What are Traffic Exchanges?
Traffic Exchanges, also known as Startpage Exchanges or Surf Exchanges, are systems set up so that website owners can trade views of each others websites. Just like the phrase "I'll look at yours if you look at mine", traffic exchanges use this trading ("exchange") for visits to each other's websites.
How do Traffic Exchanges work?
Traffic exchanges give their members their own unique "start page" that includes a special code to keep track of how many website visits are given and received by each member.
Most traffic exchanges also give a "surf" option. What this means is not only do you get other people visiting your website by looking at theirs when you first start your browser, but you ALSO can "surf" through other people's websites and get credit for visiting by surfing. So if you wanted to visit 20 different websites, you could get credit for that, and (in a 1:1 exchange) get 20 people to look at your website, too!
How come I see "credits" everywhere?
Everything is managed by "credits". Traffic exchange systems must, after all, have some way to keep track of how many websites you visited, and how many times your own website should be visited in return. This is done by "credits", sometimes called "ad credits", "surf credits", or "exchange credits".
What are ratios?
Exchange Ratios, such as 2:1 or 10:9 or 1:1, etc. are used to show how the traffic exchange is balanced. For instance, a 2:1 ratio means that for every 2 websites (that belong to other people) you visit, your own website will be visited 1 time. A 10:9 ratio means that for every 10 websites (that belong to other people) you visit, your own website will be visited 9 times. Last but most certainly not least, a 1:1 ratio means that if you visit 1 website (that belongs to someone else) your own website will be visited 1 time. "Ratio" is generally shown as "exchange ratio", "surf ratio", "referral ratio", etc.
What is the big deal with referrals?
Referrals "sweeten the deal" in a traffic exchange for you. "Referral Bonuses" and "Referral Ratios" are meant to help you get extra visitors to your website! Because traffic exchanges want to be popular, they give you a reason to tell other people about their services. The reason is that you get extra "credits" (more visits to your own website) JUST for referring new members to traffic exchanges! This means that even when you're not visiting other websites, but your referral is... you still get "referral credits" that you can use for more free visitors to your website!
Referrals and Levels: As basic as it gets...
Example A: Imagine you visit 100 websites in a day, and get 100 visitors in exchange, visiting your website. Great! All is fair and good. But... what if you don't have time to look at 100 websites EVERY day and you still want 100 visitors each day? Getting referrals will do the trick, because when they look at websites, you get those "referral credits". So even if you didn't look at ANY websites for that daym you'll still get credits as if you did.
Example B: Imagine you visit 100 websites in a day, and get 100 visitors in exchange, visiting your website. BUT YOU WANT MORE! What if you work full-time, have dinner and laundry and (yes) sleep requirements? Getting LOTS of referrals will do the trick, because when they look at websites you get those "referral credits". Even if you don't have time to surf and visit 100 different websites, if you have more than a few referrals, you can double, triple, etc. the visits to your website that you would get if it was just you working by yourself.
