I hope you are well and you are prospering in the affiliate space.
I have been getting a lot of very good questions lately on how to create a successful online business. So I thought that I would share some of my worldly advice with you.
This is intended for affiliate newbies or veteran affiliates who may need a little refresher.
I have outlined 4 important elements to remember when starting a new project.
1. Get the Right Tools
- Content Management System - Wordpress, is a free content managements system and I suggest you get this for many if not all of your affiliate sites because of the ease and flexibility of the platform.
- Email Service Provider – I can not stress enough the importance of a subscriber list. One of the key methods for driving traffic back to affiliate offers or to your own site is to work with an email service provider that enables your visitors to opt-in to get updates, newsletters, offers and free giveaways from you by email. For a free re-brandable report try the 12 Medical Breakthroughs PDF: http://www.bartonaffiliates.com/re-brandable-pdf/
- I recommend either GetResponse or Aweber for your emails. Both have responsible plans and offer a wide range of features.
- Domain Names - GoDaddy.com. New domain names will cost you around $10-$14 per year. Finding a domain name for your market should not take you too long and there is not need to find the perfect name. Stick to the general idea and you should be fine. I would also register the domain name for no more then a year – especially if you are a newbie – because you can extend it at anytime and if you don’t do anything with it, no big deal.
- Hosting – There are many options for hosting your site. The two main types you will encounter are shared servers and dedicated servers. For a newbie with a few sites – shared is your least expensive and most practical option. For all practice purposes I use and would recommend HostGator or if you are just wanting to test the waters first Godaddy offers a free hosting account with each domain purchase.
2. Be Patient!
Successful affiliate marketing is not intended to be a ‘get rich quick’ program. It is intended to be a gradual increase in cash flow over the extent of months/years and volume. You will be rewarded by the increase in readership and the steady increase in commissions.
3. Be Passionate
When starting out in affiliate marketing choose topics that interest you. Do not focus on the latest trends in the industry just yet. At first brainstorm on 2 or 3 specific topics and start with the one that you can focus on the longest. This will probably be a topics that is important to you and you will be able to find your voice and style before taking on other projects. It is much easier to write about something that you know and find interesting. This passion will come out in your writing and make your message much more enjoyable to the reader.
4. Find Your Voice
People will read your material, and over time get to know you, so stick to your own writing style. Most of you are not journalists or professional editors so do not pretend to be one. It is easiest to write like you talk and that is your style – stick with it.
One of the toughest things you will find when keeping a blog is creating content week in and week out and you will soon realize that fresh content is a key aspect of online marketing. So it will be in your best interest to create a calendar of topics and ideas to write about and keep to it. You will eventually see a return on all your hard work.
For tools, content banners and other tools please take a moment to look around this blog.