By: Bill Shultz
Affiliate marketing is a huge business and is easy to get started, with increased knowledge and dedication, affiliate marketing has a great potential for a handsome pay off.
There is so much competition out there and everyone is looking for the secrets to marketing affiliate programs that will help them earn the most money.
Some may claim there are certain tricks and special tips they can offer regarding affiliate programs, or they have found the “secrets” to succeeding with affiliate programs. I’m here to tell you the bottom line is there is no real secret out there but there is a rule of thumb, so to speak, one that does apply to affiliate marketing that is the real 'secret' to succeeding (if you will). It is pretty much what a person interested in working from home with affiliate programs must understand and accept.
The rule is pretty basic and takes common sense in running any business, at home or outside the home, the rule is a simple one and does not require anything more then work and dedication.
One must work to increase knowledge, fully understand their business, what they are offering and promoting in order to find a niche. One must be dedicated to create passion; passion evolves from work and dedication. These two elementary ingredients will sustain and position any business endeavor.
To succeed in affiliate marketing, choosing the right affiliate program is an item of extreme importance. A person must choose an affiliate program that works best for them, one that suits their beliefs, one must choose a program that sells products they believe in and whose philosophy is one they can internalize and follow.
Another item of importance is to learn how to use the affiliate tools that are supplied by the company when a person signs up for an affiliate program. These tools contain advice and direction and it is very important to take them seriously. A person must take the time to increase ones knowledge and/or understanding of the individual program itself and put the information to use.
Lastly, an important aspect of affiliate marketing is the creation of a Blog. Blogs can be the single most effective marketing tool, one that affords a person the opportunity to build a reputation and gain visibility while conveying their passion toward the product and/or service they believe in and are promoting. Affiliate links can be placed in Blogs and drive a large portion of business to an affiliated site.
By applying ones self consistently through work and dedication and by putting the three working elements in place, choosing the right affiliate program, using affiliate tools properly and using Blogs for promotional purposes can be the secrets to success with an affiliate marketing program and aren’t too difficult to learn. If a person is ambitious enough they can turn a slow start into a huge success in a short amount of time and a person will see the real affiliate “secrets” to success don’t come from a pill or potion but were at their finger tips all along.
Article Source
Bill Shultz is the owner of PipelineIncomes.com he offers valuable information that will enable you to achieve your business goals online. To learn more visit: PipelineIncomes.com
Monday, April 28, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
10 Easy Ways To Organize Your Business Finances
Whether you are a new entrepreneur or a more experienced business owner, taking control of your finances can feel like a part-time job. Some simple tips can help you streamline your time, organize your finances and reduce the stress of business money matters.
1. Keep Your Bills in One Place
When the mail comes, make sure it goes in one place. Misplaced bills can be the cause of unwanted late fees and can damage your credit rating. Whether it's a drawer, a box, or a file, be consistent. Size is also important. If you get a lot of mail, use an area that won't get filled up too quickly.
2. Pay Your Bills on Schedule
Bill paying can be simplified if it's done at scheduled times during the month. Depending on how many bills you receive, you can establish set times each month when none of your bills will be late. If you're paying bills as you receive them, chances are you're spending too much time in front of the checkbook. Although bills may state "Payable Upon Receipt", there's always a grace period. Call the creditor to find out when they need to receive payment before the bill is considered late.
3. Read Your Credit Card Statements
Most people take advantage of low interest credit card offers but never read their statements when paying the bill. Credit cards are notorious for using low interest as bait for new customers then switching to higher rates after a few months. Make a habit of looking at your statement carefully to see what interest rate you are paying each month and if any transaction fees have been applied. If the rate increases or a transaction fee appears on your statement, a simple call to the credit card company can oftentimes be beneficial in resolving the matter. If not, try to switch your money to a more favorable rate.
4. Take Advantage of Automatic Payments
Most banks offer a way to automatically deduct money from your account to pay creditors. In addition, the creditors usually offer a lower interest rate when you sign up for this payment option because they get their money faster and on-time. Consider it as one fewer check to write, envelope to lick and stamp to buy. Just make sure you record the deduction when the automatic payment is scheduled or you run the risk of bouncing other checks.
5. Computerize Your Checkbook
Using a software program is a handy way to organize your finances. Whether it's Quicken(r), Microsoft Money(r) or another package, these easy-to-use programs make bill paying and bank reconciliation a cinch. Computer checks can be ordered almost anywhere and fit right into most printers. Once the checks are printed, all of the information is automatically recorded in your electronic checkbook. Furthermore, many banks have direct downloads into these software packages so when money is deposited or withdrawn, the transaction is entered immediately onto your computer. And, when it comes time to do taxes, it couldn't be easier.
6. Get Overdraft Protection
Most banks have a service where, if you run the risk of bouncing a check, the money will come from another source. For a nominal fee, the bank will link your checking account to either a savings, money market, or credit card so the embarrassment of bouncing a check will be avoided. Call or visit your bank to learn about this convenient feature.
7. Cancel Unused Accounts
Whether it's a credit card or bank account, write a letter requesting that the account is formally closed. Not only will this improve your credit score, it is a useful way to avoid money from being scattered all over the place. Don't let department stores and credit card companies lure you into opening new accounts by offering favorable interest rates and purchase discounts. It's easy for credit to get out of hand by taking advantage of every credit offer that comes your way.
8. Consolidate Your Accounts
If you have several credit card accounts with outstanding balances, try to consolidate them into one. Be careful and check the balance transfer interest rates and one-time fees. Also, make a list of all your open Money Markets, Savings, CDs, IRAs, Mutual Funds, and other accounts to see if any consolidation can be done. Keeping your money in fewer places eliminates all of the guesswork involved and reduces errors.
9. Establish Automatic Savings
Create a link from your checking account into a savings account that will not be touched. This can usually be done through the banks and automatic amounts will be transferred over each month. Most people will not put money into a savings account on a regular basis. They may wait until a large tax refund check arrives or some other event to actually deposit money into savings, retirement or other accounts. If you establish an automatic savings deposit every month, your accounts will begin accumulating money faster than you think.
10. Clean up Your Files
Make sure your paid bills are organized in a filing cabinet. Keep individual files for paid bills. Go through your files at the end of each year and throw out bills and receipts no longer needed for auditing purposes. Contact your local IRS office to see how long records need to be kept for audits. Usually federal tax return audits can be done three years back but cancelled checks may need to be kept for seven. Consult the Internet for auditing and records-keeping procedures for your state or region.
(c) 2005 DebtGuru.com(r). This article may be freely distributed as long as the signature file and active link are included.
About the author:
Michael G. Peterson is the Vice President of American Credit Foundation, an IRS 501 (c)(3) non-profit consumer credit counseling organization that has assisted thousands of individuals and families with their financial situations through seminars, education, counseling services, and, debt management plans. For more information, and free consumer resources visit http://www.debtguru.com.
Written by: Michael G. Peterson
Keep Your Customers with E-mail
By Michelle Keegan, Constant Contact E-mail Marketing Diva®
I have been to a few tradeshows and seminars lately and have taken the opportunity to talk to a wide variety of small businesses. One question I always ask is "how do you communicate with your customers and prospects?" A number of times, the answer has been "well, we send a holiday card every year." I am always surprised at
that answer.
While holiday greetings have their place, a business cannot live by one outbound communication per year. Granted, these cases might have been extreme but chances are, you have probably wondered about your own communications strategy. Are you communicating enough?
My advice to businesses is to think about how many times during the year/quarter/ quarter a customer needs you, or your products or services, and let that be your guide to determining how often to reach out and touch your audience. Think of this number as a minimum, then build from there.
Your business could be a marketing consulting firm, a software company, a nonprofit, an educational institution, a car dealership, a florist, a restaurant, a vineyard, a rock and roll band - you name it! Success and profitability is all about creating loyal customers (e.g. clients, users, donors, buyers, diners, drinkers and fans) and driving interest, repeat business and referrals.
Since it is roughly six to twelve times less expensive to sell to an existing customer than it is to acquire a new one, the value of customer loyalty and repeat business is just too compelling to ignore.
According to Bain and Company:
A 5% increase in retention yields profit increases of 25 to 100 percent. Repeat customers spend, on average, 67 percent more than new customers. It's All About Communication Communication is a critical part of any relationship. Take a lesson from small businesses that long ago grasped the dynamics and importance of building customer relationships through communication. They nurture their customers over time by learning and remembering individual preferences and interests. They acquire this customer information directly from customers through personal interaction. And they keep in touch with customers on a regular basis ensuring their organization remains "top of mind."
Statistics show that it takes six to seven contacts before you can turn a prospect into a customer. All that contact can be expensive and time consuming. That's where e-mail marketing becomes a critical part of any organization's marketing efforts.
E-mail Turns Prospects and Visitors into Loyal Customers
E-mail marketing enables you to proactively communicate with your existing customers instead of passively waiting for them to return to your Web site, visit your store or office, call you on the phone etc. With e-mail marketing you can solidify existing relationships, initiate new ones and convert your one-time visitors, buyers and members into repeat business and long-term customers or contributors.
No matter how your visitors, prospects and customers found you; perhaps you paid for search engine placement, sponsored a newsletter, rented an opt-in list, placed a banner ad, distributed a flyer or sent a postcard; e-mail marketing adds to your bottom line because it allows you to maximize your investment in those expensive and time consuming marketing efforts and improve the return on investment (ROI) of every dollar you spend to obtain new business and develop profitable customer relationships.
According to DoubleClick, good e-mail marketing wins over consumers:
Well-executed permission e-mail marketing campaigns can have a positive impact on consumers' attitudes towards companies. 67% of US consumers said they liked companies that, in their opinion, did a good job with permission e-mail marketing. 58% of consumers said they opened those companies' e-mails, while 53% said that such e-mails affected their personal buying decisions. Why is E-mail Marketing the Answer? E-mail marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools available today. It is easy, affordable, direct, actionable and highly effective. When you add e-mail to your marketing mix, you spend less time, money and resources than with traditional marketing vehicles (e.g. direct mail or print advertising) And, with e-mail marketing, you can communicate more quickly which means your time-sensitive information is disseminated in minutes, not days or weeks - and you can see the results of your efforts instantly.
E-mail marketing is at it's most effective when used in communications to your existing customer list or "house list" as a means of customer retention.
Communicate More Information, More Often
E-mail marketing is an affordable way to stretch a tight marketing budget. It can cost as little as fractions of a penny per e-mail! With a response rate five times greater than direct mail and 25 times the response rate of banner ads, e-mail marketing is the most effective way to increase sales, drive traffic and develop loyalty.
Unlike direct mail, there is virtually no production, materials or postage expense. So, with e-mail marketing, you can easily and affordably create more communications that are valued by your customer, and you can make those communications support and enhance your brand in a way that substantially differentiates your company from the competition.
Your communications can include newsletters, preferred customer promotions, sale notifications, new service announcements, event invitations, greetings and much, much more.
Educate Your Customers
Information and education make your customers and prospects much more valuable because they are more likely to buy when they can make an informed decision. Why force prospects to look elsewhere for the important information they need? Your e-mail communications can gently lead a prospect through the sales process, provide important data and drive the prospect to your website for more details and/or a purchase.
For example, an e-mail newsletter is uniquely suited to accomplish the long term goals of customer retention and loyalty, while it can still contain calls-to-action that provide short-term benefits.
For most businesses, a well-educated customer uses products and services to their greatest advantage. And, guess who will be the first in line to buy when something new becomes available?
Studies show that both senders, and recipients increasingly prefer e-mail marketing. According to DoubleClick:
Permission-based e-mail is far and away the preferred method of online communication for consumers. 75% rated it as their preference, with only 25% preferring postal mail and 0% choosing telemarketing. Foster Long-lasting Relationships E-mail is an easy and inexpensive way of establishing early and long lasting relationships with your prospects and customers. And the benefits of these relationships are far reaching. When you inform and educate prospects and customers, they begin to perceive you as capable of addressing their needs. Even better, they may look to you as an expert. This develops trust, opens the door to two-way communication and allows them to share their pain points with you.
Using the information you gain from your prospects and customers, you will be able to better serve their ongoing needs, hone your unique selling proposition and slowly close the door on your competitors. In the process, you may discover hidden sales opportunities that you may not be addressing.
Easily Measure and Improve Your Results
The benefits derived from most types of marketing and advertising are very difficult to measure. With e-mail marketing, however, you can easily measure the number of e-mails sent, e-mails opened, bounce backs, unsubscribes and click-through rates.
You can also tell who opened your e-mail, which links in your e-mail motivated the most clicks and, even more specifically, who clicked on each link. All of this useful information can help you send highly targeted campaigns to the individuals most likely to respond to your offer, thus improving your results going forward.
For more e-mail marketing articles, visit Constant Contact's Hints & Tips Web site >>
I have been to a few tradeshows and seminars lately and have taken the opportunity to talk to a wide variety of small businesses. One question I always ask is "how do you communicate with your customers and prospects?" A number of times, the answer has been "well, we send a holiday card every year." I am always surprised at
that answer.
While holiday greetings have their place, a business cannot live by one outbound communication per year. Granted, these cases might have been extreme but chances are, you have probably wondered about your own communications strategy. Are you communicating enough?
My advice to businesses is to think about how many times during the year/quarter/ quarter a customer needs you, or your products or services, and let that be your guide to determining how often to reach out and touch your audience. Think of this number as a minimum, then build from there.
Your business could be a marketing consulting firm, a software company, a nonprofit, an educational institution, a car dealership, a florist, a restaurant, a vineyard, a rock and roll band - you name it! Success and profitability is all about creating loyal customers (e.g. clients, users, donors, buyers, diners, drinkers and fans) and driving interest, repeat business and referrals.
Since it is roughly six to twelve times less expensive to sell to an existing customer than it is to acquire a new one, the value of customer loyalty and repeat business is just too compelling to ignore.
According to Bain and Company:
A 5% increase in retention yields profit increases of 25 to 100 percent. Repeat customers spend, on average, 67 percent more than new customers. It's All About Communication Communication is a critical part of any relationship. Take a lesson from small businesses that long ago grasped the dynamics and importance of building customer relationships through communication. They nurture their customers over time by learning and remembering individual preferences and interests. They acquire this customer information directly from customers through personal interaction. And they keep in touch with customers on a regular basis ensuring their organization remains "top of mind."
Statistics show that it takes six to seven contacts before you can turn a prospect into a customer. All that contact can be expensive and time consuming. That's where e-mail marketing becomes a critical part of any organization's marketing efforts.
E-mail Turns Prospects and Visitors into Loyal Customers
E-mail marketing enables you to proactively communicate with your existing customers instead of passively waiting for them to return to your Web site, visit your store or office, call you on the phone etc. With e-mail marketing you can solidify existing relationships, initiate new ones and convert your one-time visitors, buyers and members into repeat business and long-term customers or contributors.
No matter how your visitors, prospects and customers found you; perhaps you paid for search engine placement, sponsored a newsletter, rented an opt-in list, placed a banner ad, distributed a flyer or sent a postcard; e-mail marketing adds to your bottom line because it allows you to maximize your investment in those expensive and time consuming marketing efforts and improve the return on investment (ROI) of every dollar you spend to obtain new business and develop profitable customer relationships.
According to DoubleClick, good e-mail marketing wins over consumers:
Well-executed permission e-mail marketing campaigns can have a positive impact on consumers' attitudes towards companies. 67% of US consumers said they liked companies that, in their opinion, did a good job with permission e-mail marketing. 58% of consumers said they opened those companies' e-mails, while 53% said that such e-mails affected their personal buying decisions. Why is E-mail Marketing the Answer? E-mail marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools available today. It is easy, affordable, direct, actionable and highly effective. When you add e-mail to your marketing mix, you spend less time, money and resources than with traditional marketing vehicles (e.g. direct mail or print advertising) And, with e-mail marketing, you can communicate more quickly which means your time-sensitive information is disseminated in minutes, not days or weeks - and you can see the results of your efforts instantly.
E-mail marketing is at it's most effective when used in communications to your existing customer list or "house list" as a means of customer retention.
Communicate More Information, More Often
E-mail marketing is an affordable way to stretch a tight marketing budget. It can cost as little as fractions of a penny per e-mail! With a response rate five times greater than direct mail and 25 times the response rate of banner ads, e-mail marketing is the most effective way to increase sales, drive traffic and develop loyalty.
Unlike direct mail, there is virtually no production, materials or postage expense. So, with e-mail marketing, you can easily and affordably create more communications that are valued by your customer, and you can make those communications support and enhance your brand in a way that substantially differentiates your company from the competition.
Your communications can include newsletters, preferred customer promotions, sale notifications, new service announcements, event invitations, greetings and much, much more.
Educate Your Customers
Information and education make your customers and prospects much more valuable because they are more likely to buy when they can make an informed decision. Why force prospects to look elsewhere for the important information they need? Your e-mail communications can gently lead a prospect through the sales process, provide important data and drive the prospect to your website for more details and/or a purchase.
For example, an e-mail newsletter is uniquely suited to accomplish the long term goals of customer retention and loyalty, while it can still contain calls-to-action that provide short-term benefits.
For most businesses, a well-educated customer uses products and services to their greatest advantage. And, guess who will be the first in line to buy when something new becomes available?
Studies show that both senders, and recipients increasingly prefer e-mail marketing. According to DoubleClick:
Permission-based e-mail is far and away the preferred method of online communication for consumers. 75% rated it as their preference, with only 25% preferring postal mail and 0% choosing telemarketing. Foster Long-lasting Relationships E-mail is an easy and inexpensive way of establishing early and long lasting relationships with your prospects and customers. And the benefits of these relationships are far reaching. When you inform and educate prospects and customers, they begin to perceive you as capable of addressing their needs. Even better, they may look to you as an expert. This develops trust, opens the door to two-way communication and allows them to share their pain points with you.
Using the information you gain from your prospects and customers, you will be able to better serve their ongoing needs, hone your unique selling proposition and slowly close the door on your competitors. In the process, you may discover hidden sales opportunities that you may not be addressing.
Easily Measure and Improve Your Results
The benefits derived from most types of marketing and advertising are very difficult to measure. With e-mail marketing, however, you can easily measure the number of e-mails sent, e-mails opened, bounce backs, unsubscribes and click-through rates.
You can also tell who opened your e-mail, which links in your e-mail motivated the most clicks and, even more specifically, who clicked on each link. All of this useful information can help you send highly targeted campaigns to the individuals most likely to respond to your offer, thus improving your results going forward.
For more e-mail marketing articles, visit Constant Contact's Hints & Tips Web site >>
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Perhaps This Will Inspire You...
Here's an inspiring way to start the week.
Take a look at these films. They are each just one minute long. They feature a choir in one country singing another country's national anthem: a simple idea that packs surprising emotional power.
France sings for USA
Kenya sings for India
Japan sings for Turkey
They were shot by film directors looking to support the landmark TED project Pangea Day (which I hope you have calendared for Saturday, May 10).
The event is looking amazing, and I will be writing with some breaking news later in the week. Meanwhile, check out the trailer. And do feel free to forward this note.
- Chris Anderson, TED Curator
Take a look at these films. They are each just one minute long. They feature a choir in one country singing another country's national anthem: a simple idea that packs surprising emotional power.
France sings for USA
Kenya sings for India
Japan sings for Turkey
They were shot by film directors looking to support the landmark TED project Pangea Day (which I hope you have calendared for Saturday, May 10).
The event is looking amazing, and I will be writing with some breaking news later in the week. Meanwhile, check out the trailer. And do feel free to forward this note.
- Chris Anderson, TED Curator
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Evaluating Potential Affiliate Programs
Expanding your list of POSSIBLE PARTNERS is not a difficult task but it does require a systematic approach. Just break your research down into small steps.
Remember, you want to build your affiliate business on a solid foundation -- quality merchant-partners (and products) are essential so find good programs and eliminate poor ones.
Watch for the following criteria as you evaluate potential programs...
+ = positive
- = negative
* = caution
+ High quality product or service -- remember, it's your reputation that is on the line (and online!). Don't recommend products that UNDERdeliver.
+ Merchant has a good site that sells effectively.
+ Ability for affiliate to link straight to individual products, rather than just to the home page. (If the visitor has to find the product that you recommend, your Conversion Rate plummets.)
+ Type of payment model -- Pay-per-sale and pay-per-lead are good. This is true "performance marketing." If your referred visitor delivers the desired response, you get paid. What about "pay-per-click?" See red flags below.
+ Affiliate Support...
Accurate, reliable real-time online accounting, preferably with some kind of ability to "audit" by spot-checking
Detailed traffic and linking stats
Notification by e-mail when a sale is made
Useful marketing assistance, provides traffic-building and sales-getting tools
High-quality newsletter that educates, trains, and accounts for amounts earned
Professional marketing materials available
Affiliates receive discount on products
Great affiliate support is important for a "between the lines" reason, too. It indicates a high degree of commitment to the program and its affiliates.
+ Pays good commission -- hard goods have lower margins than digital ones. So their commissions will be lower. Still, you should make at least 10% (hard good) or 20% (digital good) on any product that you recommend. Don't be scared off by low-priced products if they offer a good % commission -- the lower dollar value per sale is offset by the higher sales volume.
+ Must be free (no charge) to join, no need to buy the product.
+ Lifetime commission -- if the program pays a commission on future sales of other products to customers that you refer, this is a huge plus.
+ Two-tier commission -- if the program pays a commission on affiliates who join because of you, this is also great.
+ Lifetime cookie -- do you receive a commission if the person you referred returns and buys within one month? Three months? The cookie that tracks this should not expire. This policy should also be backed by database-matching -- that way, a merchant can still identify a customer should the cookie be deleted -- heck, the company can even re-write the cookie in that case. A true lifetime cookie.
+ Restriction on number of affiliates -- you won't find many of these. But if you do find one, grab it.
+ Monthly payment, with reasonable minimum.
Do all those plus signs have to be present? No. But the more, the merrier.
Watch out for these negative (-) factors...
- Slow and/or poor support.
- Unethical conduct of any kind.
- Reports of late (or lack of) payments.
- Allow spam, or seem to spam themselves.
- Support, or are slow to condemn scumware programs that deprive hard-working affiliates of their commissions.
- Defective affiliate-joining process. Hey, if they can't get this right...
- Clauses in the agreement that you find unacceptable.
Example... If lifetime customers are important to you, then a clause that allows unilateral termination or modification of the agreement at any time by the company, without just cause, effectively makes the lifetime commitment of no value.
Example... No exclusivity (i.e., you should be allowed to represent more than one book vendor).
... and perhaps the most worrisome of all...
- "The dark side" of affiliate programs. Is the program really just a way to legally bribe folks to recommend overpriced, UNDERdelivering products in order to collect excessive commissions?
There is a commission that is "just right" for each product. If the commission is too low, it is not interesting enough for affiliates. If it is too high, it's a consumer rip-off. (Excessive commissions also push the price of the product up to levels that cannot survive for long in the competitive Net marketplace.)
Your job as an affiliate is an important one. You deliver high-value content that gains the confidence and trust of your visitor/reader. You include recommendations and referrals to your new friends as part of your service and content. Recommending anything less than sterling products is simply sophisticated, subtle fraud.
If you find products that fit your theme but that don't deliver quality, contact them and offer to sell them advertising. This way, you don't compromise your ethics... your reputation. Because the customer recognizes advertising for what it is... a promotion. Nothing wrong with that at all, because their "guard is up."
Bottom line...
Don't allow yourself to be bribed into recommending such products -- in the long run, your reputation will be ruined. And so will your business.
On the other hand, when your visitors are rewarded repeatedly by your rich recommendations, their increasing like and respect of your judgment will keep them coming back for more!
Watch for these warning signs...
*"Pay-per-click" method of payment. In this method, you get paid whenever a visitor clicks on your link. No purchase or lead-generation necessary.
Unfortunately, it's wide open for abuse -- very sophisticated folks create incentives to get thousands of people to click on their links. But the visitors could care less about the products being promoted. It's virtually unstoppable. And merchants end up paying for nothing, so merchants cancel or change the program.
In theory, pay-per-click affiliate programs are a good idea. Unfortunately, they attract "scam artist affiliates." Sooner or later, merchants seem to throw in the towel against the onslaught. So be wary -- these kind of affiliate programs tend to dissolve or mutate into a different model.
* Multi-tier commission -- this is online MLM, which is perfectly legal. Do your due diligence to make sure, of course, that a multi-tier program is not an illegal pyramid scheme. If the "game" is to earn income by signing up others, you most likely are dealing with a pyramid. Many people confuse honest, legal MLM with dishonest, scammy pyramid schemes.
With MLM (also known as Network Marketing), it becomes as important to build a strong downline as it does to sell product. Also, MLM companies are subject to numerous regulations (to prevent them from becoming pyramids, basically). Not all online companies are complying (or even know about this!).
Watch out for a big shakeout with many of these companies going belly-up. If multi-tier interests you, I would recommend that you check out established offline MLMs that are now online.
Or... investigate all others extremely carefully before you decide to invest a lot of time in these.
* Poor or little info about affiliate program available. What kind of priority could it have?
* Dead links on merchant site.
* No clear anti-spamming policy visible on site.
Site that promotes "get-rich-quick" gimmicks.
* Financially unstable. You can lose a lot of momentum if a company goes under, especially if you were banking on lifetime customer/2-tier promises.
* Poor traffic stats, and low Google Page Rank score. Outboard tools like the Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com/) and Alexa (http://www.alexa.com/), can tell you a lot about a site. If there's no traffic, how successful can it really be?
Don't worry about identifying all of the above criteria before you join. Some can only be found after joining. Others only become clear over the weeks that follow. But keep them all in mind. Don't get hurt. Spend your time on smart, stable, ethical companies with great products.
For mmore on this topic visit: Sitesell Premier
Remember, you want to build your affiliate business on a solid foundation -- quality merchant-partners (and products) are essential so find good programs and eliminate poor ones.
Watch for the following criteria as you evaluate potential programs...
+ = positive
- = negative
* = caution
+ High quality product or service -- remember, it's your reputation that is on the line (and online!). Don't recommend products that UNDERdeliver.
+ Merchant has a good site that sells effectively.
+ Ability for affiliate to link straight to individual products, rather than just to the home page. (If the visitor has to find the product that you recommend, your Conversion Rate plummets.)
+ Type of payment model -- Pay-per-sale and pay-per-lead are good. This is true "performance marketing." If your referred visitor delivers the desired response, you get paid. What about "pay-per-click?" See red flags below.
+ Affiliate Support...
Accurate, reliable real-time online accounting, preferably with some kind of ability to "audit" by spot-checking
Detailed traffic and linking stats
Notification by e-mail when a sale is made
Useful marketing assistance, provides traffic-building and sales-getting tools
High-quality newsletter that educates, trains, and accounts for amounts earned
Professional marketing materials available
Affiliates receive discount on products
Great affiliate support is important for a "between the lines" reason, too. It indicates a high degree of commitment to the program and its affiliates.
+ Pays good commission -- hard goods have lower margins than digital ones. So their commissions will be lower. Still, you should make at least 10% (hard good) or 20% (digital good) on any product that you recommend. Don't be scared off by low-priced products if they offer a good % commission -- the lower dollar value per sale is offset by the higher sales volume.
+ Must be free (no charge) to join, no need to buy the product.
+ Lifetime commission -- if the program pays a commission on future sales of other products to customers that you refer, this is a huge plus.
+ Two-tier commission -- if the program pays a commission on affiliates who join because of you, this is also great.
+ Lifetime cookie -- do you receive a commission if the person you referred returns and buys within one month? Three months? The cookie that tracks this should not expire. This policy should also be backed by database-matching -- that way, a merchant can still identify a customer should the cookie be deleted -- heck, the company can even re-write the cookie in that case. A true lifetime cookie.
+ Restriction on number of affiliates -- you won't find many of these. But if you do find one, grab it.
+ Monthly payment, with reasonable minimum.
Do all those plus signs have to be present? No. But the more, the merrier.
Watch out for these negative (-) factors...
- Slow and/or poor support.
- Unethical conduct of any kind.
- Reports of late (or lack of) payments.
- Allow spam, or seem to spam themselves.
- Support, or are slow to condemn scumware programs that deprive hard-working affiliates of their commissions.
- Defective affiliate-joining process. Hey, if they can't get this right...
- Clauses in the agreement that you find unacceptable.
Example... If lifetime customers are important to you, then a clause that allows unilateral termination or modification of the agreement at any time by the company, without just cause, effectively makes the lifetime commitment of no value.
Example... No exclusivity (i.e., you should be allowed to represent more than one book vendor).
... and perhaps the most worrisome of all...
- "The dark side" of affiliate programs. Is the program really just a way to legally bribe folks to recommend overpriced, UNDERdelivering products in order to collect excessive commissions?
There is a commission that is "just right" for each product. If the commission is too low, it is not interesting enough for affiliates. If it is too high, it's a consumer rip-off. (Excessive commissions also push the price of the product up to levels that cannot survive for long in the competitive Net marketplace.)
Your job as an affiliate is an important one. You deliver high-value content that gains the confidence and trust of your visitor/reader. You include recommendations and referrals to your new friends as part of your service and content. Recommending anything less than sterling products is simply sophisticated, subtle fraud.
If you find products that fit your theme but that don't deliver quality, contact them and offer to sell them advertising. This way, you don't compromise your ethics... your reputation. Because the customer recognizes advertising for what it is... a promotion. Nothing wrong with that at all, because their "guard is up."
Bottom line...
Don't allow yourself to be bribed into recommending such products -- in the long run, your reputation will be ruined. And so will your business.
On the other hand, when your visitors are rewarded repeatedly by your rich recommendations, their increasing like and respect of your judgment will keep them coming back for more!
Watch for these warning signs...
*"Pay-per-click" method of payment. In this method, you get paid whenever a visitor clicks on your link. No purchase or lead-generation necessary.
Unfortunately, it's wide open for abuse -- very sophisticated folks create incentives to get thousands of people to click on their links. But the visitors could care less about the products being promoted. It's virtually unstoppable. And merchants end up paying for nothing, so merchants cancel or change the program.
In theory, pay-per-click affiliate programs are a good idea. Unfortunately, they attract "scam artist affiliates." Sooner or later, merchants seem to throw in the towel against the onslaught. So be wary -- these kind of affiliate programs tend to dissolve or mutate into a different model.
* Multi-tier commission -- this is online MLM, which is perfectly legal. Do your due diligence to make sure, of course, that a multi-tier program is not an illegal pyramid scheme. If the "game" is to earn income by signing up others, you most likely are dealing with a pyramid. Many people confuse honest, legal MLM with dishonest, scammy pyramid schemes.
With MLM (also known as Network Marketing), it becomes as important to build a strong downline as it does to sell product. Also, MLM companies are subject to numerous regulations (to prevent them from becoming pyramids, basically). Not all online companies are complying (or even know about this!).
Watch out for a big shakeout with many of these companies going belly-up. If multi-tier interests you, I would recommend that you check out established offline MLMs that are now online.
Or... investigate all others extremely carefully before you decide to invest a lot of time in these.
* Poor or little info about affiliate program available. What kind of priority could it have?
* Dead links on merchant site.
* No clear anti-spamming policy visible on site.
Site that promotes "get-rich-quick" gimmicks.
* Financially unstable. You can lose a lot of momentum if a company goes under, especially if you were banking on lifetime customer/2-tier promises.
* Poor traffic stats, and low Google Page Rank score. Outboard tools like the Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com/) and Alexa (http://www.alexa.com/), can tell you a lot about a site. If there's no traffic, how successful can it really be?
Don't worry about identifying all of the above criteria before you join. Some can only be found after joining. Others only become clear over the weeks that follow. But keep them all in mind. Don't get hurt. Spend your time on smart, stable, ethical companies with great products.
For mmore on this topic visit: Sitesell Premier
Thursday, April 17, 2008
How to Make $1,000's Weekly with a Health Internet Business of Your very Own
Wise Online Entrepreneurs know that the best selling products online are health products and health-related ebooks, books, tapes, newsletter subscriptions, etc.
Now World famous Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst has just released her latest "shocker!" that makes it possible for just about anyone to profit from this fact.
She's making it possible for someone to get a fully-operational online "store" that specializes in "health-related" goods and services.
Literally now anyone can get a complete Internet "health" business in a box!
This complete website has a main product as well as up to 17 separate products that all center around breakthrough health products. And where YOU can earn some really HUGE CASH!
It seems that Dr. Suzanne has really done her homework (especially for YOUR benefit!)
First she correctly determined that according to Forrester Research (which is perhaps the most powerful & accurate online research database to date!) "health-related" products and information is by far the most sought after things anywhere online.
Nope! -- Despite what you might have thought, "sex," "porn," and "UFOs" are NOT the most searched for items on the Internet (but "health stuff" is hands down!)
Second, Dr. Suzanne's "Top Secret Fat Loss Secret" shook the entire World with its release recently - and she's even made a special lead-capture page that you also get central to this amazing site!
Why is this important?
Simple: because Dr. Suzanne's affiliates are making millions right now with what is perhaps one of ClickBank's HOTTEST products (and this same product is the central seller at your new health e-Biz site!)
Third, the site you get also acts as a "database" that never stops growing so that you get 10,000's of customers you can continue to sell to over and over again other things!
Why is this important?
Again, very simple: anyone who's wise online knows that "backend" sales are chief to making long term and extra profits!
Dr. Suzanne's NEW "Health Biz In a Box" complete and fully-operational website you get for next to nothing contains an electronic "Automatic Sales Manager" (like a salesman robot - Ha!) built-in that works to upsell to your list over and over again so that you enjoy additional "automatic" income!
Fourth, Dr. Suzanne health-biz site also includes a complete health-related products Shopping Mall so that your site visitors stopping by are likely to buy at least 1 to up to 17 additional products creating instantly for you up to over a dozen other income streams!
This way you get the "most bang for your buck" so to speak!
As if all this weren't enough, the fifth (and perhaps the very best) thing about this automatic seller is the tiny spokesmodel "Rachel" that literally walks out onto your Health-Biz site and guides your site visitors (like a tour guide) through your entire site and what it has to offer!
Dr. Suzanne carefully tested the site both WITH and WITHOUT "Rachel" and accurately determined that the addition of "Rachel" boosted sites sales by as much as 396% (meaning nearly 4 times as many sales!)
Dr. Suzanne believes that having the spokesmodel adds credibility as well as an informative approach to the site so that it generates a much higher "conversion-to-sales" ration at large.
And ALL these amazing features stand to make YOU very, very rich as you get all of them with your own "Health Biz In a Box" website!
If any of this floats your boat, then I highly recommend you get over to:
=>> Health Biz In A Box
...and because rumor has it that Dr. Suzanne may put a ceiling on the number of these Internet "health-biz" sites she's giving out in order to avoid everyone having one and risking market saturation.
Already people securing theirs have had nothing but great things to say about this:
"I'm so happy with mine! ... Having this site professionally set up by Dr. Suzanne's Team for us was the greatest thing we ever did! ... the site literally is just pouring money into our pockets even while we're doing other things, vacationing, and even crashing out!"
-Cynthia Conrad, Atlanta, Georgia
"I never knew that making money online could be so easy!"
-Richard Bosworth, SLC, Utah
"Health stuff is the real way to make money online easily ... everybody sooner or later has to have it!"
-Carla Dupree, Boise, Idaho
"I'm making about $6,000 a week with mine ... and this after failing on the Net for nearly 10 years trying to sell everything else!"
-Jason Herman, San Dimas, CA
"$500 a day is what this biz is shoving in my pocket! I even went out of town for nearly two weeks and my health biz site completely ran itself!"
-Michael Sorbowski, Mason, Ohio
As you can see by these people's comments, everyone grabbing their own automatic health-products Internet business is raking in the cash! (And now you can too!)
Just grab yours now simply by going to:
=>> Health Biz In A Box
I guess I should have added above that not only do you get all the things I've described thus far, but you also get professional customized set up at no extra charge!
That's right! - Dr. Suzanne's own Team of web experts actually build your "Health Biz" for you so you don't have to!
They:
- design your site
- put all the 17 income streams into place
- install the electronic sales manager for you
- add sharp selling graphics
- add powerful videos
- add several other webpages
- and a complete online shopping mall of health products!
All so that you can earn big income online and while you sell product that help people and that you can be very proud to sell.
So all in all this is perhaps one of the BEST instant online ventures worth your time.
Get your's now before the ceiling number is reached and maxed out...
=>> Health Biz In A Box
-Charles T
Now World famous Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst has just released her latest "shocker!" that makes it possible for just about anyone to profit from this fact.
She's making it possible for someone to get a fully-operational online "store" that specializes in "health-related" goods and services.
Literally now anyone can get a complete Internet "health" business in a box!
This complete website has a main product as well as up to 17 separate products that all center around breakthrough health products. And where YOU can earn some really HUGE CASH!
It seems that Dr. Suzanne has really done her homework (especially for YOUR benefit!)
First she correctly determined that according to Forrester Research (which is perhaps the most powerful & accurate online research database to date!) "health-related" products and information is by far the most sought after things anywhere online.
Nope! -- Despite what you might have thought, "sex," "porn," and "UFOs" are NOT the most searched for items on the Internet (but "health stuff" is hands down!)
Second, Dr. Suzanne's "Top Secret Fat Loss Secret" shook the entire World with its release recently - and she's even made a special lead-capture page that you also get central to this amazing site!
Why is this important?
Simple: because Dr. Suzanne's affiliates are making millions right now with what is perhaps one of ClickBank's HOTTEST products (and this same product is the central seller at your new health e-Biz site!)
Third, the site you get also acts as a "database" that never stops growing so that you get 10,000's of customers you can continue to sell to over and over again other things!
Why is this important?
Again, very simple: anyone who's wise online knows that "backend" sales are chief to making long term and extra profits!
Dr. Suzanne's NEW "Health Biz In a Box" complete and fully-operational website you get for next to nothing contains an electronic "Automatic Sales Manager" (like a salesman robot - Ha!) built-in that works to upsell to your list over and over again so that you enjoy additional "automatic" income!
Fourth, Dr. Suzanne health-biz site also includes a complete health-related products Shopping Mall so that your site visitors stopping by are likely to buy at least 1 to up to 17 additional products creating instantly for you up to over a dozen other income streams!
This way you get the "most bang for your buck" so to speak!
As if all this weren't enough, the fifth (and perhaps the very best) thing about this automatic seller is the tiny spokesmodel "Rachel" that literally walks out onto your Health-Biz site and guides your site visitors (like a tour guide) through your entire site and what it has to offer!
Dr. Suzanne carefully tested the site both WITH and WITHOUT "Rachel" and accurately determined that the addition of "Rachel" boosted sites sales by as much as 396% (meaning nearly 4 times as many sales!)
Dr. Suzanne believes that having the spokesmodel adds credibility as well as an informative approach to the site so that it generates a much higher "conversion-to-sales" ration at large.
And ALL these amazing features stand to make YOU very, very rich as you get all of them with your own "Health Biz In a Box" website!
If any of this floats your boat, then I highly recommend you get over to:
=>> Health Biz In A Box
...and because rumor has it that Dr. Suzanne may put a ceiling on the number of these Internet "health-biz" sites she's giving out in order to avoid everyone having one and risking market saturation.
Already people securing theirs have had nothing but great things to say about this:
"I'm so happy with mine! ... Having this site professionally set up by Dr. Suzanne's Team for us was the greatest thing we ever did! ... the site literally is just pouring money into our pockets even while we're doing other things, vacationing, and even crashing out!"
-Cynthia Conrad, Atlanta, Georgia
"I never knew that making money online could be so easy!"
-Richard Bosworth, SLC, Utah
"Health stuff is the real way to make money online easily ... everybody sooner or later has to have it!"
-Carla Dupree, Boise, Idaho
"I'm making about $6,000 a week with mine ... and this after failing on the Net for nearly 10 years trying to sell everything else!"
-Jason Herman, San Dimas, CA
"$500 a day is what this biz is shoving in my pocket! I even went out of town for nearly two weeks and my health biz site completely ran itself!"
-Michael Sorbowski, Mason, Ohio
As you can see by these people's comments, everyone grabbing their own automatic health-products Internet business is raking in the cash! (And now you can too!)
Just grab yours now simply by going to:
=>> Health Biz In A Box
I guess I should have added above that not only do you get all the things I've described thus far, but you also get professional customized set up at no extra charge!
That's right! - Dr. Suzanne's own Team of web experts actually build your "Health Biz" for you so you don't have to!
They:
- design your site
- put all the 17 income streams into place
- install the electronic sales manager for you
- add sharp selling graphics
- add powerful videos
- add several other webpages
- and a complete online shopping mall of health products!
All so that you can earn big income online and while you sell product that help people and that you can be very proud to sell.
So all in all this is perhaps one of the BEST instant online ventures worth your time.
Get your's now before the ceiling number is reached and maxed out...
=>> Health Biz In A Box
-Charles T
Product Update: Camtasia Studio 5.1 now available!
Have you heard the news? An update to Camtasia Studio was just released!
Watch the video to see it for yourself!
The update includes things like new callout styles, a third audio track, iPhone preset, ExpressShow for FLV videos, and a rebuilt, cooler-than-ever Camtasia Theater.
Read the details.
Go here to Upgrade now!
Of course, being a "dot-one" release, you'll also get a lot of important bug fixes and small enhancements.
The update is free if you own a license to version 5.0 or greater. Running an older version? Now's a great time to buy the upgrade for half the price of a new installation.
The easiest way to upgrade is to open Camtasia Studio and click Help > Check for Upgrade. You can also use our online Upgrade Center.
Go here to UPGRADE NOW!
Watch the video to see it for yourself!
The update includes things like new callout styles, a third audio track, iPhone preset, ExpressShow for FLV videos, and a rebuilt, cooler-than-ever Camtasia Theater.
Read the details.
Go here to Upgrade now!
Of course, being a "dot-one" release, you'll also get a lot of important bug fixes and small enhancements.
The update is free if you own a license to version 5.0 or greater. Running an older version? Now's a great time to buy the upgrade for half the price of a new installation.
The easiest way to upgrade is to open Camtasia Studio and click Help > Check for Upgrade. You can also use our online Upgrade Center.
Go here to UPGRADE NOW!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Making the Most of Your Farmers' Market
Whether you are tired of poking around the produce of your supermarket or you are simply looking for a great day out, think about getting up early one Saturday morning and hitting your local farmers' market. No matter how large your city, or how small, chances are, there's a place where local farmers will bring their produce and you can take advantage of getting farm-fresh groceries as well as having a great day out.
You'll find that the style of your farmers' market will vary depending on what your town is like. For some towns, a farmers' market is a very business-like affair with a long row of stalls or tables, while for other towns, it's something like a weekly fair where face painters, jugglers, living statues perform. In any case, you'll be sure to find a wide variety of in-season vegetables and fruits and you'll also have the benefit of supporting your local agriculture. Some people take it so far as to become “loca-vores,” that is, people who only eat things that are grown or found locally. This is a great way to get food that doesn't have its price inflated by transportation fees.
You'll also find that the farmers' market is a great way to get food that is grown organically, and you can discuss this with your local growers. Food that is grown without the use of pesticides and without the preservatives that are sprayed on to keep them looking good over long distances tends to be a great deal more healthy for you. Their nutrients haven't been degraded, and you'll find that the taste is a great deal fresher as well.
Similarly, keep in mind that a farmers' market is frequently a great place to get meat as well. You can get very fresh beef, chicken and pork, and you may also be able to get more exotic meats like buffalo and rabbit as well. Chances are, this meat has been slaughtered much more humanely than anything you'll find at a regular grocery store. You'll also have intriguing options when it comes to things like cheese, eggs and honey. The sheer variety that you can get your local farmers' market can surprise you.
Set your alarm for the next Saturday morning that you have free and take some time to check out your farmers' market. There's a good chance that you'll come up with some terrific, in-season vegetables and some truly delicious local fruits, as well.
Visit the "Food PLR" to Get More for Your Food Niche Biz!
You'll find that the style of your farmers' market will vary depending on what your town is like. For some towns, a farmers' market is a very business-like affair with a long row of stalls or tables, while for other towns, it's something like a weekly fair where face painters, jugglers, living statues perform. In any case, you'll be sure to find a wide variety of in-season vegetables and fruits and you'll also have the benefit of supporting your local agriculture. Some people take it so far as to become “loca-vores,” that is, people who only eat things that are grown or found locally. This is a great way to get food that doesn't have its price inflated by transportation fees.
You'll also find that the farmers' market is a great way to get food that is grown organically, and you can discuss this with your local growers. Food that is grown without the use of pesticides and without the preservatives that are sprayed on to keep them looking good over long distances tends to be a great deal more healthy for you. Their nutrients haven't been degraded, and you'll find that the taste is a great deal fresher as well.
Similarly, keep in mind that a farmers' market is frequently a great place to get meat as well. You can get very fresh beef, chicken and pork, and you may also be able to get more exotic meats like buffalo and rabbit as well. Chances are, this meat has been slaughtered much more humanely than anything you'll find at a regular grocery store. You'll also have intriguing options when it comes to things like cheese, eggs and honey. The sheer variety that you can get your local farmers' market can surprise you.
Set your alarm for the next Saturday morning that you have free and take some time to check out your farmers' market. There's a good chance that you'll come up with some terrific, in-season vegetables and some truly delicious local fruits, as well.
Visit the "Food PLR" to Get More for Your Food Niche Biz!
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