Is this how you want your potential clients to be when they think about you?
Yesterday I wrote about deception in marketing. Today I want to follow up on the example that I talked about.
I reloaded the landing page with the scarcity tactics again. The date (as I expected) was today’s date. The number of copies available was still 17. I know that at least 1 copy was downloaded by me.
So there we have it — 2 blatant lies on the landing page.
I decided to follow the exit splash pages and see where it lead. Rather interesting. There were 4 exit splashes in all.
The first was another opt-in page for a different product.
Exiting from that brought me to a sales page for another product (discounted from $77 to $4.95 until Midnight December 8, 2010).
Exit again, another sales page. This time for the same product but a free 10 day trial (just $4.95 processing fee). Uh, okay — NOT!
Exit and another exit splash page. This one is the creme-de-la-creme of exit splashes! I’m at the ClickBank page to enter my order information from the last sales page!
Can you imagine this at a shoe store?
“I don’t really like any of the shoes that you’ve shown me. I’m going to leave now.”
“That’s okay sir, but would you like to step over to the cash register on your way out? We can run your credit card and put these shoes in a bag for you.”
I don’t know whether I should feel angry at this guy or sorry for him. At least I can imagine that most people would never follow the trail all the way to the end like I did. I normally wouldn’t. In fact, I rarely follow exit splashes at all.
I’m hoping that once his emails start coming that they will show a little more integrity.
NOTE: This post is now available on LoneWolf’s List Building Adventure. Check it out there
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Tags: deceptive marketing, email marketing, fighting back, offensive email techniques
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Bill,
I think the record for exit splash pages is 8.
I can put up with ONE but any more and I just DON’T care what is being offered.
1 – are you sure you want to leave?
2 – are you really sure you want to leave?
3 – are you really, really sure you want to leave?
4 – are you REALLY, really, really sure you want to leave?
5 – are you truly-rooly REALLY, really, really sure you want to leave?
And on and on this charade goes. Look at it!
I have also suffered being taken to a Clickbank payment page as a last ditch effort to rip money out of me. This just reminds me of that cklassic Eagles song… “Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses…”
Because it IS nonsense. Desperate nonsense. And all it does is annoy the crapper out of people. If it gets 1 sale out of 1000 then I’d be very surprised. And look at the COST – 999 people p155ed off. It’s just a stupid so-called “tactic.”
Gary Simpson
Hi Gary
8! I thought 4 was a lot, but to be honest I don’t normally go past the 2nd, so there may be a lot more out there than I know of.
I think this is another example of the “telephone game” syndrome that you described on your blog. Combine that with the “some is good so more must be better” philosophy and you’ve got a big problem.
Yes, I totally agree that this tactic is really annoying. I don’t want to waste my time on exit splashes. I think that’s the same for most people. They should reconsider their “tactic”.
Hi Mr. Lawyer (I’m not sure which of the lawyers at your firm you are – it would be nice for you to put a name or nickname in your comment)
The exit splash is based on a common selling technique that has been around for a long time. If someone isn’t interested in what you’re trying to sell them, then offer them something else.
It is a bit “in your face” and annoying, but if it works on a percentage of initial non-buyers then the sales people tend to think that is okay.
I don’t mind a single exit splash, but beyond that, leave me alone.
I think this tactic is really annoying but I guess it’s a part of their so called process of selling an item. Its their way of marketing their product.
– Reemah
Really annoying, I don’t want to waste my time on exit splashes.
Hi come again to say,.. Happy New Year 2011 🙂 wish all the best.
Thanks for sharing this Lone, is just wondering why u give all this stuff away for free? Anyways, thanks 🙂
What more can I say about this tactic? Just like the others around here, this tactic is indeed very annoying. How I wish I am not going to experience what you had experienced. Well, but if it happens, I guess I will just give a good laugh at it. 😀
– Gregory
[…] Further Down the Rabbit Hole … […]
That is nothing but amazing, in a very annoying way!
/Mathias
Hi
After reading this, i am for sure reconsiderirng mu tactics!! Thanks for sharing all this!
Hi Lars
Just remember that a little of something may be good, but that doesn’t mean more of it is better. I think that is where a lot of marketers (and people in general) go wrong.
[…] Further Down the Rabbit Hole … NOTE: This post is a Ramblings Classics. It was originally published at Ramblings on December 8, 2010. […]