The Best Affiliates

Developing a Successful Email List

2007-01-06T21:01:00.001+07:00

Ask any top marketer on the internet what the key to success is and they will say – The List! Specifically, an opt-in list. This is the name and email address of all the people who have contacted you about your opportunity and given you permission to email them.

An opt-in list is critical to your success so make sure you focus on developing this from the very beginning. Incorporate it in everything you do – your ads, your website, your emails, EVERYTHING! Your goal is to get your prospects email address and develop a large subscriber base.

So, what's the best way to accomplish this?

Offer Incentives

You can offer your prospects free incentives to join your list. Free reports, free ebooks, a free mini course on your product or service. Make sure that whatever you offer has true value and is something that will interest your prospect.

Run Contests

It's extremely easy to get people to sign up when they have the chance of winning something. Make sure what you offer is highly geared toward your target market.

Use Pop Us Windows

Pop ups have proven highly effective in getting people to subscribe. Have your pop up display when the visitor first arrives at your website and give them a reason to sign up! Focus on the BENEFITS they will receive, what they will gain by doing so.

Make it Easy to Subscribe

People do not want to give a lot if info about themselves to strangers. They also don't want a lengthy sign up process. Only ask for a few pieces of information - name, email address, country. You can find out more about them later when you have earned their trust.

The key to a successful opt-in list is finding subscribers and keeping them. Develop a relationship with your prospects by giving them quality information. By doing so, you'll ensure they stay subscribed long enough to see that you are a person worth doing business with.

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By: Anne Ahira

Viral Marketing: What It Means and How It Can Impact Your Business

2007-01-06T20:57:00.001+07:00

Viral Marketing is an exciting form of advertising that fits well with network marketing. Both concepts are based around relationship building.

Viral marketing basically creates a word-of-mouth referral method by using your existing customers and contacts. Your message is passed around and around, creating exponential growth for your company.

This is very similar to network marketing. Remember me talking about referring someone to a movie or restaurant you liked? This is the same concept.

Studies have shown that the typical internet user is very vocal about their online experience. This means that for each person you reach, you are actually reaching a group of their friends as well. And then those friends tell other friends, etc. and you have the kind of growth that is similar to the way downlines grow in network marketing companies.

Let me give you an example of viral marketing in action. Have you ever received a greeting card from Blue Mountain? They are a very popular free greeting card company on the internet. At the bottom of each card you receive, it allows you the option to give a card back to the sender or anyone else you might like. This is viral marketing in action!

The person getting the card now knows that Blue Mountain is a reliable company. After all, their friend uses their service. This establishes credibility and trust simply by association! The number one barrier to closing sales is already removed by using this method!

Another good example of Viral Marketing is seen at Amazon.com. At the close of each sale, they ask you if you know someone who might like what you have just purchased. If you do, they offer to email them a note saying that you have just purchased this product and thought they might like it as well. If your friend orders the same product within a certain amount of time, they receive a discount. This is a brilliant concept because it allows Amazon to reach more people through a credible third party. With every email they send on your behalf, you are endorsing their website, and taking part in their viral marketing campaign. In essence, they are getting you to do their advertising for them!

So, why would someone spread YOUR advertising message around to others? What have we been talking about in almost every section? BENEFITS! The bigger the benefit that you can offer to people, the more likely that they'll pass it along.

For example, create a free report with valuable content and include a "pass it on" link at the bottom. If you have a newsletter, or write articles for one, put a line at the bottom of your article – "Know someone who would be interested in this? Click here to email it to them!"

What benefit does the person sending these receive, you might wonder? They are offering valuable information to friends and colleagues. They are helping them out, and in the process, establishing you as a person worthy of their trust.

Contests are also an effective way to generate interest. Encourage people to refer their friends to sign up for your contest. For each friend they sign up, they could receive another entry into the drawing.

In whatever form you chose, remember to ask the person for the referral, rather than just hoping that they'll do it on their own.

Take some time to think about how viral marketing can be used to further your business. Look around and see what other companies are doing. Don't overlook this far-reaching, powerful marketing technique! If done correctly, it could be the most valuable one you will ever use!

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By: Anne Ahira

How to Advertise FREE with Ezines

2007-01-06T20:56:00.001+07:00

Ezines are a wonderful way to get your message across to thousands of readers.

While ads in Ezines are a great marketing tool, there is also another option available and it's FREE!

Think about all the newsletters on the internet. What do they all have in common?

Figured it out yet?

They all have to find fresh material for their newsletter every time they publish!

Most editors simply don't have the time to create new articles. They rely on other people to furnish articles for them.

This is where you come in.

By supplying good, quality articles, you are given a wonderful opportunity to "speak" to thousands of people.

This is a win/win situation because it gives the editor free material and it gives you free exposure to their subscribers. It also establishes you as an expert in your field, which can do wonders for your credibility.

Remember, people come on the internet for information, to find answers to their questions. If you can supply them with some quality information, they are much more likely to see you as a trusted advisor than a pushy salesman.

Understanding Banner Adertising

2007-01-06T20:55:00.001+07:00

What is banner advertising?

A banner ad is a graphic that is displayed on a network of websites. When someone clicks on that banner, they are taken to the site of the person, or company, that owns the banner.

Most banner advertising program operates on an "exchange" basis, meaning that you usually have to add someone else's banner to your site. Every time someone else's banner pop ups on your site, you earn credits to have your banner displayed on the advertising network.

Here are some terms you need to know about banners:

CPM - Cost Per Impressions

The "M" comes from the Roman numeral for 1,000. So $20 CPM represents $20 per 1,000 displays of a banner

CPC - Cost Per Click

You pay an agreed amount for each click-through to your site.

CT - Click-Through

A click on an ad which takes the viewer to another site

CTR - Click-Through Rate

This is the number of people who click on an ad (banner or text link) divided by the number of displays of the ad, represented in percentages. e.g. 50 people click on an ad that has been shown 1000 times, which works out at: 50/1000 X 100% = 5%.

ROS - Run Of Site

This means your banner will be displayed on most or all pages of the site.

How Many Impressions Should I Purchase?

You should request a test run of 10,000 or 20,000 impressions. This will give you an idea of how effective your banner will be in the site you wish to advertise in. If the site is untargeted, expect results of 0.5-1.0%. If it is targeted, expect anything up to 2 or 3%. It is not unheard of to get click-through rates of 5, 10 or even 15% or higher. Some advertisers have achieved a click-through rate of 8-14%. But this is rare, rather than the norm.

Where Should My Banner Be On A Page?

It is always best to go for the top fold of a page, as the viewer is more likely to notice your banner, while the page is downloading. You will pay a lot less for being on the bottom fold of a page but you will also get a lot less results. How many times have you visited a website and clicked on a link before ever getting to the bottom of the page? If your banner is displayed at the bottom fold, you will be paying for advertising that very few people will actually see.

Where In A Site Should I Advertise?

Most sites only offer "run of site" advertising, while some will offer banner spaces, targeted by page/s or section of a site. If you opt for targeted advertising, expect to pay a higher CPM rate for this, but you're likely to get a better click-through rate, as a result.

So What Does It Really Cost?

Well, let's assume that you pay a rate of $10 CPM (1,000 impressions) and your banner achieved a click-through rate of 1%. 1% x 1,000 = 10 click-through. At a cost of $10 CPM, each click-through would cost you $1.

So is that worth it?

Let's say you're a member of FFSI for example:

If one out of every ten visitors joins FFSI with you, and you make $45 in Bonus plus residual income for the next month, then yes - it is worth it.:-)

Let's look at the math: 10 visitors @ $2 each costs you $20. $45 Bonus from FFSI minus the $20 it cost you to bring the visitors to the site, leaves you with a $25 one time profit "plus" residual income for next month.

Let's assume a lower conversion rate: What if only one in 20 visitors joined FFSI with you? 20 visitors @ $2 each costs you $40. That leaves you with ONLY $10 profit, BUT you would still get residual income for the next month, and your downline would be growing :-)

If you're not getting the conversion you would like, I suggest you either improve the click-through rate, by advertising in a more targeted site, or test new banners. Alternatively, you can try to get a lower CPM rate, either with your current advertiser, or more likely, on a different site.

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By: Anne Ahira

Motivation: YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL!

2007-01-06T20:51:00.001+07:00

Staying motivated and focused is essential to your business. Remember those goals you wrote down? You did write them down, didn't you?? Good! Think about those goals, and about where you want to be a year from now, ten years from now. Every moment between now and then is an opportunity to move closer to the goals you've set for yourself.

Now, I want you to think about how you spend your time. What are you going to do for the next hour? Is it going to move you closer toward your goal? Picture yourself wasting the next hour, wasting this next year, and then think about how you're going to feel when you haven't achieved what you set out to do. Regret is a powerful motivator.

Now think about what would happen if you use your time wisely. If you follow your plan of action and keep focused on your goals. Picture yourself living out your dreams and think how good it will feel a year from now, ten years from now, when you can do just that! It can happen! You can be successful!

Ok, so now you've got your vision focused on success. You're motivated to see your dreams become reality! You start networking, emailing some people, maybe placing an ad or two. You get a few responses but nobody seems really interested. You're doing everything right but it still doesn't seem to be working. You're getting a little discouraged. Things aren't moving along as fast as you thought they would. Don't worry!! As I said before, this is a temporary condition! There are going to be some slow times. The key is to find out what keeps you going and never give up! Sign up for a daily motivational email, chat with some of your team members, read an inspiring biography, whatever it takes to keep you focused and motivated is what you need to do! And remember, you are not alone!

"RH Macy failed 7 times before his store in New York caught on.

Novelist John Creasey got 753 rejections slips before he published the first of his 564 books.

Thomas Edison was thrown out of school in the early grades when teachers decided he could not do the work.

When Bob Dylan performed at a high school talent show, he was booed off the stage." -Joe Griffith

No matter where you are in your life, no matter what obstacles stand in your way, you can become successful online! I guarantee that there is someone who has been where you are, that faced the same challenges that you may be facing, and they have found success!

Remember this important fact: If you have the right mindset, if you have your goals in place, you are already ahead of 90% of the people online!

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By: Anne Ahira

Plan of Action: No One Ever Got Rich Just by Thinking About It!

2007-01-06T20:50:00.001+07:00

Ok, you've got your positive thinking caps on, you're got your goals visibly defined, you've got your inner cheerleader cheering you on - what's the final key to success? ACTION!!

Do you think if you stare at your computer long enough it will start making money for you? No, of course it won't! You have to get actively involved in your business! Now, I'm not saying you have to eat, sleep and breathe your business. In fact most people who start online do it part-time for the first few years. But what you do have to do is stop thinking about it and do something. Send an email, join the online training, study the business, ask for help!

Joining this team was a great start! It has been shown that the truly successful people surround themselves with "master minds" who help them achieve success.

These mentors show them the steps they need to take and give them the knowledge to help them along the way. You don't have to know everything! You just have to find out who has the answers and follow their lead ! I can't make you a success online. But I can sure teach you how to do it yourself! It's up to you to take the step by step instructions I give and put them into action.

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By: Anne Ahira

Mental Attitude : The Power of Your Thoughts

2007-01-06T20:49:00.001+07:00

Every Human Achievement, from the Roman Coliseum to this course you're reading, began as a single thought. You and you alone have the power to decide what you want from life and to make your dreams come true.

To put it another way, you not only chose your destiny, you chose your reality! Do you want to be a success online? Then make that part of your reality! See yourself as successful and it will happen! Psychologists have shown numerous times that when a person becomes ready and willing to accept something into their life, it appears for them.

So, how do you go about creating a new, prosperous reality? The first place to start is to take a good look at your thoughts. Let's use a dog as an example. What do you think of when you think of a dog? Is he dirty? Is he loud? Or is he your best friend that's allowed to sleep with you even though he hogs the bed? The fact is he's a dog. It's your perception of what a dog is that makes him good or bad. The same can be applied to anything else in life! Take control of your own reality! Remove negative thoughts and believe in your success!

Napoleon Hill, in his best-selling book, Think and Grown Rich, spent a lifetime studying successful millionaires such as Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Andrew Carnegie. What did he find that made them all successful? They all believed in the power of their thoughts! Specifically, they all had:

A burning desire for success. These men were passionate about what they were doing! You can't kinda, sorta, want to make money online. You have to really want it!

Did you watch any of the Winter Olympic games? Did you hear what the commentators said about the athletes that came out of nowhere to win the gold medal? "Their performance was great! You could tell that they really wanted to win this! They were determined to be the best!"

An unshakable belief in themselves and their dreams. How many times do you think the Wright brothers were laughed at when they told people they were going to fly? The concept of flight was not a part of anyone's reality back then but they saw that it was possible. Look where we are today because of that one belief, that one simple thought!

Persistence. Thomas Edison had less than three months of schooling but he became the world's leading inventor. He failed hundreds and hundreds of times but his persistence led to the invention of the light bulb, telephone and hundreds of other useful devices.

There are going to be times when your dreams are not working out the way you had hoped– your plans aren't working, your ads aren't pulling, your product isn't right. DON'T QUIT! This is a temporary condition! You have to fail sometimes to find success. The key is to keep trying and learning! How many times did you fall down when first learning to ride a bike? But you got back up, didn't you? And you kept trying until you got it right.

Let me put it another way. You didn't take the leap into network marketing to just quit, did you? It's like climbing a mountain. You will find some hard parts along the way, a few boulders may be thrown at you, but step by step you will finally make it to the top!

The Internet is not a get rich quick scheme. It just doesn't work that way. It takes times and it takes work. But all the key elements of success are already inside of you! Remember, If you can dream it, if you can imagine it, if you can believe it, you can achieve it!

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By: Anne Ahira

Choosing The Right Affiliate Program & The "Rules To Live By"

2007-01-06T20:47:00.001+07:00

Here's the 'Numero Uno' Rule!

Don't be cheap! Always go for quality! Hey, if you wouldn't buy it, why should anyone else?!

Take a good look at the product or service you're considering marketing and make sure it is top notch! Is is a good value for the price? If it's a ridiculous amount of money for something not worth a whole lot, then forget about it. How about the people that are recommending it? Have you done business with them in the past? Are they reliable? Can you talk to a few people who have bought the product? Are they happy with what they purchased?

You've really got to be certain you are recommending a good quality product, from a reputable company, which has great customer service.

This is definitely pretty darn important! As an affiliate, you're sticking your neck out there, every time you advertise or recommend the product or service you're linking to. You are in effect, endorsing them, so it's your reputation at risk! Be sure you're dealing with a company that deserves your trust and reflects well on you personally!

Be smart! Don't ever promote something that's going to harm your reputation!

The Second Most Important Rule

You better be earning a super dooper commission! If you're only being paid 5% or 10% per product sold...boy, are you ever getting the 'short end of the stick'! That's a low commission! You need to look for a company who's thinking about the life-time-value of a customer and is willing to give YOU a very high payout to keep you. You want to associate with a company who pays out around 60% of the net profit to their affiliates. You won't find an affiliate program like this on every website, you're going to have to really search for it! But that's allright. It'll be worth the effort!

With a good affiliate company, when someone joins under you, they get paid for every sale they make (just like you), and you get paid a percentage for every sale THEY make. Just think what would happen if you had a few really hot affiliates, who signed up underneath you and were making 10 sales a mont... you would be making a whole lot of money every month just on the work THEY did. As long as they keep selling, you keep getting paid!

Something else to think about...even if a company is paying out a high commission, if people don't buy from them, you're right back where you started! They've got to have a site which turns visitors into buyers; the site must have a good conversion rate! The site should have at least a 1% conversion ratio; meaning, that one out of every hundred customers you send to them, then turns into a sale.

Make sure you go with an affiliate program which has sales copy and website design that "makes you want to buy". After all, YOU are sending them the potential customers, but it's their job to turn those potential customers into buyers! More buyers, more money for you! Basically pretty simple.

Also, keep in mind your payout amount. If you are earning $50 a referral for one buying customer, you're doing okay.. but, if you are only earning a $10 referral fee for that one buying customer, you may want to rethink things.

Here Comes Rule Number Three, Short But Major Important!:

Match the product or service to the theme of your site. So if your site is about horses and horse products you don't want to be advertising music CD's or weight loss products (unless of course it is a weight loss product for horses!).

You need to target your clientele so that what you are selling or recommending, has something to do with what your visitors WANT. I can't stress this enough it's very important! Provide links, services and products, which are related to what YOUR visitors want!

I am continually astonished, that people build a site and then have products and affiliate programs that have nothing whatsoever to do with each other! DUH!!

The Number Four Rule:

You also need to be concerned with the tracking software the affiliate program is using. You want to see your statistics (stats) in real time and be able to check them at any time to see how you are doing.

Why?

So you can go and check to see how your promotional efforts are working Compare the difference in results between putting a button up and putting up a whole sales page. You need instant information on visitor and sales results. How many sales is your affiliate banner generating, same goes for a text link, or personal recommention....how many visitors are you sending to the affiliate site and then how many sales is it generating for you.

Does the software the company is using track ALL of your sales....some companies use "inferior" software which only tracks about 80% of the time (meaning YOU lose out on 20% of the commissions that are rightfully yours). Other companies will only pay you if the customer visits through your link and buys right then and there...if they come back and buy later, you may not get credit for that sale.

The Number Five Rule:

Don't allow affiliate programs to clutter up your main site. Don't go crazy and find 10 different programs and try to promote them all on your site at the same time!! It just clutters up your site and makes it worthless! Focus on one or two really good affiliate programs, that work for your business and client base. Only become involved with an affiliate program that has products or services that your target market wants.

"Wants" is the important word here. People buy things impulsively because they "want" them, not because they "need" them. When you come right down to it, there are not all that many products which people really "need".

More is not necessarily better! Put too many affiliate programs on your site and you just end up confusing your visitors. You won't make many sales with confused buyers! Stay targeted!

The Number Six Rule:

This is just common sense...deal with a reputable company. If you are ever unsure of a company, ask for references and do some checks on them. Are they professional? If you phone them, do they put you on hold FOREVER!? Be assured, they'll do the same to customers you recommend to them. They should respond promptly to your emails, within the same day if at all possible. If they don't respond to your emails at all....run in the other direction!

Customer response and service is EVERYTHING. If you ask questions about a company's affiliate program and get no answer (or a delayed answer)... whoa, watch out! If they can't be bothered to take care of you when you express an interest in becoming an associate, what's the odds they'll take care of you when you have a real problem!? It's a pretty good bet, that they won't take very good care of your customers either! So be very careful, the company you deal with should be very professional and willing to help you out when you're in need.

Take the bit about the importance of Customer Service to heart and make certain YOU respond swiftly to emails or phone messages you receive in your own business dealings. This IS CRITICAL.

Following are a few related odds and ends.

Affiliate Programs and bulk email do NOT go together.

There's this "myth" out there about affiliate programs, that you go join a few, put them all in an email message and then bulk email thousands of people who will eagerly respond making you tons of money! Oh, so WRONG! This is probably one of the worst things you can do online. It's called SPAM!

Most affiliate programs have a "bulk" email clause in their agreement that says... if you spam, you can get terminated from the program and not get paid for any commissions you've earned. Be aware that there's also a very good chance that you will lose your Internet connection, not to mention your reputation!

Sending unsolicited bulk email to millions of people who have NOT qualified themselves as being interested in your product is not very profitable (you won't get any response!) can end up costing you money and is just plain RUDE!

I even know of some companies who have billed the "spammer" for the time it's taken the company to deal with the complaints and administrative problems caused by the bulk emailing done using their affiliate program URL. You spam with an affiliate URL, and it looks like it was the company doing the spamming, since the recipient is being sent directly to the company website. Not good for the company's reputation! NOT going to make you a very popular affiliate member either!!

One last thing. Watch out for any "exclusivity clauses" in affiliate agreements. Some companies will state that "they can be the only retailer of a specific product on your site". If you signed up with a book selling program for example, with this clause in the contract, that would limit you to selling only their books on your site. This may not be a problem for you, maybe you only want to sell their books anyway! Just be careful not to restrict yourself unless you want to.

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By: Anne Ahira

Should You Join an 'Affiliate' Program? And what to look for

2007-01-06T20:46:00.001+07:00

There sure are a lot of Affiliate Programs out there for you to choose from, aren't there?! If you have a busy site or a large newsletter, you can start earning money right away! Sounds good! But....you're going to need lots of traffic to do the 'earning right away' thing.

So, if you have a new site, a low traffic site, or are starting from scratch, you've got a long way to go! Be aware of that and don't get discouraged right off.

If you are brand new to Internet marketing you might be better off if you develop your own product. That takes time and energy but when you sell your own product you get to keep ALL the profit!....sell someone else's product and you only keep a portion of those profits.

Don't get me wrong! I'm not saying that someone just starting off should not join an Affiliate Program. When you don't have a good product or service to sell online, being an affiliate can be a great option!

Just keep in mind that it may take awhile to see a profit since you have to promote the program and build traffic to it just as you would if you had your own website. Just be sure you find an Affiliate Program that offers something you love and would feel good about marketing.

The great thing about Affiliate Programs is that they are "no-brainers"! What do I mean by that?

Well, if you already have the aforementioned 'lot's of traffic to your site', all you have to do is post a text link to another site, the affiliate program site, and earn a percentage for every sale which you generate.

And...best of all, the company takes care of all the administrative problems, the credit card charges, the shipping, the inventory....you get the idea. You just refer people to them, they take care of all the rest and cut you a nice hearty check every month. Sounds pretty great, doesn't it?!

Yes, it can be! But be careful! Getting involved with the "right" affiliate program is your key to making money. (More about that later.)

Making money with an affiliate program is playing the old-fashioned numbers game! Meaning, that out of the people who visit your site you may get a 1% to 20% click-through ratio (this range is so wide because it depends on the product interest, your link to them and the power of their slogans or banners). ...that's the number of people who click through the text link you have provided and actually visit the site you are recommending.

And of those people, only 1% to 2% will really buy. So... "numbers game"! Generating a good income from affiliates programs, requires a large number of visitors to your site or subscribers to your newsletter.

Example. Say you're getting 1,000 visitors to your site a month and you post your affiliate text link. Just for fun, lets say you get a click through of 5%, which is WAY high.

That means out of your 1,000 visitors, 50 of them go to the affiliate site by clicking through and out of these 50 people probably only ONE will buy...IF THAT! Just because you get 1,000 visitors to your site (that's YOUR site not the affiliate site you are promoting) that doesn't mean you will get $500 a month from your affiliate program.

Here's some more numbers for you. A company with a good affiliate program will have about a 0.5% to 1% visitor to sale ratio. It can sometimes be better than that (and often many time worse, especially if you hook up with the wrong company!), but that is the average. So for every 100 to 200 visitors you send them, only one will purchase.

Whoa! Doesn't look quite so great now!

That's okay, this is the reality and you have to be realistic about your online endeavors. If you think everything is just going to fall into your lap, you'll be easily disappointed and end up quitting before you even get close to succeeding.

You'll want to look for these things in any Affiliate Program you join:

An Affiliate Program that is successful at what they do.
An Affiliate Program which offers great value, a great product or service, and more importantly, GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!
Make sure the Affiliate Program has a great tracking mechanism so that you get credit for every sale.
Look for a Program, which tracks every sale in real time so you can see your results instantly.
Make sure the Affiliate Program has a good-looking website, which pleases customers, is easy to navigate, and offers great information to the visitor.
The Affiliate Site must be able to turn visitors into sales. You can send them all the visitors in the world, but if they don't convert visitors into sales, you don't make any money!

Before you decide to join any affiliate program, get the answers to the following questions:

How long has this Affiliate Program been in place?
What form of compensation is offered? In other words, are you getting actual cash , are you getting credits for your product, are you getting free AirMiles -- what are you actually getting?
Is there a set up fee? If so, how much?
What kind of associate tracking software is being used?
How are referrals tracked? Do you get credit for EVERY single sale you refer to them?
Do associates get credit for the sale after a visitor comes to the site and doesn't buy, then leaves and comes back to buy at a later date. How long is this in effect for?
Do you have to take special steps to get out of the agreement?
Does the legal agreement bind you to any other responsibilities?
Under what circumstances can the Program remove you as an associate?

If you take the time to gather all this information BEFORE you jump into an affiliate program, you'll find that GOOD Affiliate Programs are actually hard to find. Lucky for you! You don't have to go freaky every time a "new" affiliate comes online!

Chances are, once you look more deeply into the company, you'll find they can't pass your "test" and are not a company you would want to be "affiliated" with anyway.

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By: Anne Ahira

Joint Ventures: What Are They? How Do They Work?

2007-01-06T20:44:00.001+07:00

When two or more people agree to form a partnership which will mutually benefit each of them they are entering into a Joint Venture (JV for short). Many online entrepreneurs are recognizing the value of combining forces with others online to create a stronger marketing force.

Following are just a few of the benefits to be found by forming Joint Ventures:

The more exposure you have online the more products and services you will sell. When you and your JV partners share each other's built in audiences and email lists, you instantly acquire the opportunity to greatly broaden your potential buyer base which translates into greater sales.

Your new partners may possess knowledge and skills which you currently lack. By forming this type of relationship you allow for the opportunity to learn much from each other. By all means take advantage of that. The more you know, the greater your chance for success.

TIPS FOR BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP

Joint Ventures are 'serious' relationships! Don't enter into them casually. You need to put out an honest effort to create a good, solid foundation built on trust and friendship. This will hopefully be a relationship that will last for many years and grow stronger with the passage of time. Like any stable relationship between people you need to cultivate an atmosphere of loyalty and faithfulness.

When you have found several potential JV partners and before you contact them, take the time to become familiar with their business, web site and ezine. If you can discuss their business with them they will appreciate that you are making an honest, sincere attempt to develop a partnership which will benefit the both of you. Not just you!

Your first approach to each prospect will decide the fate of your JV. You must write a strong, personalized proposal stating clearly what you feel you both could bring to a partnership and what you both could expect to achieve by joining forces. If you send an impersonal, hard sell letter you will turn your prospect off and the new JV will be "clicked" out of existence before it has the chance to get off the ground! So come from your heart when you approach a potential partner. Perhaps you would prefer to make your first contact by phone just to say hello and "meet" each other. That's perfectly fine.

When you do make contact be certain to explain right away, how working together would be beneficial to both of you. If it is all about selfish you, no one in their right mind would consider becoming your partner! Know first how YOU could help your potential partner. Then be certain to clearly explain what those benefits are. Do you have a large subscriber list that they will gain instant access to? Will you endorse your partner's products? How can you help grow your partner's business?

I'm sure that you conduct your own business with integrity and professionalism; that you treat your customers with respect and offer outstanding customer service. Be sure to treat the customers of your new JV partner in exactly the same fashion! Act responsibly. Now it is not just your own reputation which is at stake but also that of your new JV partners as well.

WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER

Here are a few ideas on how partners can work together to promote each other:

When you cross promote each others products it is important that you have tried and do believe in the product. You are not being honest if you try to promote a product that you don't believe in and that dishonesty will eventually come across in your advertising. Partner's can agree to swap ads or articles in each other's ezines or send promotional endorsements to each other's email lists. Personal testimonials can be powerful sales tools so take the time to compose a good one.

Another JV idea is to bundle your packages together. Bundling works best when the product complements yours. But, be careful that their product doesn't overshadow yours. Also, don't pile on so many bonuses that the offer becomes unbelievable. An offer too good to be true may raise doubts in the consumer's mind.

Agree to "swap" products with your partner and offer them as a prize. Give the prize away in a contest or do a random drawing to one lucky subscriber.

When your partner has a company which offers services related to yours, you can create a "Virtual Company". Your customers will enjoy the convenience of one-stop shopping. By cross promoting each other, you'll BOTH gain new customers. Don't limit yourself to partners who are close to you geographically. Remember, with fax and email your associates can be located anywhere in the world.

IN SUMMARY

The Internet has made the world a very small place indeed. Which is wonderful for you, the internet marketer! You could potentially partner with anyone, anywhere! Open your eyes to the possibilities, get excited and get to work. The world truly is "your oyster"! Have fun and have success. :-)

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By: Anne Ahira

So, You Want To Become A Professional ?

2007-01-06T20:38:00.001+07:00

What does it take to be measured a professional?

Well, creating a professional image for any business is not easy. It requires a great deal of time and effort! Not only should you have a lot of expertise and experience in your field, but also you must manage your business in a professional manner.

To create a professional image for your online business, give some serious thought to these important aspects:

Honesty
Always tell it like it is. Your honesty will build long term relationships with your customers.

Courtesy
There is an old saying, "the buyer is the king". So, let your customers know how much you really appreciate them. Never forget to say thank you, and please. Your courtesy and hospitality will reflect upon your professionalism

Web Site
Your website is a direct reflection of you! It is very important to have a website well designed. Put your best friendly picture on the site. Let your customers know who they are dealing with! Include your contact information, complete product information, easy ordering process and make certain that your site is easy to navigate.

Product
Only sell products that you personally use and trust! Never sell any product just because someone is hyping it up to generate sales! If the hyped product is worthless, you could lose the trust of your customers and they will not buy from you!

Customer Service & Technical Support
Poor customer service and technical support are almost always the biggest complaint heard from unhappy customers. Make yourself fully available to give a hand to your customers. Answer their emails and give back their phone calls as quickly as possible. Work with them until you have a satisfactory answer.

Having testimonials from happy customers also can build credibility and add to your professional image! Don't be shy to ask for testimonials from your customers. When they are satisfied with your product and service, they will be glad to write a testimonial for you.

Always strive to do-your-utmost and the whole thing will fall into place.

Good Luck with your business! :-)

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By: Anne Ahira

Seven Secrets For A Better Website

2007-01-06T20:33:00.001+07:00

Have you ever wondered why it is that some web sites enjoy super success while many others fail miserably? Below are seven secrets to help you make YOUR site one of the winners!

1. SPEED

Several studies indicate, that you have only 10 to 30 seconds to capture visitor's attention. If your site is slow to open, your customer will likely lose patience and close the window. And that means bye.. bye..to your site! Worse..no sale.

Solution: Avoid having too much animation in your site. Compress the image files and host your site with a good hosting company.

2. Website Design

Remember you have only 10 to 30 seconds to capture visitor's attention. So website design is very important. Most people judge something on their first look! When visitors come to your site, they will see the reflection of YOU. Be certain they will like what they see.

Make your site comfortable to look at. Be consistent with the feel and design. Don't use bright colors that jolt the eye and senses. Use a text that is easy to read. Better yet, put a really great picture of yourself on your site. Let your visitors know who they are dealing with, and show them that there is a real human behind the website!

Did my picture capture your attention the first time you visited my website? I hope so. I hope you could see that I was a real, geniune, caring person that you would feel comfortable doing business with. :-)

3. Focus Your Site

Make sure to focus your website on the intended goal. This will help you to target your market easily. For example, if you are interested in a car selling business, most of the contents of your site will naturally be about cars. For instance, your topics could be; My Car Collection, Tips for Buying A Good Car, Millenium Cars, The Secrets of Washing a Car, etc..! :-)

Car Lovers will enjoy visiting your site, because you give them exciting information about a topic they are personally interested in.

When you have laser focus, and great contents, this will create happy customers coming back to your site again and again. This makes it possible for you to repeatedly offer them new sales items to purchase from your site!

Don't clutter your site with too many unrelated products. When you have more than one or two unrelated products, make a unique page for each instead of putting them all on the same page. And do it with some style and thought. Your customers will not appreciate feeling that they have been tricked with an unworthy product.

4. Keywords Density

Many site owners ignore or are ignorant about the importance of Keywords. I have found sites which don't have any keywords at all. This is death for a website! A Good keyword density will help your site listing in search engines!

Remember, 90% of web surfers find what they want by typing in the search engines. So design your site to maximize the placement. Focus on your keywords. Utilize the meta tags keywords, description and title.

If you have no idea what I am talking about or if you don't know how to use HTML code, please, find someone who does or purchase a few good books (I can suggest one or two). I know this may sound terribly confusing but it is one of the most crucial things needed to build a better more successful website.

5. Simple Navigation

Make your site navigation easy. If the customers find it hard navigating your site to find what they want, they will go elsewhere. So, limit the choices, and make the sales process uncomplicated.

6. Make Payment Easy

If you sell a product, offer your customer a variety of payment methods. If your site does not offer a credit card, you are hurting your business...get one right now. You can set up a merchant account such as ClickBank, or use one of the many credit card clearing companies. Take checks online. Provide an address for those who prefer to pay by cash, check, or money order. and provide them with a guarantee.

Make the payment process obvious, easy to access and intuitive to use.

7. Credibility Is Vital

Your professional website design will not sell, if the customers don't trust you! So, provide legitimate contact information online. Your email address, mailing address, phone number and a fax number, if applicable. If you are reluctant to give this information to your customers, why should they trust, or buy from you?

Having your own domain name is also very vital for your credibilty. It will make you look more professional. Choose a domain name that easy to remember and suitable for your business.

Putting testimonials from happy customers is one of the best way to improve your credibilty. When the customer can read what other people say about your service, they will be more inclined to trust you!

Applying the seven secrets above probably will not make your site become as famous as Amazon or Yahoo overnight! But..If they are applied correctly and included into an overall website design and marketing campaign, you will see great improvement to your site's traffic and sales!

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By: Anne Ahira

How NOT to Design an Email Campaign

2007-01-06T20:31:00.000+07:00

1. WRITE IN ALL CAPITALS. People love getting yelled at. They never get enough verbal abuse from their family, coworkers, and fellow commuters. So, go ahead SHOUT AT THEM. Hey, if you're lucky, maybe they'll return the favor. 2. Include your URL (website address) from the very beginning. While you're at it, go ahead and tell them what they're getting for Christmas and how all the magic tricks are done. No one likes surprises or suspense. Don't give them any mystery or let any excitement build. What do you think this is supposed to be, interesting or something??
3. Write long, wordy paragraphs. You want to tell them everything you possibly can and it should all be in one looooong paragraph. This is the same principle that applies to first dates. Tell them everything about you all in one breath. No letting little things come out over time. No surprises or explanations. Bonus points if you can get them to go cross eyed while trying to read it.

4. Overdo the personalization feature. Everyone loves to hear their own name. Make sure you include it in every sentence. This way, they know it was done manually and not by a computer program. Because surely those computer programs have limits of say 20 or 30 names throughout the email. 5. Focus on yourself and not your prospect. Let them know your wants, needs, and desires. Who cares about them? I mean, jeez, wasn't putting their name in the email enough! Selfish, selfish, selfish…. 6. Stop Emailing them if you get no response. Six or seven emails is plenty to send to someone. Just because you still have their address and they haven't opted out yet, they're obviously not interested. Besides, you don't have time to email them. You're going to get that new computer you've been getting info on for about a year now. You've finally decided to buy it. There seems to be some irony here but you just can't put your finger on it. 7. Don't have a sense of humor. No laughs, no stress relief measures, no wedgies. This is a business. Imagine what would happen if you allowed it to be fun!

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By: Anne Ahira