Leadpile’s Blog

The last time I checked, everyone was still saying that we were still in a recessions. So why has there been a increase in smartphone sales and a huge push for big screen TV’s? Frankly, just because people want them. It is true that many consumers have been cutting corners here and there, but it is where they are cutting that is showing changes.
Most people find it very easy to switch from a name brand food to the store brand, or maybe hold off on that new pair of shoes that you have been eyeing in the store window. However, when it comes to electronics, it seems that consumers just don’t want to cut back. They buy the newest smartphone or upgrade to the new version without even thinking twice. This has been great for the technology companies seeing an increase in their sales even in the tough economy.
A lot of consumers are finding themselves trying to rationalize their electronic purchases. They upgrade to a large HD flat screen TV saying that they will stay in more and watch a movie, rather than going out to a movie. Even just switching from a regular DVD player to a Blu-ray player is something consumers are not thinking twice about. The next big electronic buzz you are going to hear about….3D TV. It really was only a matter of time before something like this was going to hit the shelves. 3D televisions are set to hit the shelves in most stores mid 2010, and experts are estimating there potentially to be 4 million sold this year.
The real question is if this is all really necessary? Smartphone are great. We use them at LeadPile all the time to get back to our clients when we are on the run, but a 3D television set? Really? I have a feeling they are not going to be as awesome as everyone thinks. What do you think?

The holidays are the busiest time of the year for stores to bring in revenue. They will pretty much do whatever they can to bring customers to the store and make them buy their merchandise. But what is the one area where their focus isn’t? Customer Service. According to Brandweek.com, customer service among retail stores only scored a 48.2 out of 100. It seems that many stores are not going out of their way to try and help people or when they are helping someone, more time than not, they do not have an answer/will no try to find the answer for the consumer.
Customer service can really make or break the decision of where a consumer buys their product from. Just the other weekend I was at The Home Depot in the gardening section looking for lawn care help and the sales associate was useless in helping me find what I needed (however, the people in the hardware department couldn’t have been more helpful!). I ended up leaving without what I was looking for. You may think that is just one sale lost, but think about the many consumers this may have happened to among all their stores. That could be a substantial unneeded profit loss.
Customer service should be a large focus not just around the holidays, but all year round. With marketing budgets being cut with many companies, sometimes a knowledgeable and friendly work force will keep the customers coming back. I know that there are some places that I will not go back to because of the service that I received.
At LeadPile we always provide top notch service to all of our customers. It not only keeps the customers coming back, but keeps them happy knowing that they are getting the service that they need and deserve. The question is……. What are YOU doing to better YOUR customer service?

For many of you, it still might be a little early to do your holiday shopping. When you do start your shopping many people may ask which is better; to shop online or to go to stores? In several cases it can really depend on numerous factors. Many people think of Black Friday as a kick off to the holiday shopping season. Consumers will wake up at four in the morning (myself included) to go and get the incredible deals that are being offered. Many of them even have a certain route that they will go to hit up the stores in a certain order to make sure they can get the best deals before everyone else.
But what about everyone who wants to get the great deals, but can not justify getting up at four in the morning to save a few bucks – just hop out of bed and shop online. More times than not, a consumer will be able to get the same deals that they would online as they would when going to the store. According to adweek.com“…buying online saves on trips to the store and gas expenses (53 percent) and makes it easier to compare prices between retailers online than in the store (51 percent), the other top-cited reasons all came back to convenience. The No. 1 reason for shopping online (69 percent) was that “when I buy online I can shop whenever I’d like,” while 57 percent of respondents said it “allows me to avoid the holiday shopping crowds at stores.”
Even though the convenience factor of shopping online is huge, it can make it a little more difficult as well. Since most of the holiday season is spent shopping for other people, consumers want to make sure that the products they are buying are the right size, ensure quality, and ask questions about the product to a sales associate. At the end of the day it all comes down to the consumer and which method of shopping they like better. I know that I usually do a combo of the two. Hard to find items I will purchase online, but toys I will go to the store. Below are some useful tips for when you go shopping this season:
1. Do your research before buying – Compare prices online to make sure you are getting the best deal out there
2. Look for the holiday specials – everywhere is having discounts so paying for full price should not be an option
3. When ordering online, always check for free shipping
4. Use coupons/coupon codes – If you are going to be buying a certain item there is no reason not to get percentage off. A lot of product coupon code can be found online just by doing a simple search
5. Know the return policy of the store/items just in case your item is not a hit
6. Make a list and stick to it – this will help prevent going over budget and buying unnecessary items

I hope that you find these few tips helpful and save you some money. Have a wonderful shopping season!

Phoenix June 30th, 2009 — LeadPile, The World’s Largest Online Exclusive Lead Exchange announced today record results for its MicroClick Form (http://www.microclick.com) in June, 2009. LeadPile reports a record number of Lead Verticals being served by its MicroClick Form with Lead Sellers producing leads in 61 different verticals in the month of June. This makes the LeadPile MicroClick Form the most widely used Multi Vertical Lead Generation Form in the lead Marketplace and Lead Exchange Industry.

LeadPile’s Centralized Online Exclusive Lead Marketplace supports thousands of affiliates that use the exchange to sell to suitable lead buyers. By using the LeadPile MicroClick Form, Affiliates can focus on driving traffic to their pages and not on managing lead buyer relationships. Over 90% of LeadPile’s active affiliates are currently using the MicroClick form, offloading the responsibility for lead collection, management, technology infrastructure, and quality control to LeadPile.

Astoundingly, LeadPile’s MicroClick form has been used to produce leads as diversified as Tax Debt Relief, Home Improvements, Business Loans, Health Insurance, Equipment Leasing, Credit Card Processing, Cash For Gold and more.

Andrew Jacob, CEO of LeadPile says, “The LeadPile MicroClick Form allows us to handle leads across multiple verticals, including payday, starter credit, debt consolidation, credit repair, bankruptcy, auto financing, and homeowner. While the majority of leads currently being exchanged in the  Marketplace are in the Financial sector, the fact that Lead Sellers are using the MicroClick form to produce leads in over 60 verticals is very rewarding for our team.

Jacob adds, “I would like to personally thank our existing Lead Buyers and Leads Sellers for their business, and it is our promise to everything we possible can to help them in their efforts by continuing to provide the type of technology infrastructure and transparency that they have come to both expect, and deserve, from LeadPile.

To read more, please visit http://www.LeadPile.com/

The new year is here and there still is a credit crisis that Americans are trying to figure out how they are going to get through. Many of my other posts talk about credit and ways to know your financial situation, therefore you know what you are getting into with any “new” loans etc. One way some get through these problems is with a payday loan/cash advance. Payday loans get a lot of negative publicity because many feel they are not an “appropriate” way to get out of a temporary situation. Each consumer has their own way of fixing their financial situation, but I thought this quote was pretty interesting in regards to payday loans (Payday Pundit).

How much debt a person has does not determine whether a payday loan is a good idea for them. If the loan enables them to repair their car so they don’t lose their job or saves them from eviction, then it’s a good idea even if they owe a million bucks. And it’s also a good idea even if it just saves them a few dollars in alternative fees that they would otherwise have to pay. People know their individual circumstances and are in a better position to know if a loan is good for them than the lender or any government formula put together by activists and politicians who want to pride themselves on how they are protecting us from ourselves.

Every loan is a gamble on the part of both lender and borrower, and nobody can ever guarantee that any loan can ever be repaid. If both the lender and the borrower mutually agree that the transaction is likely to further their interests, then who are you or any government agency to tell them that they can’t engage in it? If the lenders are tricking people into expecting one thing but delivering another that of course is deception which should be stopped, but apart from that, BUTT OUT, MAN!

If lenders have a responsibility to investigate the finances of people who apply for loans to make sure they can afford them then so do all other merchants and service providers. Is that the kind of society you want to live in? When you are the one who has to get government permission to purchase a product or service then you may feel differently about making politicians our parents instead of our servants.

Curious, what’s the next category LeadPile is looking at generating?  Well, folks here you have it!  Tax Debt Leads.  Very popular, and the demand is off the charts.  

The definition of this lead type is clearly back taxes. Consumers that did not file or owe a lot of many preferably in Federal taxes.  Why, the sudden demand?  For years, we have encounter consumers finding themselves in financial trouble, but the economy now is focused on people not paying taxes.  Believe me thousands of consumers owe money to the Federal system.

The downfall for thousands of people is that when you owe money to the Feds, the Federal government has the ability to start garnishment from your revenue or put liens on your property.  Not an experience you would like to encouter.  You will also be penalized and depending on the time frame owed or amount owed it can become a serious headache to deal with them, as you will be fined and some people even experience time in jail. OUCH!

LeadPile Lead Exchange will be introducing Tax Debt Lead.  We will connect the consumer that are in serious tax debt and need assistance talking to a specialist that can assist them.  Stay tune for a more firm ETA!

Insurance leads can be so targeted.  I’m starting to think its an actual sign up versus just the contact.  Everyone needs insurance, for your car, health, life, and even home.  But the criteria that’s required can be a bit hectic.  In my view all you really need is a contact that is interested, find a solution to helping that client.  Provide a service to consumers looking for insurance. 

Lets talk about car insurance for a minute.  If I can give you ten people that are truly interested in getting insurance for their car does it really matter what make and model? Are advertisers just being choosy where they can make more money or all in all, is it about helping the consumer find the services he/she needs? Let’s bring up health insurance.  Everyone needs health insurance.  When people are going online and they need an agent to assist them with more information so that a comfort zone can be built and they can understand what type of health insurance would work best for them? Is that a bad lead? No, I think not!

A lead, everyone has a different definition.  The true definition is simply a consumer that is interested in the product or service and need your help! So are leads with name, phone numbers, email, and address in a lead exchange a bad lead.  For a lesser price I actually think its a steal! Be thrilled that you can actually talk to someone on the phone. Its better than picking up the yellow pages and aiming at getting yelled at.  Contact is all you need, cross sale, offer a relative of theirs that service as well, make a quality impression that the consumer will tell their friend how helpful you were.  A lead is only as strong as the person working it!

Let’s really look into insurance, we all need it and its a necessity.  Its a healthy part of life. 

I have had multiple calls these last few weeks, and one of the things I observed was that Loan Officers’ main focus is becoming the “credit repair”.  LO’s are looking at different avenues to assist their clients in need. We all know that a large percentage of consumers are having credit problems. Unless you have good or excellent credit, you won’t qualify to refinance your home. After Loan Officers are attempting fixing your credit, they are assisting the client to refinance their homes. 

That’s a smart move for LO’s.  First they charge to fix your credit, then they help you refinance.  Realistically speaking I think its a brilliant idea. It’s not coming fast, but do we have other options? Adapt to the new situations, look for what the consumers need, and you will be able to succeed, even in this market. 

The demand for credit repair in these last few days have gone up.  Finding new ways to make a living and to survive even when the economy is struggling is fabulous. 

Any thoughts on this?

I couldn’t count how many home based business exist.  Truly its so diverse that its unbelievable.  Think about it, home based business have been around for ages.  Remember Avon? Most women will.  Yes, that’s a home based business, earning 50% of what is sold. 

In this day in age society has expanded to different types of home based business.  From selling cosmetics, to vacation packages, to Tupperware, software, natural products , home improvements, to juices and vitamins and insurance to web development and much, much more.  So many people across the world are taking advantage of their own unique home based business.

Home Based Business is diverse for men and women to make some extra cash.  Believe it or not, many people actually live off the earnings in a MLM.

But part of the catch is the majority of these business needs a down-line to actually see earnings.  You need to sign more people up to be part of your down-line and you also benefit from there sales.  How do you think some of these MLM or HBB consumers actually make it in the day to day life.  Well, think about it, they are not spending gas money so they are saving cash on gas alone.  They are also, setting up there own hours and times that they want to work.  They are responsible for their own advertising.  And best, of all they are getting paid to work from home. 

Independent consultants are marketing and spending some of their own revenue to buy leads.  Yes, most Home Based Businesses are using leads to get more people to sign up within their network.  Its an investment that for many have been well work it.  With some extra cash in your pocket and an effective process to pay your bills, is a home based business right for you?

To build your business you must come up with ways to bring in new clients, however each business will have their own “right” way of generating this new business. A few options businesses have is to work with list brokers and to work with lead exchanges.
List brokers are companies that gather data of things such as home owners, consumers information in certain geographic regions, fax numbers, email lists, businesses and many many more. These are lists of people or businesses that meet the specific requirements the business is looking for.
Lead exchanges are a common platform for buyers AND sellers of WEB based leads. These are consumers specifically looking for a particular product or service.

The biggest difference amongst these two sources, of generating business, is the consumer/business is expressing the interest in something. They are “opting in” to receive more information about the particular product or service. Things such as the Do Not Call list do not apply to these consumers that are filling out a request for information. However, list brokers are dealing with general lists and MUST be scrubbed with the Do Not Call Registry. Those that are purchasing lists for various email marketing, SMS marketing, or other advertising purposes need to make sure that they are scrubbing their lists, to prevent any penalties being enforced.

Purchasing leads that are very targeted, real time, exclusive, and consumers/businesses that are WANTING information is probably going to show more success. One is like working a “warm” lead VS a “cold” lead. Why not call someone who wanted your product or service VS trying to add the extra step of trying to hard sell a consumer, and then have to deal with a potential longer sales process?
Leadpile Lead Exchange works with intelligent advertisers who know working with high quality web based leads, produces a higher return on their investment, versus buying lists and making the “cold” calls.

In 2006, I took a lot of heat for predicting One Trillion Dollars in retail Online Sales by 2012.

According to Emarketer and Nielson Online, Eight out of 10 respondents who had recently made consumer electronics purchases in a brick-and-mortar store said they had visited the store’s Website first. More than one-half said they purchased from the retailer on whose Website they had spent the most time. In addition 58% of respondents said they would choose the Internet for research in purchases before they would even choose their own friends and family.

While this study reported about Electronics, it is not a far reach to think that consumer research will certainly continue to dramatically increase in years to come.

At the Leadpile Lead Exchange, we are seeing consumers’ research under-banked services at exponentially increasing rates.

Look out Trillion! Here it comes!

According to MSNBC late Friday, there is some speculation that Chrysler could possibly be getting out of the auto leasing arena. I guess time will tell if this turns out to be true.
Major changes such as this has been happening in the auto industry, and turning the once SUV dominated auto industry into the now ECONOMY driven auto industry. This potential exit from the leasing market, could be the beginning of other major auto manufacturers doing the same thing. Why would auto companies continue to be apart of the leasing industry that is dominated by massive gas “hogs”? Then again what about leasing some of these other cars that are making a surge in the auto industry now? Does that mean consumers will not be able to potentially lease those auto types too? WE will see….
One positive that I can see in this potential change is the increase in the auto finance (own) industry. This potentially means more people will be owning their cars instead of leasing. This could result in an increase in our auto finance lead type. Leadpile Lead Exchange will welcome this potential increase in demand!