Affiliate Sites

This is an issue and a conversation that crops up regularly in our industry. People are trying to get information on their purchases, trying to do their research, and they go online looking for reviews. Perfectly natural, and always advised for anyone.

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Except in the fitness equipment world, there are no such things as honest and accurate reviews. Here is a dirty little secret that should make your blood boil. I've been dealing with it for well over a decade, and it still makes me mad every time I think about it.

When you go online and you Google the term "treadmill review", all you are going to get are hundreds of affiliate advertising sites masquerading as review sites. TreadmillReview.com, TreadmillReviews.net, TreadmillReviewGuru.com, and GarageGymReviews.com - they all have names that make it look like they are honest review sites.

But none of them are honest, none of them have even tried 99% of the products they are reviewing, nor have they ever done any research into how the industry really works, parts support, cushioning, biomechanics, or any of that. They are just parroting the scripts they've been given.

And there are hundreds of them.

What do these sites really do? They have relationships through various affiliate marketing companies to provide reviews for the products that pay them, and especially that pay them the most.

That's it. It's very simple.

NordicTrack is probably the biggest, followed by a company called Sole, and Amazon also does a large amount of affiliate marketing as well. Some of these new strength companies, like Titan, pay affiliate sites a commission as well. And if you doubt me, here, you can become a paid reviewer in minutes.

Here is a quick look at how any of us can become fake reviewers in minutes. Look here, here, or here.

And now you can see why a $2000 treadmill with a horrible 2-year warranty can be highly rated.

But at the end of the day, it's all just false advertising.

It's manufacturers and resellers paying a commission to a guy writing a website, pretending to be a reviewer. That's why those sites are dominated by cheaper internet and department store brands that don't even have a company to service them.

Legally, somewhere at the bottom of the front page of the website, there will be an affiliate disclosure. They hide it, and they also try to couch the language in terms that make it seem less dishonest.

But these companies, these websites, are doing nothing but providing you with false information to line their pockets.

At the end of the day, you want to talk to real people, a local company, that actually does service and will tell you the actual service records and warranties and plus and minuses of the brands you are looking for. Because these local dealers have a vested interest in your experience, unlike the guy taking the hidden internet commission.

And you're going to notice that most of the brands that are highly rated by affiliate fake sites aren't even carried by anybody who actually services equipment, and the reverse is also true, the real models that you see in a gym or that are carried by local dealers aren't even mentioned by these fake sites.

And the reason I am 'Blowing the Whistle' on this particular issue is that my job is harder when my clients are getting false information from the web. Are we making money when we sell you a treadmill or a piece of equipment? Absolutely, but we are doing it honestly, and we'll be the ones who will service any issues you have.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Norm Morrison

Norm has a long history of building partnerships between Health and Wellness companies and meshing technology creators with manufacturers and vendors. He helped build the largest fitness equipment dealership from the ground up and has worked with nearly all of the major manufacturers in the industry. The top brands in the market come to him for advice about developing and improving their product. Norm has helped dozens of companies bring products to market and has an inside track on what’s new and what’s next in both the legacy and connected fitness industries.

Affiliate Sites

Here is a quick look at how any of us can become fake reviewers in minutes. Look here, here, or here.

And now you can see why a $2000 treadmill with a horrible 2-year warranty can be highly rated.

But these companies, these websites, are doing nothing but providing you with false information to line their pockets.

Norm Morrison

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