Affiliate Marketing For Beginners Part 2

Author: Mark Fynn

| Posted: 15-02-2007 | Comments: 0 | Views: 46 | Rating: (50)

(?)

One of the biggest mistake affiliate marketers can make is to get involved in a program just because the commissions are high, such as Loans, Mortgages and the Forex market for example. They know nothing about these financial industries and they have no intention of learning about them either. They just want a part of the action for financial reasons alone, and nothing more. Put up a basic web site, add some free topical articles written by someone else, add the affiliate banners and then wait for the commission checks to come rolling in. This time next year you could be a millionaire!

The harsh truth is that if you plan your business around the above example then you are doomed to failure from the very beginning. If you like the concept of affiliate marketing and have made the decision that you would like to get involved then you first need to do some serious research. The work you do at the very beginning, such as looking into the areas you are personally interested in, and the affiliate programs available, will be the foundation of a successful business.

When I mentioned the areas that you are personally interested in I meant it specifically. You need to get a pen and paper or open up a word document on your computer and make a list. This list will outline every subject, pastime and hobby you are interested in, no matter how vague it may be. Do not get distracted thinking about big commissions or what is in vogue at the moment. If it is of personal interest to you then make a note.

Once you have made your list I would take some time to visit Commission Junction and Linkshare and any other affiliate network that takes your fancy. Now compare your list to the list of affiliate programs available. This marriage of convenience will ensure that you have the right combination. You are promoting a product or service for a Company as an affiliate in an area that you are personally interested in. This is one of the easiest research tests you will make and will ensure that your affiliate marketing business gets off to a good, sound start.

There are many reasons for doing this test. It will firstly confirm that there are affiliate programs out there that cover your passion. If you are going to take the trouble to build a web site from scratch as part of your business then you need to ensure that there are various income streams available. Ignore the amounts of commission on offer for now. You just need to confirm that money can be made promoting these products or services.

To find this out you can do another free research test on the pay-per-click advertising on Google and Yahoo. Type in some of your main keywords and do a search on Google first. If you see paid advertisers on the right then make a note of them and what they are selling or you can print the page. Go to page two of the search results and do the exact same thing. Repeat the exercise on Yahoo. After 1-week do the same test and see who is continuing to advertise. If the same advertisers are there after 1-week then this will tell you they are making money in the area of affiliate marketing that you are interested in. If you get negative or less than convincing results then you can either do more in depth research or choose another area.

So you have chosen a niche in an area that you are personally interested in and you have seen from the results of your initial research that other web sites seem to be making money in the same business. But how are these other business selling to their market and what products and services are they promoting? You now need to spy on the possible future competition. Dont forget you are doing this before you have invested one penny, so this is free, valuable information. You need to open up a word document and add tables or you can use a spreadsheet if you wish. Make lots of columns where you can add data for each web site you spy on.

What is your first impression of the web site? The loading speed, layout, colors and information? What are they selling and for how much? Do they have an opt-in form? How about a newsletter? Any bonuses on offer? Where are they ranked on the search engines, how many link partners, page rank etc. Just write or type what you see and make a note of all the pluses, minuses and where you consider changes could be made for improvement.

Do the same for at least 10 competing web sites, though the more web sites you compare the better. Now you can check the results. This will inform you immediately if there is room for you to build a web site and compete in the exact same market. It is very rare for the top 10 web sites to be perfect on any search engine results page so there is always room for improvement. This research will give you lots of ideas when it comes to building you web site.

Dont forget you are already an authority on the topic because this is your personal interest so you will know immediately if the web site owner has a real passion for the subject. This is why I mentioned and endorsed in the beginning to only get involved in affiliate marketing areas that are of particular interest to you. This is how you can dominate a market by writing articles, web site and blog content, newsletters etc. Take it from me, your web site visitors are not stupid and they will know immediately if you have a passion and the knowledge on the topic. This is the basis of affiliate marketing success. Once you have the respect and trust of your web site visitors you have the making of a very successful affiliate marketing business.

Rate this Article:

Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Tags: Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Online Business, Affiliate Programs, Extra Income

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/affiliate-programs-articles/affiliate-marketing-for-beginners-part-2-105253.html

Print article

Send to friend

Publish this Article

Author feedback

About the Author:

Mark Fynn has been involved in affiliate marketing since 1998 and has written many articles on the subject. http://www.thesuperaffiliate.com

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Add new Comment

Affiliate Marketing For Beginners Part 1
By: Mark Fynn | 15/02/2007 | Affiliate Programs
One of the most popular online businesses is joining affiliate programs, but are they easy money or a real challenge?

How to Create Content for My Website
By: Wazir Singh | 06/08/2008 | RVs
So what is all the talk about having a lot of "content" on my website? And what is "content" exactly? And how will it help my business grow and prosper? I get these questions from my internet students all of the time. Let me say this…Having a lot of great content is one of the key ingredients to those websites that are successful and profitable.

How Do I Catapult My Affiliate Marketing Business
By: Vipann Kumarr | 06/08/2008 | Affiliate Programs
Affiliate marketing involves the promotion of a website by a person known as the affiliate. He is the one who acts as the middleman between the merchant and the customer. The nature of an affiliate’s job is to advertise and promote a merchant’s website through his own.

Affiliate Marketing - the 3 Deadly Affiliate Marketing Mistakes!
By: islam | 12/01/2008 | Internet Marketing
Hundreds of people start affiliate marketing every month, yet most of them can barely make enough money to quit their day job after one year or two.

Give Me Some Good Reasons Why I Should Become an Affiliate
By: Praveen Kumarii | 06/08/2008 | Small Business
Deciding to start your own business can be a scary process. There are dozens of questions you need to ask yourself before you even get started.

How Do I Make My Online Business Profits Boom
By: Suresh Kumar | 06/08/2008 | Business Ideas
Do you have an online business that's not generating the online income you expected? Well if it's any consolation, you're not alone. Many online businesses have experienced the 'deadly silence' of the Information Super Highway at some time.

Affiliate Marketing for Newbies
By: Manita PD | 06/08/2008 | Internet Marketing
The dawning of the cyberspace era is at hand. The genesis of artificial intelligence is upon this particular moment in history as everyone in the industrialized world goes about utilizing one of the most sophisticated tools mankind has ever created.

The Problems About Ready-made Websites
By: Manojj Kumarr | 06/08/2008 | International Marketing
A question I am asked everyday is "Do I need to have my own website built or can I use a pre-made one? " Good question. Most people who ask this question are looking at shopping malls, affiliate programs, network marketing, or business opportunities to make money whereby the company gives them a website already built with the bells and whistles.

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Q&A Powered by:

Latest Affiliate Programs Articles

How to Accelerate Your Audio Product Creation
By: Gen Wright | 07/08/2008
Creating information base products cannot get easier these days. You don't need to have great writing skills and you don't need to type faster as you can simply record your thoughts and ideas to create audio products like MP3s and CD series.

Are You Still Using Merchant Provided Landing Pages
By: Matt | 07/08/2008
However, by using the exact same tools as every other affiliate on the Internet you really have no way to set yourself apart from them and create a unique presence for your campaigns.

How to Promote Your Blog for Free Using Blog Search Engines
By: Gen Wright | 07/08/2008
If you're a true blogger who likes to start blogs, you understand how hard it is for a blog to get off the ground. Here are some tips on how to promote your blog for free.

Plr Articles and How Rules are Being Bent While Using Them
By: Manita PD | 07/08/2008
Article marketing was all the rage a couple of years ago, and it still is up till this day, because of one simple reason: content is king on the Internet. So how do you create your own articles? There are a number of ways to do it. You can visit the various Internet marketing forums and collect ideas from there.

Top 7 Internet Marketing Techniques for Affiliates
By: Jinger Jarrett | 07/08/2008
To create effective promotional campaigns for affiliate programs, you can use many of the same techniques product owners use. These tips will show you different ways to market affiliate products and tips for getting more from affiliate promotions.

Marketing Affiliate Programs On A Shoestring Budget
By: David Barker | 07/08/2008
Affiliate marketing programs sometimes give the impression that you can set up a successful business with little or no outlay. You may see lessons recommending that you pay to advertise. It could be ezines or any of a number of paid promotional activities. Some of these methods may start off free but the temptation is to upgrade in these programs because you are promised better results.

Benefits of Affiliate Network
By: M Wali | 07/08/2008
Most online companies have achieved remarkable success by drawing benefits from affiliate network. However, to have the right use of affiliate network the new online companies should have good affiliates programs.

Why Customer Follow Up is Essential in Affiliate Program Marketing
By: M Wali | 07/08/2008
Customer follow up is vital in increasing sales and generating commissions in affiliate program marketing.

More from Mark Fynn

Poker Affiliate Programs
By: Mark Fynn | 04/10/2007 | Affiliate Programs
An insight into poker affiliate programs and what you need to consider before joining so that you have the very best chance of success as an affiliate.

Poker Affiliate Marketing
By: Mark Fynn | 03/10/2007 | Affiliate Programs
Poker affiliate programs have become very popular in recent times but what are the secrets to become a Poker Super Affiliate?

Casino Affiliate Programs
By: Mark Fynn | 02/10/2007 | Affiliate Programs
Casino affiliate programs have been popular with affiliates for many years so just what does it take to be a successful casino affiliate in one of the most competitive markets online.

Casino Affiliate Marketing
By: Mark Fynn | 02/10/2007 | Affiliate Programs
How to be a successful casino affiliate marketer in one of the most competitive and lucrative industries in the World.

Finance Affiliate Marketing Part 2
By: Mark Fynn | 25/07/2007 | Affiliate Programs
An insight into the initial research you need to do to ensure that the financial niche you intend to promote has market and profit potential.

Finance Affiliate Marketing Part 1
By: Mark Fynn | 24/07/2007 | Affiliate Programs
Financial Affiliate programs are the most lucrative and competitive in the World. So what does it take to get a slice of the big commissions and payouts on offer?

The Benefits of Teeth Whitening and Bleaching to Cure Discoloration
By: Mark Fynn | 21/12/2006 | Non-Fiction
Teeth Whitening is a bleaching process that lightens discolorations of tooth enamel. The bleaching agent is found in the gel that reacts to heat and water. There are many methods available for successful teeth whitening though it is best to consult your dentist first before you committed yourself to any treatment.

Article Categories

Article Marketing

Article Notepad

Stop Duplicate Content

Term Papers

Follow ArticlesBase at http://twitter.com

Need Help?

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.52, 17)

Affiliate Marketing For Beginners Part 2

Article Comments

Related Articles

Got a Question? Ask.

Latest Affiliate Programs Articles

More from Mark Fynn

Need Help?

Site Links

Webmasters

Business Info

Sign up for our email newsletter