Here at Tunnel Rat Traffic we like to keep fresh eyes in the Tunnels with attention-getting splash pages.  While hiring a professional graphic designer is the best way to go for a business, you can get a huge competitive edge from your promotions by creating your own eye-catching splash pages!

Do-It-Yourself Graphic Software

Purchasing expensive software like the Adobe Creative Suite can really put a dent in your wallet, but if you want to develop graphics on a budget, I recommend the free graphics software from GIMP.org.  Their desktop application allows you to create static and animated images that are one-of-a-kind, which is good cause your site will stand out to surfers.

Affordable Domain & Hosting

There are a plethora of domain registrars and hosting companies to choose from (i.e. GoDaddy, GoGVO, Seamless Web Solutions…), and some of them are tied to a nice referral program, like the popular GDI.  You will find that most domain names will run around $10 a year while basic hosting is generally $4 – $10 a month.  So for less than $200 a year you can create unlimited splash pages to personalize your own affiliate campaigns as often as you like!  Not bad, eh?

Effective Splash Design

You really want to have a design that instantly grabs the surfer’s attention and generates enough intrigue to prompt them to click-through and get more info or sign-up.  To accomplish this, keep a few things in mind:  1. Big, bold, attention-grabbing headline; 2. Short description or secondary headline with a call to action – why should the viewer click? 3. Bulleted-list of unique features and highlights. 4. Big, shiny ‘Join Now!’ or ‘Learn More Here!’ button, good spot for an animated image with bright colors.  Most importantly, you want to get creative with your layout, what would make you want to click for more?

New Tunneler Splash

A new type of splash page and landing page combo has been created at Tunnel Rat Traffic for the Jenuine Jackpot Network.  The splash page is branded with your username, your Gravatar photo, and your links with inviting, click-able thumbnails of each traffic exchange leading to a custom rotator embedded with affiliate links to each site, for convenient registration at any or all.  Everyone benefits from this because that is 7 potential jackpots for the surfer and 7 potential referrals for you!  Log-in to your tunneler account to fill in your affiliate IDs and check it out.

New security measures have been hard-coded for a smoother surfing experience!

Thanks to our Tunneler feedback additional security measures have been coded to enhance the quality of our membership and ultimately the surfing experience.  While the scripts are continually updated and improved, any and all feedback we get is taken into consideration.  You can help maximize your results and experience here at Tunnel Rat Traffic by reporting abuse while surfing or leaving feedback and suggestions on our contact page.

Capitalize on the smoother surfing by setting your goals!

Did you know that we offer a unique feature we call goal-surfing that allows you to set your daily page views?  The key to get the most credits for your views are to match your goals to any of the daily Active Tunneler Rewards.  Your progress will be tracked on the surf bar, letting you know how close you are to reaching your set goal and ultimately additional credits/impressions.  Some tunnelers make use of this technique daily with great results!

Today at 10am EST Suzanna Theresa launched the all-new Shine Light Traffic!

This brand new custom manual traffic exchange is one of a kind! Suzanna runs a popular traffic exchange called Rainbow Traffic that just reached 1 year today and has been an avid surfer for years. This Hot new TE is a culmination of her experience as an exchange owner and being an active surfer herself offering unique features and quality traffic!

Some of the features include:

• Personal Program Branding
• Custom Site Widgets
• Custom Splash Page Creator
• Website and Banner Rotators
• Campaign Trackers
• Member Mailer
• Live Surf Chat
• And Much More…

With all the great features and killer design, this site is set to rise to the top, offering features that surfers, just like you, look for in a traffic exchange. Join Now and Shine Your Light!

Today (29 December 2009) we reached our 3,000th member [tunneler] sign-up!  One of our earliest milestones was to break the 3k mark and expand our reach through top TE rating systems such as the StartXchange TOP List, The Traffic Exchange List, and now we are also eligible for the industry favorite Affiliate Funnel, where your vote counts!  Our request is in and we will have a link for you soon.

How do we celebrate this milestone?  Well, the same way we rewarded the referrers of our 1000th and 2000th tunnelers of course!  3000 credits will go to the sponsors of member 2999 and 3001 as a near-miss consolation, and $30.00 cash goes to the sponsor of our 3,000th Tunneler.

Big Changes 4 2010:

Our Beta Tunneler Activity System (TAS) will be delivering big rewards and moving into the next phase as we ring in the New Year.  This system is modeled after Tim Linden’s successful activity platform at StartXchange because of the popularity that has made it so appealing.  From the Beta tests so far, the TAS is proving to be a great feature.  More on that later though.

More promotional materials are on the way!  Due to your valuable feedback, we will be offering more splash pages, banners, and promo materials for you at the beginning of 2010, including customizable splash pages.

Some of our processes have been outsourced and we are putting together a Tunneler feedback section to tighten up our focus.  One of the major focus areas will be Tunneler Support and Administration as our network grows.

Many minor improvements are constantly being made and we will keep you informed as they happen.  In the meantime, invite others to explore the targeted traffic tunnels and check out our New Years Special below:

Login, then visit: http://www.tunnelrattraffic.com/oto/newyearspecial.php

Happy Holidays!

Traffic Exchange surfers have literally hundreds and thousands of places to surf, now you also have the BEST, most Advanced tracking services, rotator, splash page creator Anywhere! Tim Linden, Paul Kinder, and Jon Olson have just released the super-upgraded version of the old TE Toolbox for one Mega Tracking service.

If there is one thing you hear about using traffic exchanges over and over again, it’s that you Need to Track your results! Well the guesswork is gone with this brand new TE Toolbox! I’ll keep it short since there is so much activity right now and much to do yet, but you can join the live uStream here:

http://www.tetoolbox.com/ustream.php?referer=tunnelrat

Or, just get started with your new TE Toolbox account Now:
http://www.tetoolbox.com/index.php?referer=tunnelrat

Look out for that special one-time-offer too!

On Halloween, the first BETA version of the Tunneler Activity System was released!  This new (TAS) has been in development and highly anticipated for the past couple of weeks when first word got out.  Now it is in the advanced testing stages and new features are being polished up as we speak.  The overall objective of the TAS is to reward members based on various activities throughout the site.

There are a number of ways to earn these Activity Points, listed below.

• Login Bonus (Once a day)
• Email Code Bonus (Once per email)
• Surfing (Points vary per page view, according to membership type)
• Promoting Referral Links (Main page, splash pages, even rotators)
• Referral Points (Once your referred member is verified and active, you receive point, per membership type)
• More components in development (i.e. Purchases and Meeting Surfing Goals)

There are rewards associated with the points you earn, which are not credits, as well.  During the Beta phase, there will be numerous tests conducted before all reward components are implemented.  Each member will be able to track their activities in relation to other members via a position.  The more active members will be associated with different ranks and titles for their efforts as well.

Two major new features that will come with rank are surfing bonuses and purchasing discounts.  Each is outlined below.

Surfing Bonus:  Once the surfing bonus is activated, all bonuses earned through activity will stack with any site-wide bonuses, earning you more credits per page view!

Purchase Discounts:  This is going to be a special addition that allows each member to buy advertising at a discounted rate!  Would you surf, promote, login, and become more active if it meant bigger discounts?  Plus, since you will later even earn points for making purchases, you will actually be getting way more than just advertising credits…  (More details on release).

Using the system is very intuitive and requires no further knowledge of the workings to earn your activity points.  I developed this system with your business in mind, seriously.  As our site activity increases, so do the number of targeted visitors to your site.  That is the idea here, increase website traffic, and in turn, generate more sales and business to your main program.

The basis for the development of the new TAS was actually Tim Linden’s StartXchange.  Tim created StartXchange from scratch, back in 2001 when he was just 15, and has since grown into one of the best manual traffic exchanges in the world!  If you’re going to duplicate someone, make sure it is someone successful, which is why I used his idea for the foundation of the TAS.  SX rewards members for activity but Tim also keeps in touch with his members consistently through his blog, which has built up the level of trust he has earned throughout the years.

Hope you enjoy the new system and look forward to announcing the release of the next version.

One of the most talked-about topics related to traffic exchanges is how to get results from using traffic exchanges.  The answer is simple, the application of proper techniques is where most people fail.  Lets talk about what you should be promoting first.

The type of pages that get the most click-throughs are splash pages and squeeze pages that generate curiosity, have concise headlines, and have a clear call to action.  Splash pages are great for affiliate programs and are generally hosted for you, you just need a link.  Squeeze pages include an opt-in form that allows you to capture targeted (interested people) subscribers that will get your automated Autoresponder series of emails.

FACT: The money is in the list!

Long sales copy is best used in Pay-Per-Click marketing where the visitor is researching a more specific topic or information about a company/product.  With most traffic exchange timers being 6 to 20 seconds, you have a small window of opportunity to grab the visitor’s attention and inspire them to learn more (by clicking on your link).  Now let’s briefly discuss customizing your squeeze page.

If you are using graphics, you’ll want to either hire a professional graphic designer or use fast-loading (small file size) images for the fastest possible load time.  Second, use large, bold font for your headline with contrasting colors to stand out.  The next piece would be arranging your actual form and bulleted list of benefits or a video below the main headline.  Basically, what solution are you offering to your subscribers.  The call to action is easily accomplished by using a large submit button with a sense of urgency in the text (i.e. Unlock the Secrets NOW!, or Secure My FREE Download!).

Sounds really simple, and it is, but you will find that with consistency, your list will grow much faster and as your ad saturates the market, you build your brand.  Use a cloaking service to track your hits and click-throughs and try different color schemes for more in-depth testing.  Now that you know how to get results from traffic exchanges, take Action!

NOTE: Always include a disclaimer on your squeeze pages that ensure privacy and CAN-SPAM compliance.

Recommended Resources:

3rd Party Autoresponder: Aweber
Cloaking/Tracking: TE ToolBox

Having an archive of events is a great way to measure progress. Tunnel Rat Traffic is continually developing and wants to keep you informed with relevant updates, contests, improvements, new features, and get feedback from our members.

Not a Tunneler yet? (register here)

Thank you for your patience while we sharpen our design and develop content.