Interview with Rich Morris

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

My current Traffic Exchange Traffic Heroes launched officially on Feb 1, 2007 but it began three years earlier as I saved up to make it the perfect exchange with a enough money to have a really successful launch. I had owned 3 other traffic exchanges before this one but none really made a decent amount of money and I wanted this one to be successful. I has successfully run a website for a number of years that sold credits for exit ads to other webmasters. I made a good living off of this for many years until popup blockers became the commen place and hurt the business so I need a profitable traffic exchange to provide me with the lost income.

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

I own Traffic Heroes http://trafficheroes.com

3) Do you currently work exclusively online?

Yes, I work exclusively online. My income is suplemented with a disability income that I receive as a retired General Manager of a large Texaco Truck Stop for 22 years. The bulk of my income comes from my online investments and my traffic exchange.

4) How many hours per day do you spend on your exchange(s)?

I spend 10-14 hours online but only about 1 hour of that is devoted to my traffic exchange. I have a full time Administrator for Traffic Heroes.

5) Do you do support yourself, or do you outsource support?

As I said above my Administrator Sonja Hendrickson does must of the duties at my exchange ever since I became to ill to do them myself. But I do handle the most difficult support questions and my good friend Steve Ayling is there to help Sonja if I am not available. Steve voluntered to help out of the goodness of his heart after I became ill this last time. Brett Phillips also helps out where he can. It's really good when your fellow traffic exchange owners are there to help out another exchange owner who is going through bad times. These two have always been there when I needed them.

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

I am very fluent in HTML and design most of my own websites with the exception of Traffic Heroes. Javascript and PHP I understand how it works and can do simple things but I really am very bad with both and I often seek help from other programmers when I need something done that requires these lauguages.

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

In a average month I get about 300 new members depending on how much I spend that month on advertising. I figure I pay around $4.50 for each new member I bring in.

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

The bulk of my advertising comes from me advertising in other exchanges and other sources however I do run monthly referral contests for my members to bring in new members. It is however not up to my members to bring in new members. I would rather my members spend their money and their efforts on building their own list and branding themselves. It is not the members job of any traffic exchange to bring in new members. It's up to the program owner to grow thier own exchange.

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

Yes, I am subscribed to many blogs including yours. There are so many really good blogs it's hard to pick any one and say it is my favorite. Undercurrents, a Greenpeace blog is one of my favorites, Techdirt is a very informative blog as well.

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

If your considering opening a traffic exchange take it slow. First thing you need to do is write out a business plan and stick to it. Don't start a traffic exchange if you are looking for a hobby. A traffic exchange is a business and should be ran as such. Many of us feed ourselves and our family off of our traffic exchange and we don't take too lightly to people who are doing this just for fun.

By taking it slow I mean have enough money to carry it through the first 6 months of operation for server fees, advertising ( I spent $12,000 during my first 6 months of operation) a great design, splash pages, banners, contests, script, modifications and programing. Do it the right way and you will be rewarded for it. Traffic Heroes was turning a profit in 2 weeks time. I know of other traffic exchanges that were launched around the same time as mine and the owner has spent very little on advertising yet has still not turned a profit. Take it slow and be successful!