Online Product Assessment Guidelines

In your search for online income opportunities, you will encounter thousands of well written, professional websites promising that they are the BEST deal for you.  It's often easy to fall for their slick sales copy, but beware and keep your wits about you.  Here are my Product Assessment Guidelines to avoid being scammed.

1. Does the Product Promise a 'Free Lunch'?

This is the cardinal rule in reading online sales copy: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  I often hear claims about making large amounts in a very short period of time with no effort at all (a key promise to entice the suckers).

Please do not fall for it. There's no such thing as a free lunch and it takes effort to succeed online. Exceptions DO exist, but no-one should build their business (or hopes) based on extreme exceptions. If fantastic results happen, GREAT.  If they don't, YOUR efforts and your core desire will help you achieve the desired results, not the 'magical' ability of the product offered.

Rule of Thumb: If the product promises that you won't have to do any of the tasks you normally don't enjoy, or would prefer to do without, avoid it.

2. Does the Product Promise Overnight (or Rapid) Success?

In this day and age we have become accustomed to instant gratification.  We are the 'microwave society'.  If it doesn't happen overnight, we lose interest.  Online marketers know this and build exaggerated claims of immediacy into their sales copy.  Promising to get rich fast is an insult to your intelligence. Bar winning the lottery, you need to put a steady effort into an online business, as is the case for any business. Very little happens overnight. 

Rule of Thumb: If the product promises more monthly income than you currently earn, treat it with extreme skepticism and only proceed after adequate proof of average (not exceptional) earnings has been provided

3. Does the Product Guarantee Specific Results in a Specific Time?

"Make At Least $1,024 in Your First 24 Hours, Guaranteed!"

You've seen them all before.

A real business opportunity should not limit your potential, nor pressure you to perform. It should be up to your efforts alone. The more you perform, the more you earn, without a limit. If you do not perform, then a fair deal you will not make a dime. That’s the TRUTH in black and white.

You will always find claims like this followed by tiny print explaining that their quoted examples are extraordinary results and you may not achieve the same.

Rule of Thumb: If the product guarantee does not permit an immediate request for refund, there's usually a reason and it should be avoided.

4. Is the Product Part of a Pyramid Scheme (or Ponzi Scheme, or MLM)?

A pyramid scheme (or Ponzi Scheme) is where an income is generated during the process of recruiting others into the business. Sometimes the pyramid is hidden within a product or service of a questionable value that is often of no use to the general public.  In this case you are actually buying the right to recruit others into the scheme.  While not all MLM products are scams, very few are profitable for any but the first few insiders to join a Multi-Level Marketing Organization.

There should be never be any cost required to participate in recruiting new people.  Affiliates should be paid only on product movement and NEVER on recruiting efforts.

Rule of Thumb: If you would not feel comfortable convincing your immediate family to purchase the product, you will have a tough time convincing strangers.

5. Does the Offering Encourage You to Purchase Additional Products to Maximize Your Income?

There is nothing wrong with purchasing product from the company who you are promoting.

However...

Your results should be determined by your own ingenuity and effort.  Your success cannot hinge on the required purchase of additional product.

In other words, it is acceptable if buying additional products enable or empower you to improve your skills or knowledge, and in so doing improve your performance.  But purchasing additional products must not be the only way to improve your results. You should have the opportunity to advance according to your efforts. If buying products is the ONLY way you can advance in your rank, then it's more than likely a fraud.

Rule of Thumb: Any mention of additional purchases is usually an indication that the merits of the core product itself are not strong enough to support the business.  In this case, why would you want to promote it?

Wrapping Up

Be careful online - there are many scams among the few real business opportunities. Make sure you do your homework. No matter how smooth and convincing the sales copy is, make sure the offering doesn't fall into any of the 5 categories discussed above.

As always, caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware!

Safe business building....

Online Wealth Creation Program Reviews

Here is the only product I have reviewed to date:

Prosperity Automated System (PAS) (Click the link for the review)