Posts Tagged ‘affiliate marketing’
Be Choosy in Affiliate Relationships – an Integrity Booster or Buster!
Our opinions on affiliate marketing -
A hot topic, affiliate marketing! If you choose to enter into an affiliate relationship, be careful. If you give thought and research time into the company, you’ll be fine. You need to find the right affiliates, the right markets for your visitors and not just ones which will take up your space. True, you are giving up real estate space your site, which some are DEAD SET AGAINST. The reason being is, the act of being an affiliate, your directing your visitors away from your site to another site. Which some schools of thought say, NEVER EVER DO – it’s a school of thought, which believes it a horrible thing.
We personally DON’T buy into it. Our school of thought is – by having affiliates, you’ll be doing your visitors a favor. You are growing another person’s business, building contacts by having the partnership and showing your good relationships with other businesses. Here at Networking WAHM, we only pick great companies to be represented on our site. For the fact it’s truly a reflection on our site. (Note, the lack of logos everywhere on our site) We refuse to represent any product on our site, unless it’s a great one, it’s not worth it to us.
Before going forward with becoming an affiliate, for any company, here’s our advice.
1) Do yourself a favor, do your homework, read the reviews (online) on the products first, before agreeing.
2) Check into the customer service, how it’s rated, have customers had good experiences with the customer service (online you can research it)
3) Ask the customers about the products! You can find many people’s emails, right online in the comments on the site, usually. Just send few friendly open and honest emails. “Hi, I just saw your comment, Do you mind if I ask you about the products? I’m thinking of building a relationship with the company, did you have a good experience? Please tell me your opinion?” People are amazingly honest, you just need to ask
4) Research , research, research the company itself. When contacted by any company to be an affiliate, you need to do your homework.
Here at Networking WAHM, we’re very fussy about our affiliate partnerships. We have even been asking for customer reviews. We do take the time to check companies out, we do, it’s worth the effort. The partnership in affiliate marketing is unique, it’s truly reflecting on both sides, the company and their affiliate. In our opinion, by being an affiliate your basically giving your approval of products and services. Your giving your ”OK” to the goods and services listed on your site. Just the act of listing the links to products and services on your site, is saying something positive about the products. Your saying they are great products just by diplaying the logos! After your vistor leaves your site to make a purchase, somewhere you directed them, you can’t take back the links, which referred them. If your visitor purchased from a site and had a bad experience, you can’t take it back. You have a responsibility to represent the best, don’t you think? Something to really ponder!
Marketing 101, always only link your company or site with those companies or sites who bring their A game everyday(the winners in the marketplace) The companies who have a goal of providing 100% in all areas. Find the companies which never drop the ball, EVER. You want build very best partnerships, in doing so, you’ll build up your company integrity in the marketplace by association, it’s very simple. Affiliate marketing is not a game, it’s business and needs to be treated with respect and integrity.
Being an affiliate, for just any company on the web for profit, is not the smartest move in our opinion. If your representing companies by placing their logos on your site, don’t you think you should know a lot about the company, before doing so? We think you should! Knowing very little or nothing about a company and giving away your real estate, could backfire and become a problem. It may come back to haunt you in the long run. You may just be setting yourself up and loosing some of your hard earned integrity in the process. Please give thought to representing non-reputable companies on your site and giving up space. Find out more before you place the any logos on your page.
Food for thought for you – How do you feel about affiliate marketing? Are you for or against the practice and why? Everyone has different opinions on affiliate marketing. We had received a comment about it and thought we’d talk on the topic.
We have very high standards at Networking WAHM, if you have a great product and customer service, feel free to contact us.
“Your judged by the company you keep” - it applies to the web too.
Advertise Your Affiliate Program Here!
Affiliate Programs – If you currently have a program and would like to advertise it. I’m making a list for the site for interested parties. I just had a friend ask me, if I knew of contacts for affiliate programs. I thought it would help others if we keep a current list for all to see on the site. If you would like to list yours please comment or email me at networkingwahm@gmail.com and I’ll list your site on mine.
The So Called “Online Experts” – with Rip Offs to Sell
Hiring an online Business “Expert” – Many people in the world today are trying to make money in all different ways. Your trying to make money online or you may be interested in it, correct?
In my opinion, there are two types of business people in the world. The real ones and the scam people. The real business people are very honest and open about their business and they have selected goals. Real business people select certain areas to excel in, develop them and become great in select areas. Often they work on a few projects at a time and work till completion.
Real business people tell what their expertise is. If they don’t know about a topic, they’ll tell you. When they are not familiar with a topic and don’t know an answer, they’ll often research it for you, because they want to know the answer. Often getting back with you with the answer. (A good Networking Tip for you : You can become a true friend and great contact by doing this for others)
The real ones will their build their knowledge base and share it with everyone. (A good Networking Tip, it builds real connections) Networking comes in by sharing your own knowledge base, you build a great network of like minded people to bounce ideas off of and share. You both grow professionally. Exactly what I do everyday. I try to learn as much as I can to help others.
The scam people will say they’re an expert in everything to get your money. Scam people willl be an expert on everything from A to Z (E-commerce, Site Analysis, SEO, Coaching, Affiliate Marketing, Social Networking, Direct Sales, Advertising, Shopping Carts, Virtual Assistants, etc)
Believe me when I say, being on online is so complicated and complex, you can’t be an expert in it all. The fact is the trends change and the what people are doing online is always changing. If someone is saying their an expert it all, STAY AWAY. Th fact is, most of the people who I know who work with online businesses specialize in a few areas of concentration. Having concentrated for years on the same thing and really building their knowledge base. Be it SEO, Affiliate Marketing, Virtual Assistant, Coaching, etc. To be truly great you need to really focus on a few topics, learn and watch constantly the changes which are happening.
You know the scam people want your money, just be smart.
I guess what I want to say is, be careful and educate yourself first. Use good online resources or go to the library or bookstore for a few hours and sit and read. Learn about certain topics. Start with the topics which you are in the most need of knowing about.
Money Saving Tip: Educate yourself first on topics and you can spot the scam people and have your questions ready to interview potential consultants!
If you want to learn about how to increase your SEO. Start first by try to build up your own SEO number yourself. Free ways exist to increase your SEO number. If you want to improve your SEO and what your are doing currently is not working, you have researched and try it all. Then find someone who is a SEO specialist.
I would talk to you local contacts first, ask them who they have used as a consultant. Ask about which books they have read on the topic. You may be able to do it yourself, if does take time. Blogging helps your numbers and there are SEO keywords. On topics to do with being online, there are “go to guys or girls”on it all. Your local contacts may know of someone in your area you can talk to or someone online they trust.
Be smart. Good luck. Please don’t get ripped off.
The large learning curve exists, but it can be overcome with baby steps and learning everyday.Invest the time, learn yourself and you’ll Thank me.
Hang in there and read, read, read.
Networking WAHM
