A Practical Guide to Affiliate Programs
What to Ask when Considering an Affiliate Program
See the affiliate programs we recommend.
Depending on how new you are to the internet, I'm sure you've heard about affiliate programs.
You may have already joined some. Most likely, you've been disappointed .... because they
just didn't live up to what was promised or meet your expectations.
You're not alone. If no one has told you yet, I'll tell you now ... There ARE no "get rich
overnight" programs. If anyone tells you differently ... I'd politely end the conversation and
go the other direction ;o)
Having been through the school of hard-knocks myself .. I can tell you from experience .... if
it sounds too good to be true .. then it probably is. People play on our natural desire
to have more ... to make more money, to want more time and to be able to provide wonderfully for
our families. If you notice, alot of ads start off with that "Want more freedom to be with
your family?" Yadayadayada. They promise to help you "because I only make money when YOU succeed."
They count on impulse buying. They count on us being moved enough that we'll relate completely and
believe "We'll make this one work" and dig for the Credit Card. And .... being the trusting, hopeful
individuals that we are .... we dig and join up.
Later, you find out that you got a cool
new website ... but no traffic. Then you find out you're pretty much on your own. You start asking
how you can get traffic. And then you end up paying more money to get hits to your website ..... if you're lucky,
you might make a few dollars .....
If this story sounds familiar ... or even if it doesn't .... then hopefully I can shed some light on
affiliate marketing for you.
The number one thing to remember is there ARE NO Get Rich Overnight Programs.
Not that I've seen anyway ... and I've seen a few. Most webmasters join quite a few affiliate programs.
That's a good idea, it's realistic and it's cautious. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. And don't count
on anyone helping you. If you can't do it on your own, it's probably best you not join it. I say this
because I've joined programs before with the promise of massive "spillover" from my upline ... and
that they'd work with me and guarantee my success. Sorry to sound pessimistic, but Yeah ... right. Whatever ;o)
So .... what's the use then? Well, there are some good, quality affiliate programs. But you have
to use caution when joining them ... and don't expect to just start raking in money. Be prepared to do
some work. Anything worth having is worth working for. If you're serious about internet marketing, then
you CAN do it. But the object of the whole thing is not to go broke trying to achieve a measure of success.
Research. Read the small print. Ask some people. Get some advise. Check out the testimonials. How long have they been in business? Go to http://www.internic.com and
see how long they've had the website. Is it brand new? Or have they been there long enough to
establish some stability and credibility?
Once you've found a few that sound good to you .... join up. One of the guidelines I use is that I
RARELY join a program that costs money to join upfront. RARELY. These days, it'd take a whole lot of something to get me to pay even a dime upfront. After all, I'm supposed to be working for them
and if they have enough faith in their program, then they can afford to have the affiliates come in and test what
it's all about BEFORE making the decision to pay for anything. Once I've seen what it's about
and can see the potential, THEN I will part with money if necessary. But only once I've seen the
system work. A couple good examples of the "try it before you buy it" programs are Ken Evoy's
SiteSell program. This is a great example
of programs that let you join for free AND make money before ever deciding to part with even a penny.
So, to wrap this up ... use caution. Don't count on anyone giving you anything or helping you. If they do,
it's wonderful ... but just don't count on it. And once you've found the programs you want to join, put them up,
work them. Give them your best effort. I'd say give a program at least 6 months of true effort before making a decision. And then, if it's
not paying. Quit. There are programs that pay. There are programs that pay well, but it's going to take time and effort first, to find them
and then to establish yourself in them. And be honest. I don't care HOW bad you need to make a sale .... be honest about it
do not promise the world if you can't deliver it. Remember, your reputation is tied up into what you say and how you say it.
I would respect and trust you a whole lot more if you told me "I haven't had time to promote this and tell if it's a good program yet ... but it seems to be" rather than
having you tell me "You can make a fortune!" Be honest.
Now, having said that ... here are some of the Affiliate
programs that I feel comfortable enough to recommend. I'm not getting rich in any of them. But ... each one HAS paid. And they've
paid on time. They have reliable reports where you can actually see when and where your clicks and/or sales were made.
I can't promise you that you'll make money ... but I can tell you that we have made money with them, consistently. Not alot ... but
then, I've never really promoted them.
I hope that this information and these programs help you. The internet has
awesome opportunities ... it's up to us to be responsible and research what we get involved in ... just because it's in black and
white does not make it true.
If you need any help, just ask. I'll help however I can, and I wish you the best of luck!
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