You just setup your own blog and it’s ready to go. You’ve Install all the plugins and selected a theme you like out of hundreds. The next step is to bring traffic in. So how do you do that? Before you can bring in traffic, it’s best to have at lease 10 post or articles so your blog doesn’t look empty. Do you want to greet visitors with an empty hand. I don’t think so. That’s the first step.
The next 6 steps after you made your first 10 post:
Ping The Blog Services – After each post you make, ping the blog services to let them know you have a blog and it’s just updated. These services are specially design to track and connect blogs. Ping-O-Matic is one of the services that can ping a number of services with a single click.
Optimize Your Posts for Search Engines – There are rules to follow to get your post listed on search engine result page. Make your blog post title contains the primary keyword, use secondary keywords in your body of your post and use your keywords in the anchor text of links in the body of your posts.
Submit To Press Releases – You blog is new, why not tell the world. Press release is a great way to bring in traffic and a great tool for branding. It’s free advertising and it can bring in massive traffic.
Post on forums – Include your blog URL on your signature. Join forums you are interested in or your niche. Post and respond to other posts. Answer question that can help forum members. The more you expose yourself, the more your blog URL is visible. Don’t Spam. It’s a no-no on forums.
Link exchange – Request link exchange with friends from other blogs related to yours. If you don’t have friends, find a blog you like and post comments. Make friends with the blog owner and create a relationship. The more you post comments the morel likely you will get traffic. Again, don’t spam. It will be a waste of your effort if you spam.
Sign up for MyBlogLog.com - Open an account, install the widget and upload a picture. Every time you visit other blogs with a MyBlogLog widget install, your picture will appear on the widget box. Other people who visit that blog, might click on your picture and go to your blog.
These 7 simple steps should give you a little boost to start building your blog traffic, and it’s free. That’s how I brought traffic to this blog for the past 54 days.
Rammel Firdaus -tq 4 tips
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Linkshare
Linkshare
Linkshare is the other top affiliate network providing affiliates access to hundreds of merchants. They host some pretty big name merchants and sign-up is easy. Their tracking isn't quite as user friendly as CJ, but the programs they provide are high quality.
From their site:
"LinkShare hosts a password-protected website that offers affiliates a choice of hundreds of merchant programs. On the site, affiliates can join new programs, get links to put on their sites, and then see reports about how their links are performing and how much they have earned.
When a visitor from an affiliate's site clicks on a link and goes to a merchant's site, LinkShare keeps track of all of the transactions that the visitor makes. If that visitor buys something on the merchant's site, you get a commission.
In some cases, affiliates are compensated even if the visitor doesn't buy anything, just for having driven traffic to the merchant's site.
LinkShare also provides affiliates with customer service, notifies affiliates about new programs and new opportunities, and offers resources for affiliates to learn about how to get the most out of their programs
Linkshare is the other top affiliate network providing affiliates access to hundreds of merchants. They host some pretty big name merchants and sign-up is easy. Their tracking isn't quite as user friendly as CJ, but the programs they provide are high quality.
From their site:
"LinkShare hosts a password-protected website that offers affiliates a choice of hundreds of merchant programs. On the site, affiliates can join new programs, get links to put on their sites, and then see reports about how their links are performing and how much they have earned.
When a visitor from an affiliate's site clicks on a link and goes to a merchant's site, LinkShare keeps track of all of the transactions that the visitor makes. If that visitor buys something on the merchant's site, you get a commission.
In some cases, affiliates are compensated even if the visitor doesn't buy anything, just for having driven traffic to the merchant's site.
LinkShare also provides affiliates with customer service, notifies affiliates about new programs and new opportunities, and offers resources for affiliates to learn about how to get the most out of their programs
The Advantages of Using An Affiliate Network
The Advantages of Using An Affiliate Network
Though not all affiliate programs are administrated through an affiliate network, there are some advantages to using ones that are. Affiliate networks take the head-ache out of tracking and receiving payment and can help webmasters concentrate their efforts on driving traffic instead of maintaining affiliate programs.
What is an Affiliate Network?
Affiliate Networks act as the trusted third party to track and report sales and traffic from ads, they send monthly payment, and often provide online tools to help affiliates optimize their performance. They provide webmasters with access to hundreds of affiliate programs all in one convenient location.
If You DON'T use Affiliate Networks
Webmasters who don't utilize affiliate networks, and use affiliate programs from independent parties may suffer from inaccurate tracking, late or no payment, and dead links and banners.
Should all Affiliates Use an Affiliate Network?
We recommend using an affiliate network to webmasters who are signing up for more than one affiliate program.
Can Affiliates Be Part of Multiple Networks?
Yes. We advise affiliates to sign up for as many affiliate networks as they would like to. Sign-up is free to affiliates and Affiliate Networks partner with different merchants. For example, Ebay uses Commission Junction to mediate their affiliate program, whereas 1-800-Flowers.com uses Linkshare. If you want to sign up for both affiliate programs you should be a part of both networks. Using multiple networks can give you access to more merchants and affiliate programs.
Are Some Networks Better Than Others?
While all affiliate networks have their strong points, we like Commission Junction the best. They have the best optimization tools for affiliates, so affiliates can make the most money possible from each click of traffic.
Though not all affiliate programs are administrated through an affiliate network, there are some advantages to using ones that are. Affiliate networks take the head-ache out of tracking and receiving payment and can help webmasters concentrate their efforts on driving traffic instead of maintaining affiliate programs.
What is an Affiliate Network?
Affiliate Networks act as the trusted third party to track and report sales and traffic from ads, they send monthly payment, and often provide online tools to help affiliates optimize their performance. They provide webmasters with access to hundreds of affiliate programs all in one convenient location.
If You DON'T use Affiliate Networks
Webmasters who don't utilize affiliate networks, and use affiliate programs from independent parties may suffer from inaccurate tracking, late or no payment, and dead links and banners.
Should all Affiliates Use an Affiliate Network?
We recommend using an affiliate network to webmasters who are signing up for more than one affiliate program.
Can Affiliates Be Part of Multiple Networks?
Yes. We advise affiliates to sign up for as many affiliate networks as they would like to. Sign-up is free to affiliates and Affiliate Networks partner with different merchants. For example, Ebay uses Commission Junction to mediate their affiliate program, whereas 1-800-Flowers.com uses Linkshare. If you want to sign up for both affiliate programs you should be a part of both networks. Using multiple networks can give you access to more merchants and affiliate programs.
Are Some Networks Better Than Others?
While all affiliate networks have their strong points, we like Commission Junction the best. They have the best optimization tools for affiliates, so affiliates can make the most money possible from each click of traffic.
Commission Junction
Commission Junction
Housing the most lucrative affiliate programs available, Commission Junction is the premier network for affiliate marketing. CJ provides affiliates and merchants alike with optimal revenue sharing tools and experiences.
From an affiliate standpoint we have found CJ to be first-class in the following areas: ease of use, tracking capabilities, affiliate/merchant relations, multiple site compatibility and incentive programs.
Ease of Use
CJ Sign-up is quick and easy. You put in contact information, the URL for the site you will be using, send in the W-9 for tax purposes and you are on your way. Log-in email is sent to your inbox and then you can log in to the network of web sites that offer affiliate programs.
Tracking Capabilities
CJ has the most advanced tracking and reporting capabilities we've found. Webmasters are able to optimize their efforts by using their advanced statistics and advertiser earning potential reports. CJ tells webmasters which advertisers are performing the best and handing out the highest commissions based on actual statistics.
Affiliate/Advertiser Relations
Applying for affiliate programs takes just one click. CJ uses a web-based email system for merchants and affiliates to keep in touch. CJ also notifies webmasters of links and advertisers that have expired, so affiliates can always keep current ads and advertisers up on their site.
Multiple Site Compatibility
For webmasters who oversee many different sites with advertiser links on them, CJ makes it easy to diversify the tracking codes and monitor the performance of each site's affiliate links.
Incentive Programs
Advertisers are always offering new incentive programs to raise affiliate performance. CJ makes it easy to stay abreast of new offers and changes. They also offer Rewards incentives to web site visitors of affiliates.
Overall, Commission Junction is the best affiliate network and makes keeping track of affiliate programs a breeze. To sign up with CJ click on the link below and apply for a "Publisher Account" with them. (FYI- CJ calls affiliates "publishers" and merchants providing affiliate programs "advertisers")
Housing the most lucrative affiliate programs available, Commission Junction is the premier network for affiliate marketing. CJ provides affiliates and merchants alike with optimal revenue sharing tools and experiences.
From an affiliate standpoint we have found CJ to be first-class in the following areas: ease of use, tracking capabilities, affiliate/merchant relations, multiple site compatibility and incentive programs.
Ease of Use
CJ Sign-up is quick and easy. You put in contact information, the URL for the site you will be using, send in the W-9 for tax purposes and you are on your way. Log-in email is sent to your inbox and then you can log in to the network of web sites that offer affiliate programs.
Tracking Capabilities
CJ has the most advanced tracking and reporting capabilities we've found. Webmasters are able to optimize their efforts by using their advanced statistics and advertiser earning potential reports. CJ tells webmasters which advertisers are performing the best and handing out the highest commissions based on actual statistics.
Affiliate/Advertiser Relations
Applying for affiliate programs takes just one click. CJ uses a web-based email system for merchants and affiliates to keep in touch. CJ also notifies webmasters of links and advertisers that have expired, so affiliates can always keep current ads and advertisers up on their site.
Multiple Site Compatibility
For webmasters who oversee many different sites with advertiser links on them, CJ makes it easy to diversify the tracking codes and monitor the performance of each site's affiliate links.
Incentive Programs
Advertisers are always offering new incentive programs to raise affiliate performance. CJ makes it easy to stay abreast of new offers and changes. They also offer Rewards incentives to web site visitors of affiliates.
Overall, Commission Junction is the best affiliate network and makes keeping track of affiliate programs a breeze. To sign up with CJ click on the link below and apply for a "Publisher Account" with them. (FYI- CJ calls affiliates "publishers" and merchants providing affiliate programs "advertisers")
Pay Per Click Affiliate Programs
Pay Per Click Affiliate Programs
While affiliate marketing began as a pay per click model it is becoming more difficult for webmasters to find pay per click affiliate programs to sign up for. Read on to find out where you can still find merchants who will pay you for every visitor you send to their site using pay per click affiliate programs.
Pay Per Click vs. Pay Per Action
Every webmaster would love to be highly compensated for every visitor sent to an affiliate website, however that is not how most affiliate programs work. Merchants sponsoring affiliate programs have found pay per action models to much more profitable for them. Pay per action means the merchant only has to pay the affiliate if the customer click converts to a sale. Most merchants have turned to this more profitable payment scheme from the original pay per click model.
Finding Pay Per Click Affiliate Programs
We have found the most pay per click affiliate programs in the the easiest to manage location through the Commission Junction affiliate network. CJ is our favorite because it makes choosing high performing products and creatives easy, as well as tracking sales, receiving payment, and managing multiple sites. CJ will tell just exactly how the merchant plans to pay, per sale, per lead, or per click.
The majority of pay per click affiliate programs are for products like casinos, online dating, and recreational sites that are sure to make money off most visitors to their site, so they are willing to pay merchants the same way. If these types of affiliate programs fit your site you may be interested in a pay per click affiliate program.
High Traffic = High Commissions
For webmasters with high traffic websites, pay per click affiliate programs can be very profitable. If you haven't already, sign up for an account with Commission Junction (its free to webmasters) and start connecting with merchants who are paying for every visitor.
While affiliate marketing began as a pay per click model it is becoming more difficult for webmasters to find pay per click affiliate programs to sign up for. Read on to find out where you can still find merchants who will pay you for every visitor you send to their site using pay per click affiliate programs.
Pay Per Click vs. Pay Per Action
Every webmaster would love to be highly compensated for every visitor sent to an affiliate website, however that is not how most affiliate programs work. Merchants sponsoring affiliate programs have found pay per action models to much more profitable for them. Pay per action means the merchant only has to pay the affiliate if the customer click converts to a sale. Most merchants have turned to this more profitable payment scheme from the original pay per click model.
Finding Pay Per Click Affiliate Programs
We have found the most pay per click affiliate programs in the the easiest to manage location through the Commission Junction affiliate network. CJ is our favorite because it makes choosing high performing products and creatives easy, as well as tracking sales, receiving payment, and managing multiple sites. CJ will tell just exactly how the merchant plans to pay, per sale, per lead, or per click.
The majority of pay per click affiliate programs are for products like casinos, online dating, and recreational sites that are sure to make money off most visitors to their site, so they are willing to pay merchants the same way. If these types of affiliate programs fit your site you may be interested in a pay per click affiliate program.
High Traffic = High Commissions
For webmasters with high traffic websites, pay per click affiliate programs can be very profitable. If you haven't already, sign up for an account with Commission Junction (its free to webmasters) and start connecting with merchants who are paying for every visitor.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Finding the Perfect Affiliate Program
Finding the Perfect Affiliate Program
Every now and again we webmasters will come across one affiliate program that out-performs the rest; the affiliate program that converts clicks to sales as fast as you can send traffic. If you haven't yet found your "Golden Goose" affiliate program, read on to learn how to spot the one in a million.
Discovering an affiliate program that blows the others out of the water requires a fine balance between three key factors: recommending a quality product, buyer-friendly website design, and lastly, affiliate program payout.
Quality Product
You may be able to succeed for a short while recommending a faulty product, but get-rich-quick schemes like that are not the way to find the cash-cow affiliate program. Find a good quality product/service to recommend to your website visitors. Choose an upstanding established company who emphasizes customer satisfaction. By teaming up with a good company and quality product you are on the right track.
Buyer-Friendly Web Design
It does you no good to send precious traffic to poorly designed websites that can't convert your clicks to sales. The perfect affiliate program takes the traffic you send instantly by the hand and leads them to a sale. Bad design is the sales enemy and customers can click away as easily as they came, leaving you commissionless. Be certain that you send your traffic to affiliate programs that can make a sale.
Affiliate Program Payout
This last tip should be fairly obvious to webmasters familiar with affiliate marketing; however, many casual affiliates who don't know they could be making big money overlook choosing an affiliate program with a high payout. The best affiliate programs are willing to pay their affiliates well. This means high bounties, longer cookie duration, and recurring payment on repeat customers if possible.
The perfect affiliate program factors in the three key elements of affiliate success: choosing a good product, with a great website and a terrific payout. Sending your website traffic to these types of affiliate programs will turn your hard-earned traffic into revenue.
Every now and again we webmasters will come across one affiliate program that out-performs the rest; the affiliate program that converts clicks to sales as fast as you can send traffic. If you haven't yet found your "Golden Goose" affiliate program, read on to learn how to spot the one in a million.
Discovering an affiliate program that blows the others out of the water requires a fine balance between three key factors: recommending a quality product, buyer-friendly website design, and lastly, affiliate program payout.
Quality Product
You may be able to succeed for a short while recommending a faulty product, but get-rich-quick schemes like that are not the way to find the cash-cow affiliate program. Find a good quality product/service to recommend to your website visitors. Choose an upstanding established company who emphasizes customer satisfaction. By teaming up with a good company and quality product you are on the right track.
Buyer-Friendly Web Design
It does you no good to send precious traffic to poorly designed websites that can't convert your clicks to sales. The perfect affiliate program takes the traffic you send instantly by the hand and leads them to a sale. Bad design is the sales enemy and customers can click away as easily as they came, leaving you commissionless. Be certain that you send your traffic to affiliate programs that can make a sale.
Affiliate Program Payout
This last tip should be fairly obvious to webmasters familiar with affiliate marketing; however, many casual affiliates who don't know they could be making big money overlook choosing an affiliate program with a high payout. The best affiliate programs are willing to pay their affiliates well. This means high bounties, longer cookie duration, and recurring payment on repeat customers if possible.
The perfect affiliate program factors in the three key elements of affiliate success: choosing a good product, with a great website and a terrific payout. Sending your website traffic to these types of affiliate programs will turn your hard-earned traffic into revenue.
Negotiating Bigger Bounties
Negotiating Bigger Bounties
So you are making money with affiliate programs, now what? Make more money! Here's how…
Get To Know Your Merchants
People do business with people they know, right? You need to establish relationships with the merchants you are affiliated with. This can be easy or difficult depending on your market. Credit card merchants, for example, are almost impossible to get in touch with as most use outsourced affiliate programs. Other affiliate program directors may be easy to contact and open to negotiations. Remember, solid relationships take time, so be patient and persistent and don't be afraid to make the first move.
Be a Top Affiliate
Merchants are almost always willing to award top performing affiliates. Higher bounties are handed out to continue to entice and reward the affiliates who send the most business. It is only natural - you make more money for them, they have more money to share with you. Stand out from the other affiliates as the top of the heap, and you will get noticed and (hopefully) rewarded.
You Have to Ask
It is very rare to receive a commission raise without asking for one. Unless you are a top performing affiliate, you will not get paid more per click/sale unless you ask, beg, or bribe. Okay, maybe bribery is a little far, but you will have to ask nicely and offer the merchant something in return - like increased traffic, better traffic, or more sales.
Taking the initiative to establish or improve relationships with merchants and affiliate program directors can pay off in the long run with higher bounties and better commissions. Don't settle for mediocre commissions. If you are a good affiliate you deserve more.
So you are making money with affiliate programs, now what? Make more money! Here's how…
Get To Know Your Merchants
People do business with people they know, right? You need to establish relationships with the merchants you are affiliated with. This can be easy or difficult depending on your market. Credit card merchants, for example, are almost impossible to get in touch with as most use outsourced affiliate programs. Other affiliate program directors may be easy to contact and open to negotiations. Remember, solid relationships take time, so be patient and persistent and don't be afraid to make the first move.
Be a Top Affiliate
Merchants are almost always willing to award top performing affiliates. Higher bounties are handed out to continue to entice and reward the affiliates who send the most business. It is only natural - you make more money for them, they have more money to share with you. Stand out from the other affiliates as the top of the heap, and you will get noticed and (hopefully) rewarded.
You Have to Ask
It is very rare to receive a commission raise without asking for one. Unless you are a top performing affiliate, you will not get paid more per click/sale unless you ask, beg, or bribe. Okay, maybe bribery is a little far, but you will have to ask nicely and offer the merchant something in return - like increased traffic, better traffic, or more sales.
Taking the initiative to establish or improve relationships with merchants and affiliate program directors can pay off in the long run with higher bounties and better commissions. Don't settle for mediocre commissions. If you are a good affiliate you deserve more.
Choosing the Right Affiliate Programs for Your Site
Choosing the Right Affiliate Programs for Your Site
One of the key elements of making affiliate programs work for you is choosing the right program or programs for your site. This article discusses general considerations for getting a good match. For more about the benefits of an affiliate network, see the article "Advantages of Using an Affiliate Network."
Your Search—Open-Ended
Some people start to hunt for an affiliate program in a spirit of being open to anything. In this situation, you might seek programs in a variety of locations and representing products from a wide range of groupings. You could start, for example, with an affiliate program directory, and look through the entire range of programs, which typically include the following categories, and more:
Art & Music
Automotive
Books & Media
Careers
Clothing & Accessories
Commerce
Education & Training
Entertainment
Family & Lifestyles
Financial Services
Food & Drinks
Gifts & Flowers
Health & Beauty
Home & Garden
Insurance
Recreation & Leisure
Shops & Malls
Sports & Fitness
Telecommunications
Travel
Web Services
Amazon.com and eBay are two large affiliate programs within which you could shape your own specialty area. There are many that are smaller and more focused.
Your Search—Focused
But let's say you already have a site or that you have a particular interest in mind from the start. You can still use an affiliate program directory and just be more selective about your categories. But what would you want to select?
If you have a product for sale yourself, say a gadget you invented and patented for hanging trousers without imprints or creases, try to choose complementary products that either:
• work with your product
• are thought of in connection with your product
• make your product necessary
• extend the use of your product
For your ingenious trouser hanger, this might lead you to clothiers and closet designers. BUT . . . you would want to avoid anyone selling a competing hanging product that your visitor might choose in lieu of yours: no reason to give your competitors free advertising! The connection between your product and the advertised product will ensure that visitors to your site are highly likely to be interested in the products of the merchants you're affiliated with.
One way to come up with good ideas is to visit the websites of your competitors. Look around and see what types of affiliate links they have. You may want to imitate them or one-up them. In either case, the research might give you some fresh ideas. It's also a good idea to visit the merchants sites and see who they link to: this might give you some more ideas.
If you don't have a product, but do have a website, you may have a little more flexibility about what you choose, because your topic focus is likely to be a bit broader than one gadget. In this case, try to think of the different types of people who might be interested in your site and what other products would appeal to each distinct group.
For example, if you show Maine Coon cats and have a website devoted to the breed, you might get visits from cat fanciers, on the one hand, and families who are simply looking for information while considering purchasing a pet on the other hand. The specialists and the folks with a more casual interest is not an unusual split for this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best a website to draw, so think about both. In any case, be sure to choose products and services that you can stand behind with enthusiasm.
Whoa, Nelly!
Signing up for affiliate programs may seem very attractive, so make sure you don't get carried away. Doing it right means a time investment, and if you have separate tracking for each program, this will mean extra time sorting out the analysis of each merchant's product or service and making plans for your next campaign.
What to Look For
Of course, another important aspect of your search is the terms of affiliation. Here are some good questions to consider as you contemplate joining an affiliate program:
• How much is the commission?
• What action is required for the commission to be triggered?
• What is the number of "Return Days"?
• How often are checks issued?
• What kind of tracking is used and what do the reports detail?
• How is the problem of click fraud and other types of fraud being handled?
• How available is the merchant?
• Is the merchant interested in working with affiliate-generated ideas and concepts?
• Is the program one-tiered or two-tiered and how exactly do the payments work?
• Does the merchant have a good reputation with existing affiliates?
One of the key elements of making affiliate programs work for you is choosing the right program or programs for your site. This article discusses general considerations for getting a good match. For more about the benefits of an affiliate network, see the article "Advantages of Using an Affiliate Network."
Your Search—Open-Ended
Some people start to hunt for an affiliate program in a spirit of being open to anything. In this situation, you might seek programs in a variety of locations and representing products from a wide range of groupings. You could start, for example, with an affiliate program directory, and look through the entire range of programs, which typically include the following categories, and more:
Art & Music
Automotive
Books & Media
Careers
Clothing & Accessories
Commerce
Education & Training
Entertainment
Family & Lifestyles
Financial Services
Food & Drinks
Gifts & Flowers
Health & Beauty
Home & Garden
Insurance
Recreation & Leisure
Shops & Malls
Sports & Fitness
Telecommunications
Travel
Web Services
Amazon.com and eBay are two large affiliate programs within which you could shape your own specialty area. There are many that are smaller and more focused.
Your Search—Focused
But let's say you already have a site or that you have a particular interest in mind from the start. You can still use an affiliate program directory and just be more selective about your categories. But what would you want to select?
If you have a product for sale yourself, say a gadget you invented and patented for hanging trousers without imprints or creases, try to choose complementary products that either:
• work with your product
• are thought of in connection with your product
• make your product necessary
• extend the use of your product
For your ingenious trouser hanger, this might lead you to clothiers and closet designers. BUT . . . you would want to avoid anyone selling a competing hanging product that your visitor might choose in lieu of yours: no reason to give your competitors free advertising! The connection between your product and the advertised product will ensure that visitors to your site are highly likely to be interested in the products of the merchants you're affiliated with.
One way to come up with good ideas is to visit the websites of your competitors. Look around and see what types of affiliate links they have. You may want to imitate them or one-up them. In either case, the research might give you some fresh ideas. It's also a good idea to visit the merchants sites and see who they link to: this might give you some more ideas.
If you don't have a product, but do have a website, you may have a little more flexibility about what you choose, because your topic focus is likely to be a bit broader than one gadget. In this case, try to think of the different types of people who might be interested in your site and what other products would appeal to each distinct group.
For example, if you show Maine Coon cats and have a website devoted to the breed, you might get visits from cat fanciers, on the one hand, and families who are simply looking for information while considering purchasing a pet on the other hand. The specialists and the folks with a more casual interest is not an unusual split for this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best a website to draw, so think about both. In any case, be sure to choose products and services that you can stand behind with enthusiasm.
Whoa, Nelly!
Signing up for affiliate programs may seem very attractive, so make sure you don't get carried away. Doing it right means a time investment, and if you have separate tracking for each program, this will mean extra time sorting out the analysis of each merchant's product or service and making plans for your next campaign.
What to Look For
Of course, another important aspect of your search is the terms of affiliation. Here are some good questions to consider as you contemplate joining an affiliate program:
• How much is the commission?
• What action is required for the commission to be triggered?
• What is the number of "Return Days"?
• How often are checks issued?
• What kind of tracking is used and what do the reports detail?
• How is the problem of click fraud and other types of fraud being handled?
• How available is the merchant?
• Is the merchant interested in working with affiliate-generated ideas and concepts?
• Is the program one-tiered or two-tiered and how exactly do the payments work?
• Does the merchant have a good reputation with existing affiliates?
Affiliate Sales Tracking
Affiliate Sales Tracking
Tracking your sales, along with choosing appropriate affiliates and maintaining your website(s), is one of the key elements of being an affiliate. Here is some important information about how affiliate sales are tracked.
The Importance of Tracking
If you realize that accurate tracking is the only means to insure that you will get fairly paid as an affiliate, you'll understand the importance of the topic. It is imperative to make sure to monitor tracking to catch glitches on the merchant's end or arising from fraud. In a more positive way, tracking also gives you feedback on your marketing campaigns and their effectiveness, allowing you to draw conclusions for future changes, implementations, and updates.
It's Not Just Cookies Anymore
The variety of tracking software for affiliate programs has grown a great deal since the idea of affiliate programs was conceived. Some merchants may use specialized in-house software, rely on a web-based software service, or work through an affiliate network. The technical tracking (following customers and collecting their behaviors) is currently done by a number of systems, including the following:
• Cookie tracking
• Database – data capture
• Database Record Match Tracking
• Pixel cookie with backup IP
• Pixel post
• Self-Replicated Pages
• Simple Direct URL Links
• Sub Domain Tracking
• URL Query String Tracking
The report data that you will need from the tracking system will depend on the contract you have and how your commission is being paid. Whichever type of tracking is being used, note the items on the list below that are integral to your analysis of your site's performance, and make sure they're included in the tracking report so you have the statistics you need.
• Conversions (actions generated by visitors) • Number of clicks
• CPA (Cost Per Action) • Page views for each visitor
• CPM/CPT (Cost per thousand clicks) • Return Days (time during which an affiliate gets credit for a sale)
• CR (Conversion Ratio) • Total of impressions (ads)
• CPS (Cost Per Sale) • Total page views
• CTR (Click-Through-Rate) • Unique visitors to your site
• EPC (Earnings Per one hundred Clicks)
Watching Out for Fraud
Good, thorough tracking software and reports can help avoid any type of fraud. Though no tracking method is foolproof (this is still a young industry), and this can make it difficult to figure out what "best practice" is, let alone what the next scam will be. But in spite of this there are certain ways in which the record of your transactions can be lost, as well as ways of attempting to gain compensation as an affiliate that are wrong, so watch out for any evidence that points to these:
• Blockers—People who come to your site may be unaware that they are robbing you of credit when their spyware or security system deletes or refuses the cookies that your merchant's tracking this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best software wants to place on their site. Many people are suspicious of cookies, and try to protect themselves from legitimate dangers by blocking them. In addition, some browsers offer adblockers, which may serve a legitimate role for a customer. For example, pretty much everyone would agree that someone who could have a seizure from blinking, spinning ads is far better blocking those ads. Other people, without an urgent medical issue, simply find them utterly annoying. The net result is that people may be seeing your sight, but not the advertisements you have posted, particularly if they're pop-ups.
• Cookie Overwriting—Various means, including a merchant's newsletter mailing, have been known to purposely or accidentally overwritten a cookie from an affiliate site visit so that the affiliate doesn't get credit for a purchase.
• Coupon Scraping—This is fraud that one affiliate practices on another. It involves the theft of coupons that are not tagged for the particular affiliate's authorized site, and then receiving credit for their use on an unauthorized site.
• Cookie-stuffing—This is creating a method to deceive the tracking system to believe that a link has been clicked even though it hasn't.
• Parasites—This involves one affiliate stealing another's traffic by substituting their own ID for the real affiliate's identification in links, leading to the thief being credited for the real affiliate's sales.
Tracking your sales, along with choosing appropriate affiliates and maintaining your website(s), is one of the key elements of being an affiliate. Here is some important information about how affiliate sales are tracked.
The Importance of Tracking
If you realize that accurate tracking is the only means to insure that you will get fairly paid as an affiliate, you'll understand the importance of the topic. It is imperative to make sure to monitor tracking to catch glitches on the merchant's end or arising from fraud. In a more positive way, tracking also gives you feedback on your marketing campaigns and their effectiveness, allowing you to draw conclusions for future changes, implementations, and updates.
It's Not Just Cookies Anymore
The variety of tracking software for affiliate programs has grown a great deal since the idea of affiliate programs was conceived. Some merchants may use specialized in-house software, rely on a web-based software service, or work through an affiliate network. The technical tracking (following customers and collecting their behaviors) is currently done by a number of systems, including the following:
• Cookie tracking
• Database – data capture
• Database Record Match Tracking
• Pixel cookie with backup IP
• Pixel post
• Self-Replicated Pages
• Simple Direct URL Links
• Sub Domain Tracking
• URL Query String Tracking
The report data that you will need from the tracking system will depend on the contract you have and how your commission is being paid. Whichever type of tracking is being used, note the items on the list below that are integral to your analysis of your site's performance, and make sure they're included in the tracking report so you have the statistics you need.
• Conversions (actions generated by visitors) • Number of clicks
• CPA (Cost Per Action) • Page views for each visitor
• CPM/CPT (Cost per thousand clicks) • Return Days (time during which an affiliate gets credit for a sale)
• CR (Conversion Ratio) • Total of impressions (ads)
• CPS (Cost Per Sale) • Total page views
• CTR (Click-Through-Rate) • Unique visitors to your site
• EPC (Earnings Per one hundred Clicks)
Watching Out for Fraud
Good, thorough tracking software and reports can help avoid any type of fraud. Though no tracking method is foolproof (this is still a young industry), and this can make it difficult to figure out what "best practice" is, let alone what the next scam will be. But in spite of this there are certain ways in which the record of your transactions can be lost, as well as ways of attempting to gain compensation as an affiliate that are wrong, so watch out for any evidence that points to these:
• Blockers—People who come to your site may be unaware that they are robbing you of credit when their spyware or security system deletes or refuses the cookies that your merchant's tracking this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best software wants to place on their site. Many people are suspicious of cookies, and try to protect themselves from legitimate dangers by blocking them. In addition, some browsers offer adblockers, which may serve a legitimate role for a customer. For example, pretty much everyone would agree that someone who could have a seizure from blinking, spinning ads is far better blocking those ads. Other people, without an urgent medical issue, simply find them utterly annoying. The net result is that people may be seeing your sight, but not the advertisements you have posted, particularly if they're pop-ups.
• Cookie Overwriting—Various means, including a merchant's newsletter mailing, have been known to purposely or accidentally overwritten a cookie from an affiliate site visit so that the affiliate doesn't get credit for a purchase.
• Coupon Scraping—This is fraud that one affiliate practices on another. It involves the theft of coupons that are not tagged for the particular affiliate's authorized site, and then receiving credit for their use on an unauthorized site.
• Cookie-stuffing—This is creating a method to deceive the tracking system to believe that a link has been clicked even though it hasn't.
• Parasites—This involves one affiliate stealing another's traffic by substituting their own ID for the real affiliate's identification in links, leading to the thief being credited for the real affiliate's sales.
Website Do's and Don'ts
Website Do's and Don'ts
When traveling on a busy highway everyone can get where they need to go without incident as long as everyone plays by the rules of the road. One unsuccessful multi-tasker, applying mascara, answering the cell phone, and merging three lanes without a signal can ruin the morning commute for everyone.
Follow the Right Road
The concept is the same for affiliates 'driving on the Information Superhighway'. There are a few important rules to follow so affiliate marketing can continue to be profitable for everyone. Affiliates who break the rules are not only scorned by fellow affiliates, but are also under penalty of law for breaking term agreements. If you are planning to be an affiliate, plan to follow these rules:
No Spam
The first and most important rule of affiliate marketing is, no spam! Do no send unsolicited email to get people to click on affiliate links. This is considered unethical, is annoying, and gives the merchant (and you) a bad reputation. Sending unsolicited email is illegal and authorities have begun to really crack down on those who send it.
No Forums
It is also against the rules to use commercial links or affiliate links in forums, message boards, or online bulletin boards. While it is generally acceptable to post a hotlink to your web site in a forum, you may not post an affiliate link in a forum.
Don't Alter Banner Content
Merchants' banner advertisements are protected by copyright, and affiliates are given the permission to use them as is. They are not to be altered by the affiliates. This is punishable by law. Some merchants may allow a slight altering of the size of the banner or the banner HTML code, but usually only with expressed permission. Be aware of the merchant's rules for minor alterations. Altering the content of a banner is prohibited.
Illegal Site=Illegal Traffic
Do not post affiliate links on illegal sites. Traffic from illegal sites is not recognized as legal and thus any revenue and sales earned from such traffic is forfeited and void at the Merchant's discretion. In most cases illegal sites will then be turned over to the authorities.
Play Fair
Affiliate marketing can be wonderfully profitable for affiliates and merchants as long as affiliates continue to play fair. Playing by the rules means placing text links and banner advertisements on legitimate web sites, or placing an affiliate link on a legal, and requested, e-zine, or newsletter. Affiliates can make big bucks by taking the legal road and can feel good about their honest efforts when the revenue begins rolling in.
When traveling on a busy highway everyone can get where they need to go without incident as long as everyone plays by the rules of the road. One unsuccessful multi-tasker, applying mascara, answering the cell phone, and merging three lanes without a signal can ruin the morning commute for everyone.
Follow the Right Road
The concept is the same for affiliates 'driving on the Information Superhighway'. There are a few important rules to follow so affiliate marketing can continue to be profitable for everyone. Affiliates who break the rules are not only scorned by fellow affiliates, but are also under penalty of law for breaking term agreements. If you are planning to be an affiliate, plan to follow these rules:
No Spam
The first and most important rule of affiliate marketing is, no spam! Do no send unsolicited email to get people to click on affiliate links. This is considered unethical, is annoying, and gives the merchant (and you) a bad reputation. Sending unsolicited email is illegal and authorities have begun to really crack down on those who send it.
No Forums
It is also against the rules to use commercial links or affiliate links in forums, message boards, or online bulletin boards. While it is generally acceptable to post a hotlink to your web site in a forum, you may not post an affiliate link in a forum.
Don't Alter Banner Content
Merchants' banner advertisements are protected by copyright, and affiliates are given the permission to use them as is. They are not to be altered by the affiliates. This is punishable by law. Some merchants may allow a slight altering of the size of the banner or the banner HTML code, but usually only with expressed permission. Be aware of the merchant's rules for minor alterations. Altering the content of a banner is prohibited.
Illegal Site=Illegal Traffic
Do not post affiliate links on illegal sites. Traffic from illegal sites is not recognized as legal and thus any revenue and sales earned from such traffic is forfeited and void at the Merchant's discretion. In most cases illegal sites will then be turned over to the authorities.
Play Fair
Affiliate marketing can be wonderfully profitable for affiliates and merchants as long as affiliates continue to play fair. Playing by the rules means placing text links and banner advertisements on legitimate web sites, or placing an affiliate link on a legal, and requested, e-zine, or newsletter. Affiliates can make big bucks by taking the legal road and can feel good about their honest efforts when the revenue begins rolling in.
Pay-Per-Click
Pay-Per-Click
As you read various affiliate program specifications you may notice some say affiliates will be paid based on a pay-per-something plan. Affiliate revenue and payment can be set up in many different ways, usually depending on the type of products and services the merchant is offering. The main three payment structures are: pay-per-lead, pay-per-click, and pay-per-sale.
Pay-Per-Lead
Pay-per-lead revenue is earned by tracking how many qualified potential customers, or leads, visit a merchant. For example: Credit card companies offer this type of program to an affiliate for customers who apply for a credit card. Although the applicant may be denied for the card, the company will pay affiliates for applicants, or leads, as opposed to paying for visitors to the site. Pay-per-lead payment works well for merchants who have customers that don't actual purchase a product, but sign-up for some kind of service.
Pay-Per-Click
Pay-per-click revenue is usually a much smaller amount than per-lead or per-sale programs. For example: $.10 per click would be a pretty high pay-per-click earning rate for affiliates. Affiliates are paid for each unique site visitor under a pay-per-click structure. For affiliates receiving a high volume of traffic, pay-per-click programs could be very profitable. This method would not be as ideal for a low-traffic web site.
Pay-Per-Sale
Pay-per-sale is either doled out as a percentage or a flat-rate amount. Online stores, like Amazon.com, pay affiliates 10% of whatever the customer, recommended to the store by an affiliate, purchases. iPowerWeb, on the other hand, pays affiliates a flat-rate amount, $65.00, for each customer they are sent by the affiliate. Pay-per-sale programs are the best way to earn high commissions with lower traffic sites. (And, of course, could be very profitable for high traffic affiliate sites.)
As you read various affiliate program specifications you may notice some say affiliates will be paid based on a pay-per-something plan. Affiliate revenue and payment can be set up in many different ways, usually depending on the type of products and services the merchant is offering. The main three payment structures are: pay-per-lead, pay-per-click, and pay-per-sale.
Pay-Per-Lead
Pay-per-lead revenue is earned by tracking how many qualified potential customers, or leads, visit a merchant. For example: Credit card companies offer this type of program to an affiliate for customers who apply for a credit card. Although the applicant may be denied for the card, the company will pay affiliates for applicants, or leads, as opposed to paying for visitors to the site. Pay-per-lead payment works well for merchants who have customers that don't actual purchase a product, but sign-up for some kind of service.
Pay-Per-Click
Pay-per-click revenue is usually a much smaller amount than per-lead or per-sale programs. For example: $.10 per click would be a pretty high pay-per-click earning rate for affiliates. Affiliates are paid for each unique site visitor under a pay-per-click structure. For affiliates receiving a high volume of traffic, pay-per-click programs could be very profitable. This method would not be as ideal for a low-traffic web site.
Pay-Per-Sale
Pay-per-sale is either doled out as a percentage or a flat-rate amount. Online stores, like Amazon.com, pay affiliates 10% of whatever the customer, recommended to the store by an affiliate, purchases. iPowerWeb, on the other hand, pays affiliates a flat-rate amount, $65.00, for each customer they are sent by the affiliate. Pay-per-sale programs are the best way to earn high commissions with lower traffic sites. (And, of course, could be very profitable for high traffic affiliate sites.)
What are Affiliate Programs?
What are Affiliate Programs?
Want to understand more about affiliate programs? Here's an introduction to this popular form of increasing website traffic and monetizing websites.
What's It All About?
An affiliate is someone who does not belong to an organization as a member or employee, but has some connection with it that is important enough to be given its own name. It comes from a Latin word meaning "adopted as a son." In Internet marketing, an affiliate is a person who is not connected to an ecommerce site joins its revenue sharing program, advertises on behalf of the merchant, and receives (usually) a percentage of the income that is generated by customers who reach the merchant through the affiliate.
The road from the affiliate to the merchant might be a text link or an image. The advertising could take the form of a banner advertisement, a pop-up ad, or a pay-per-click text ad, for example. The affiliate may also have articles, a blog, or other material that supports, explains, describes, or reviews the merchant's products. The merchant is benefited by the affiliates efforts to increase the merchant's website traffic and visitors' follow-through to make a purchase. The affiliate is benefited by income from the transaction.
Affiliates and merchants may connect directly through the merchants efforts to find and invite affiliates to join his or her program. On the other hand, they may connect through an affiliate network that serves as a sort of clearing house for affiliate opportunities. To read more information about affiliate networks, see the article, "The Advantages of Using an Affiliate Network."
Whether the merchant has set up an affiliation program with his or her own programmer creating the system, bought a software tracking program, has contacted with a web-based tracking system, or has joined an affiliate network, there are some similar elements: the merchant will supply advertising material this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best and support the affiliate's efforts. The affiliate will try out different approaches, placements, and ads to maximize his or her own, as well as the merchant's income. The affiliate can also experiment with a variety of content to raise the quality of the site.
Once this agreement has been made, there will be a periodic reckoning, and the affiliate's commission will be paid. The merchant will support all of his or her affiliate's efforts to provide valuable content and encourage site visitors to click through to the merchant's site. This may involve providing incentives for either the visitors (coupons, for example), the affiliates (a bonus, for examples), or both.
The affiliate tracks success achieved with various types of content and ads and arrangements, possibly working with multiple merchants. Both the affiliate and the merchant keep an eye out for click fraud.
For more information about affiliate programs, see the article "How Do Affiliate Programs Work?"
Want to understand more about affiliate programs? Here's an introduction to this popular form of increasing website traffic and monetizing websites.
What's It All About?
An affiliate is someone who does not belong to an organization as a member or employee, but has some connection with it that is important enough to be given its own name. It comes from a Latin word meaning "adopted as a son." In Internet marketing, an affiliate is a person who is not connected to an ecommerce site joins its revenue sharing program, advertises on behalf of the merchant, and receives (usually) a percentage of the income that is generated by customers who reach the merchant through the affiliate.
The road from the affiliate to the merchant might be a text link or an image. The advertising could take the form of a banner advertisement, a pop-up ad, or a pay-per-click text ad, for example. The affiliate may also have articles, a blog, or other material that supports, explains, describes, or reviews the merchant's products. The merchant is benefited by the affiliates efforts to increase the merchant's website traffic and visitors' follow-through to make a purchase. The affiliate is benefited by income from the transaction.
Affiliates and merchants may connect directly through the merchants efforts to find and invite affiliates to join his or her program. On the other hand, they may connect through an affiliate network that serves as a sort of clearing house for affiliate opportunities. To read more information about affiliate networks, see the article, "The Advantages of Using an Affiliate Network."
Whether the merchant has set up an affiliation program with his or her own programmer creating the system, bought a software tracking program, has contacted with a web-based tracking system, or has joined an affiliate network, there are some similar elements: the merchant will supply advertising material this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best and support the affiliate's efforts. The affiliate will try out different approaches, placements, and ads to maximize his or her own, as well as the merchant's income. The affiliate can also experiment with a variety of content to raise the quality of the site.
Once this agreement has been made, there will be a periodic reckoning, and the affiliate's commission will be paid. The merchant will support all of his or her affiliate's efforts to provide valuable content and encourage site visitors to click through to the merchant's site. This may involve providing incentives for either the visitors (coupons, for example), the affiliates (a bonus, for examples), or both.
The affiliate tracks success achieved with various types of content and ads and arrangements, possibly working with multiple merchants. Both the affiliate and the merchant keep an eye out for click fraud.
For more information about affiliate programs, see the article "How Do Affiliate Programs Work?"
The Advantages of Using An Affiliate Network
The Advantages of Using An Affiliate Network
What are affiliate networks? Why might you wish to become an associate in such a network as opposed to joining one or more separate affiliate programs? Here's some information to help you understand the benefits.
What Are Affiliate Networks?
Some affiliate programs are originated by as well as administered by the merchant. This is true of large programs like Amazon.com affiliates, as well as programs originating with smaller merchants. But some affiliate programs are administered through a network where the management of a large number of merchants and their affiliates is undertaken by a single organization.
Why Join a Network?
You might be a merchant yourself, looking to ad links that complement the product or service your sell, or you might just be someone who wants to monetize your site and thinks they can be a good affiliate for the right product(s). In either case, there's a choice between individual affiliate programs and networks. Why choose the network?
Working with a network that presents you with a variety of merchants can make it easier to choose your merchants in the first place. In addition, since affiliate marketing may have an application process during which merchants review your website, working with a network can reduce your start-up time. Networks can provide intercession if you have a problem with a merchant, and help assure business-like management for things like on-time payments, accurate tracking, and up-to-date advertisements.
Affiliates are not limited by joining one network. You can join multiple networks if you wish. One benefit of being a one-network person is that all of your tracking is likely to be unified, while with either multiple networks or multiple merchants' self-administered programs, you will have more work to keep track of the tracking.
Which Networks Should You Consider?
Popular affiliate networks include Commission Junction (CJ http://www.cj.com), and LinkShare (http://www.linkshare.com). Here is a list of some of their advertisers:
Commission Junction
LinkShare
Apple Store
1-800-flowers.com
Best Buy
AT&T
Dell
iTunes
Expedia.com
Macy's
Hewlett Packard
McAfee
Staples
Office Depot
Orbitz.
You may gather from this that these networks are well-respected an reliable and that merchants of this caliber trust them. But there are good reasons to shop around before you make a decision. Consider Performics and ShareaSale. You should also be aware of ClickBack and PayDotCom, a PayPal-based network. Just reviewing a this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best group of sites will give you some ideas about the features and response you can expect from each network.
Choosing the Merchants
Of course, the merchants in the program are going to be a big part of your decision of whether to join a particular network, as well as reviews. So besides reviewing the networks, you may also wish to use the explanations and questions in the article "Choose the Right Affiliate Programs for Your Site" to help you with your merchant considerations after you've settled on a network.
What are affiliate networks? Why might you wish to become an associate in such a network as opposed to joining one or more separate affiliate programs? Here's some information to help you understand the benefits.
What Are Affiliate Networks?
Some affiliate programs are originated by as well as administered by the merchant. This is true of large programs like Amazon.com affiliates, as well as programs originating with smaller merchants. But some affiliate programs are administered through a network where the management of a large number of merchants and their affiliates is undertaken by a single organization.
Why Join a Network?
You might be a merchant yourself, looking to ad links that complement the product or service your sell, or you might just be someone who wants to monetize your site and thinks they can be a good affiliate for the right product(s). In either case, there's a choice between individual affiliate programs and networks. Why choose the network?
Working with a network that presents you with a variety of merchants can make it easier to choose your merchants in the first place. In addition, since affiliate marketing may have an application process during which merchants review your website, working with a network can reduce your start-up time. Networks can provide intercession if you have a problem with a merchant, and help assure business-like management for things like on-time payments, accurate tracking, and up-to-date advertisements.
Affiliates are not limited by joining one network. You can join multiple networks if you wish. One benefit of being a one-network person is that all of your tracking is likely to be unified, while with either multiple networks or multiple merchants' self-administered programs, you will have more work to keep track of the tracking.
Which Networks Should You Consider?
Popular affiliate networks include Commission Junction (CJ http://www.cj.com), and LinkShare (http://www.linkshare.com). Here is a list of some of their advertisers:
Commission Junction
LinkShare
Apple Store
1-800-flowers.com
Best Buy
AT&T
Dell
iTunes
Expedia.com
Macy's
Hewlett Packard
McAfee
Staples
Office Depot
Orbitz.
You may gather from this that these networks are well-respected an reliable and that merchants of this caliber trust them. But there are good reasons to shop around before you make a decision. Consider Performics and ShareaSale. You should also be aware of ClickBack and PayDotCom, a PayPal-based network. Just reviewing a this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best group of sites will give you some ideas about the features and response you can expect from each network.
Choosing the Merchants
Of course, the merchants in the program are going to be a big part of your decision of whether to join a particular network, as well as reviews. So besides reviewing the networks, you may also wish to use the explanations and questions in the article "Choose the Right Affiliate Programs for Your Site" to help you with your merchant considerations after you've settled on a network.
Is There a Secret to Increasing my Website Traffic?
Is There a Secret to Increasing my Website Traffic?
As an affiliate program member, your income depends on your website traffic. Using a variety of promotion means rather than relying on any one approach is the best way to increase your visitors.
Search Engine Optimization
One obvious way to increase traffic is to take measures to increase your page ranking. This means paying attention to keyword density, prominence, and proximity, title tags, and tags, particularly description. All of these items help to indicate the focus of your page and differentiate the pages of your site, one from the other. To find out more about these aspects of SEO, see the articles "Determining Keyword Density," "What Are Tags?" "More About Tags," and "Key to Good Title Tags."
Directory and Search Engine Listings
Directory listings are a good way to spread the word about your website. Google, in fact, recommends both ODP/DMOZ and Yahoo! as being worthwhile. Since ODP/DMOZ has many partners and provides free listings, acceptance results in your website information being spread around. You can also submit your URL directly to search engines. In all cases, check that you are not listed before sending in a request, and carefully follow any guidelines for submissions. For more information, see the article "Getting Listed in ODP/DMOZ."
Domain Forwarding
One thing that may be limiting your website traffic is your domain name. Perhaps the name you originally choose had some dashes or alternate spelling as a way of getting close to the name you wanted but that was already registered. Two things you can do if you suspect a domain name issues are: keeping an eye out at resellers and auctions in case a better name becomes available and thinking of other names that contain keywords that people this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best seeking for your site might search on. In both cases, if a good name comes your way, you can set up domain forwarding to link to your existing site, increasing your traffic by creating more roads in. For more information, see the article, "Many Uses of Domains."
Using Links
Linkbaiting is the name given to the content you put on your site that note only brings visitors back but lead them to create links to your material. These not only bring you traffic in their own right, but they signal to search engines that visitors value your site and are a factor that can help to increase your page ranking, which in turn may lead to more site traffic.
Linkbaiting includes providing your site visitors with unique news, analysis, research, interactive features, provocative accounts, and thematically related, desirable freebies. Link exchanges, used with care, can also increase your web traffic. To read more about linkbaiting and link exchanges, see the article "Link Exchanges and More."
Repeat Visitors
Many of the items that are included in linkbaiting techniques are also means to increase the likelihood that visitors will return to your site again and again. In addition to those techniques, pay attention to keeping your website material fresh by updating regularly.
Spreading Your Web Address
Get used to thinking about communications as opportunities to spread your web address. In your stationery logo, in your email signature line, on your business cards, in your advertisements on television, radio, or print media, and on posters and billboards, make your web address an integral part of your promotion campaign.
As an affiliate program member, your income depends on your website traffic. Using a variety of promotion means rather than relying on any one approach is the best way to increase your visitors.
Search Engine Optimization
One obvious way to increase traffic is to take measures to increase your page ranking. This means paying attention to keyword density, prominence, and proximity, title tags, and tags, particularly description. All of these items help to indicate the focus of your page and differentiate the pages of your site, one from the other. To find out more about these aspects of SEO, see the articles "Determining Keyword Density," "What Are Tags?" "More About Tags," and "Key to Good Title Tags."
Directory and Search Engine Listings
Directory listings are a good way to spread the word about your website. Google, in fact, recommends both ODP/DMOZ and Yahoo! as being worthwhile. Since ODP/DMOZ has many partners and provides free listings, acceptance results in your website information being spread around. You can also submit your URL directly to search engines. In all cases, check that you are not listed before sending in a request, and carefully follow any guidelines for submissions. For more information, see the article "Getting Listed in ODP/DMOZ."
Domain Forwarding
One thing that may be limiting your website traffic is your domain name. Perhaps the name you originally choose had some dashes or alternate spelling as a way of getting close to the name you wanted but that was already registered. Two things you can do if you suspect a domain name issues are: keeping an eye out at resellers and auctions in case a better name becomes available and thinking of other names that contain keywords that people this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best seeking for your site might search on. In both cases, if a good name comes your way, you can set up domain forwarding to link to your existing site, increasing your traffic by creating more roads in. For more information, see the article, "Many Uses of Domains."
Using Links
Linkbaiting is the name given to the content you put on your site that note only brings visitors back but lead them to create links to your material. These not only bring you traffic in their own right, but they signal to search engines that visitors value your site and are a factor that can help to increase your page ranking, which in turn may lead to more site traffic.
Linkbaiting includes providing your site visitors with unique news, analysis, research, interactive features, provocative accounts, and thematically related, desirable freebies. Link exchanges, used with care, can also increase your web traffic. To read more about linkbaiting and link exchanges, see the article "Link Exchanges and More."
Repeat Visitors
Many of the items that are included in linkbaiting techniques are also means to increase the likelihood that visitors will return to your site again and again. In addition to those techniques, pay attention to keeping your website material fresh by updating regularly.
Spreading Your Web Address
Get used to thinking about communications as opportunities to spread your web address. In your stationery logo, in your email signature line, on your business cards, in your advertisements on television, radio, or print media, and on posters and billboards, make your web address an integral part of your promotion campaign.
Making Money Online
Making Money Online
So you've been through all the standard ideas: you've considered joining an affiliate program or network and decided it's not your bag. You've thought about domain parking and domain forwarding; AdSense, AdWords, and other Pay Per Click (PPC) opportunities; and setting up a storefront to do direct selling. If you don't have your own product or service ready to sell, does this mean you're out of luck? Don't give up yet! Read on for other ideas for monetization of your website.
Product Review and Promotion
Did you know that it's possible to sell your opinion? Yup—businesses will pay to have you review their products on your blog. Companies like PayPerPost (http://payperpost.com/index.html), ReviewMe (http://www.reviewme.com/), and SponsoredReviews (http://sponsoredreviews.com/) work to connect bloggers to merchants, and suggest that it's possible to earn $500/month or more doing this.
You begin by applying, and your blog may be reviewed and have to meet minimum requirements for readers, RSS subscribers, and links. Some companies may provide opportunities for which you don't need to qualify.
If you do qualify, there are guidelines for the blog post you write, such as minimum words and the inclusion of link text and a product URL. You may also have a deadline of a number of hours and a maximum number of posts per month. Increasing your website and RSS traffic may increase your opportunities.
It is not surprising that grammar, spelling, and usage count. In addition, disclosure of payment is required. If a company does not insist that you disclose that you are being paid, don't work for them.
Be aware that advertisers will likely be rating your reviews and can, in effect, ban you. This may create an issue if you honestly don't like the product, and push people towards slanting their reviews. Check policies carefully to find out what your options are to make sure you don't end up in an uncomfortable situation.
Note that if you do paid reviews it is absolutely necessary to make sure that search engines are not affected by your paid links. One way you can do this is put
in the page header for the link. If you do not do this or take some other measure, you risk having your Google page rank (and perhaps others) affected, i.e., penalized. See the article "More about Tags" for more information about nofollow and other tags.
News Coverage
If none of the methods described so far suits you, it's possible to monetize your site with up-to-date, useful information, that is, with news. For example, Voxant Newsroom (http://www.thenewsroom.com/) offers an opportunity to add news content to our site and get paid for it through revenue sharing. The two hundred content providers include major news producers, such as the Associated Press (AP), CBS, MTV, NHL, Reuters, and the Wall Street Journal.
The news is provided to you in the forms of text, video, and photos. Video content with an advertisement is paid by CPM (cost per thousand plays). Text articles and photos each have accompanying advertisements, and you receive credit when they are viewed.
Donations
You may also fall into the category of just wanting to do what you want to do, without added "stuff" on your website, but are interested in providing an opportunity to support your efforts if they so desire. If so, you may find a donation plug-in to be just the thing you need.
Donation plug-ins or extensions need to work specifically with the blog technology you use, for example WordPress (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tags/money) or Joomla (http://extensions.joomla.org/). Some may be straightforward, while others try to be a bit catchier, sporting slogans like "Buy me a beer!" or "Buy me a coffee!" You may have the option of including a suggested donation or a thermometer to show the progress of your sustain campaign.
Most donation plug-ins that I've seen suggest that the visitor donate through PayPal. This keeps everything neat and tidy for you and allows your visitor to keep his or her financial details to him- or herself. But it is also possible to find plug-ins that invite a donation through a check or money-order, should you have this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best a need for that (for example, if a visitor wishes to donate to you but doesn't have a PayPal account). The plug-ins typically appear in the sidebar and/or at the end of posts.
So you've been through all the standard ideas: you've considered joining an affiliate program or network and decided it's not your bag. You've thought about domain parking and domain forwarding; AdSense, AdWords, and other Pay Per Click (PPC) opportunities; and setting up a storefront to do direct selling. If you don't have your own product or service ready to sell, does this mean you're out of luck? Don't give up yet! Read on for other ideas for monetization of your website.
Product Review and Promotion
Did you know that it's possible to sell your opinion? Yup—businesses will pay to have you review their products on your blog. Companies like PayPerPost (http://payperpost.com/index.html), ReviewMe (http://www.reviewme.com/), and SponsoredReviews (http://sponsoredreviews.com/) work to connect bloggers to merchants, and suggest that it's possible to earn $500/month or more doing this.
You begin by applying, and your blog may be reviewed and have to meet minimum requirements for readers, RSS subscribers, and links. Some companies may provide opportunities for which you don't need to qualify.
If you do qualify, there are guidelines for the blog post you write, such as minimum words and the inclusion of link text and a product URL. You may also have a deadline of a number of hours and a maximum number of posts per month. Increasing your website and RSS traffic may increase your opportunities.
It is not surprising that grammar, spelling, and usage count. In addition, disclosure of payment is required. If a company does not insist that you disclose that you are being paid, don't work for them.
Be aware that advertisers will likely be rating your reviews and can, in effect, ban you. This may create an issue if you honestly don't like the product, and push people towards slanting their reviews. Check policies carefully to find out what your options are to make sure you don't end up in an uncomfortable situation.
Note that if you do paid reviews it is absolutely necessary to make sure that search engines are not affected by your paid links. One way you can do this is put
in the page header for the link. If you do not do this or take some other measure, you risk having your Google page rank (and perhaps others) affected, i.e., penalized. See the article "More about Tags" for more information about nofollow and other tags.
News Coverage
If none of the methods described so far suits you, it's possible to monetize your site with up-to-date, useful information, that is, with news. For example, Voxant Newsroom (http://www.thenewsroom.com/) offers an opportunity to add news content to our site and get paid for it through revenue sharing. The two hundred content providers include major news producers, such as the Associated Press (AP), CBS, MTV, NHL, Reuters, and the Wall Street Journal.
The news is provided to you in the forms of text, video, and photos. Video content with an advertisement is paid by CPM (cost per thousand plays). Text articles and photos each have accompanying advertisements, and you receive credit when they are viewed.
Donations
You may also fall into the category of just wanting to do what you want to do, without added "stuff" on your website, but are interested in providing an opportunity to support your efforts if they so desire. If so, you may find a donation plug-in to be just the thing you need.
Donation plug-ins or extensions need to work specifically with the blog technology you use, for example WordPress (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tags/money) or Joomla (http://extensions.joomla.org/). Some may be straightforward, while others try to be a bit catchier, sporting slogans like "Buy me a beer!" or "Buy me a coffee!" You may have the option of including a suggested donation or a thermometer to show the progress of your sustain campaign.
Most donation plug-ins that I've seen suggest that the visitor donate through PayPal. This keeps everything neat and tidy for you and allows your visitor to keep his or her financial details to him- or herself. But it is also possible to find plug-ins that invite a donation through a check or money-order, should you have this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best a need for that (for example, if a visitor wishes to donate to you but doesn't have a PayPal account). The plug-ins typically appear in the sidebar and/or at the end of posts.
Can A Small Web Site Make Any Money?
Every web site, no matter how small, can make some money with affiliate programs. Slap on any affiliate banner or text link and you're bound to get some clicks eventually. But to really make money you have to have the right combination of key elements.
CONTENT + TRAFFIC + THE RIGHT AFFILIATE PROGRAM = $
Without these three key elements you probably won't see much in the way of income: (1) A website must be built and updated in such a way that the content brings people back to the site over and over again. (2) The affiliate programs must be related to the site content, so that the site offers are of significant interest to the visitors. (3) The referral fee must be substantial enough to make you want to promote the offer. When all three elements are in place, you are on your way.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO MAKE?
Click-through rates are considered good if .5% to 5% of your referrals actually buy something. You do the math for your website. If you're only getting 50 visitors a day, it probably won't ever amount to much. But if you build up your traffic so you're getting 100 to 1000 visitors a day, then you are in a position to make a substantial monthly income.
CASE STUDY
Bob's site, RCguy.com is geared to radio-controlled airplane enthusiasts. He publishes a guide to all the RC events and competitions, provides a series of how-to articles, reviews new RC products, and offers free e-mail problem-solving advice. In time he becomes the Internet "guru" for RC enthusiasts. His content-rich site is now getting 500 hits a day (15,000 a month) from all over the world. He joins an affiliate program and places a banner link to RCstuffonline.com which offers discount deals. He gets $.10 per click-through and 10% of any purchases made.
In June Bob reviews a new airplane kit and tells his readers they can get it at a great price from RCstuffonline. During that month 150 of his readers take his advice and visit RCstuffonline (150 click-throughs), of which 15 people decide to purchase the airplane kit for $200 (15 sales leads). His affiliate check for June would include $15 for his click-throughs and $300 for his sales commissions.
INCREASE YOUR OFFERS
While Bob isn't going to get rich from his single affiliate, it does make his computer payment, his dial-up account fee, and some bonus money that month. But he can do better when he adds five more affiliate links to other related products such as books, magazines, newsletters, etc. Why not? It costs nothing, and his efforts are now multiplied times five. He now has five salespeople working for him instead of just one.
It's easy to increase your offers, but how do you go about increasing your web traffic? Well, that's the next step and it takes more work and a little ingenuity.
CONTENT + TRAFFIC + THE RIGHT AFFILIATE PROGRAM = $
Without these three key elements you probably won't see much in the way of income: (1) A website must be built and updated in such a way that the content brings people back to the site over and over again. (2) The affiliate programs must be related to the site content, so that the site offers are of significant interest to the visitors. (3) The referral fee must be substantial enough to make you want to promote the offer. When all three elements are in place, you are on your way.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO MAKE?
Click-through rates are considered good if .5% to 5% of your referrals actually buy something. You do the math for your website. If you're only getting 50 visitors a day, it probably won't ever amount to much. But if you build up your traffic so you're getting 100 to 1000 visitors a day, then you are in a position to make a substantial monthly income.
CASE STUDY
Bob's site, RCguy.com is geared to radio-controlled airplane enthusiasts. He publishes a guide to all the RC events and competitions, provides a series of how-to articles, reviews new RC products, and offers free e-mail problem-solving advice. In time he becomes the Internet "guru" for RC enthusiasts. His content-rich site is now getting 500 hits a day (15,000 a month) from all over the world. He joins an affiliate program and places a banner link to RCstuffonline.com which offers discount deals. He gets $.10 per click-through and 10% of any purchases made.
In June Bob reviews a new airplane kit and tells his readers they can get it at a great price from RCstuffonline. During that month 150 of his readers take his advice and visit RCstuffonline (150 click-throughs), of which 15 people decide to purchase the airplane kit for $200 (15 sales leads). His affiliate check for June would include $15 for his click-throughs and $300 for his sales commissions.
INCREASE YOUR OFFERS
While Bob isn't going to get rich from his single affiliate, it does make his computer payment, his dial-up account fee, and some bonus money that month. But he can do better when he adds five more affiliate links to other related products such as books, magazines, newsletters, etc. Why not? It costs nothing, and his efforts are now multiplied times five. He now has five salespeople working for him instead of just one.
It's easy to increase your offers, but how do you go about increasing your web traffic? Well, that's the next step and it takes more work and a little ingenuity.
How Do Affiliate Programs Work?
How Do Affiliate Programs Work?
Perhaps you're thinking about starting or joining an affiliate program, but first you'd like to have a better idea of how they work. This article will help you understand a bit more about the mechanics of an affiliate program.
If you've read the article "What Are Affiliate Programs?" you now know that an affiliate program is a paid referral system with several important parties: a merchant with a product or service to sell and that merchant's affiliates. When visitors come to the affiliates websites, they find an introduction to the merchant's products or services. This might occur through a banner ad, a pop-up ad, an image ad, or a text ad provided by the merchant, as well as through content dreamed up by the affiliates that expand upon, amplify, or explain the product or service in more detail. When visitors click through to the merchants site and a sale is made, the affiliate gets a commission.
First Steps
An affiliate program gets its start when a merchant decides to create one. The merchant may create the program in-house using the services of a programmer or a coordinator using purchased software or may opt to contract with a web-based tracking service or join an affiliate network. It's a good idea for the merchant to test the system—whichever it is—from the affiliate's point of view, to make sure that all is well.
After this, or during the set-up, the merchant creates advertisements for his or her affiliates to use. These may take many forms, as indicated above and open-minded merchants and this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best networks will work closely with affiliates, encouraging them to come up with their own marketing ideas. Participation of affiliates is then solicited through a variety of means.
Here Come Affiliates
When affiliates respond to advertising and join the merchant's affiliate program, there is usually some communication before an agreement takes place. The potential-affiliate's website may be checked to assure a good fit. If both parties agree to enter into a business relationship, a contract detailing both parties rights and responsibilities and the commission set-up is agreed to.
Important elements of the contract include the amount of the commission, what has to happen for the affiliate to be paid, and the "return days" – the length of time after the initial visit by a customer coming from the affiliate's site for which the affiliate will get credit for that customer's purchase. A long "return day" period is better for the affiliate, as it allows time for the customer to comparison shop and acknowledges that, having learned of the site fro the affiliate, the customer may later return directly to the merchant's site. Programs differ on which affiliate gets credit if a customer clicks through from multiple sites. The tracking software is set-up to follow the new affiliate's site.
The Payment System
The merchant pays the affiliate when a customer who has arrived at the merchant's site via the affiliate's site within the "return day" period does whatever action has been agreed upon that triggers payment. This could be, for example, signing up for a product or service. The payment is referred as the Cost Per Action (CPA) or the Cost Per Sale (CPS), depending on what the agreed trigger is. This is all in the care of the tracking system, which may also generate the payment.
For more about using an affiliate program to sell the products and services of others, see the articles, "Advantages of Using an Affiliate Program" and "Choosing the Right Affiliate Program for Your Site."
Related Article: Can A Small Web Site Make Any Money? >>
Perhaps you're thinking about starting or joining an affiliate program, but first you'd like to have a better idea of how they work. This article will help you understand a bit more about the mechanics of an affiliate program.
If you've read the article "What Are Affiliate Programs?" you now know that an affiliate program is a paid referral system with several important parties: a merchant with a product or service to sell and that merchant's affiliates. When visitors come to the affiliates websites, they find an introduction to the merchant's products or services. This might occur through a banner ad, a pop-up ad, an image ad, or a text ad provided by the merchant, as well as through content dreamed up by the affiliates that expand upon, amplify, or explain the product or service in more detail. When visitors click through to the merchants site and a sale is made, the affiliate gets a commission.
First Steps
An affiliate program gets its start when a merchant decides to create one. The merchant may create the program in-house using the services of a programmer or a coordinator using purchased software or may opt to contract with a web-based tracking service or join an affiliate network. It's a good idea for the merchant to test the system—whichever it is—from the affiliate's point of view, to make sure that all is well.
After this, or during the set-up, the merchant creates advertisements for his or her affiliates to use. These may take many forms, as indicated above and open-minded merchants and this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best networks will work closely with affiliates, encouraging them to come up with their own marketing ideas. Participation of affiliates is then solicited through a variety of means.
Here Come Affiliates
When affiliates respond to advertising and join the merchant's affiliate program, there is usually some communication before an agreement takes place. The potential-affiliate's website may be checked to assure a good fit. If both parties agree to enter into a business relationship, a contract detailing both parties rights and responsibilities and the commission set-up is agreed to.
Important elements of the contract include the amount of the commission, what has to happen for the affiliate to be paid, and the "return days" – the length of time after the initial visit by a customer coming from the affiliate's site for which the affiliate will get credit for that customer's purchase. A long "return day" period is better for the affiliate, as it allows time for the customer to comparison shop and acknowledges that, having learned of the site fro the affiliate, the customer may later return directly to the merchant's site. Programs differ on which affiliate gets credit if a customer clicks through from multiple sites. The tracking software is set-up to follow the new affiliate's site.
The Payment System
The merchant pays the affiliate when a customer who has arrived at the merchant's site via the affiliate's site within the "return day" period does whatever action has been agreed upon that triggers payment. This could be, for example, signing up for a product or service. The payment is referred as the Cost Per Action (CPA) or the Cost Per Sale (CPS), depending on what the agreed trigger is. This is all in the care of the tracking system, which may also generate the payment.
For more about using an affiliate program to sell the products and services of others, see the articles, "Advantages of Using an Affiliate Program" and "Choosing the Right Affiliate Program for Your Site."
Related Article: Can A Small Web Site Make Any Money? >>
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