I received an email, same old message, different site. I was invited to look and see if I was listed, (I am ) and if not to go ahead and register for free. Isn't that nice?
This new affiliate site seems to have done their homework. It must have just launched over the week-end, the one and only blog post is dated the 17th of December. Very nice, very helpful, VERY DECEITFUL. It talks about using a real florist, and even conveniently MAPS all of the different listings (very good for rankings for the site). Once into a listing for an individual shop, the address and phone numbers are listed but no website address. Even their name, floristsandflowers, is direct keyword goodness.
Most of the shops that I know of as well as several of our local wholesalers are conveniently listed. There is a page for every single listing. No live link to the actual florist though, the live links are reserved for FTD, Bloomnet, and even some direct shippers.
Just another attempt to scrape some money for doing nothing. That's fine except for the fact that these sites use my name as well as countless other florists and our addresses, mostly without consent, to mine orders from hapless consumers. Consumers not savvy enough to realize that they are being bamboozled into ordering from someone other than the florist listed. If they click on the convenient links instead of picking up the phone and calling, who knows who will eventually end up with the order but it more than likely will NOT be the florist they were choosing.
I just feel very disgusted.
This new affiliate site seems to have done their homework. It must have just launched over the week-end, the one and only blog post is dated the 17th of December. Very nice, very helpful, VERY DECEITFUL. It talks about using a real florist, and even conveniently MAPS all of the different listings (very good for rankings for the site). Once into a listing for an individual shop, the address and phone numbers are listed but no website address. Even their name, floristsandflowers, is direct keyword goodness.
Most of the shops that I know of as well as several of our local wholesalers are conveniently listed. There is a page for every single listing. No live link to the actual florist though, the live links are reserved for FTD, Bloomnet, and even some direct shippers.
Just another attempt to scrape some money for doing nothing. That's fine except for the fact that these sites use my name as well as countless other florists and our addresses, mostly without consent, to mine orders from hapless consumers. Consumers not savvy enough to realize that they are being bamboozled into ordering from someone other than the florist listed. If they click on the convenient links instead of picking up the phone and calling, who knows who will eventually end up with the order but it more than likely will NOT be the florist they were choosing.
I just feel very disgusted.
