Finding the right Affiliate Program - Getting Started

[sangiovesse]

Wow! alot of informative posts. Its sooo much to go over and learn about. I just recently learned about getting paid for searches conducted in search boxes you post on your site.
Two tier sounds like something to look into, although im still trying to master SEO. For the past couple days ive been trying to learn as much as possible. I also started looking at free sites to start making my site but im not sure if thats the way to go. Since i am inexperienced in web design im trying to stick to templates and such. So this leads to a question. What is a good way to get a site up and running if your not savvy with web design.
Also for reaccuring customers to come back would something like offering downloadable mp3 works?

[Linda Buquet]

sangiovesse,

I would not waste time on free sites, if I were you.
I have heard some good things about SiteBuildIt. If you go the template route, remember UNIQUE content is king and search engines can only read plain text, not images, so be sure to incorporate everything you learn about SEO into the text content of the page. Sites built from scratch some say are best and Microsoft FrontPage is fairly easy for a newbie to learn.

Thank you Garrett for the sweet compliment on PageOne. I try to help whenever I can. :-)

[ianwa]

sangiovesse,
I know this may be a little late but maybe I can help explain reoccuring sales. You are competing with every other affiliate, merchants, and other merchants affiliates, its definetly a tough job. But finding the right programs will not only help, but will put you at the top.

I manage a program that uses this type of revenue (reoccuring, or subsequent sales) for attracting, and making affiliates tons of money. I recently pulled some statistics and posted them on another board. Here is my explanation.

Affiliates develop their sites, to attract visitors and convert the traffic into sales. This is the hardest part of affiliate marketing. For every $1 that our affiliates are making through referred sales, (not including the lead commission of $0.15), they are earning an additional $1.35 in subsequent (reoccuring)sales in future months.

What this means, is that your hard work to get people to buy the product, is backed by our hard work to get customers to purchase more, which you get paid for, for the life of the customer!

One other tip,

Listen to Linda, she knows what she is talking about!

Good luck, give it a year, learn all you can.

[trogar]

Hello To All,

One of the biggest deciding factors in affiliate marketing is going to be the traffic through your site. Many of the posts so far are great advice, and are part of the affiliate marketing mix, but without having TARGETED visitors to your pages, you will not have prequalified visitors that will click on your affiliate programs.

The key to this part of the affiliate mix is knowing your visitors, and then being able to determine what affiliate programs you can offer that will meet their needs. Beyond that is the concept of presell, which is the ability to put your visitors into the required open and receptive mind set required for them to click on your programs.

Without trusting visitors that accept your advice and offerings, and without knowing what interests and needs you can fullfill for these visitors, you will have a rough time at the affiliate marketing game. Yes, you can have tons of traffic coming through your site and offer a wide variety of programs for them to click on, bit it lacks a targeted direction that will not leverage your visitor traffic, and the results will fall short of what you could actually be realizing in affiliate marketing income.

If you would like to read more in depth information, we invite you to drop by the following links:

http://www.sanders-consultation-grou...tegy-index.htm - Affiliate Marketing Strategy

http://www.sanders-consultation-grou...ting-index.htm - Emotional Marketing

http://www.sanders-consultation-grou...cept-index.htm - The Concept of PRESell

I would also agree with Catalyst on the avoiding free sites comment.

Hope that this information and these links help you with your affiliate program.

[Florena]

I would like to thank everyone for such a fascinating discussion. I also would say avoid the free sites. I created (hand coded) a community directory for a midwest city of around 175,000 with links to 1100 local business websites. The free site changed it's programming and now my site is very badly damaged. I plan to completely rewrite it this summer and database it with php and MySql and css the tables, get it it's own url and host.

I originally created it, as I work in workforce development, as a tool for job seekers to find business websites, and thus the jobs posted. Oh, did I mention I work for the City? The site, however is a personal project.It has since been linked to by the City, the Chamber, the local University and several important websites. All the webmasters involved have been nothing but kind to me. I have always kept everything free, and thus incomeless. I have not been very good to it as I have a life, and I wasn't making any money.

Now I would like to change that. My goal is small. If I only made $8,000 in a year and never made another dime, I would accomplish my most important financial goals. (I am getting a Masters degree and planning on moving on within the next 3 years.)That is sounding like a difficult task. I would not mind selling it to a local isp or something, but not sure what I could make from it if I go that route.

I have been reading all the internet marketers, and considering some ebooks within reason to market, and possibly some affiliates. I am also considering trying to set up some ads for local companies along the left and right sides. Maybe try and sell hosting service, although I know very little about that at this time. I also plan to put a program on it to track usage etc., and do some advertising in the local business journal to get more traffic.

Anyone got any ideas on what I could do with this? I absolutely love this site for it's kindness to newbies like me. Thanks everyone for the love. Florena

[net500.cg]

sangiovesse,


I would not waste time on free sites, if I were you.


[net500cg] Good advice. The old adage, 'you get what you pay for', holds extremely true here. There are NO FREE LUNCHES in the world of entrepreneurism. You earn what you get: good, bad or ugly.


I have heard some good things about SiteBuildIt.


[net500cg] I know Ken Evoy, owner and founder of SiteSell Inc., personally (since 1998) and the SiteSell family of programs and products intimately. Both are professional, reputable and grounded in integrity.

They also WORK! There is no better program in existance today than that offered by SiteBuildIt to produce a professional, working and effective eCommerce site for the novice or professional alike. It just works.

Their 5-Pillar Affiliate program is the Cadillac of affilate programs. Many, if not most who are successful online today, either are rooted-in or copies-of, the 5-Pillar Program and SiteSell products.

{NOTE: Commment here on Affiliate programs. Most AP's are nothing more than MLM's in disguise. So, beware. A true affiliate program allows you - just like any other 'true business', to make money on YOUR OWN EFFORTS - not just for the efforts of the 'entity'. The 5 Pillar Program is a true affiliate program; possibly the best on the Internet today.}

If you're NOT already, a professional site-builder, graphic designer and marketer - or you're only looking to 'get your site up and running for optimum opportuntity for success' .. the best bet for your $$ is the SiteBuildIt program. The numbers prove it. Head to their site and check it out: www.sitesell.com

{NOTE: One more comment here about SiteSell, Inc. When you signup for the program, the resources you have access to and the products you can purchase are among the absolute best resources for marketing ANYWHERE! I've seen what 'the rest offer': from online trainers of marketing to University-based marketing .. and NONE OF THEM .. are better: most are not even close to as good. Time is too short and money too easily lost to spend either in the wrong places. So, if you're serious about eCommerce - in a BIG WAY, or just to 'get your feet wet' by earning a few extra dollars a year - you owe it to yourself to check out SiteSell.

{NOTE: To avoid any conflict-of-interest in my comments - that URL IS the SiteSell entry .. NOT MySiteSell 'doorway'. So, I gain nothing financially in this advice.


If you go the template route, remember UNIQUE content is king and search engines can only read plain text, not images, so be sure to incorporate everything you learn about SEO into the text content of the page.


[net500cg] Again, good advice. Your site must be -> YOUR SITE<- Your content, character and service must be want shines through. Just as if it was a street-vendor; door-to-door; or brick-n-morter business, your sustainability comes from 'client reorders and promotion' .. NOT the ONE TIME SALE. So, you must ALWAYS be selling YOU. Therefore, your site, must be YOU. Don't ever forget - regardless of the product or service you sell, it IS YOU your clientel are really buying.


Sites built from scratch some say are best and Microsoft FrontPage is fairly easy for a newbie to learn.


[net500cg] Not here. I must respectfully, disagree - VERY STRONGLY - with this comment. 30 years of marketing and design in the 'analog world' and 15 years in eMarketing and 11 years in site design in the 'digital world' cause me to say this:

1) Sites built from scatch - by PROFESSIONALS - are best: this includes Templated sites. Professionally designed templates, filled with original content (good, bad or indifferent) are BY FAR BETTER than poorly designed sites with great content.

Why? Because people (you and me) are visceral by nature. 47% of all who will ever visit your site are 'visually motivated' -positive or negative- to act upon your site. 35% want the information fast and easy. That means, 7-out-of-10 people who will ever visit your site will determine the 'value' of your site by its design, 100% of the time. Your content will NEVER get the chance to compete with poor design at the front door.

Good design will bring clients back .. affording you -at least- the opportunity to improve your content. Poor design only affords you a painful (costly) lesson and the opportunity to start all over again.

2) No one .. and I DO MEAN - NO ONE - who is a Professional site designer, uses Microsoft Front Page: not even the folks at Microsoft!

The Professional designer's choice of a WYSIWYG design program IS Macromedia's Dreamweaver: on the PC, Mac and Linux. Hand-coding on the PC is done with everything from Notepad to HomeSite (the engine on which Dreamweaver is based). The Mac's handcoding environment is a bit more ecclectic - but most use either TextEdit or BBEdit.

I've been using HomeSite since Nick Bradbury first developed it in 1995 and it is the choice of Dyanamic Developers worldwide. And I've been using Dreamweaver since it first hit the market in 1997.

I've had to learn and try nearly everything available for website development on the PC, Mac and Linux platforms. Because of this .. not despite it .. I rely on Dreamweaver and Homesite for my site development.

So, if you are NOT interested in producing Professional Quality site design and in doing what is required to do so -- put in your Time, Blood, Sweat & Tears -- to become good at it AND using the best tools possible, then either 'buy' your design from a reputable Professional .. or seek out a source, like SiteSell, that offers proven, professional - WORKING - site design; information; support and promotion. You will be $$ and years ahead of the rest of us who have squandered thousands of dollars (and more!) in attempts that were basically useless.

Again... Time is too short and money too easily lost to spend either in the wrong places. Don't waste either. You WILL be glad you didn't!!



Thank you Garrett for the sweet compliment on PageOne. I try to help whenever I can. :-)

[net500.cg] By and large, good advice. You deserve the compliment.

[AffiliateGoddess]

Hello All -

I don't post often, but I think I can offer some good advice. I've been consulting and managing affiliate programs for years (I'm the Affiliate Goddess - smile) and have looked at millions of affiliate sites over the years. Here's some thoughts:

1. I agree about SiteSell - worth every penny and you'll be learning from a master. They don't just sell you some templates, they guide you through every step you need to take.

2. You must be passionate about the site or sites you are developing. You're going to spend alot of time with the subject - better like it. :)

3. If you just don't have any ideas what to design a site around, use Wordtracker.com and Wordspot.com to see what people are searching for online. You'll get an idea of what's popular and then find something in that list that interests you.

4. This isn't about "selling" people something. There are 2 kinds of sites online, "Commerce" sites that have something to sell, and "Content" sites that have information. Content sites need to make money from their labors of love and so make great affiliates. They have developed a site with great content about a niche topic and then they have learned how to get traffic and a following about this topic (build a subscriber base - get ConstantContact - cheap and good). Then, AFTER that happens, you can begin to recommend products or place relevant ads that your trafic is interested in from COmmerce sites that run affiliate programs and will compensate you for sending them traffic that THEY sell to.

The ability of the Commerce site to "convert" the traffic you send is your #1 priority. If they cannot turn the interested people you send to them into buyers at a reasonable rate (2-5% of more) drop em and find a site that can. Conversion isn't your job, it's theirs. Traffic is YOUR job. Learn search, ppc, developing newsletter lists, link pop, and stickiness.

Lastly, work with companies that have actively involved Affiliate Managers. You can find many of this fine breed at ABestWeb and AffiliateBoards.com.

Good luck - imagine the day when you can earn $$$ while you sleep! It DOES work. Trust me. :)

Linda Woods
President, PartnerCentric, Inc.
Affiliate Marketing Consulting & Outsourced Program Management

Pro-actively managed programs: http://www.partnercentric.com/programs.shtml

[spronger]

Hello all ive been trying at affiliate marketing for a couple months now and havent really found anything that works.
V/R
Chris

Hello All,

Affiliate programs started out as a sideline for my web design business but they now account for more income than my primary business. If I can just offer a few suggestions from my own experience:

ALWAYS buy the product you are affiliated with. It's the only way to feel the benefits and really know "what's in it" for your visitors.

Forget about trying to sell - it's actually counter-productive. Selling is the job of your merchant - your job is to RECOMMEND products and services based on YOUR experience with the product.

Build a content-based website that will attract visitors who NEED the products you represent.

Get this book - Affiliate Mistakes by Chuck McCullough. It's the best I've read (and I've read a lot) for actually producing results.
http://www.stevepronger.com/affiliate_mistakes.htm

Everything you've read about Site Build It is true. I review it here:
http://www.stevepronger.com/website_builder.htm

Cheers

Steve

[boudie]

Forget about trying to sell - it's actually counter-productive. Selling is the job of your merchant - your job is to RECOMMEND products and services based on YOUR experience with the product.

Spronger, you got it. That is exactly what affiliate marketing is about. That is why it is so important that prospective affiliates should get the product, they want to recommend, themselves. That is the only way to do it. I have seen so many affiliates just signing up for the sake of it and stuffing their website with all sort of affiliate programs that it becomes chaotic, and sometimes even contradicting. e.g. promoting one software to generate pop-ups and on the same page promoting software to stop pop-ups.

Just my 2 bob.

[TrafficProducer]

commission juntion but didnt make any commissions

Remember that CJ and others may take two months to accept that an item has been purchased and may take three month to pay commission on those sales.

CJ wait longer for new publisers, I think an extra month or so, before payouts.

Guides:

a) don't panic.
b) It may take 500+ clicks before an item is purchased.
c) you will not become a millionaire, not overnight anyway.
d) Commission may help pay towards bandwidth, hosting, etc.
e) maintaining links or price of Data Feeds could outweigh any benefits, for anything more complex than the basic links.