Three Things Affiliate Marketers Need

[Alexis Froehlich]

Here are three things affiliate marketers need for their website.

1. A separate website for each separate product
Hosting is a business expense you've just got to do. Don't skimp on hosting just to save a buck. Treat each product you're marketing as if it were your own: give it it's own website! Remember that testimonials are everyone's favorite form of social proof. They can be text, audio, video, or a combination of all three. Unique testimonials (different than the author's sales page) are always good because it ends up being unique. Which leads us to...

2. Unique content
Be sure to put some unique content on your site, preferrably on a separate page of your website. This can be either reviews of the product (giving it a less salesy spin and more down to earth) or just information and facts. If you're reviewing it, try to show how it helped you or someone you know personally, like you're talking to a friend. If you're providing facts, go ahead and highlight the best parts of the product

3. Build a list
Just cause you're an affiliate marketer doesn't mean you shouldn't have a list! You can build your list by offering something for free, and reports are just the thing. In the style of web 2.0, you can also offer an audio download. By having them opt in, you'll keep their contact number even if they didn't buy. Great, especially since it usually takes 7 to 14 exposures of a product before buying.

[Matthew Sherborne]

Hi Alexis, those are some great affiliate marketing tips

Creating a separate website for each product you promote is a necessity for serious affiliate marketers who care about building a long term online business. Not only does it look professional, but the benefits far out weight the small hosting fees as long as you actively promote the site.

The simple fact is being a successful affiliate marketer takes looking at your actions online as a real business. Far too many people trying to make affiliate sales don't put in the small extra bit of effort to make their hard work really pay off.

Many people never consider the fact that it takes seven to ten exposures to a product before a sale is made. Another consideration that is often left out is the massive numbers of potential sales being lost by not creating an online asset like your own mailing list.

One of the things I teach my customers is to create your own information products, like an ebook or short report to offer as an incentive to capture email addresses or sell for residual income. Once you have created your own report you can continually sell it over and over. I definitely recommend every affiliate marketer have a mailing list and at least one small report to capture email addresses at all times.

[2BFree]

I think good affiliate marketers add their own bonuses, on top of offering the opt-in report. I always like it when it’s related to the product I’m going to buy too.

I’ve personally bought through affiliates that I’ll keep going back to, because they’re good at providing unique bonuses. Even though I know I could leave out the affiliate and just go straight to a favorite guru, I don’t, because I don’t want to miss out on the special bonuses.

But if an affiliate has given me junk for bonuses, or their presentation is sloppy, I won’t link through them.

I guess it comes down to customer service and professionalism. I’ll keep giving my business to those who respect my time, and if they don’t do that, I avoid using their link. It's that simple

[Archbob]

I disagree with building a website for each individual product. If you are selling say Cameras, then I don't see the professionalism or benefit of making a site with a domain name for each Camera model your trying to sell. Create individual pages for different products is a must, but I don't see the benefit of creating an entire site for each individual product.