Company Reps in the FPA Reviews.

[AsstModerator]

Company Reps in the FPA's Forums and Reviews

Instead of using a real company as an example, I've created a sample review page for ZYX-BigFxBroker.com to show the reviews features.

As you can see, the banners are large. To avoid any possible bias when moderating reviews, I and my moderators logins are set to block all the ads. I'll be using banner free mode in all further examples here, except for one premium feature option.


Why should I sign up as a company representative in the FPA's forums and reviews?

Signing up as a company representative can be very useful. In the forums, you will be able to respond to client questions and complaints. You'll also have access to the Press Releases folder where you can announce company news.

In the reviews, you will gain several important new abilities. These are...

1. The ability to submit comments attached directly to reviews. By giving company reps the ability to have the last word, this helps level the playing field between companies and reviewers who may be complaining unfairly. Permanently tying the comment to the review insures that the company's side of the story is always visible with the review itself.

2. The ability to submit and update a company profile. This is your chance to tell every trader out there about what makes your products or services better than what your competitors offer.

3. The ability to submit coupons or promotions. Readers now have another reason to check the FPA's review pages. They can sort reviews to show which companies are making special offers to FPA readers.


How much does it cost to sign up as a company rep or to use the company representative system?

The total cost to sign up and use all standard review representative functions is exactly $0.00. Please make the check payable to Bill K.


How do I sign up as a company representative?

First, if you don't have one already, you need to create an forums account, preferably using the same domain name as your reviewed page. To create an FPA Forums Account, CLICK HERE and follow the instructions. If you encounter any problems, CLICK HERE for help. If everything works, you will get a confirmation email message. Once confirmed, you them need to visit your review page in the Forex Peace Army Reviews.

If you don't have an address to match your domain name, click the Contact Us link on the bottom of any page at the FPA and select Company Representative Questions, Other Questions. We will need to check to make sure you really do work for or own the company before granting review rep status. It's inconvenient, but you wouldn't want anyone out there with a free email account replying to your reviews and writing your company profile, would you?

When you register, a confirmation link is sent. Check your spam folder if you don't see it within 10 minutes.

If you are not sure if your company has a review page, you can search for it. If you are sure that your site is not listed, you can use the "Add New Site" button. New sites are usually added within 4-8 business days. Please be aware that the FPA requires reviewed companies to have their own domain name, not just a subdomain on a free hosting or social site. For example, ZYX-BigFxBroker.com is acceptable. myhostedsite.com/ZYX-BigFxBroker, ZYX-BigFxBroker.sitehost.net, socialbook/ZYX-BigFxBroker, and BigMtSharingsite.trade/ZYX-BigFxBroker are not acceptable.

If you already have a review page or when you get your site listed, go to the site page and click where it asks "Is This Your Company?"

If you aren't already logged into your forums account which has already been registered as a company rep account in the reviews, it should take you here...

and then here...

While you were busy getting logged in, some reviews arrived. To regular readers, your review page looks like this...

But to you, there are 2 red buttons at the top and a button by each review...

Next: What to do with those buttons.

 

[AsstModerator]

What do to with those red buttons?

Let's start with adding a company profile. First, type the text you want displayed on the profile tab of your review page. Don't worry if you don't have a profile tab. If you don't have one, you soon will...

Before anything else, profiles go to moderation, just like reviews...

I wish this wasn't necessary. Unfortunately, there have been a few cases of company representatives misusing profiles. Approval of profiles is above 99%.

Once the profile is approved, it's visible to readers who click on the profile tab...

Next, let's put a response to that 1 star review by "Bishop of Rome". First, let me tell you why this version is a bad idea...

Many people use nicknames, pen names, forums user names, and other names besides their own full legal names in reviews. Imagine what will happen if you call this person a liar and he leaves a followup with a valid account number. Your company will have thrown away credibility. This sort of aggressive attack on someone who leaves a negative review will make real clients afraid to use their real names. It will also make many potential clients decide to go find a different company to work with.

Plus, if you look up "Bishop of Rome" in Vatican City, he's someone most people think you should address very politely.

Instead, this works much better...

This way you have politely asked the reviewer to come and provide some identity information. If the reviewer responds, you should be able to look into the issue and see if it can be solved. If not, readers won't lend the review very much credibility.

Like profiles, review comments are subject to moderation...

I wish this wasn't necessary. The main problem has been companies which decide to expose more personal information than the trader gave. If someone leave a review as Trader Jack and gives you enough information to know his real name is John Jackson, that doesn't mean you can reveal is real name and other private information in a public reply. Any licensed company should be under some sort of regulations against actions like this, but a few company representatives decided they didn't care. A few had to be banned.

Here's how readers see comments attached to reviews...

If the reviewer leaves a followup review, the old review and any existing comment will be nested beneath the new review. At that point, you will have the option to leave another comment.

Next: That last button.

 

[AsstModerator]

There's one last red button, Add Coupon / Promotion (Last button for now. More are planned.)

The main difference between a promotion and a coupon is that a coupon requires some sort of code. Both require you to point the offer to a landing page on your site.

First, please try to understand the rules...

1. The idea of the coupon or promotion is to provide something unique for FPA readers. If the offer is something already available to all visitors, it doesn't qualify. The idea is to give readers a reason both to visit the FPA's reviews and to make your company more interesting to those readers.

2. Even though these offers are from you to the FPA's readers, some readers will misinterpret anything on an FPA page as being somehow endorsed by the FPA. Bonus offers are the biggest source of conflict in all special offers I've seen. In some cases, it's users who found a way to try to get free money from companies. In others, it's companies trying to tie up client funds with unfair bonus rules. I'm not going to let the FPA's review pages become part of this easily avoided conflict. Bonus offers a will not be approved for a coupon/promotion.

Please pick a reasonable expiration time. Setting no expiration date on an offer at the FPA and then ending the offer on your site will disappoint potential clients. Setting an expiration date of only a few days means that very few people will ever see the offer.

Here's the kind of offer which will never be approved...

This one fails for 2 reasons. First, it applies to everyone, not just FPA readers. Second, it's a bonus offer.

Instead, there are other ways for a broker to attract clients...

If a broker already has tight commissions and spreads, an offer like this could tempt many people to open an account.

How does this offer look to readers?

Having a special offer gives you a new tab. Here's what this one offer looks like...

There's also a gift box icon on the company's listing in the reviews.


Wait! What's that Widget's tab all about?

Companies with better ratings often like to put a link back to their FPA review page. Widgets gives you multiple options to create a link which will automatically update as your rating changes. Anyone clicking the widget on your site will be taken to your FPA review page.

Pick the one you like and grab the code.


And there's one more free thing you can do, If your homepage changes, you don't need to email the FPA to ask about a new screenshot. Instead, click the camera button on the image...

All images are checked. This is because occasionally the screenshot software encounters a problem. If all goes well, within a few days the image will be updated...

And that covers all the free items. Next, the advertising department has some more options for you.

 

[AsstModerator]

Premier Options for your review page.

If you look at the images for offers and widgets, you'll also notice there's a tab for videos. Yes, you can have your very own sales video posted.

Another option is to replace all the big banners for competitors with banners just for your site. Here's a partial preview...

To see the full effect of this, please CLICK HERE to see the ZXY-BigFxBroker review page.

I also know the Advertising Department is about to roll out special background options for review pages.

You can see the latest premium options and rates by CLICKING HERE.