Combine Helping Your Internet Visitors with a Regular Income

Volume III, Issue 12
ISSN: 1547-7754
May 2006
printable version

Chris King, Editor
By subscription only, this monthly e-newsletter is loaded with short, "down and dirty" tips to help you with solving the everchanging and growing puzzle of the Internet. This e-zine serves as a place to ask your questions and find the answers. So, send me your burning questions.

In this issue of the Internet Tips E-zine, I decided it was time to talk about affiliate programs. Even though I have been an affiliate for some time with Amazon.com and my favorite marketing guru, Robert Middleton, I have never seriously pulled it all together into an organized structure. We all have favorite products, sites and gurus that we know others will benefit from. So, that is what an affiliate's goal is - to share those gems with others. And, by helping our affiliates, we are rewarded with a commission.

Because I have learned so much about the good, the bad and the ugly during my seven active years on the Internet, I am presently in the middle of setting up my helpful, affiliate website that I call ChrisRecommends.com. In this e-zine, I will share some of the affiliate tips that should help you if you ever decide to take this route.

TIP #1. Model someone who has been a “Super Affiliate.” Rosalind Gardner is known as one of the top affiliate marketers. I purchased her Handbook, read it from cover to cover, and don’t know what I would have done without it. It was fun to read, loaded with useful links and information, and filled with excellent tips from someone who has been-there, done-that.

In Rosalind’s own words, “Affiliate marketing has been very good to me. My Internet business success has allowed me to quit my job, and pursue a lifestyle I could only dream about just a few years ago. I attribute my good fortune to a combination of hard work, perseverance and large doses of luck... Now I'm going to share my 'lucky secret' with you. Affiliate marketing on the Internet is here to stay, and merchants want YOU!”

TIP #2. Only promote products, programs and gurus that you have tested and believe in. Otherwise, you will destroy your credibility and the trust from and relationships with your readers. Note: on my new website, I will be including a few companies that I am in the process of testing. They all come with strong credentials and/or have been highly recommended by those I trust.

TIP #3. Make sure you check out the affiliate programs you join to ensure that they are solid prospects. Ask the following questions:

• Are they a reputable company?
• Is there an affiliate agreement and what does it include?
• Is there a fee for joining the program?
• What is the commission rate and how often are you paid - and by what means?
• Are sales tools offered as help?
• Are you contacted immediately upon making a sale?

TIP #4. Keep excellent records. By tracking your statistics and noting product sales, you will quickly find out which products are successful and how well your promotions are working.

TIP #5. Persevere. Your income won’t quadruple overnight. Many marketers give up too quickly because they have bought into the hype that the money will just roll in immediately.

I know that I have just scratched the surface of the abundant information about affiliate marketing, but I hope that I have sparked enough of your interest that you will try it in the future. It is truly fun to share a product or products that you love with the vast network of your Internet friends. It is a win-win-win situation for all involved!

Have a terrific and productive month!