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BEST SERVED HOT: A Simple
Recipe For Success With Affiliate Programs
Affiliate programs have become very popular
because of their potential to generate
substantial, and even lavish, income in a
relatively short period with little investment
cost. Their fame has become so big that they are
being credited as one of the main reasons for
the resurrection of the online business
community after the dotcom bubble burst.
But what are affiliate programs? Simply put,
affiliate programs, or associate programs as
they are called in some circles, are web
merchants who pay other websites a commission
for either of two things or both:
When the affiliate website generate traffic for
the web merchant;
B. When the affiliate website helps sell a
product offered by the web merchant.
Now, why is such a set-up with affiliate
programs a lucrative option? Well, first, all
you really need is an online presence, i.e. a
website, and some selling skills. You don’t have
to pay anything at all. Second, there is no
limit as to how many affiliate programs you
could join, and there is definitely no maximum
cap for how much you could earn. Third, when
everything is set, a semi-automated process will
be in place that would allow you to potentially
earn even if you’re busy with other things.
But despite all these favorable things that can
be said about affiliate programs, not that many
people have decided to take the plunge. Their
hesitation most probably stem from the customary
notion that nothing enormously profitable can be
gained with little work. Also, they may be of
the belief that affiliated programs are too
complicated to understand.
They’re wrong on both counts, and you could use
this to your advantage by joining affiliate
programs while the industry isn’t that saturated
yet. Hereunder is an overview on how to start a
relationship with an affiliate program, and how
to make the most out of it. It is presented a la
a cookbook recipe to let you know how easy it is
to master.
THE 20 MINUTE AFFILIATE PROGRAM RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:
1 or more web merchants who offer good
commission schemes
1 or more sellable products
1 or more websites where you could promote your
affiliates
1 web builder program (i.e. Frontpage,
Dreamweaver, or even MS Word)
1 payment method plan (i.e. Paypal, Stormpay,
etc.)
some writing skills
OPTIONAL SEASONINGS
1 software that could convert files to .pdf
format
1 or more membership in online forums
DIRECTIONS: Find a good and reliable web
merchant who offers products you are impressed
with. Remember, you cannot sell, or re-sell to
be more exact, a product you don’t believe in.
You also have to consider if the said goods are
sellable. You could determine this by conducting
some research on the target market. Here’s a tip
though: anything is marketable on the web, if
you have the time, the patience, and the
willingness to seek out potential customers.
Once you have chosen a web merchant, you have to
study the terms of the affiliate program he
offers. Important things to consider are the
modes of payment and the commission percentage.
Make sure that the web merchant would be able to
pay you through the payment method you have
availed of. The commission scheme must likewise
be favorable to you. Here’s another tip: for
sales, do not settle for less than 20%
commission.
If all is to your satisfaction, sign up.
You will then be given a link that, when clicked
pursuant to a sale or a hit, would inform your
web merchant’s system that you are eligible for
a commission. Do not lose this link, as it would
be your bread and butter for affiliate programs.
Now, all you have to do is to strategically
place this link on your website. Additionally,
you must make a sales pitch to your visitors so
that they’ll consider clicking on the said link.
This can be done by discussing something
noteworthy, say for example, a how-to guide on
recovering lost data, and in the body of your
article, you could suggest your readers to try a
certain product like a backup system, whose link
is provided therein. Also, you could make a
sales page, which is basically a page dedicated
to the product you’re trying to resell, and
which can be accessed from your site.
As an added option, you could also make your own
e-book and distribute it for free. The e-book
itself should tackle something important, but
should contain suggestions about the use of the
product you’re reselling, with the appropriate
link that would garner for you your commission.
Also, you could join online forums that are
dedicated to the market that the product would
be perfect for. Include your link in your
signature. This would expose it to the people
who would view the threads you participated in.
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