Work At Home Updates – Wealthy Affiliate


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As you know last week I decided that I would start doing updates on companies I've reviewed in the past (MySurvey Update). This week we're discussing Wealthy Affiliate University. Read the Wealthy Affiliate University Review if you have no idea what this is company is about. If you have no interest in being your own boss via affiliate/internet marketing then feel free to skip today's article.

Unemployment isn't the only thing rising…

For the rest of you that have been kicking around the idea of venturing into this difficult business with the help of Wealthy Affiliate University's guidance, the time is near to make a decision. As some of you may have heard the price is going up from $39 bucks to $97 bucks per month for all NEW members starting June 7. Existing members please don't worry. We get to keep the old monthly price that you came in.

Why?

Look, I ain't a big fan of price hikes under most circumstances and definitely not now when the economy sucks. But from a business perspective I understand the logic behind the move. So let me provide some insight that was shared with me during my video chat with Carson last week.

1. Math isn't adding up.

There are tons of other competing affiliate marketing training courses out there. Some are really good (ShoeMoneySystem, BlogMasterMind, etc). However a lot of them don't even offer anywhere near the tools, updated tutorials, earn as you learn options, etc. that WA currently offers for only $39 per month. But despite some of these missing features these folks are usually priced significantly higher than WA current price. And guess what? Folks are paying for it. Now let's look at this purely from a numbers perspective using your job as an example. Would you as an employee work for less money if you knew that all the other people in your department are doing similar work as you but probably less but they're getting paid way more? Well if given the option I would dare to say you wouldn't. Now consider this. Wealthy Affiliate has been in that type of situation for 3 years despite making a lot of upgrades and improvements (Granted I still think they need more videos. ). So with that said, it literally makes "cents" for them to make this move. Truth be told given the landscape of this industry and what the guru's charge for similar information, I'm surprised it didn't come sooner.

2. Low value perception.

Apparently there are some people that feel Wealthy Affiliate University can't really provide that much value if it's only $39 per month. I'll be honest with you, this type of perception baffled my mind at first. Most of the folks I deal with are always happy to get things for free or at a very low cost. However I think this view is shared by folks that are looking into other affiliate marketing training courses by the bigger Gurus who will literally charge you several thousand dollars for a few videos. Trust me I know since I've bought their stuff. lol So it's hard to convince these folks that your material is better or just as good when you're pricing it so low. It's like saying look I'm going to give you a brand new fully loaded BMW M5 for the price of a scooter. There is some of us that will think that's a great hook up and jump all over it! But for most folks that know anything about luxury cars, you're going to shy away from this offer or look at it very skeptically. Apparently the same philosophy applies here. In hindsight I believe I felt the same way when I initially looked at Wealthy Affiliate. But I decided to give it a go anyway because it was recommended by a marketer I trusted.

3. Purge Tire Kickers.

Because of the relatively low entry point, there are a lot of people that join WA but aren't truly committed to working hard to create a successful business. Instead they may spend a week or two looking around, being negative on the forums while never actually taking action and then leaving. You may have read a comment or two from these very people on my Wealthy Affiliate University Review. These type of people aren't really serious about building a business. They go into a business looking for an easy way out or for others to do the work for them. The energy these folks bring to the site takes away from the community as a whole. It just ends up creating a lot of noise and distraction from the real people like you and I that are in this for the long run. With a price hike you're less likely to get people that aren't serious about making this work if they have to cough up a decent amount of change. It's not to say there aren't people who have joined WA at the current price point who weren't serious. But the thinking is this will further narrow down the pool. I liken it to eating at an expensive buffet. If you're paying that flat fee to eat all you want, most people take full advantage of that buffet before heading out. They'll be sure to hit up every station several times and get their dessert before finally leaving. The hope is the same will apply here. Folks will be less likely to half ass it.

So what do I think?

My business side totally understands the reasons why Kyle & Carson have done this. It makes them more money and their affiliates. Although I'm sure my conversions will go way down after June 7 which isn't good business for me. lol Aside from the financial reason, I really do believe it will really clean out some the riff raff. As someone that is a member of other pricer programs I've noticed you don't get a lot of the B.S. and lazy characters with a higher price point. Yes it sounds very elitist but let's keep it real. You probably see it in your own every day life. I bet the nicer neighborhoods in your area tend to be the ones with the more expensive homes and cars. It probably attracts certain type of people that are probably doing well and behave a certain way. We've all seen it.

All that being said, looking at it from the point of view of most of my audience, I dislike it. I know some of you were barely able to pay the $39 per month but it was still just in reach. As a result you were given an opportunity that you may not have had. After June 7 I'm sure there are going to be others in the same boat but now this will be out of their grasp. So that saddens me.

But ultimately I guess this is also the reason the owners have given affiliates like myself the heads up. This way we can pass down the word to you and allow you to make the decision that is best for you.

Just Do You….

Now if you've done your research and checked the competition and have decided that WA is the best bet but have been holding off, time is ticking and you need to make a decision before June 7. I hate deadlines and don't like imposing them on others. But I'm just relaying the information that was passed down to me.

However if you can't afford the current price of $39 per month then obviously you can't pull money out the air and join just because a deadline is looming. If you could make money appear like that you wouldn't even need to be trying your hand at this business. Furthermore I would be your best friend if you had that ability. lol

But seriously if your finances can't afford this, then so be it. I've provided you other ways to make money anyway. Maybe you can eventually leverage that to pay for this at a later date or just find some other resources to learn this business. It doesn't matter either way. Don't feel pressured to do anything you can't. That's how we got into this whole mortgage mess in the first place. So do what's best for you.

Paralysis

On the flip side, there are some of you who CAN afford to do this at the current price and have just been on the fence. In my experience most people that tend to be on the fence fall into one of the following camps. You're afraid to take action. You're afraid of failure. You afraid to take action and failure because you're over analyzing the situation which has lead to paralysis. As someone that has spent time in each of these camps (and still does on occasion), I'm here to tell you that you'll only get more of what you already have if you continue to do what you've always done. It's that simple.

The worst case scenario is you give this a shot, fail and lose a bit of time and money in the process. Then you're back to where you already were and have been fine with for a very long part of your existence. The best case scenario is after a lot of hard work and taking action, you succeed. You tell the man to go the hell and you're spending more time with your family, getting paid to yammer on in your PJs like yours truly.

That's pretty much the way this can play itself out. It's like dating. You're either going to end up marrying the person you're dating or you're not. It's 50/50 either way. It's scary but most of us are able to make that leap. Personally you have a lot more to lose in that type of decision because of the feelings involved.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Although the price is changing there are certain things that will remain the same about this business. So keep it in mind because it will apply to any affiliate marketing training you obtain whether it's WA or not.

1. This is a business not a job. Don't go into it with nonsensical timelines for success or pay based on the hours you put in. If you're of that mindset just focus on a traditional work at home job. This business isn't for you regardless if you join WA or any other affiliate marketing training course.

2. This is a hard business. Wealthy Affiliate University can teach you the business but they can't do the work for you. Just like anything in life, success falls on your shoulders. So don't join WA with the expectation that it's a magical system that does everything for you. It won't. Anyone telling you they have such a system should be watched very closely because they probably already have their hand on your wallet.

3. Rome wasn't built in a day. A lot of times people want to learn affiliate marketing because they think it's a fast financial cure all. They think it's easy because Eddy can do it. It's not. Yes anyone can achieve the success that I have. But that's only if you have the work ethic and patience I and others have exhibited to get here. Any successful business owner will tell you that they worked many unpaid hours before they struck oil. It takes a certain type of disciplined and patient individual to withstand the storm of starting a new business. There are a lot of people out there that will tell you join x program and you'll be making x dollars soon after giving me your money. Watch out for those claims because I don't know any successful people that achieved success that way. All the successful people I know have busted their ass to get there. Furthermore it usually took a long time to get there even with mentoring. If you want to be the boss you better be willing to take on that long bumpy road to get there. If not don't waste your money on WA, any type of home business or training. You'll be wasting your money and time that may be better served for something else. This business isn't for everyone and that's okay.

So keep this stuff in mind because it's a constant in any business.

That's all folks!

Either way, I just wanted to share this update with you. By the way, this isn't one of those scarcity tactics that these marketers love using to just boost sales but the price never goes up. It's going to happen.

I should also point out the following. I've been a member of Wealthy Affiliate University for 3 years and I've experienced one price increase and it was only $10. So it's not like these guys are just trying to fatten their wallets only. I think if that was their intent, they would have done it several years ago. This is obviously a decision they have really thought about and didn't take lightly. Even if I don't really like the price hike, I have to respect the fact they kept it this low for so many years.

So if WA was something that appealed to you and you don't want to pay the new fee of $97 per month, make a move before June 7, if you can afford it. If you're already a member then you have nothing to worry about as long as you stay one. Continue with your studies and taking action.

Finally let me end by saying this. Wealthy Affiliate University still has some of the cons I would like to see improved. But as someone that has bought a lot of internet marketing education programs and is still a member of many of them, all of them have flaws. This probably explains why I am a member of multiple programs. Where one is strong in one area another is weak in another and vice versa.

I've heard from some people who initially joined WA and left and tried other programs. Then they came back and had a better appreciation for WA because the other programs filled in some gaps that WA may have had. I've had some people leave and decided to stay elsewhere but found their studies easier because they already had a nice foundation from WA. So no matter what, with WA or any program there are going to be some of you that get more out of it than others. It's like going to the gym. I may hit up some machines to work on my abs for a couple of times a week and eventually get an 8 back. But then my buddy may go in and try the same machines and still end up looking like a 6 month pregnant man with moobies (man boobies). That's just how things end up sometimes. By the way I don't go to the gym but really need to. lol

Ultimately there are just a number of factors that can play out when learning something new. So just because one person gets one result doesn't necessarily mean it will apply to you for better or worst. It's just a risk you have to be prepared to take for success.

Well I hope you found this update helpful. I know it's probably not the best news you want to hear if you were considering Wealthy Affiliate University at a later date. But at least you have the opportunity to avoid the price hike if it's in the budget. Good luck either way.

11 thoughts on “Work At Home Updates – Wealthy Affiliate”

  1. I just put a One Year Anniversary post on the Is Wealthy Affiliate a Scam post, but I wanted to add something here as well.
    i have been a member of WA for one year, and TOTALLY thanks to this website and Eddy taking time to personally talk with me, and his informative posts here.
    Eddy and I come from the same place in out evaluation of strengths and weaknesses, and I knew all of this going in. I have tried one or two things, now that I made some money at this, outside of WA, and only one of them really has held up to the same standards, I signed up for some free stuff, (Eddy teaches us well,eh?) and then get all those email messages and optional training, and frankly a lot of that is garbage. Just trying to upsell something else. WA never does that. when I heard about the price increase, I started adding up what each of their tools would cost separately, if I were to buy into a membership site, and quickly saw I could tell new potential members they are getting their money’s worth.
    Eddy taught me to call it as I see it, so my advice is to get your feet wet first, follow some of Eddy’s advice and other free “get your feet wet” Internet marketing training first. See if you like it, if you can see yourself doing it, and then, once the foundation is there, go and join. To me that is your recipe for success.
    Good Luck with your online work at home no scams adventures!!!
    Sue

    Reply
  2. Ok, Eddy. Thanks for giving us the heads-up. Actually I’ve received quite a few marketing emails from Kyle and Carson already, so I knew about the price increase but I’m actually just barely getting by, even here in Japan, at this point (I’m no longer in the same job). The thing is, so are a lot of others. Almost no one I know would be in any position these days to ante up $97 monthly even for an investment. So I’m not sure it was a wise decision in these times … but it was their decision so we have to live with it. I’ll have to think hard on this in the next 24 hours. Thanks again.

    Reply
  3. I’m going to sign up. I’d checked them out a few months ago and I did think they sounded great and their price made me think twice. Now that I’ve had my blog running for over a couple a years for fun and I started my own website I’m trying and I mean trying to run it for profit but it isn’t easy. I’ve been a eBay power seller, sell on amazon, and now am starting to see some real change from AC but this affiliated marketing thing is not easy at all compared to all the always I’ve made money online. I’m gonna give it Wealthy Affliates a try for a few months and see what happens.

    Reply
    • IvibeBlk,
      Applaud you for giving this a shot. I think the fact you already have a site will give you a faster start and a better appreciation for WA. Because chances are you’re just going to immediately apply some of the traffic techniques to your own site. You won’t have to go through the process of figuring out what niche you want to be. So I can definitely see you getting some immediate value from it. Obviously I did. Just keep at your various multiple streams of income until you can get this to the point you want.

  4. Since this is a time sensitive post in a way, I found a way to to back fill the money I’m going to use for the WA sign up. Gazelle.com purchases your old electronics for money. I’m one of the few people that can’t throw anything away if it still works. I might not use it anymore, but it still works. With just the electronics on my desk, they estimated $30 and that’s even when I toss in a busted portable drive I haven’t had time to throw away. If I look around the house I’m sure I could find a few more things to easily get me up over that hump. And again, I’m still doing many of the things Eddy pointed out on the site to start building up money to pay for next month!

    Reply
  5. Hey Eddy!

    Thanks for the update/info on WA! I still haven’t joined….need to do more research on it & I have until June 7th right? ☺

    Thanks again Eddy for all you do! ☺♥

    Reply
    • You’re welcome Amelia.
      Keep doing your research to ensure this is right for you. Yes you have until the 7th to decide.
      Take care and see you on my fan page. Lol

  6. Thanks for the update! I was working hard on making that original $39 with some of the things you’ve suggest here but it looks like if I don’t want to triple my time, I’ll have to bite the bullet and get 3/4 or so of the money from my own pocket, so to speak. Thanks for warning us!

    Reply
  7. Eddy,
    This is an excellent overview of Wealthy Affiliate University and the coming price hike. I tried WA and found that it really didn’t interest me, for exactly the reasons you have outlined. That said, the site is probably the best one for anyone who wants to do business as an affiliate. It offers instruction at every level and covers all the bases in a very demanding and complicated business. Make no mistake: succeeding as an affiliate is not for the lazy or faint-hearted. The price to be charged for joining WA may seem high, but anyone thinking about making a living as an affiliate should compare it to what is charged for college-level courses in any field. And WA will take you from entry level to graduate school. There is no prerequisite schooling and you go at your own pace. Even at the higher price it is a bargain for anyone who truly wants to make money as an affiliate.

    Reply
    • Eunice,

      Thanks for chiming in. I think it speaks volumes that even though you’re no longer a member you’re able to appreciate the value offered at WA. You’ve basically summed up a lot of the benefits and what to expect from this business. So thanks for jumping in. I really appreciate it.

      Zane,
      You’re welcome. I’m sorry about this buddy. You represent some of the people I know this affects. But I’m glad I was able to provide you with some time to get in before this goes up.

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