Issue #2603
- WEALTHY: 8 ways to choose a top-notch affiliate program (Edwin Huertas)
- HEALTHY: A new use for popular social networking sites (Craig Ballantyne)
- WISE: Charles Darwin on collaboration
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Playing the name game with your business (Michael Masterson)
- Is your Web designer sabotaging your business? (Jason Holland)
- It’s Good to Know… about Robbie Knieval
- Add “malaise” to your vocabulary
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“In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”
Charles Darwin
Make Money Online Selling Other People’s Products
Every year, millions of new websites are formed – and people are constantly figuring out new ways to make money with them.
If you don’t have a product or product idea, you may become discouraged about the whole idea of starting an Internet business. But the truth is, you CAN make a bundle online… without having a single product of your own.
I’m talking about joining an affiliate program and linking their offers to your website.
At Early to Rise, we sell our own products. But we also sell products for others – through affiliate and joint-venture partnerships – and we have been very successful doing both.
Selling products through an affiliate program eliminates the need to stock and manage them. It is also a lot easier to sell someone else’s existing product than to create one yourself.
But before you join an affiliate program, you need to consider the following:
1. Will this product appeal to my website’s visitors?
When selecting an affiliate program, make sure the products they offer are in the same (or a similar) niche as your website.
This might seem obvious – but you’d be surprised by the number of websites that sell things that have nothing to do with their niche. For instance, I recently saw a website dedicated to “Health” that had banner ads posted on every page for products that ranged from movies and music to electronics. There was hardly anything health-related!
2. How much can I make selling this product?
Most affiliate programs offer a 2 percent to 10 percent commission for sales generated by affiliates.
But a program with high payouts (15+ percent) gives you a chance to make the most money with the smallest amount of traffic and the least amount of effort. So go with the higher paying programs and make more money. It’s that simple.
3. Who is offering the product?
As you know, there are plenty of scams on the Web, so you have to be careful when choosing an affiliate program. Make sure the company you are dealing with is an established business with a good reputation – one that offers its customers a money-back guarantee and pays its affiliates on time.
4. Does this product sell well – or am I wasting my time and effort promoting it?
There are so many affiliate programs out there these days that it can be difficult to choose the right one. Make sure the program you choose sells a product that has a good conversion rate. If you are not making sales with a program, it might be time to look at a different one.
At ETR, our products convert at an extremely high rate – and we offer some of the highest payouts in the industry. This helps us ensure that our affiliates make plenty of money, and that they remain happy, loyal partners.
5. What kind of tracking system does the program use?
Look into the tracking software the program uses, and understand how it works. Most good affiliate programs track sales for 30 to 60 days, some even longer.
6. What kind of reporting do they offer?
Make sure the affiliate program provides you with all the tools you might need to accurately track your sales as well as the traffic you send to them. A good affiliate program will give you full metric reports to help you fine-tune your marketing efforts.
7. What sort of marketing support do they provide?
A really good affiliate program will also give you plenty of marketing materials and/or training to help you make the most of your partnership.
ETR’s affiliate program, for instance, offers its affiliates all of the sales materials they might need (from top-producing banner ads to proven sales copy). Plus, we offer lots of useful resources and training, including tutorials and access to a library of marketing articles.
8. Does it cost anything to join?
Sometimes it pays to join an affiliate program to check out their system before actually putting up any ads.
Joining should cost you NOTHING! If a (so-called) affiliate program charges for membership… it’s NOT an affiliate program.
There are many scams that prey on unsuspecting people looking to earn more money online. But why would any reputable company charge YOU for selling THEIR products?
Don’t EVER pay to join an affiliate program. Period.
Do your research. Take your time. Make sure you know the answers to the above eight questions – and then choose a good affiliate program that fits your needs.
[Ed. Note: You can start making money - today! - by joining ETR's Affiliate Marketing Program. It's 100% free to join, and we offer an extremely competitive commission on every ETR product you sell. Get all the details right here.]
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Dear ETR: “How important is a name?”
“Okay. I am finally taking the plunge and starting a side business. I guess it is actually more like getting my feet wet, since my target sales goal for now is to cover my daycare expenses. At any rate, I am to the point where I need to call myself ’something.’ How important is a name? What should the strategy be for choosing one?
“In my case, I am selling unique and custom made jewelry. My starting venue is going to be eBay until I can get a better idea of my market and earn enough to generate a decent webpage. I need to pick a seller name that I think will stimulate and reassure my buyers. I could call it ‘Emily’s [Adjective Noun],’ but I don’t think that is very noteworthy. If I’m going to be ordinary, I might as well go with 12345 and just get to selling.
“I had considered something along the lines of ‘You Deserve It’ to try to give that extra push to bid. My husband asked me if I would use ‘U’ instead of ‘You.’ What is too gimmicky? Is the texting generation old enough yet to be financially viable? Does a gimmick like this turn off more customers than it targets? I think yes, but I’ve learned better than to go with my gut before asking questions.
“Also, I came up with a great quote yesterday: ‘I would much rather be multi-faceted than well rounded.’ In this world of synchronicity, by golly, I’m going to get my name attached to it before someone else does. I’m probably already too late. I know there are few original ideas, but maybe this one hasn’t been presented in quite this way.
“Much more flattering to one’s occlusions. Better to emphasize one’s strengths than to focus on improving the weak areas. (That’s what a team is for.) You get the picture.”
Emily Crawford
Dale, NY
Dear Emily,
I’ve reprinted your letter pretty much in its entirety because it is so well written. You have a talent for writing. You are smart. You are energetic. You are positive. And those qualities show.
My main recommendation is that you should master the art of copywriting. You will be able to use it to promote your jewelry business. And you can use it to make a handsome second income at night and on the weekends. In today’s economy, having a second income counts.
Now, to answer your question…
I have never given much time and energy to creating company names. And when I do spend time on them, I tend to be conservative. My rationale is this: When you are small, you don’t want your name to turn people off or confuse them. You want them to be able to remember it. You want them to be able to search for it and find it without a lot of trouble.
Thus names like U Deserve This don’t appeal to me. It’s likely that it will turn off customers who aren’t egocentric. And it is equally likely that those who do like it will remember the sentiment but forget the phrase.
Don’t believe marketing gurus who tell you that picking a good name for your business is critical to your sales. What matters most is the marketing that you do. That gets us back to copywriting – something you should spend some time on. Spend no more than 30 minutes picking a name, and then get on to more important matters.
For more on this, see my chapters on Stage One businesses in Ready, Fire, Aim.
- Michael Masterson
[Ed. Note: Have a question for an ETR expert? Send it to AskETR@ETRFeedback.com.]
Fancy Graphics Are What Websites Are All About, Right? Wrong
There’s a house for sale in my neighborhood. Has been for over a year.
Not uncommon in today’s market. But the home’s Pepto pink and lime green facade – in a neighborhood of conservative homes painted in subtle, neutral colors (many of which are also for sale) – makes me think it will continue to be on the market for quite a while.
Eye-catching, for sure. But if the owner thinks that’s giving him an advantage in the marketplace, he’s making a big mistake.
Are you doing the same thing with the website for your Internet business – depending on flashy graphics to make the sale for you? As Michael Masterson pointed out in a recent issue of his VIP newsletter Ready Fire Aim, fancy websites with animation, music, and the like may keep Web designers happily employed, but they do nothing to help you sell your products.
Your business website should be simple and clean, with a clear call to action. You want to convince visitors to buy your products with an easy to read and understand sales message, not dazzle them with design.
[Ed. Note: Michael Masterson's take on Web design is just one of the many "insider" tips and techniques he reveals in True Path to Profits: A Master Entrepreneur's Guide to Business Success. Find out more (including how you can get a bonus subscription to Michael's VIP newsletter, Ready Fire Aim) here.]
Facebook for Fat Loss?
You know what you need to do in order to lose fat: Eat less and exercise more.
But that’s easier said than done, especially when you’re surrounded by friends who want to drag you to another movie or high-calorie restaurant meal when you should be working out.
Researchers from Regis University in Denver have found that “individuals with similar body fat levels will cluster together into groups, and if left unchecked, current social forces will drive these groups toward increasing obesity.”
To break the cycle, you have to hunt out people who share your weight-loss goals. And you don’t have to stick to your friends. In fact, the researchers suggest that “social networks” may be a key to halting the obesity epidemic.
Building a Facebook group that includes strangers who have already lost fat is one way to go. But I prefer to have my clients get social support from people they know through Twitter.com. You could also get involved in the ETR forums or an online weight-loss club.
The bottom line is that you need social support for fat-loss success. Start associating with positive people who share similar goals, and you’ll soon be losing all the weight you want.
[Ed. Note: It can be tough to lose weight on your own. Make sure you have plenty of support from your loved ones. Or join an online support group. You can join ETR's free SpeakOut Forum and exchange exercise techniques, healthy recipes, and motivation right here.
For an exercise routine that builds muscle and burns fat, try fitness expert Craig Ballatyne's Turbulence Training program.]
It’s Good to Know: About Robbie Knievel
Daredevil Evel Knievel is a household name. But did you know he had a son?
At ETR, we certainly didn’t! That’s why we mistakenly attributed one of this son’s most astounding accomplishments to his father.
Like father, like son. Robbie Knievel is also a daredevil. And he managed to accomplish a feat his father never could: jumping the Grand Canyon.
Evel plotted to sail across the Grand Canyon back in 1968. But the U.S. government wouldn’t have it. As a substitute, Evel tried to jump the Snake River Canyon, crashing when his parachute malfunctioned.
Thirty years later, Robbie resurrected his father’s Grand Canyon stunt. According to It Happened at Grand Canyon by Todd R. Berger, Robbie “jumped a narrow, shallow side canyon of Grand Canyon on his 500-cc motorcycle.” Narrow as it was, Robbie’s May 1999 jump spanned a record breaking 228 feet.
(Source: Evel Knievel: An American Hero, Crawling From the Wreckage
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Word to the Wise: Malaise
“Malaise” (muh-LAZE) – from the French – is a general feeling of depression or unease.
Example (as used by Andrew Crumey in Pfitz): “Shortly after the birth of his second child, the Prince found himself in a state of malaise and dissatisfaction with life which manifested itself as a boredom with his wife, and an interest in one of the young ladies at court.”
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2009
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