If you have an established website it is important to know who are the visitors to your site before joining any affiliate programs. Your chosen programs should be well targeted to this traffic that comes to your website.
If you do not choose programs carefully then you are wasting your time promoting them. This is because Read More→
If you take away the basic needs of people, that is, food and shelter why do people buy other stuff that is not essential?
Good question. If you can find out why people buy these nonessential products then you can focus on this to sell more to them.
Most people buy on emotions or emotional triggers. People either have a problem they desperately want solved or something they strive to own. They dream about being wealthy, the ultimate holiday, being healthy, comfortable, not having to go to work, having a better figure and so on.
Let’s look at some emotional triggers you can use to get people to buy more of the products and services you recommend.
Make More Money
It does not matter how much money a person has most people always want more. This is why there is always a market for products aimed at people wanting to start their own business, get a higher paying job or invest in property or the stock market. More money equals more success.
Save Money
Most people would like to save money for the future but no matter how hard they try it always seems to elude them. There is always that emergency that seems to deplete any savings they might have. Savings equal security.
Save Time
People want to work less and spend more time doing what they enjoy doing. 24 hours a day does not seem to be enough time for most people as there is never any time left for them to enjoy the pleasures of life. Saving time equals relaxation.
Look Better
People want to look better. Maybe lose a little weight, tone up their lose bits or improve their nose or other facial features. They see their favorite stars doing these things but they do not have the money it costs for them. Looking better equals being more attractive.
Learn Something New
The humdrum of life gets a bit boring for people after awhile so they like to learn new things. Some learn new things out of necessity but others find something and think they would like to be able to do that. Learning new things equals more intelligence.
Live Longer
The older people get the more things they want out of life. They would love some extra energy to enjoy their retirement, eat better and get into shape as their bodies age and sag. Living longer equals feeling healthier.
Be Comfortable
Having lots of money is no good if you have aches and pains that do not want go away. More money is required for a more comfortable bed, chair etc as we get older. Being comfortable equals being relieved.
Be Loved
People want to be loved. Most people hate being lonely and want to start dating again but this can get more difficult as people get older. Who do you trust? Can you trust someone again? Being loved equals being wanted.
Be Popular
Ever wonder why we have famous celebrities? It is for the simple reason that most people want to be popular. Being popular equals being praised and admired.
Pleasure
Life is not worth living without pleasure. People want to satisfy their appetite or sexual desires. Pleasure equals fulfillment.
Did you identify with any of these emotional triggers? Good. Next time you use affiliate marketing to promote products think about which one or more of these triggers you can use to help you sell more products or services.
By Kerrie Sheehan
Let’s face it we nearly all dream of working from home without a boss, flexible hours and earning an attractive income. Most of us are afraid to actually do something about making our dream a reality. We fear leaving the security of our jobs for the unknown and scary thought of actually owning our own business.
The cheapest option could be to start our own business working from home as we eliminate most of the big overheads of business. For example, no rent to pay or extra utility bills to pay. Do not believe the myth that it will not cost you a cent to start a home business because you will have some extra expenses. You can start in your spare room, garage or another spare space in your house but will need some suitable furniture. If you have not got a computer with a decent internet connection and a phone line you will need to source these. These are essential for your home affiliate marketing business.
Affiliate marketing is one option to get you started in your home business. If you already have sales experience then this will help you sell products and/or services online. Other than some extra funds for advertising expenses to get you started you will need very little capital.
If you decide on selling affiliate products from home you will need to work out what skills you have and what skills you will need to acquire or outsource if you can afford it. The first thing you need to decide is what area or niche are you going to focus on. Easiest way to get started is start with something you are passionate about or interested in.
If you can create a squeeze page or website, great. But if not, you can start by purchasing a top level domain containing your main keyword and redirect your ugly affiliate link to it. One of the easiest ways to promote your affiliate link is by writing articles and submitting them to high ranking article directories. Hopefully other website or blog owners looking for good content will like your article and republish it on their site. So make sure you have a call to action in the last paragraph or bio box which promotes your chosen affiliate product or service.
Another way of promoting your links is to attract traffic from other similar sites or forums. Write appropriate comments on these blogs including your affiliate link or post informative replies in forums with your link in your signature box.
If you can spare some money you can use pay per click advertising such as Google AdWords. This will give you instant traffic whereas article marketing and the other methods mentioned above will take time to work. However this can be expensive so make sure you make enough sales to cover this expense and scale it back once your free advertising methods start to work.
So if you do decide that it is time to take action and make those dreams a reality, affiliate marketing maybe a good option for you to start your home business. If you already have a computer and a decent internet connection you will need very little capital to get started. Some people start their home business and work it around their day job until it starts to earn enough so they can quit their day job.
Remember in order to start your home affiliate marketing business you need to first have time and a commitment to succeed. Working by yourself can be lonely and very frustrating at times trying to work out what actually works. But this can be over come by joining a group of like minded marketers who will help you stick to your plans and answer your affiliate marketing questions.
By Kerrie Sheehan
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is where a merchant has a product for sale and he invites people to sell his product for a percentage of the selling price. It can range from a small percentage to 100% of the selling price. It is a win-win situation in which the merchant wins as he only pays the affiliate when a sale has been made and the affiliate wins as all he has to do is promote the product. In many cases it can be cheaper for the merchant to pay affiliates instead of paying for advertising.
Today affiliate marketing is a growing industry because it is cost effective for both the merchant and the affiliate. The merchant does not have to advertise his product and the affiliate does not have to create a product to sell. The merchant also benefits because he will have his product advertised in a much larger market than he could do so by himself. This increases his products exposure and his chances of making many more sales. The more affiliates he can recruit the more sales he can expect to make.
Merchants will save time, money and effort by using affiliate marketing to sell their products because the affiliates will take care of all the promotion for a percentage of the selling price on each completed sale.
Steps to Start as an Affiliate Marketer.
If you are considering trying affiliate marketing and having an unlimited potential to make money online here are 3 simple steps to start your first affiliate marketing campaign.
1. Write down what you are passionate about or what interests you. Narrow down your focus to an area that you know lots about as this will help you promote products in this area. You will be able to show you are an expert much more quickly and your passion will show through. You will quickly gain the trust of people and they will be more like to buy the products you recommend.
2. Once you have found your niche, search for products and/or services to promote which are related to your passion. Choose products with a decent selling price and commission payout as it does not take that much more effort to sell a higher priced product than a cheaper one. You can then purchase a suitable top level domain name, create a website or squeeze page or just redirect your affiliate link to that domain name so that it looks nothing like an ugly affiliate link.
There are many different affiliate providers and networks so spend a bit of time picking a product that has a good chance of being profitable for you.
3. With your squeeze page, website or redirect link you are now ready to promote your chosen product. A lot of merchants will give you affiliate tools such as keyword lists, graphics, blog posts and written emails. Make use of these by adapting them with your own ideas and expertise.
As you can see it is not that difficult to start your new venture as a successful affiliate marketer. The most difficult decision is likely to be trying to decide which product to promote from the many products available today in the market.
By Kerrie Sheehan
Affiliate marketing is a popular and effective way of earning money online. Affiliate programs are easy to join, pay commissions earned on a regular basis and are relatively easy to set up and promote.
However, as with other businesses, people make mistakes every day that cost them money and in some cases a large percentage of any profit they make.
So what are the common mistakes that should be avoided by affiliate marketers?
1. Joining too many affiliate marketing programs.
At some point of time you will find yourself joining way more affiliate programs that you have the time and resources available to promote. Worse still is that you join multiple programs in the hope of maximising your earnings. There is nothing wrong with having multiple sources of income but it is better to join one program at a time. You can then develop multiple income streams over time and not be attempting to promote them all at once.
The best way to get good results is by joining just one program that pays a 40% commission or better. Then give it all your attention researching and promoting it. As soon as it is making a reasonable profit for you then maybe you can now join another affiliate program. The idea is to avoid rushing into things and to do it slowly but surely.
2. Choosing the wrong affiliate program to promote.
In the rush to make money online as quick as they can people just chose a product that they think is in demand or “hot” even though that product has no appeal to them at all. It is better to choose something that interests you or appeals to you because it is easier to promote rather than one that only interests you because it might make you money.
So pick a product in a niche that you have some interest in and then do some research into it to see if there is enough demand for you to make money promoting it. A bit of time spent here doing some research could save you from spending a lot more time promoting a product that does not make a lot of sales for you.
3. Promoting products and services without buying them or using them.
As an affiliate you have to be able to effectively promote a product and/or service and convince people to buy it. If you have not tried the product or used the service yourself it is difficult for you to create the desire needed for your customers to buy it.
Just by trying the product or service personally you will be able to determine if it delivers what it promises. You will also know its real advantages and disadvantages and have you own testimonial to give to your customers. Not only that but they will feel your sincerity and truthfulness about the product and be more inclined to try it themselves.
4. Paying too much money for advertising to sell affiliate programs.
It is way too easy to pay too much money for advertising, for example, pay per click, when promoting affiliate programs. Careful planning and due diligence is required in monitoring advertising costs so that it does not cost more to promote products and/or services than one makes in sales. As previously mentioned there is no need to rush to make sales so consider using some of the less costly advertising methods which take a little more time to work but keep working for much longer.
Unfortunately many affiliates make these affiliate marketing mistakes and wonder why affiliate marketing does not work well for them. So take the time to try out the product or service first, analyze its market and only when it is working by making profits for you, move on to another affiliate program.
By Kerrie Sheehan
Affiliate programs are great. They allow you make money by selling someone else’s product or service without all the hassle that comes with it: handling, shipping, answering customer questions, and so forth. All you have to do is to make people buy the product by means of advertising and promotion. Many people get interested in this type of money-making opportunity that can yield six-digit monthly incomes when done right, but don’t count on making it big as an affiliate marketer right away. Such payouts are a privilege of a few top performers in affiliate marketing industry. But affiliate marketing can be used to generate at least passive income.
Unlike PPC programs, affiliate marketing pays based on action, such as purchasing a product, subscribing to a newsletter, or registering at a website. Therefore, conversion rates are of high importance. Also, product or service quality is vital, since returns are subtracted from the affiliate’s commission. A simple strategy can be implemented for choosing the right program:
- Always pick reputable providers, that offer high quality products and services;
- Choose the product or service that would blend in with your website or blog theme;
- Do not pick expensive products, since usually they convert poorly and are only good for narrow-targeted or highly-visited sites;
- Promote products that offer high commission;
- Track your conversion rates, since it gives a measurable cost and profit picture.
While affiliate programs have been originally designed for websites and blogs, the latter are not the only means of getting income from affiliate marketing. It is always a good idea to test an affiliate program on your blog and get the feel of conversion and visitor’s approval of the product. It is even a better idea to offer products from different providers – this way you may compare the performance among them. Should you come across an affiliate program that has a good conversion rate and good user perception, you may take the next step – advertising through PPC campaigns. With proper analytics and good presentation, it could be an effective way to expand your affiliate earnings. For example, if your commission is £15, and the conversion rate is 1:50, this means that one click brings you £0.30, on average. Should you launch an AdWords campaign with an average click cost of £0.20, you can enjoy a profit of £0.10 per click – and that is without having a website! Advertising through newsletters you send to subscribers is another good way of affiliate promotion.
Affiliate marketing is an excellent source of passive income that should gradually increase as time passes. This is especially true for marketing services that are subscription-based, and pay recurring or even lifetime commission. It is important to understand that merchants do not charge you fees to become an affiliate marketer and information about merchants may easily be found on Internet. Therefore, stay away from anybody who offers “insider’s affiliate information” for a fee. Do not fall for claims that so many people made so many millions of pounds just by having that information. Earnings come from relevant, high-converting affiliate programs blended into a high-trafficked web environment. Profits derive from simple proportions of page views, clicks, and conversions: nothing less, nothing more.
Marco Lombardo