Interview with David A Riley

1) How and when did your online business get started?

My name is David A Riley, but most know me online as DA… and I have been earning money on the internet for about 9 years.
I started with a gift market selling slate plaques and clocks. I built the site from scratch and was quite successful with it until the wholesale company I was buying my products from went out of business. It was a unique product and did very well. I am now in the process of converting the site into an affiliate site for products and services… it has been quite sometime since I have worked on it… http://www.moderngiftmarket.com

2) Which exchange(s) do you own or co-own?

I got started as an owner of a traffic exchange about 2 years ago when I partnered with Dan Vaughan at Web Biz Solutions. When I joined Dan, the site was in shambles. The original script writer of the site started to get greedy and got too many members involved in failed programs. It has been an uphill struggle to get WBS back to a respectful exchange. It still falls short of its original glory, but we will continue to strive to make it the best.

About a year ago, Dan and I started a 2nd exchange 1 Modern Solution We haven’t spent the time or the money, needed to make it a viable exchange yet, but it is a great supplement to WBS. We also operate several other sites including a successful banner exchange.
We do all our own support and script work. We have a couple longtime members that helps with security and script work, but we do no outsourcing of anything… we keep it all in the family!

3) Do you currently work exclusively online?

Neither Dan or I work exclusively online.

4) How many hours per day do you spend on your exchange(s)? Do you do support yourself, or do you outsource support?

I spend about 30 hours a week on our sites doing support work and adding new scripts and updates.

6) How fluent are you with HTML, javascript, and PHP?

I am pretty fluent in most languages found in scripts online including Perl, which is what WBS is written. It is a hand written script and unique in the traffic exchange industry.

7) Approximately how many members join your exchange a month?

We get about 150 new members a month at WBS.

8) Does most of your advertising come from members referring, or you?

Mostly from our own efforts. Our advertising budget increases each month, and we put most that we can from profits each month back into the site.

9) Are you subscribed to any blogs? Which is your favorite?

Not subscribed to many blogs… not really much time, though I am subscribed to yours Tim.

10) What would be the biggest tip you could give to readers?

My advice to readers is use what works. In internet advertising, its not necessarily important how many see your site or program, but who… Track all your advertising! Its difficult to know where you are going if you don’t know where you have been!!