|
|
|
Affiliate Programs - Crunching The Numbers & Conversion Myths
All too often, many affiliate marketers discover that an
affiliate program's promises of high converting sales simply
never materializes. They followed all the instructions, used all
the affiliate marketing tools & tips offered by the program,...
Are Banner Ads Worth It? The statistics tell the tale.
Most people on the Internet today simply ignore banner ads and move on to other things. Why so much skepticism in the media about Banner Ads? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but Web Banner Ads are a proven thing. If you don’t believe me, check...
More Recommended Ways To Promote Your Website
"Submit your site to search engines!" "Bid at pay-per-click search engines!" "Publish a newsletter!" These are the common website promotion cries. Indeed, my own website promotion site states just that. There are other ways to promote your site,...
When the Clock Strikes Twelve!
I just finished reading another sales copy ending with the Deadline Marketing! And it's the sixth I see today saying "If you order by midnight, blah blah blah...." I'm sure you've seen it. And I'm sure you're getting (if not very) a little bored. ...
Writing About How Easy It Is, Don’t Make it So
It seems that the VERY popular fashion of article writing is not unlike real world clothing fashion in that; the same things keep coming around with seasonal regularity. In fact, more so with the fast paced development of the ‘home business’ or...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 Tips For Affiliates - Choose Your Merchant Wisely
Copyright 2006 Peter Tarrida del Marmol
Affiliate marketing has become increasingly popular in recent
years. Affiliate programs offer merchants the opportunity to
employ vast armies of sales people who only get paid for the
results they achieve.
The rewards for affiliates are high also, and the skilled
affiliate marketer can earn many thousands of dollars a month.
This win-win situation has led to an explosion in the number of
affiliate programs that are available to the would-be marketer.
With this proliferation of opportunities has come many
questions; how do you go about choosing the right opportunity
for you? What qualities should you look for in a program and
which gives you a good chance of making a sustainable income?
Below are some tips that will help you to evaluate merchants and
their programs, and help you to avoid wasting time and money.
1. How Much Commission Does The Merchant Pay?
This may seem obvious, but it is very important that you know
how much you can expect to earn from a sale. There is no point
in spending time and money promoting a product that doesn't pay
well. You could end up spending more on marketing than you are
likely to make on sales. It is probably best to stick with
marketing products with a high commission value, unless you have
found a niche market where you can sell vast quantities of
product, and make substantial commissions on your volume of
sales.
2. How Much Traffic is the Merchant's Website Getting?
Try to discover the amount of traffic the merchant's website is
already receiving. Alexa.com could be a useful tool for doing
this research. If the website is ranked in the top 100,000, the
merchant is getting a good volume of traffic, and there may
already be too many affiliates. If it is ranked below 500,000 it
is either no good or it could just be a golden opportunity to
make some real money! Always research a merchant's product if
their website has a low traffic ranking. It may be a good idea
to buy the product yourself if you can afford to. Otherwise you
could do a search to find out if there are any adverse comments
about it on the internet. If all is well and the product is
good, you
may have found a gold mine!
3. How Often Are Commissions Paid?
Some merchants pay commissions every week; some once a month,
others only pay every quarter. It is important that you know how
often you can expect a pay check if you are going to have
financial control over your business. Do you have the financial
resources to continue to market a product if you have to wait a
long time before you get paid? It would also be wise to find out
the minimum commission that you have to earn before you get paid.
4. Does The Company Use Tracking Cookies?
Many customers do not buy on their first visit to a merchant's
website. It is important therefore that the merchant uses
cookies on their site, so that you get credit if the customer
returns and buys at a later date. Check out how long the cookies
last. The longer the cookies lasts; the better the chance of
getting paid!
5. Does The Merchant Pay On Subsequent Sales?
Some merchants will only pay commission on sales that come
through customers visiting their site via a direct link from
your site. They pay you nothing for any subsequent purchases
that the customer makes if they visit the merchants site
directly. It is important that you get paid no matter what route
the customer returns by if you are to build a sustainable
business.
6. What Promotional Resources Does The Merchant Offer?
Look at the type and quality of the promotional material that
they provide. Do they provide articles or content that you can
use to promote them on your site or free guides, special offers
or samples? If the promotional resources are good it is likely
that the merchant will provide good support for their affiliates.
Finding the right merchant can be a tricky business. The best
advice is to do your own research. Use the above questions as an
aid to finding a merchant that enables you to reach your
financial goals. You never know - You could strike gold!
About the author:
Peter Tarrida del Mármol is a Spanish online and offline
marketer. Get a FREE e-book about making business online EVERY
WEEK by subscribing to his newsletter:
http://www.auctionearnings.com
|
|
|
|
|
|