Online Business Brain Dump - Create An Affiliate Program
If you play your cards right, referrals can produce a wealth of income for your business. An affiliate is someone who sells your product for you by referring people to your site or product.
Affiliate programs are plentiful. Try to make your affiliate program unique. In other words, be a SUPER salesperson!
There is a key to making your affiliate program successful. Instead of making direct links to your products and services, which would generate sales and referral money for your affiliates, create links to your newsletter subscription or a free downloadable report.
The goal is to get traffic to your site. Then follow up with your customers via email and newsletters. Your affiliates will still make a commission once you make a sale in the future. You will make a sale, even 1,000 sales, down the road by regularly following up with your opt-in subscribers.
You will be more successful at increasing your traffic flow by having your affiliates refer people to your website for a free gift or promotional offer. This is better than a referral to your site to BUY SOMETHING. Many more folks will be enticed to check out your site if they get a freebie! This will increase the traffic to your site, which is your goal. You are building your list of happy subscribers.
If you were surfing the Internet, which of the following sites would attract your attention and make you want to visit?
"Find the latest in iPod accessories at ROCK BOTTOM PRICES!
We take MC/VISA/AMEX/Discover. All colors and styles available! HUGE savings! Free shipping on some products. Click here!"
or...
"Do you need an affordable, yet unique gift for your loved one? Download this FREE Guide to 'Finding Great Gifts for Everyone on Your Gift List.' You will SAVE big bucks, and you can impress that special someone. You will refer to this guide over and over again!"
Make sense? The subject of affiliate programs could fill up an entire book, but I hope you understand the gist of what I'm sharing with you. Do your homework, learn what affiliate programs are. There's PLENTY of information out there.
Now, having said that it the best way to use affiliates, there are also great programs and sites where your affiliate DO direct referrals straight to your products. You can learn about how this works by reading my affiliate information page for one of my books, "Life Without Debt" here:
Find it here: http://seriousgetoutofdebt.com/xdebt/affliates_start.asp
Another place to find information on affiliates (and everything else regarding online businesses!) is my online business brain dump product:
Check it out: http://www.onlinebusinessbraindump.com
(Note: This article is part of a mini-course with twenty lessons. You can find the entire free mini-course here: http://brentriggsblog.com/minicourses.asp)
G. Brent Riggs, author of "Life Without Debt", "Desperation Station" and SeriousFaith.com has over 20 years experience as an business owner, teacher, personal growth coach and mentor. You can contact him from his main website: http://www.gbrentriggs.com