Leadpile’s Blog

Gas prices should begin to decline, according to survey editor Trilby Lundberg. Lower prices of crude oil due to the recent oil disaster should reflect lower prices for gasoline. Just a couple weeks of ago, an average barrel price was between $81-82.50 and has dropped between $75-78.

The current national average for regular, unleaded self-serve gas is $2.77. The highest gas prices are currently in San Francisco at $3.21 per gallon, and the lowest prices are in Jacksonville for $2.54. If the gas prices continue to coincide with oil prices, we could expect lower prices.

Cheaper gas prices can lead to more people going online for auto finance loans to get back into driving! Leadpile has a large demand for these lead types, and hopefully a price decline in gas will help those people in affording a car.

These days, everyone is looking for a way to save some of the hard-earned dollars we are all clinging onto so tightly. Most people would probably say they have really cut back on their spending. However, people spend money as a part of their daily routine and a couple bucks here or there never really compute to the reality of what that number looks like over the course of a year. Walletpop.com recently published an article highlighted exactly what some of these bad habits really cost you, and after reading it, you might cringe yourself. According to the article, if a person participates in all of the daily spending habits, they are looking at around $12,288.50 per year. We’ve listed just a few of these habits that were highlighted in the article below.

Soda
For example, if you go to the vending machine or the gas station one time a day and spend $1.50 on a soda, that translates into $547.50 a year (before tax). Make that three a day and that’s a whopping $1,642.50.

Coffee
The daily trip to the barista for one cappuccino a day will cost you on average $1,442 per year. If it’s only during the work week, you’re still looking at $1,031 per year.

Lottery
A buck to win millions of dollars.

Doesn’t sound bad, does it? But, you do that every day and you’re looking at $365 per year in lottery tickets. And do people usually just buy one? Probably not. Statistics say you have more chances of getting in a car accident, plane accident or struck by lightening than winning the lottery. Doesn’t mean it’s impossible to win. After all, Hurley won, right? But, wouldn’t you like to put that $365 back into your savings account?

French Fries
Now we all know how bad French Fries are for you, so never mind the medical expenses they may cause down the road from health problems. But, getting fries with your combo meal three times a week at a fast food restaurant will cost an extra $80 per year. Get fries with your restaurant meal twice a week and you are looking at $312 per year.

Car Maintenance
Before you go out and purchase a new car, consider the cost to keep your current one. Small changes in the maintenance of your car can save money and is much less expensive than a car payment. Driving your car with the correct amount of pressure in the tires could save you as much as $172 per year. A clogged air filter could cost $180 per year.

Cigarettes
This is one of the more expensive categories. A pack of cigarettes at the gas station will cost anywhere from $5 to $10/pack depending on what state you live in. At that price, one pack per day translates between $1825 and $3650. Make that two packs a day and you are looking at $3650 to $7300 per year.
There’s probably 50 other things we all mindlessly spend money on, but it’s always good to take a step back and evaluate the budget and determine where to cut back and where to spend more. We still have to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, so if that Starbucks coffee or lottery ticket puts an extra bounce in your step, then by all means enjoy it.

Bankrate.com just released the top 10 selling cars for 2008.  The hottest and most popular automobiles: 

• #10 – The Chevrolet Cobalt.  Listing price $14,217. Sold to date 114,250 vehicles.  Runs at about 25-30 mpg.  
• #9  -  Ford Focus. Listing price $15,363. Sold to date 123,449 cars. Average 28mpg
• #8  -  Chevrolet Impala. Listing price $21,348. Sold to date 138,952.  MPG depends on the cylinder of the vehicle.  Your looking at anywhere between 17-23mpg depending on the version
• #7 – Chevrolet Silverado (light duty). First truck on the top ten.. Listing price$25,921. Sold to date 148,046. They average 11-16mpg. 
• #6  - Nissan Altima.   Listing price $22,798. Sold to date 158,006.  Average 22-26mpg.  
• #5  - We are half way down the list . Introducing the Ford F Series (light duty). Nice to see another truck on the board.  Listing price $22,798.  Sold to date 164,828.  10-16mpg.  Wow, get ready to spend your money on gas with this type of mpg!
• #4  - Toyota Corolla.  Listing price $17,122.  Sold to date 169,868.  25-30mpg.  Nice!
• #3  - And now the top three!  Honda Civic! I’m not surprised to see this bad boy on the list.  Listing price $19,114.  Sold to date 204,961.  The MPG is great with whopping 28-42mpg. 
• #2  - Honda Accord.  Listing price $25,859. Sold to date 227,874.  Save some cash with this beauty 25-34mpg.
• Finally, what we have all been waiting for .  #1 best selling auto for 2008!  You ready?  Announcing the most popular car around, the TOYOTA CAMRY.  Listing price $22,859.  Sold an amazing 228,874 cars this year.  Take a vacation with the money you will save on gas with 23-34mpg.

Surprised to only see 2 trucks in the top ten?  I think not.  Overall car sales are down 10% this year compared to last year.  Leadpile Lead Exchange deals a lot with the Auto Finance vertical and the volume of leads coming through our system is slightly down also, however we are expecting it to turn around any day now!
There you have it, the top 10 autos for 2008!

General Motor Corp. is introducing the new Chevrolet Volt in 2010 and has a waiting list of over 33,000 prospective buyers for this new battery powered car.   Many buyers for this vehicle are from California, Texas, Illinois and Michigan.  Yes, many Americans are facing high gas pricing in these states.  

Its estimated to cost about $31,261 which is less than the $40,000 GM said would cost to generate the car equipped with a massive lithium-ion battery pack.  

The new Chevrolet Volt will be able to run 40 miles on lithium-ion  battery and can easily be recharged at a standard outlet. 

GM showed off a concept version of the Volt in January 2007 but has retooled the look of the vehicle significantly since then.  

What do you think of this new vehicle?   Are you on the waiting list as a potential buyer?  What other neat features do you anticipate this car having?  I wonder what the lifespan is for the battery? 

I love the style, what do you think! Hot Car? Or Two thumbs down?

Publishers are spending a lot of money on PPC campaigns through Google AdWords.  Have you ever researched the cost of producing a real time quality lead? Depending on the vertical, it can get really expensive, especially if you are looking for quality and genuine interest.

Capturing a name, number, email, address, best time to call, can get really expensive. If you want to target geographically, by zip or state, it will increase your price and lower the amount of traffic you are getting. A lead can be really inexpensive, if you are just capturing email address, and you incentivize it, but if you are looking to attract customers that are genuinely interested in your service, its not going to be .20 cents or .50 cents, it will be way more expensive. You can expect prices as these if you are looking for lists, but why would you do that when you have the Yellow Pages and costs you nothing. You can definitely get leads for such a price, but those will be leads that are generated from the yellow pages, or aged data (lists) of consumers that showed an interest in your service years ago.  So what is the price for a good, real time, exclusive leads? It depends, it can be very expensive, depending how competitive is your vertical.  You will get what you are paying for. In other words, you are going to be happy with the return on your investment (ROI).

Advertisers have to consider that publishers or lead exchanges are eating the cost of any leads that are invalid.  Paying anywhere between .25 to $1.50 per click, or even $15, does not guarantee a conversion. Even if we get a conversion, it will not necessarily mean that you, as a buyer, will accept the lead. If you are a Debt Settlement buyer, you might want only want $15,000 and above in Unsecured Debt, which will significantly increase the price to produce that lead. 

Lead exchanges welcome advertisers to join the marketplace to HOST their offers. Paying the right price for the lead, working with the lead exchange to optimize your campaign and filter the lead sources, will ensure a successful campaign for you, as a buyer, and for the Lead Exchange and its publishers. 

Think of it this way, lets say you need to travel to a different state.  Would you rather rent a bike or a car? By renting a bike, you will save money on gas and get in a better shape If you are concerned about the time you need to get to your destination, this will not work too well for you, and renting a car might be more suited for you. Time is money, and we all know it very well.

Make great choices and you will see more money coming into your business! Buy quality, real time exclusive leads, and you can be assured that Leadpile will be on your side from start to end! Pay the price that they are worth and you will get the satisfaction that you are searching for!

Leadpile’s Motto: “Good is the Enemy of Great!” – Jim Collins, Good to Great

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?

Breaking news in every search engine, channel, and even radio stations.  A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck East of Los Angeles.  The epicenter was 2 miles of Chino Hills.  It was a moderate earthquake and luckily no one was seriously hurt or injured.  

California’s year has been pretty blemished, gas pricing at over $4.50 per gallon, one of the highest in the nation.  Many homeowners experienced foreclosures, as home values dropped.  Starbucks announced that the majority of stores schedule to close were located in California.  An now an earthquake! 

California is a popular state.  Hollywood and Beverly Hills, where all the stars live.  San Francisco, where the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge stands.  Palm Springs a nice place to relax and take a vacation.  Yet this state has been experiencing a trend of bad luck.  

Many programs are truly helping residence within this states with all the needs.  Bankruptcy, Debt, Home Improvement, Loans, Refi’s and much, much more.  Lots of companies are doing what they can to help, Leadpile looks and searches for well known business that takes pride and commitment in helping people in need.  They look for real companies offering real services so that we can match them with people  in desperate needs when times get tough.

I was at ease to learn that everyone in California was okay and that no one was seriously hurt.  

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!

Last year first half of 2007, Toyota sold 4.5 million vehicles while General Motors came out winning selling 4.54 million vehicles.  Pretty close in sales.  

2008, first half the year, the numbers have arrived.  Toyota automaker sold 4.8 million vehicles for the first half.  That’s about a 2% increase from the same period of last year while GM sales drop 3% the first half.

With the gas price increase more consumers are staying away from the bigger trucks and SUV’s that GM is well known for.  The percentage difference on Toyota’s increase and GM’s drops are somewhat related.  My theory is that consumers are going after the gas saving cars that gives the more miles per gallon.  GM, being a leader in sales until this half of 2008, should  take different approaches to catch the consumers interest?  Maybe it’s time for the engineers to start developing more smaller cars to bring out, less expensive with more miles to the gallon.

All in all the economy is not doing that horrible as critics are proclaiming.  Look at the sales, they are pretty steady, meaning consumers are still spending and they are still buying new vehicles. 

Great time for Auto Groups to take advantage of leads in a lead exchange.  More cars to sell!

I have heard reports on the news about 8 veteran US Airways pilots being called into safety training.They are being questioned why they are repeatedly asking for extra fuel to keep the planes in the air substantially longer than the planned flight time. The airline has stated that they were just attempting to understand the pilots actions and not punish them.

The airline has stated that the more fuel in the aircraft, the heavier the aircraft, and the more it costs to fly the aircraft. The pilots have stated they want to make sure that they have enough fuel for rerouting or fly around the airport waiting to land in any delays. The pilots ultimately have the last word in how much fuel goes into the plane. 

Safety experts say that there is nothing wrong with airlines holding the line on fuel – to a point. If a pilot feels that adding another 15 to 30 minutes of flying fuel to the flight then let him. It will make the passengers feel safe and the pilot feel safe as well.

This is definitely not giving the airline any good publicity. This seems to make travelers not want to fly their airline, by making them feel less safe. By making passengers think that they are thinking more about the bottom line than their safety.  US Airways needs to find a way to put a positive spin on this to take advantage of the situation, and right now I am not seeing how they can come out of this looking good.

I love this tab! Its new, a space specifically for U.S. gas pricing rates. Great marketing Idea!  I’m now in http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/page/gasprices everyday comparing gas prices.

It allows you to see the “crude oil price” and the fluctuation of the gas rate. It defines the average gas price in the U.S. currently at $4.10 the highest gas price in Beaver Island, MI at $5.49 as well as the lowest in Lordsburg, NM currently at $3.69.

You can click on a city and state and it will list gas stations and the pricing per gas.  Its a phenomenal site.  Not only is East Valley Tribune going to get more hits for this tab but now consumers going to there site will browse, market, fill out request, and bookmark them. An ideal place for marketing that’s for sure!

In the lead exchange, great place to start marketing can define the quality of the leads generated, getting more serious consumers to your sites will effectively ensure higher quality leads.  I must say to catch the attention of the audience is in high demand for lead generation.  What better way than to give your consumer facts about the best place to pump gas!

As you may know, I’ve written a few recent articles about the economy.  Today I heard a new marketing technique that sneaky gas stations are doing. 

Apparently, a few gas stations attract the public by promoting a lesser price per gas.  However, with the price of gas increase this year, gas stations are aware that most consumers are paying with their credit cards, considering it takes a lot more money to fill up.  Did you know that some gas stations are charging extra when using a credit card? Doesn’t surprise me one bit! For example, if you use a Visa you might have an increase of 2%.  So as an example, if you thought you were paying $4.11 you would actually be charged $4.19.  Hey, that .08 cent difference starts adding up, also consider the monthly fee your credit card is charging on top of that.  Pretty expensive gas, I must say.

How to prevent this well, make sure that one, you check that the price match up on the screen when you swipe your card, and secondly check your receipt.  This sounds tricky but it certainly real.  Many gas stations lure the consumer that are paying with cash  to come inside, instead of the little window.  Many gas stations have a mini mart with yummy treats.  Yes, I know each time I walk in I don’t only pay for gas but I grab a few goodies on the way as well, I’m sure I’m not the only one.  But its a marketing technique.  

How does this reflect a lead exchange?  It’s related in an awkward way.  We already know that a large number of consumers are in some serious credit card debt, well with the gas stations new marketing techniques this will increase consumers debt.  Meaning, more consumers will be seeking help online to clear their unsecured debt.  In addition, it reflects how marketing is not only done online, but everywhere you go.  Driving a consumer in, will get them to spend.  With our lead exchange we don’t mislead our prospects.   The consumers are driven to our websites through extensive PPC campaigns and they are knowingly submitting a request to be contacted for a specific service.

I must admit, this was news to me when I first learned that some gas stations charge higher prices for gas when paying with a credit card.