Firstly, what is it possible
to earn as an affiliate? For some, the income can be considerable
-for others it is more modest, perhaps providing a small extra
income. How much you make is a combination of how much you put
into it and your skill in developing your web site(s).
Some people do publish their
earnings on the Amazon
affiliates discussion boards (you will need to sign up to
post on it). However, take exaggerated claims with a pinch of
salt -most of us start off with very modest returns.
So what tactics to employ?
Firstly, do not simply make pages
that comprise nothing but affiliate links -nothing is more guaranteed
to make visitors hit the 'back' button. To sell successfully,
adverts need to be placed in context with the page subject. Let
the content bring your visitors and then affiliate links will
give added value.
What type of product should you
promote ? Initially anything goes, but as well as relating to
your site content, think about whether the product is something
people can buy easily by mail order (books, posters and software
are obvious choices (Amazon.co.uk
and AllPosterscarry products on almost any subject).
Also, consider how high is the unit cost (high value items are
generally harder to sell but bring in higher commission), and
what commission rate gets paid (usually a high commission rate
means it is the item is harder to promote). If the merchant is
a household name, then it is invariably easier to sell their
products.
Much discussion has taken place
on the subject of choice between banner or text adverts. My view
is that you need to use both. The banner provides colour and
image, while the text gives particular information (for example
a personal review) and something for the search engines to find.
For example, if I remind you here that you can download immediately
Daniel
Gray's Complete Guide to Associate and Affiliate programs on
the Net it has a greater impact than the book cover shown
opposite has alone.
Text and banner links can be
supported by pay per click adverts, such as those from Google
Adsense or Overture, but be wary of losing traffic for small
reward -if other affiliates are taking your traffic by bidding
for keywords on Google
Adwords then they must be making more than you are getting
-otherwise they wouldn't do it.
By far the most effective means
of selling is by deep linking to specific products. Most affiliate
schemes make this possible, but it does require work to build
a large product library and you run the risk of the catalogue
changing in the future. An easier way to achieve this is to use
a product feed -where the affiliate scheme provides the code
to serve products automatically -good examples of this can be
found at Affiliate
Future or Tradedoubler. However, do not use just a
product feed only on your pages or there will be nothing for
search engines to find.
When choosing affiliate schemes,
they all have subtle differences -there is a list on our affiliates directory page -watch out
for minimum payment levels -if it is too high you may never make
a penny. Try to view other websites that use the scheme. Personally
I now concentrate on the managed schemes such as Affiliate
Window where I can choose individual merchants, and small
sales go towards making up a monthly cheque from a number of
merchants. Some individual schemes do work -I do quite well with
JoJaffa
for example, but on the whole individual scemes do not work.
Similarly, you will do better using schemes that relate to the
country that your website serves, although you can hit multiple
markets with programmes such as AllPostersthat
give pricces in a range of currencies -US dollar, canadian dollar,
yen, pound sterling, euro etc etc.
You can also support your web
site with mailshots containing affiliate links, for example by
a monthly newsletter -if you do this, then use an opt-in list
and give people the opportunity to unsubscribe -there is enough
crap mail already and people will no longer read unsolicited
mail.
Other things to consider when
designing your pages:
Remember page loading time -your
visitor may not have a fast connection and lack the patience
to wait for a dozen banner ads to load.
Avoid pop ups like the plague.
They don't work and drive visitors away -this is a long term
commitment -you want your visitors to return.
If the scheme pays if a different
currency, then you may want to set up a bank account in that
currency to minimise bank charges.
That's about it, but follow the
link below for more more reading on web promotion and affiliate
selling.
carry products on almost any subject).
Also, consider how high is the unit cost (high value items are
generally harder to sell but bring in higher commission), and
what commission rate gets paid (usually a high commission rate
means it is the item is harder to promote). If the merchant is
a household name, then it is invariably easier to sell their
products.
