Earn More From Your Site!
| Category: Affiliate Marketing - Basics | Date: 2003-04-28 |
"Ive got a web site and Im earning money, but how can I earn more without opening up new product lines and spending even more money on advertising?" I love that question. The answer is easy . . . affiliate programs.
Some of us have already learned that the "If you build it, they will come" approach only works in Kevin Costner films. Weve got to promote, promote, promote. The big bucks are going to come from developing a good web site, adding products and services that target our niche market and promoting the heck out of our site both on and off the Internet. However, some of us do not have the capital to invest in heavy-duty marketing. We may not be seeking to establish a brand, such as Amazon or CDNow. We simply want to sell our products and sell them well.
So, how can you maximize the revenues from the traffic you are already receiving? Thats where affiliate programs come into play. Affiliate programs (also known as reseller, partnership or associate programs) are revenue sharing arrangements set up by companies selling products and services on the net. Web site owners receive commissions for sending customers to the business. There are programs for cds, computers, even cars! By joining affiliate programs related to the content of your web site, you are offering even more products to your customers at no cost to you! Its a win-win situation, to say the least! Joining affiliate programs does not cost you money. It doesnt take much time. You dont need to worry about shipping and handling, taxing, updating product lists, NADA. You simply evaluate the affiliate program, join it, add the link from your site, do your marketing and earn commissions. Its really that simple . . . or can be.
Keep in mind that it probably wont fatten your bank account if you sign up for as many affiliate programs as you can and add zillions of links to your site. You are best off by offering only links to products that your visitors might be interested in. For example, if you sell hand-knit puppy sweaters, you might also want to link to www.petstore.com and earn a 10% commission for referring your visitors to their supply of dog food and pet supplies. If your customers are interested in puppy sweaters, chances are, they would be interested in what www.petstore.com has to offer. You can only increase your earning potential by linking to them. However, if you start adding links to computer vendors or on-line travel agents, your visitors will probably skip right over the links, thus, wasting your time, not to mention the space on your web pages!
Here are some tips to selecting the right affiliates for your site:
1. Dont get affiliate fever. Only sell products or services that are related to the content of your web site. You wont turn a good profit from linking to hundreds of web sites, but will most likely earn some extra revenue if you link to related items that your customers will be interested in.
2. Good Selection & Customer Service. Make sure the vendors you sign up with have good products and quality customer service. By linking to them, you are telling your customers that you endorse and trust them. Make sure that you do. It only takes one bad experience to lose a customer forever, even if the affiliate company is to blame for the problem.
3. How do they track your earnings? Make sure that the affiliate programs you sign up with offer on-line statistic tracking, or, at the very least, email notification. If you have to hunt them down to find out what youve earned, youll spend more time than the commissions are worth.
4. What is the payout? If the program only offers a 5% commission, forget about them. Unless they sell cars or Rolex watches, 5% isnt enough to justify your efforts. Also keep in mind that each company has a different payout schedule. Some pay once a quarter, others send you a check once you have reached a certain dollar amount of commissions.
5. And last, but not least, check for tools and special offers. Make sure the companies you affiliate yourself with notify you of special offers . . . savings you can pass along to your customers. See if they have a banner or advertisement that updates itself each month with their special offers. That way, you only have to add the link once, but your customers will always be abreast of the specials and discounts available from your site.
A great web site that lists and even posts comments about these programs can be found at www.associateprograms.com.
About the Author
Article by Holly Culpepper, of Shop Central. Holly is an e-commerce consultant and entrepreneur with part ownership in 6 web based companies. Holly actively assists others in creating or "adding to" e-commerce sites, and is a public speaker on various internet/e-commerce topics. She lives in Houston, Texas:To contact see details below.
culpeph@web-dynamics.com
Some of us have already learned that the "If you build it, they will come" approach only works in Kevin Costner films. Weve got to promote, promote, promote. The big bucks are going to come from developing a good web site, adding products and services that target our niche market and promoting the heck out of our site both on and off the Internet. However, some of us do not have the capital to invest in heavy-duty marketing. We may not be seeking to establish a brand, such as Amazon or CDNow. We simply want to sell our products and sell them well.
So, how can you maximize the revenues from the traffic you are already receiving? Thats where affiliate programs come into play. Affiliate programs (also known as reseller, partnership or associate programs) are revenue sharing arrangements set up by companies selling products and services on the net. Web site owners receive commissions for sending customers to the business. There are programs for cds, computers, even cars! By joining affiliate programs related to the content of your web site, you are offering even more products to your customers at no cost to you! Its a win-win situation, to say the least! Joining affiliate programs does not cost you money. It doesnt take much time. You dont need to worry about shipping and handling, taxing, updating product lists, NADA. You simply evaluate the affiliate program, join it, add the link from your site, do your marketing and earn commissions. Its really that simple . . . or can be.
Keep in mind that it probably wont fatten your bank account if you sign up for as many affiliate programs as you can and add zillions of links to your site. You are best off by offering only links to products that your visitors might be interested in. For example, if you sell hand-knit puppy sweaters, you might also want to link to www.petstore.com and earn a 10% commission for referring your visitors to their supply of dog food and pet supplies. If your customers are interested in puppy sweaters, chances are, they would be interested in what www.petstore.com has to offer. You can only increase your earning potential by linking to them. However, if you start adding links to computer vendors or on-line travel agents, your visitors will probably skip right over the links, thus, wasting your time, not to mention the space on your web pages!
Here are some tips to selecting the right affiliates for your site:
1. Dont get affiliate fever. Only sell products or services that are related to the content of your web site. You wont turn a good profit from linking to hundreds of web sites, but will most likely earn some extra revenue if you link to related items that your customers will be interested in.
2. Good Selection & Customer Service. Make sure the vendors you sign up with have good products and quality customer service. By linking to them, you are telling your customers that you endorse and trust them. Make sure that you do. It only takes one bad experience to lose a customer forever, even if the affiliate company is to blame for the problem.
3. How do they track your earnings? Make sure that the affiliate programs you sign up with offer on-line statistic tracking, or, at the very least, email notification. If you have to hunt them down to find out what youve earned, youll spend more time than the commissions are worth.
4. What is the payout? If the program only offers a 5% commission, forget about them. Unless they sell cars or Rolex watches, 5% isnt enough to justify your efforts. Also keep in mind that each company has a different payout schedule. Some pay once a quarter, others send you a check once you have reached a certain dollar amount of commissions.
5. And last, but not least, check for tools and special offers. Make sure the companies you affiliate yourself with notify you of special offers . . . savings you can pass along to your customers. See if they have a banner or advertisement that updates itself each month with their special offers. That way, you only have to add the link once, but your customers will always be abreast of the specials and discounts available from your site.
A great web site that lists and even posts comments about these programs can be found at www.associateprograms.com.
About the Author
Article by Holly Culpepper, of Shop Central. Holly is an e-commerce consultant and entrepreneur with part ownership in 6 web based companies. Holly actively assists others in creating or "adding to" e-commerce sites, and is a public speaker on various internet/e-commerce topics. She lives in Houston, Texas:To contact see details below.
culpeph@web-dynamics.com
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