on that site as well. if you have any questions, please feel free
to drop me a line anytime!!! =)
ChartWatchCentral: Thank you for you time Mr. Olson
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