Plop, Drop, And Flop
By Rod Davis
Posted Wednesday, December 1, 2004
The increase in Internet businesses have again brought a wave of inexperienced marketers. We've all been there at one point or another. You find a great affiliate program, plop them onto the Internet, drop that long affiliate URL into the search engines and then wait for success only to be met with yet another flop. So how do they do it? How do those experts claim five figure monthly incomes from their Internet businesses. Well, as Shakespeare would say, the presentation's the thing. As with all businesses online or off, it takes more than a casual approach to truly make a business work.
It's not that this issue hasn't been addressed; it's simply that it doesn't seem to be sinking in. Many beginning opportunity seekers are misled by many ads and marketing pitches. This is mostly due to the smoke and mirrors approach that companies who are selling business opportunities project.
If you are looking to build a solid foundation for your business, follow these time-tested rules of the Internet roadway:
1. Decide On A Website Theme.
Build a first level domain website around a theme. First you build the website and then find the affiliate programs. Not the other way around. It's important to fold the affiliate programs you select into an information resource site that will pull traffic and keep them coming back. Don't just build websites based on their potential to make fast money. Build a website based on your interest in the theme and over the long term it will be much more successful.
2. Fill It With Useful Information And Resources.
Create dynamic resources that will make your website sticky and memorable. A useful informational based website that will rank well with the search engines and build confidence in the consumer. Look for experts in your field to participate in exchange for exposure. In fact, join their affiliate programs and get paid for that exposure!
3. Carefully Select Affiliate Programs.
Now it's time to select the affiliate programs. Select programs that pay well, have a solid reputation, and will fold seamlessly into your new theme related website. Resist the temptation to sell these products with ads. Instead look for endorsements or write articles that sell the product in the resource box.
4. Start A Newsletter.
A newsletter allows you to capture visitors as they arrive so that you may resell to them through your newsletter. Most of us know this. The newsletter also allows you to fold your affiliate programs into the information provided within the newsletter for ordering. If done correctly, this information will blend and make sense to your reader rather than "sell" the product by more aggressive approaches.
5. Now Submit To The Search Engines.
Now it's time to submit to the search engines. By creating a strong, deep, informational site, you stand a good chance of getting ranked well. With just an affiliate link off a website, you stand to never even get listed in the search engines. Stand out from the crowd by being useful to your audience.
It's not a difficult formula. It does, however, take time and persistence, as all successful maneuvers do. If your looking for long term success utilizing affiliate programs as a revenue source, this is the road to follow. In time, you will find that you have created a successful career that doesn't just make great money, but makes you happy as well.
About the Author
Rod Davis is a Web Developer and Internet Marketer who specializes in helping small and home businesses get a jump-start on the Internet. He writes a powerful monthly Internet marketing tips newsletter at (http://www.110thstreet.com) and has launched his second minisite at (http://www.satellitedishtelevision.com).
