Start-up
tip: Top 7 ways to identify "no-fail" affiliate opportunities
By
Chris Reynolds Last
week, Derek gave you an eBook on the 3 fastest ways to make money
online. If
you've read the eBook, by now you know the fastest way to earn
profits online
is to join affiliate programs. (That's
when you sell another company's products for them, in exchange for a
commission
fee. It's a great way to add instant revenues to a website,
whether you're
just starting out or already running a profitable business.) When
you're researching possible affiliate programs to join, here are the 7
most
important questions to ask yourself... (Note:
This information is all taken from the free eBook Derek sent out last
week.
I've just turned it into an easy reference list, so you can print it
up and
have it beside you as you do your research.) 1.
Is the product actually valuable? Any
product you promote is going to reflect directly on you. If you choose a
good-quality
product that's reasonably priced, your customers and
subscribers will continue
to trust you and be interested in future product
recommendations you make. 2.
Does the company have a good reputation? Before
you join an affiliate program, check out the company's reputation.
They should
offer good customer service and be very professional at all
times. You don't
want to offend people by referring to a company that treats
them like dirt! 3.
Can you provide an honest and informed recommendation of the product? Sincerity
sells. It's hard to be genuine when you recommend a product you've
never actually
tried. Do your homework -- buy the product and try it out
yourself. At the
very least, talk to a number of people who have tried it,
so when you promote
it, you sound like you know what you're talking about. 4.
Does the affiliate program pay a good commission? You
should expect to be paid 20% to 50% of the net profit for every product
you
sell. Don't waste your time on programs that offer only 5% to 10% --
they'll
never earn you the kind of money you want. 5.
Is the product a "best-seller"? There's
no point trying to sell a product that nobody wants to buy. Look
for sites that have at least a 1% conversion ratio. (That means they'll
get
a sale from 1 out of every 100 visitors you send them). It's your job to
send
them targeted visitors -- but it's their job to convince those visitors
to
buy their product. 6.
Do they pay you for every sale you help them make? Look
for a program that tracks all of your sales --whether they're made
online or
through the phone, fax, or email. (Many companies only track
online orders,
and this means you'll never get credit for 5% - 10% of your
affiliate sales!) The
company should also give you access to your own real-time statistics, so
you
can see how well your promotions are doing. You should be able to see.
a..
How many visitors have clicked through from your site to theirs
b.. How many
of those visitors made a purchase
c.. Your sales totals for that month and
previous months
d.. How many sub-affiliates you have (if you belong to a "two-tiered"
affiliate
program)
7. Do they give you free promotional tools, tips, and strategies? A
good affiliate program will provide you with everything you need to be
successful
-- such as traffic-generating banner ads, text links, and
salescopy. They should
offer to teach you everything you need to know to
earn good money. After all,
their success is directly based on YOUR success! Here's
something else to keep in mind: Affiliate websites are just like any
other
kind of online business -- they're only successful if they appeal to a
focused
niche market. Make sure your site targets a specific group of people
who are
all trying to solve the same problem. And then make sure the
affiliate product
you promote really does solve that problem. If
you do these two things -- and are able to answer "yes" to these 7
important
questions -- then you're guaranteed to make money recommending
affiliate products. One
last thing -- if you haven't downloaded your copy of the free eBook we
gave
away last week -- "Derek Gehl's Three Proven Strategies to Making Money
Online,"
it's not too late. Simply click here now: http://www.marketingtips.com/foolproofstrategies ...
And you can start putting our information to work for your business
right away. [Ed.
note: Chris Reynolds is IMC's Director of Business Development and
manages
our own successful affiliate program.]
Derek Gehl specializes in teaching real people how
to start profitable Internet
businesses that make $100,000 to $2.5 Million
(or more) per year. To get instant
access to all his most profitable
marketing campaigns, strategies, tools,
and resources that he's used to grow
$25 into over $60 Million in online sales,
visit:
http://www.marketingtips.com/tipsltr.html |