For years I struggled to make a few bucks from my web site using affiliate programs. And I wondered, “Does anybody really make money using these programs?”
Then I took over as the affiliate manager of an under-performing affiliate program. Over the last eight months I have viewed hundreds, possibly thousands of sites. And from this side of the game, I have been able to study what really works and what doesn’t.
As a result I have shared my discoveries with our affiliates and our program definitely isn’t under performing anymore with sales growing nearly 500 percent over this time with no signs of slowing down.
I would like to share some of the reasons our affiliates are now achieving success, which in turn makes us more successful. And, of course I have also employed these tips for my own part-time online business and my efforts are finally producing the passive cash flow I desire!
Lets compare the sites that DO NOT EARN MONEY with the sites THAT DO EARN MONEY.
1. Sites that are plastered with banner ads, DO NOT EARN MONEY.
Limit your affiliate offerings to as few as you can consistently promote; make them specific to the content of the page; and only endorse products you have used and believe in.
I just visited a site with a page on stress reduction; the affiliate banner that sat at the top of the page? Online gambling. A good match? Yeah, I do not think so.
2. Sites that rely on banner ads to produce income, DO NOT EARN MONEY.
All kinds of tricky banner ads exist to boost click through rates, but in case you haven’t already heard, banner ads really do not produce results anymore! Text ads, especially well written ones from the site owner, far outperform banner ads. If you believe in a product, tell your visitors why YOU believe in it. It’s the best ad copy you can use.
3. Sites that jump from the “Hot” product of the month to the next, DO NOT EARN MONEY.
Of course you want to drop programs that aren’t performing, but marketing takes time and commitment. Today’s efforts may not begin to pay off for several months. I suggest that if you are going to endorse a product that you commit to selling it consistently for at least three months.
4. Sites that sell low-cost items or use big name programs that pay low commissions, DO NOT EARN MONEY.
I used to waste a lot of powerful ad space in my e-zine and web site selling books that gave me a 50 cent commission or plugging well-known brands that pay 5% – or less.
Choose products and programs that are going to pay you. With the Sedona Method program, we pay up to $47.80 per sale – for online and offline referrals. We also pay on leads that turn into sales, as well as for sales that come from our auto-responder follow-ups on behalf of our affiliates.
I know this is unique in the affiliate industry, but it works. If you win, we win, because we all like to go with what produces results. To learn more about the Sedona Training Associates affiliate program, visit:
http://www.sedona.com/cgi-bin/protrack/link.cgi?830ST
5. Sites that aren’t supported with a strong e- zine/newsletter, DO NOT EARN as much MONEY.
The average person will not consider making a purchase until they have had at least 4 online contacts. So stay in touch! Plus, your subscriber base is your pot of gold. Lists vary, but on average a well run online business will produce approximately $10 per subscriber, per year or more.
A few invaluable links/services for building your list are:
Subscription Rocket for building your subscriber base. It’s free and it works:
http://www.subscriptionrocket.com/cgi-bin/r.cgi?r=98
GetResponse Autoresponder for hands free follow-ups:
http://www.getresponse.com/index/48026
Free Content – You need quality information to send people. If you do not write your own material, and you do not need to, try these:
http://www.IdeaMarketers.com
http://www.web-source.net
We also offer our affiliates a variety of articles and resources for selling, see these two as examples of how you can write valuable articles that sell:
just-let-go@sedona.com
amazing-story@sedona.com
RESOURCE FOR FURTHER STUDY
Winning the Affiliate Game:
The Ten Step Master Plan For Maximizing Your Profits http://www.activemarketplace.com/cgi-bin/store/deliver.cgi?index-1150
If you follow the simple advice I offer you here, I am confident you will begin to develop a nice stream of income from your web efforts. And, you too will begin profiting from the affiliate game.
John Barker is the Affiliate Manager for Sedona Training Associates, the number one self-help affiliate program on Commission Junction. You can join in the success at http://www.sedona.com/cgi-bin/protrack/link.cgi?830ST
