Sunday, May 29, 2011

How To Make Money With Affiliate Programs

  With affiliate programs, it really pays to work well with others.  Affiliate programs are normally commission based sales. You recommend a site to your visitors and then pick up a percentage of any sale that those visitors make. You'll benefit from the commission and the merchant benefits from the sales.

  If you already have a website set up, you can run an affiliate program from it, or you can simply build a site to promote a particular product or service. As long as it brings in more cash than it takes to build or run it.

  With any marketing program, you'll need to be careful when you select an affiliate program. The benefit of an affiliate program will give you another way to make money.

  Even though it may seem tempting to go for programs with the highest commissions, those programs will not pay you anything if your visitors don't buy them.

  Below, you'll find some tips to help you select an affiliate program that's right for you:

1. Do not accept any less than 25% with commission. You can find many programs with great payment structures and high percentages of pay in just about any field.

2. Look for statistic pages that list the number of clicks, click through rate, sales, and earnings so you will be able to see how you are doing.

3. Always look for programs that offer a wide variety of tools to put on your web site, including banners, text links, and of course graphics.

4. Find out how often you'll be paid and be sure that the payment schedule meets with your expectations. Some programs will pay monthly, while others will pay quarterly.

5. Be sure that top level support is included. If they can't answer your questions in a quick and timely manner, you don't want to work with them.

  Once you learn what you are doing with affiliate programs, you can make a lot of money.  If you are just starting out, you should always use common sense and not rush into anything.
 james

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Why Online Marketing

  A lot of people are now getting into online businesses and online marketing either to supplement their  income or for it to become their primary source of income. Why? Because online marketing provides them a lot of benefits!

  First, you can reach just about anybody in the world who has internet access if you market your products online. That means a wider market for you, which can translate to larger profits. Second, setting up an online business requires only a fraction of the cost required to set up an actual business establishment, which means a lot of savings for the business owner.

  Another aspect that has attracted a lot of people towards online marketing is the fact that one doesn’t have to have his own products to get started. In online marketing, one can start making a lot of money just by selling, or even by just trying to sell, other people’s products. And getting started with this kind of marketing strategy is actually quite easy. All that one needs to do is to set up an agreement with an online retailer or merchant, and after everything is settled, one can immediately start making money by selling the merchant’s or the retailer’s products.

  The most popular and the fastest growing method of selling other people’s products online is affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing, in its simplest definition, is a relationship between an online merchant or retailer, who has products to sell, and his affiliates, who are willing to promote the merchant’s product on their website.

  In a typical affiliate marketing set up, the merchant provides his affiliates with banners and text ads that links to his site. The affiliates will then get these ads posted on their website and they get paid whenever traffic or sales is directed to the merchant’s website. Affiliates are often paid on commission basis, although other online merchants would opt to pay a fixed fee for the affiliate’s compensation.

  Starting to make money online with affiliate marketing is relatively quick and easy. All that one has to do is to sign up as an affiliate for an online company that offers affiliate programs. An alternative method, and usually an easier one, is to sign up as a member of an affiliate network—a network that hosts a variety of affiliate programs for different online merchants or retailers. Signing up is usually free, although other companies and networks may require you to pay a particular fee. Such fees, however, are made as payment for additional services that the company may render, like providing you with tools and assistance to start your online business.

  When you sign up with an affiliate marketing program, you are usually required to fill out a form containing information about yourself. Some affiliate programs may also require you to present the URL of your website and describe its contents. This will allow the retailers to verify that you actually have a website with contents that are relevant to their products. Some affiliate programs, however, won’t require you to have a website. After filling out the form and all, you are then allowed to choose the affiliate programs you want to promote.

  After signing up with an affiliate program and being an actual affiliate, you are now ready to start making a lot of money by selling other people’s product online. How do you make money? There are actually a number of ways for you to earn money as an affiliate, and most of these ways depends on the type of affiliate marketing program you’ve gotten into.

  Many affiliate marketing programs compensate their affiliates in either of three ways: pay-per-click (PPC), pay-per-sale (PPS), or pay-per-lead (PPL). In pay-per-click affiliate marketing, the affiliate is paid whenever he directs traffic to the merchant’s site. PPS and PPL affiliate marketing programs work rather differently. In PPS, the affiliate only gets paid when his referral converts into an actual sale. In typical PPS affiliate programs, the affiliate would usually get 15% to 20% commission for each conversion. PPL affiliate programs work the same way, although affiliates are paid a fixed fee whenever his referral converts into a lead for the company.

  Some affiliate marketing programs are two-tier programs, wherein the affiliate is also allowed to recommend other affiliates to the merchant. In such affiliate programs, the affiliate would not only be paid for the traffic or sales that he would direct to the merchant’s site but also for the traffic or sales directed by the affiliates who signed up with the program through his recommendation.

  Yet another way of earning more profits with affiliate marketing is through residual affiliate programs. Residual affiliate programs are affiliate programs where the affiliate gets paid a number of times for as long as the merchant keeps the customer the affiliate has referred to his site. One form of residual program gets the affiliate paid a commission every time the referred customer purchases something on the merchant’s site. Another form of residual affiliate program gets the affiliate paid a percentage every month for as long as the company keeps the referred customer.

  With a lot of options available and a lot of ways to earn money, affiliate marketing is undoubtedly the most popular and the easiest way to make money by selling other people’s products online. As to how much money one can get from affiliate marketing actually depends on the affiliate. A dedicated and hardworking affiliate would certainly get more from the program compared to those affiliates who would simply sign up and forget about the program later. 

james

Thursday, May 26, 2011

There Are Many Types Of Affiliate Marketing

  Affiliate marketing programs have never been as popular before as it is today. Why? There can be a number of reasons. The most probable reason, however, could be the fact that the benefits of Affiliate marketing have become clearer to a lot of people now than they were before.

Today, both the merchants and the affiliates can see clearly that affiliate marketing can work for both of them. The merchant sees affiliate marketing today as the chance to advertise their products at a lower cost. The affiliates, on the other hand, sees affiliate marketing as an easy way of earning profits online by doing what they like most, and that is by creating websites.

Just as the popularity of affiliate marketing has shifted into high gear, so has the outlook about it changed. No longer is affiliate marketing considered today as an alternative method for the merchant to advertise his products, or as a source of additional income for the affiliates. For merchants and affiliates alike, affiliate marketing is now considered as a main source of profits and revenues.

So the question now is what type of affiliate marketing will work best for you? Are all affiliate marketing programs the same? Are the benefits the same? Or are there affiliate marketing programs that work better than the others?

There are actually different types or classes of affiliate marketing, and the number of types will depend on how one will classify them. The most basic affiliate marketing programs, however, falls under two categories: pay-per-click (PPC), and pay-per-performance (PPP).

• Pay Per Click (PPC)

PPC is the most popular type of affiliate marketing for affiliates with small websites, and probably the easiest way for them to earn money. In this affiliate marketing type, the merchant pays his affiliate whenever a visitor is referred to his site, that is whenever someone clicks through the merchant's banner or text ads. The affiliate gets paid a certain amount even if the visitor he referred does not purchase anything from the merchant's site. However, typical fees for PPC affiliate programs are small, usually not exceeding a dollar for every click.

• Pay Per Performance (PPP)

PPP affiliate marketing is the most popular among merchant and is also the most lucrative type for the affiliates. In this type of affiliate program, the merchant only pays the affiliate whenever his referral translates into an action—that is whenever the visitor he has referred actually buys something from the merchant's site or when the visitor becomes a lead. This means a lot of savings for the merchant. On the other hand, it becomes the most lucrative type for the dedicated affiliate, for commissions in PPP affiliate marketing usually comes in the range of 15% to 20% of the actual product sales.

Pay-per-performance affiliate marketing can be further classified into two popular types: pay-per-sales (PPS) and pay-per-lead (PPL).

   o Pay Per Sale (PPS)
In a pay-per-sale type of affiliate marketing, the merchants pay the affiliate a certain fee whenever the visitor he has referred to the merchant's site actually buys something from the merchant's site. Affiliates are often paid on commission basis, although other merchants would opt to pay a fixed fee. But no matter what the basis of the fee is, it is generally higher than the fee paid to affiliates in a pay-per-click affiliate program.

   o Pay Per Lead (PPL)

The pay-per-lead type of affiliate marketing is a slight variation of the PPS type and is often used by insurance and finance companies and other companies who rely on leads for their company to grow. In this type of affiliate marketing, the affiliate is paid whenever the visitor he referred to the merchant's site fills up an application form or any similar form related to the business of the company. Compensation for this type of affiliate marketing is based on a fixed fee whose rates approximate that of the fixed fee in the PPS type.

Aside from these three specific types of affiliate marketing, a lot of other affiliate marketing types exist. If the classification is based on the depth of the affiliate network, it can be classified as single-tier, two-tier, and multi-tier affiliate marketing. There is also another type of affiliate marketing that pays the affiliate each time the customer he has referred purchases something from the merchant's site.

• Single-Tier, Two-Tier, and Multi-Tier Affiliate Marketing

These types of affiliate marketing are based on the different levels or tiers in the affiliate network by which payments are made. In a single-tier affiliate marketing program, the affiliates are only paid based on the direct sales or traffic he has referred to the merchant. All the previously mentioned affiliate marketing types (i.e. PPS< PPL, and PPC) fall under the single-tier classification.

   • In two-tier affiliate marketing programs, the affiliate is not only paid for the direct traffic or sales that he refers to the merchant's site, but also on every traffic or sales referred by various other affiliates who joined the affiliate program through his recommendation. Multi tier affiliate marketing works the same way, although the affiliate gets additional commission for a wider number of affiliates in different tiers in the affiliate network.

• Residual Income Affiliate Marketing

In residual income affiliate marketing, the affiliate gets paid not only once for every customer he has referred to the merchant's site. Rather, the affiliate is also paid whenever the customer he has referred returns to the site and purchase another product. Compensation for such type of affiliate marketing is based on either sales percentage commission or fixed fee basis.

The different affiliate marketing types would virtually work differently for merchants and affiliates alike, and each would generally have their own list of benefits. Which type of affiliate marketing will work best for you?  You must decide which type of affiliate marketing program will suit your needs and characteristics best.

james

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Using An Ad tracker Is Key To Network Marketing

There’s a lot of money in network marketing. This is true, however, only for those who are seriously and zealously working on their programs and tools. Success varies in every individual and it depends on his will and perseverance. No matter how good a network marketing program is, it will not prosper if the marketer does not pay the price of hard work. One must exert extra effort especially on the aspect of promotion. Nothing will happen if your links or banners just lie idle. A network marketer must be able to convince the visitor to click and proceed to the business site to buy the products. No clicks means no income.

You can actually generate a full-time income by means network marketing and you can do it at home, and yes, even while you sleep. You must have a good web site to begin with. It must have good promotional and informative contents, pleasing design and inviting banner ads. If you are advertising a replicated site then you will spend a lot of time sending using safelists, mailers, and possibly traffic exchanges.

It can be this easy if you have planned your advertising program well and have taken all the steps towards success carefully and diligently. Here is a tool you can use to help you go through the program with ease and confidence, the Ad Tracker. For many experienced and successful network marketers, the Ad Tracker is a key to a successful network marketing program.

What is an ad tracker? It is a marketing tracking software or program that allows you to trace and take note of every click-through made by visitors of your site and by other customers who have your referral link. There are ad tracking service providers as well, so you will just have to pay them to do the tracking for you. With the ad tracker, you can keep an eye on the progress of your marketing campaigns even offline. This tool or program is especially helpful if you are engaged in several marketing methods.

Of course, you don’t want all your efforts to be put to waste so you want to make sure you are getting paid for your hard work. Likewise, you want to make sure every dollar or cent you disburse in your advertising campaigns is wisely spent. With the help of the ad tracker, you will know accurately how many and which of your links where clicked on, how many clicked on your links, how many of your emails were opened and how many of those who opened your email clicked through the business site and purchased a product, how many products were purchased, which of your banner ads or links brought the most leads and sales and many other pertinent facts and figures you need.

I currently use several ad trackers depending on the information I am seeking. Many start with free tracking and many advertising sites themselves supply tracking of the click through rates of your ads. May I suggest giving  Hits Connect or Viral Mail Profits a good look.

Sales records and all data stated are necessary in any business as this could determine if your affiliate program is still worth continuing. This would also help you determine which of your marketing strategies is most effective and which is most beneficial for each product or service you are promoting.

Know whether your advertising techniques are effective or not, which works best for your program and which doesn’t. Get an ad tracker to help you know all these and you will be on the right track towards success! 

james

Monday, May 23, 2011

Why So Many People Fail In Affiliate Marketing

  More and More people are lured into affiliate marketing and you might be one of them. Indeed, affiliate marketing is one of the most effective means of generating a full-time income through the Internet. It’s a fair deal between the merchandiser and his affiliates as both benefit from each sale materialized. Like in other kinds of business, a great deal of the profits in affiliate marketing depends on the affiliate’s advertising, promoting and selling strategies. Everyday, as affiliate marketing industry expands, competition heightens as well so an affiliate marketer must be creative enough to employ unique and effective ways to convince potential buyers to purchase or avail of the products and services offered.

Compared to traditional advertising practices, affiliate programs are more effective, risk-free and cost-efficient. But why do many people still fail in affiliate marketing? There are a lot of reasons and a lot of areas in the program to look into. The most critical aspect in the affiliate program is advertising. Many affiliate marketers fail in this aspect because they lack hard work, which is the most important thing in affiliate marketing and in all other kinds of business as well. Although it pays to be lucky, you cannot merely rely on it. Affiliate marketing isn’t as simple as directing customers to the business site. If you want to earn big, of course, you have to invest time and great amount of hard work in promoting the products. As earlier mentioned, the competition is very high and customers nowadays are very wise, too. After all, who doesn’t want to get the best purchase—that is, to pay less and get more in terms of quantity and quality.

Lack of preparation is also a reason why one fails in affiliate marketing, whether he is a merchandiser or an affiliate. Part of the preparation is researching. On the part of the merchant, he has to be highly selective in choosing the right affiliate websites for his affiliate program. In order to be sure he has the best choices, he must have exhausted his means in looking for highly interested affiliates whose sites are sure fit to his products and services. The affiliate site’s visitors must match his targeted customers. On the other hand, the affiliate marketer must likewise research on the good-paying merchandisers before he signs up for an affiliate program. He must ensure that the merchants’ products and services match his interests so he can give his full attention and dedication to the program. He can get valuable information by joining affiliate forums, comparing different affiliate programs and reading articles on affiliate marketing where he can get tips from experienced affiliate marketers on how to choose the best merchants and products with high conversion rate.

The website is a very important tool in the whole affiliate program. As an affiliate marketer, you should plan how your site is going to be, from domain name to the design, the lay-out, the content, and ads. Some users are particular about what they see at first glance and thus when they find your site ugly, they won’t read through the content even if your site has many things to say and offer. On the other hand, there those who want information more than anything else. Affiliate marketers with “rich-content” web sites are usually the ones who prosper in this business because the content improves traffic to the site. Websites with high quality contents—with relevant keywords and more importantly, right information about the product and not empty hyped-up advertisements—allow you to earn big in affiliate marketing even when you’re asleep. If you won’t be able to sustain the interest of your site visitor, you won’t be able to lead him to the merchants’ site. No click-through means no sale and thus, no income on your part.

Selecting a top level domain name is also crucial to the success of the affiliate program. Lots of affiliate sites don’t appear in the search engine results because they are deemed by affiliate managers as personal sites. Major search engines and directories would think of your site as transient ones and thus, they won’t list it in the directory. Before you decide on the domain name, know first what you are going to promote. Many fail because their sites are not appropriately named, so even when they feature the exact products the customer is looking for, the customer might think the site is not relevant and thus, won’t enter the site.

Above all, an affiliate marketer must be willing to learn more. Certainly, there are still a lot of things to learn and so an affiliate marketer must continue to educate himself so he can improve his marketing strategies. Many fail because they don’t grow in the business and they are merely concerned about earning big quickly. If you want long-term and highly satisfactory results, take time to learn the ins and outs of the business. Continue to improve your knowledge especially with the basics in affiliate marketing ranging from advertising to programming, web page development, and search engine optimization techniques. Likewise, study the needs and wants of your site users and how different merchandisers compete with each other.

Keep on trying; don’t get disappointed if your first attempts did not pay off. Thousands are attracted by the possibility of generating skyrocketing incomes through affiliate marketing and so they sign up in any affiliate program without carefully understanding every aspect of the business. When they don’t get instant results, they quit and sign up for another program and repeat the process of just copying links and referring them to others. When you sign up for an affiliate program, don’t expect to get rich in an instant. Work on your advertising strategies and be patient. You’ll never know how much you can get if you don’t persevere.

james

Friday, May 20, 2011

Downline Building Software Review

Today I am going to give a review of a downline building software that I have used for a couple of years
DesktopLightning.com. A lot of people are saying really good things about the site,
but are they true?

I decided to write up an honest review of the site, covering
what I believe to be its strengths and its weaknesses, just
to clear it up once and for all...

================================================================
        DesktopLightning.com - Strengths and Weaknesses
================================================================

  Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars (* * * * 1/2)
 
  In A Nutshell
  -------------
 
  A catchy new viral marketing tool, capable of broadcasting
  messages directly to people's desktops.  Easy to use, and
  caters primarily to those who have something they want to
  promote and are looking for a better way to do it.
 
  (Read on for why I didn't give it 5 stars)

  1. Initial Impressions
  ----------------------
 
  When I was first introduced to DesktopLightning.com, I wasn't
  quite sure exactly what to think.  Everyone was saying it was
  going to be more powerful than e-mail marketing, but this
  seemed like too bold of a claim.
 
  I signed up anyway, since I usually give things a chance --
  that's how I have found the several sites I do really trust
  and rely on.
 
  The signup process did take about 60 seconds, as advertised,
  and their software program downloaded and installed in about
  30 seconds.  No long, tedious install processes here.  If you
  own downloadable software, you might want to take a look at
  how quick their install process is.
 
  Right after installing this downline building software, it ran immediately, and
  I was quickly presented with a tool to invite my friends.
 
  Within one-click's access was my Inbox, the tool to send
  broadcasts, a statistics page, and my favorite, the "Build
  Your Network" page.
 
  I'll get more into why that's my favorite page later.
 
  2. Viral Growth
  ---------------
 
  This is where the site really shines, in my opinion.  The
  purpose of a viral marketing site is that you should be able
  to invite just a few people, and then it will start growing
  on its own.
 
  Many sites claim to work like this, but few actually work as
  advertised.
 
  I'm not sure if it's because of their unique concept or the
  slick implementation, but this site is REALLY viral.  Here's
  some of the testimonials they got, which I think sum it up
  pretty well:
 
      "I haven't ever seen a system build a downline so
      fast. I joined your program just to try something
      new.  Four days later I had a downline of 43 people.
      This is unbelievable."
     
           ~ Harry Joseph
         
      "I invited just a handful of people only a few days
      ago and I already have 48 members on 5 levels below
      me.  I am going to keep promoting this, but I see it
      has a life of it's own now. I couldn't stop my
      network from expanding if I wanted to!"

           ~ David Parton
 
     "This website is so viral - I received over 100
     sign-ups and my network is already 5 levels deep in
     less than 48 hours."

           ~ Rene Keiser
         
  Although they obviously can't guarantee results for anyone,
  the general consensus is that most people who do get those
  initial few people in are experiencing results similar to
  these.
 
  I give DesktopLightning.com an A+ for spreading like wildfire.
 
  3. Direct-To-Desktop Broadcasts
  -------------------------------
 
  So, once you have the people in your network from the direct
  invitations and the viral growth, then it really gets cool.
  Now is when you get to broadcast whatever message you want
  directly to their desktops.
 
  Gone are the days of sending out emails and wondering if
  they were received due to spam filters and a crowded inbox.
 
  If you upgrade to their Platinum membership, then you can even
  get exact statistics on the percentage of your broadcasts that
  were opened, but the Platinum membership is not the subject
  of this review.
 
  Here's how it works -- the DesktopLightning.com software is
  what allows the direct-to-desktop communication to be
  received. Since everyone in your network will have the
  DesktopLightning.com application installed, just as you do,
  this is what allows such smooth and instant communication
  to occur.
 
  Within one hour of your sending the message, everyone in your
  network who is online will receive a notification on their
  desktop that they can click to read your message.
 
  Anyone who isn't online at the time will receive it when they
  log on next.
 
  I'm sure you can see why this type of communication has been
  more successful than email as of late, so I won't get into
  it too much here. The basic point though is that there's no
  way your message can be lost, overlooked, or blocked by any
  filters.
 
  If you upgrade to their Platinum service you can do things
  like embed video and sound right into the broadcast, but
  again, I'll save the Platinum service for another review.
 
  4. Building Your Downline
  ------------------------
 
  Most sites out there nowadays don't really help you build a
  network of people below you.  They just throw you a URL and
  tell you to run with it.
 
  While this works for most advanced people, it's not something
  that's very easy for people who are just starting out.
 
  DesktopLightning.com went really far this time to make sure
  that everyone has a way to bring people into their network,
  regardless of skill level.
 
  When you click on the "Build Your Network" link from within
  their application, you'll be presented with a surprising
  number of tools to help you build your downline.
 
  Everything from banners, to popups, to text ads, to invitation
  tools, to emails to send out, etc.
 
  Then, they continue to offer something which I haven't seen on
  any Internet Marketing site yet -- they have a "Starting From
  Scratch" section, designed specifically for people who have
  no list and no website with traffic.
 
  If you're in that position, then you'll love this section,
  since they detail specific strategies you can use to promote
  DesktopLightning.com (or anything for that matter), even if
  you don't have anything to start with.
 
  Quite a valuable resource.
 
  5. Not For Everyone
  -------------------
 
  With all that said, the only downside to DesktopLightning.com
  is that it's not for everyone.
 
  Of course, some might see that as an upside, since it's a more
  targeted opportunity.
 
  Basically, the bottom line is that it is a promotional tool. 
 You need to have something you want to promote or advertise
 before you can really make use of the site.
 
  This is all due to the fact that the basic concept is that
  you build a viral network of people, and then broadcast
  something to it.
 
  But, this "something" is whatever you want, so you must
  already have something you'd want to send to a lot of people.
 
  If you don't have something yet, you could start building your
  network first, and then once you get something to promote
  you'll be ready to launch it immediately.
 
  If you do have something to promote, that's when the site
  really shines.
 
  6. Conclusion
  -------------
 
  I would recommend this site to anyone who has something to
  promote or advertise.
 
  It definitely works, and your downline will grow extremely
  fast if you put some energy into getting it started.
 
  The direct-to-desktop broadcasts are a killer app in today's
  online climate, where emails barely even get through anymore.
 
  The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it has
  nothing to offer for people who don't have anything to
  promote or advertise yet.
 
  If you want to advertise or promote something to a lot of
  people in a unique and powerful way, then this site is for
  you.
 
================================================================

At any rate, my general opinion is that since it's so quick to
set up and try, if you have something you want to promote you
might as well go check it out.

You can always remove it later if you decide you don't like it.

Here's the link where you can sign up ==> DesktopLightning
 
Enjoy! :)

James

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Survive Online

Every affiliate marketer is always looking for the successful market that gives the biggest paycheck. Sometimes they think it is a magic formula that is readily available for them. Actually, it is more complicated than that. It is just good marketing practices that have been proven over years of hard work and dedication.

There are tactics that have worked before with online marketing and is continuing to work in the online affiliate marketing world of today. With these top three marketing tips, you will be able to able to increase your sales and survive in the affiliate marketing online.

So what are these three tactics?

  1. Using unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing. Do not lump all of it together just to save some money on web hosting. It is best to have a site focusing on each and every product.

Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial understanding on what the product can do to those who buys them. Also include testimonials from users who have already tried the product. Be sure that these customers are more than willing to allow you to use their names and photos on the site of the specific product you are marketing.

You can also write articles highlighting the uses of the product and include them on the website as an additional page. Make the pages attractive compelling and include calls to act on the information. Each headline should attract the readers to try and read more, even contact you. Highlight your special points. This will help your readers to learn what the page is about and will want to find out more.

  2. Offer free reports to your readers. If possible position them at the very top side of your page so it they simply cannot be missed. Try to create autoresponder messages that will be mailed to those who input their personal information into your sign up box. According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.

Only two things can possibly happen with the web page alone: closed sale or the prospect leaving the page and never return again. By placing useful information into their inbox at certain specified period, you will remind them of the product they thought they want.  Be sure that the content is directed toward specific reasons to buy the product. Do not make it sound like a sales pitch.

Focus on important points like how your product can make life and things easier and more enjoyable. Include compelling subject lines in the email. As much as possible, avoid using the word “free” because there are still older spam filters that dumps those kind of contents into the junk before even anyone reading them first. Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing something big if they do not avail of your products and services.

  3. Get the kind of traffic that is targeted to your product. Just think, if the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are offering, they will be among those who move on and never come back. Write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can locate publications that is focusing on your target customers and what you have put up might just grab their interest.


Always remember that only 1 out of 100 people are likely to buy your product or get your services. If you can generate as much as 1,000 targeted hits for your website in a day, that means you can make 10 sales based on the average statistic.

The tactics given above does not really sound very difficult to do, if you think about it. It just requires a little time and an action plan on your part.

Try to use these tips for several affiliate marketing programs. You can end maintaining a good source of income and surviving in this business that not all marketers can do.

James




Monday, May 16, 2011

7 Ways to Drive Laser-Targeted Traffic

An affiliate marketer may have all the things needed for him to be able to succeed in a business such as affiliate marketing. He may have the necessary drive, diligence and perseverance to be able to understand how the system works. He may have all the tools necessary in maintaining the business, including a really unique and interesting website which could earn him a fortune if only the whole world could see it. However, all these would prove useless if he does not know how to drive traffic to his website. His business would sink into oblivion together with all the sales, fortune and dreams that he might have realized if he only knew how to do this particular task.


Getting traffic to see one’s website is a difficult undertaking when you consider the fact that there are rivals everywhere needing the same thing. The immensity of the internet as well as the affiliate marketing world has given birth to the fierce competition between affiliate marketers, each of whom has his own great product to offer.  Everyone says look at my website....look at my product. How do you get your website to stand out?  Here are the seven best ways to drive laser-targeted traffic to one’s own website.


1. The first step in driving traffic to one’s website is by relying on search engines and what they can do for the affiliate marketer. They are popular for driving free targeted traffic. Having top search engine rankings is vital in building popularity links, and the use of the right keywords is important in attaining this goal. Once a website is on top of the list, it is easily accessible to anyone who wants to see it for himself.


2. The second way in driving traffic to one’s website is by contacting other webmasters for a possible link exchange partnership. Locating websites that are related to one’s own website is the primary task. Once there, he should be able to establish communication by personalizing everything as much as possible. It is then possible to make reciprocal link exchanges between webmasters.


3. The third way is through writing one’s own articles. This is an effective way in promoting a website, because good content that are appreciated by readers will lead them to visit the writer's website.


4. The fourth way is through joint venture marketing. This is one of the most effective ways of promoting a product or a service. Having a partner through ad swap or link exchange is beneficial to both parties as it allows them to reach a wide customer base in a short amount of time.


5. The fifth is through joining affiliate programs. Having affiliates to do the work means allowing them to bring tons of traffic to a website.


6. The sixth is by having a list of subscribers that one can refer to every so often, because they are those which would prove to be valuable assets for the marketer concerned. The use of autoresponders and personalized newsletters is one way of keeping track of them all, and holding on to them by letting them know about new products and services is an essential task that should be done by the affiliate marketer.


7. The seventh is by knowing one’s market through and through. It is important for traffic to be targeted to those who might have a special interest in the theme or topic of one’s website. This way, a solid customer base is going to be created. Once a potential customer shows an interest in a particular website by paying it a visit.  Show him that his effort is worth it.


Traffic generating strategies are important in trying to make one’s affiliate marketing career move forward. It is always advantageous to plan your moves in any business wisely. This is particularly so in affiliate marketing. If you know how to get people to see what you have to offer, then you are on the right track.

James

Friday, May 13, 2011

3 Necessary Tools for the High Rolling Affiliate Marketer

What does it take to become a successful Affiliate Marketer? What are the ingredients of an affiliate marketing success story? Is there a shortcut to Affiliate Marketing success? 

Although affiliate marketing is considered one of the easiest and most effective ways to earn money online, it is not as easy as it sounds. The wise affiliate marketer plans every action and executes it to the max. He should also maximize the potential to earn by utilizing the right tools necessary for a successful Affiliate Marketing business.  Some of the most successful affiliate marketers in the business have given this input.  Below are the top three tools for a successful affiliate marketing business.

 Important Tool #1: Your Own Website

The most important and indispensable tool in Affiliate Marketing is your own website. The first step in any successful affiliate marketing business is building a good, credible and professional looking website. Your website is the focal point of all your marketing efforts.  With this in mind you must first build a user-friendly website, which will appeal to your prospects and encourage them to click on the links to the products and service you are promoting and make a purchase. Therefore, you must first concentrate your efforts in building a website that will cater to what your prospects need.

The most important thing you should consider is that almost all web users go online to look for information, not necessarily to go and buy something. Above all else, make your website full of original, relevant and useful content. People will love articles that are appealing and helpful. Keep in mind that, in the internet, content is king and good quality content will not only build your credibility, it will help you to achieve a higher search engine ranking. By posting relevant and useful articles, you establish yourself as a credible expert in the field, making you a more trustworthy endorser of the product or service you promote. Establishing a good reputation is the first step in building a loyal consumer base.

Important Tool #2: Incentives

Competition is extremely tight in the internet world. You must always be one-step ahead of your rivals to ensure that you capture a significant share of your target market. Therefore, you must use every possible means to encourage people not only to visit your site but also to click and proceed to the websites of the products and services you are promoting. Building an opt-in email list is one of the best ways to gather prospects. Offer a newsletter or an e-zine.  Offer incentives to your prospects to encourage them to subscribe to your newsletters. You can present free software, access to exclusive services and other freebies that will be helpful to your prospects.

Important Tool #3: Link Popularity

The importance of driving highly targeted traffic to your website can not be over emphasized. The importance of web traffic is at the top of the list in importance.  Attracting people to your site should be the first step you should carry out. Do everything to achieve a high search engine ranking. Link popularity is one of the factors that search engines use to determine search engine rankings. Therefore, to enhance your link popularity, you must launch a link campaign.

One of the best ways to do this – at no cost at all – is by submitting articles, with your website's link at the resource box, to e-zines and free article sites. You will not only gain exposure, you will also have the opportunity to advertise for free, just include a link back to your site. The more sites you submit your articles to, the better your link popularity is. Make your articles original, relevant and useful so that more websites will pick it up and post it.

These are only three of the many tools that an affiliate marketer can use to maximize earning potential. The possibilities are endless and are limited only by your imagination, creativity, resourcefulness and determination. You can always explore other ideas and adapt other strategies, which you think might help you become a high rolling affiliate marketer.

James

Thursday, May 12, 2011

5 Qualities For Affiliate Marketing

 Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular businesses around.  In a business with no bosses, deadlines to meet, or piles of work that have to be finished by the end of the day.  Affiliate marketing is hard to beat.  In order to succeed, you only need the right tools. There are basically five things you can't do without if you want to make it in the business of affiliate marketing. Below, you'll find each quality you'll need.

1. Desire to learn:
The first quality you must possess is the desire to learn, coupled with the willingness to be trained. If you have never done sales affiliate marketing can be a true learning experience. You will need the right knowledge. This is a combination of the right frame of mind, coupled with a strong work ethic. When starting out, you'll need to be willing to keep your eyes and ears open, using the experience of others to learn more as you go.

2. Your time and effort are required:
The second quality you must have is the willingness to invest time and effort in helping your business grow, even if you don't see immediate results. Even though weeks may pass without hearing good news, it's very important for anyone who wants to get their foot in the business world.

3. Determination:
The third quality you'll need is determination. If you want to be successful in the world of affiliate marketing, you must push yourself forward. The ability to push yourself to greater heights will determine what type of future you have.

4. Discipline:
The fourth quality is self discipline. If you teach yourself to work everyday with all of your heart and soul, you can reach your goals and make your dreams come true.

5. Optimism:
The last quality you must have is optimism. 
Bad attitudes should never discourage you from pursuing your dreams.
The attitude you have will be reflected in the success that you have.

If you put the above tips to good use, you'll go farther than you ever thought possible in the world of affiliate marketing. You'll need these qualities to succeed. With the above qualities, you will have the opportunity to make a good income.
James



Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Top 3 Ways To Boost Your Affiliate Commissions Overnight

The ideal world of affiliate marketing does not require having your own website, dealing with customers, refunds, product development and maintenance. This is one of the easiest ways of launching into an online business and earning more profits.

Assuming you are already into an affiliate program, what would be the next thing you would want to do? Double, or even triple, your commissions, right? How do you do that?

Here are some powerful tips on how to boost your affiliate program commissions overnight.

  1. Know the best program and products to promote. Obviously, you would want to promote a program that will enable you to achieve the greatest profits in the shortest possible time.

There are several factors to consider in selecting such a program. Choose the ones that have a generous commission structure. Have products that fit in with your target audience. And that has a solid track record of paying their affiliate easily and on time. If you cannot seem to increase your investments, dump that program and keep looking for better ones.

There are thousands of affiliate programs online which gives you the reason to be picky. You may want to select the best to avoid losing your advertising dollars.

Write free reports or short ebooks to distribute from your site. There is a great possibility that you are competing with other affiliates that are promoting the same program. If you start writing short report related to the product you are promoting, you will be able to distinguish yourself from the other affiliates.

In the reports, provide some valuable information for free. If possible, add some recommendations about the products. With ebooks, you get credibility. Customers will see that in you and they will be enticed to try out what you are offering.

  2. Collect and save the email addresses of those who download your free ebooks. It is a known fact that people do not make a purchase on the first solicitation. You may want to send out your message more than six times to make a sale.

This is the simple reason why you should collect the contact information of those who downloaded your reports and ebooks. You can make follow-ups on these contacts to remind them to make a purchase from you.

Get the contact information of a prospect before sending them to the vendor’s website. Keep in mind that you are providing free advertisement for the product owners. You get paid only when you make a sale. If you send prospects directly to the vendors, chances are they would be lost to you forever.

But when you get their names, you can always send other marketing messages to them to be able to earn an ongoing commission instead of a one-time sale only.

Publish an online newsletter or Ezine. It is always best to recommend a product to someone you know than to sell to a stranger. This is the purpose behind publishing your own newsletter. This also allows you to develop a relationship based on trust with your subscribers.

This strategy is a delicate balance between providing useful information with a sales pitch. If you continue to write informative editorials you will be able to build a sense of reciprocity in your readers that may lead them to support you by buying your products.

3. Ask for higher than normal commission from merchants. If you are already successful with a particular promotion, you should try and approach the merchant and negotiate a percentage commission for your sales.

If the merchant is smart, he or she will likely grant your request rather than lose a valuable asset in you. Keep in mind that you are a zero-risk investment to your merchant; so do not be shy about requesting for addition in your commissions. Just try to be reasonable about it.

Write strong pay Per Click ads. PPC search engine is the most effective means of advertising online. As an affiliate, you can make a small income just by managing PPC campaigns such as Google AdWords and Overture. Then you should try and monitor them to see which ads are more effective and which ones to dispose of.

Try out these strategies and see the difference it can make to your commission checks in the shortest of time.

James

Sunday, May 8, 2011

3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Survive Online

Every affiliate marketer is always looking for the successful market that gives the biggest paycheck. Sometimes they think it is a magic formula that is readily available for them. Actually, it is more complicated than that. It is just good marketing practices that have been proven over years of hard work and dedication.

There are tactics that have worked before with online marketing and is continuing to work in the online affiliate marketing world of today. With these top three marketing tips, you will be able to able to increase your sales and survive in the affiliate marketing online.

What are these three tactics?

1. Using unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing. Do not lump all of it together just to save some money on web hosting. It is best to have a site focusing on each and every product and nothing more.

Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial understanding on what the product can do to those who buys them. Also include testimonials from users who have already tried the product. Be sure that these customers are more than willing to allow you to use their names and photos on the site of the specific product you are marketing.

You can also write articles highlighting the uses of the product and include them on the website as an additional page. Make the pages attractive compelling and include calls to act on the information. Each headline should attract the readers to try and read more, even contact you. Highlight your special points. This will help your readers to learn what the page is about and will want to find out more.

2. Offer free reports to your readers. If possible position them at the very top side of your page so it they simply cannot be missed. Try to create autoresponder messages that will be mailed to those who input their personal information into your sign up box. According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.

Only two things can possibly happen with the web page alone: closed sale or the prospect leaving the page and never return again. By placing useful information into their inboxes at certain specified period, you will remind them of the product they thought they want later and will find out that the sale is closed. Be sure that the content is directed toward specific reasons to buy the product. Do not make it sound like a sales pitch.

Focus on important points like how your product can make life and things easier and more enjoyable. Include compelling subject lines in the email. As much as possible, avoid using the word “free” because there are still older spam filters that dumps those kind of contents into the junk before even anyone reading them first. Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing something big if they do not avail of your products and services.

3. Get the kind of traffic that is targeted to your product. Just think, if the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are offering, they will be among those who move on and never come back. Write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can locate publications that is focusing on your target customers and what you have put up might just grab their interest.

Try to write a minimum of 2 articles per week, with at least 300-600 words in length. By continuously writing and maintaining these articles you can generate as many as 100 targeted readers to your site in a day.

Always remember that only 1 out of 100 people are likely to buy your product or get your services. If you can generate as much as 1,000 targeted hits for your website in a day, that means you can made 10 sales based on the average statistic.

The tactics given above does not really sound very difficult to do, if you think about it. It just requires a little time and an action plan on your part.

Try to use these tips for several affiliate marketing programs. You can end maintaining a good source of income and surviving in this business that not all marketers can do.

Besides, think of the huge paychecks you will be receiving…

James