Affiliate Business Tips

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Presell like a pro

The most important thing you can do to increase your affiliate commissions is to presell properly.

Mike Talo Oil PaintingBefore we begin, we need to first define what preselling is. Preselling is both an art and a science.

The goal is to get your reader prepped to make a purchase. Then sending them to the product sales page to make the purchase. If you do it well, it's completely invisible.

The gist is that you give your reader some useful information. And give them a link to the product you're preselling.

In just a minute, I'll explain exactly how to presell. Before we get into that, you should understand what's in it for you. Here are a few benefits of preselling:

  • Preselling creates trust - And gaining the trust of your readers helps them want to click your links. And the more traffic you can send to the sale page, the more commissions you'll earn.
  • It disarms your reader - When you're not hyping or pitching a product, your reader lets their guard down. Unguarded reading means they're not filtering what you say. And your intention is conveyed more easily.
  • It puts them in a buying mood - Now they're open to hearing what you're telling them. So they become more receptive to other messages. Like the info on product sales page you've linked to. Sending them to the sales page in this state makes them more receptive to the actual pitch.
  • You make more money - You've prepped them and referred them in the right state of mind. With the guard down and trusting your recommendation. This dramatically boosts your sales rate!
  • Your customers are happier - People like to make their own buying decisions. Instead of being manipulated into buying. So they are happier with their purchase.
  • Your profits go up - Satisfied customers are less like to refund. And that translates to more commission staying in your affiliate business.

Obviously, it's important to presell. You increase your profits. Your customers are happier. Everybody wins!

Now, here's how preselling works:

OK, now you understand why it's so important. And hopefully you're convinced you need to start doing it. You're ready to learn how to do it properly. As I mentioned earlier, it's both an art and a science.

Mastering the art

First, you have to gain the trust of your reader, so they let their guard down. Honestly, the only way to do this is to provide real value in your content - your product.

Now, providing enough info to be useful, but still making them want more - that's the art of it.

That is, they have to be wanting more when you refer them to the product sales page for the product you’re trying to sell. And because you've gained trust, they’re more receptive to the sales message and more likely to buy.

Scientific preselling

There are also several key elements that need to be included.

The first is how you present the information. You have to have your end in mind. Your goal is to sell the product you're promoting. How can providing information accomplish this goal?

The first method is to provide enough info to get them started, but not enough to finish. The second way is to provide all the information and let your reader discover how hard it is to actually implement it. Either way, the product sales page solves the problem.

Next, you have to use "convert linking" methods. Instead, you use a direct link to the product website. This increases your clicks.

But how will you earn affiliate commissions if you don't use your affiliate link? There's a trick to make this work... You "pre-cookie" your reader before sending them to the sales page.

The next trick is to hyperlink specific words and phrases inside the content of the article you’re providing. Hyperlinked words are clicked more than anything else. And if the words you hyperlink relate, your reader will naturally click them for more information.

What you have now is a super powerful system for affiliate marketing success.

Unfortunately...

This process is not easy – at all! Let's look at the skills required to pull it off: Good content. First of all, you actually have to write great articles and give value to your readers. This means you have to be able to write well, and have enough knowledge to be useful, and be honest.  Take a look at how James Altucher writes.  He's completely open and honest.

Preselling skills. Yes, you must providing useful content. And you have to make the content accessible in order to provide value. And somehow also make them want to learn more. The other approach is to reveal a self-evident problem through the information.

Product selection. Next, you’ve got to pick the right product to presell. Even if you can pull off writing and great article. All your efforts are wasted if you send your reader to the wrong sales letter.

Technical skills. And finally, you need the technical know-how to embed your image tag and make sure you get credit for the sale. This is actually pretty simple – just embed a 1 pixel X 1 pixel image and set your affiliate link as the “source” of the image. (Just don't mess it up. Otherwise, you won't get credit for your sales.)

Summary:

Now you’re armed with the information needed to effectively presell. Preselling properly will boost your affiliate profits.  It’s absolutely critical to do this every time – and to do it correctly. Please don’t be lazy. Make the extra effort required to propel your affiliate business to the next level.

All the best,

Jack Folsgood

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Is There An (Easier) Way To Make Affiliate Commissions Online?

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So Much To Do - So Little Time

Whether you are brand new to trying to make affiliate commissions online or an experienced full time internet marketer it is at times very difficult to get past all of the "noise".

Most of us are signed up to many different "lists" and our email inboxes are inundated on a daily basis with all of the latest and greatest things that we "Absolutely Must Have" to make money online.

Where To Start - What To Do?

Those of us who have been lucky enough to have found a way to make consistent full time money online do not give our secrets up easily.

What I have found it comes down to is finding something that works and doing it over and over again.  What's the cliche'?  Oh yeah... Wash - Rinse - Repeat.

There Are Lots Of Ways

Many of the e-books and online making money courses do in fact work - to a certain extent.

I think the reason that those who buy these courses fail to make any money with these techniques- myself included at times - is that we fail to stick with the basics.

Many times there is just so much information in the course - see my Easy FB Commissions Review for an example - that it's just too much to digest and actually put into practice even if it does work.

Is There An Easy Way?

Often you'll hear an expert tell you that you need to treat your online business like a business - because that is what it is.  The problem is that most people have no idea what it takes to run a business - and even fewer have any clue on how to actually turn a profit with it.

Most people are used to having a job.  In many ways it is far easier.  In most cases all you have to do is show up on time - do what you are told to do - and you will be successful at it.  The problem for many is that there is a limit to the amount of success you can have at a job, both financially as well as personally.

Are You Trapped?

I know that in the past when I had a "real job" I often felt trapped, but there was no easy way out, save for moving on to another job where the "grass was greener".  Being in Sales this was easy for me, but for those who specialize in a certain industry it isn't always so easy to jump the fence and move on.

The Appeal Of An Online Business

There are so many people telling you that it is easy to make money online.

The truth is, as you probably already know... it's not that easy.

You may be one of the few that actually put into practice a certain technique that you learned after reading a good e-book and actually sold something.  It felt good to make some money didn't it?

But how easy was it to keep making a consistent income?  Not so easy I bet.  And even if you figured out what it was that you did that actually caused that to happen were you able to turn a profit?  Consistently?  Not likely.

It Takes Time

Sure, there are a fortunate few in every industry that have the good fortune/karma to hit it big on the first try and the success just keeps on coming.  Good for them.

For the rest of us it may seem like we are doomed to failure and forever will be stuck in our dead end job - if we are lucky enough to have a job that pays enough to pay the bills.

How I Hit It Big

It took me 9 months of near daily consistent effort - four hours or more, every day - of building websites, keyword research, practicing good SEO (search engine optimization) and much of the other stuff you have heard about and maybe even tried to apply in your own money making efforts.

Consistency Is Key

I was 6 months into it when I made my first individual sales commission of over $100.00.  Previous to that I was making a mere $100 - 200 a month from Adsense ads and a Clickbank product here and there.  Just enough to keep me optimistic - but truthfully I was really starting to wonder if I would ever break through.

My Breakthrough

Guess what I sold?  A certain kind of Health Product.  I had written an article  about the benefits of a certain kind of supplement for men.  Actually it was an article that I had written and posted on the US FREE ADS website (not one of my own sites) that detailed my thoughts on the scam type marketing tactics of a product I had heard about after getting some unsolicited mail in my regular mailbox.

In My Own Words

In my own words I had written an article that pointed out the obvious problems of this certain product that I was being solicited to buy - and then suggested to those reading that if they were looking for something reliable to help them with their problem "maybe they should check out a more reliable and proven brand name product".  (one that I of course had an affiliate relationship with - and had tried myself)

I didn't at that point have the marketing skills to do anything more than that.  I just trusted the actual product seller (of whom I was an affiliate) to do the actual selling for me.  AND IT WORKED!  I knew I was on to something.

Product Name Hi-Jacking

I have since learned that the technique I used is known in the online marketing world as "Product Name Hi-Jacking".

Now, there are different ways to go about performing this technique.  Some simple and some not so simple. All of them legal (at least the ones I use).

Easier Affiliate Commissions

I wrote a short (11 page) e-book that you can get for free by filling out the form as detailed on THIS PAGE that details my simple procedure.  I also provide some other stuff that you can use in your online marketing efforts.

Good Luck Out There,

Jack

 

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Multiply Your Profits with Joint Ventures

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Beyond Selling Your Own Product

Marketing your own product is a great way to generate an online income. When you combine a good overall marketing and promotion plan with a nice product, sales will inevitably follow. If you find a sweet spot in the market, your product can become relatively successful.

However, you won't really make the big money if you're out there alone. The most successful internet marketers realize that it's easier to achieve success if you're traveling with joint venture partners. It's easier to post huge profits when you're working with others.

How many more sales could you make if you had a team of big-time marketers aggressively promoting your product? How big could the numbers get if you had top marketers backing your product just as diligently as they would their own? Now, think about the impact having several top marketers as partners could mean to you!

The Power of JVs

You must have an affiliate program if you have your own product. When other people are pushing your product, the sales figures naturally inflate. The standard-issue affiliate program won't do the trick, however. You want to do more than attract a few other marketers to your cause. You want major players to line up with you to transform your product into a best-seller.

That's why building joint ventures should be a top priority. There's no better way to post sales than by creating JVs with top marketers. That's why forging successful joint ventures is the most important step anyone with an interest in moving up into the ranks of the top marketers can take.

Unfortunately, it isn't always easy to create those JV partnerships. Unfortunately, it can be tough to reach out and build solid JV relationships. It can be hard to build top-notch JVs if you and your product aren't already well-known. Top marketers are constantly receiving requests for JVs. You need to have an interesting, attention-grabbing, smart JV offer to make something happen.

Many marketers make the mistake of approaching joint venture partners as if advertising their existing affiliate program is enough. That's a doomed strategy. You'll never put a great joint venture together unless you work harder. You need to approach the process the right way.

What You Need for JV Success

Building joint ventures the smart way requires a few things. First, you should have a strong understanding of the different ways to structure a joint venture. Second, you need to understand how to put together a plan that will be truly beneficial for you and for your JV partners. Third, you need to know how to get your foot in the door and to make the connections necessary to tap the power of joint ventures. Fourth, you need to know the fine details of building a JV proposal that will really take off. Fifth, you must have an iron grip on the details of JV organization and implementation.

If you fall short on any front, you're unlikely to experience optimal JV success.

Put simply, you need a formal education in the world of joint ventures.

You could try to figure out all of the details on your own. Be prepared to experience at least a few failures before things get moving if you take that route. You can ruin an otherwise great JV plan with a single misstep.

That's why those who understand strength in numbers will want to learn from someone who knows the world of joint ventures inside and out. If there's one part of internet marketing that screams for a quality, paid education, this is it. You should make a point of finding proven JV recommendations and information. Once you've learned the ropes and have a good blueprint in your hands, you can use internet marketing joint ventures to transform your product into the next Big Thing!

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Why Back Links To Your Site Are Important

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I want to take a few minutes today and explain a few things about the importance of back links to your website.  Some people just call them "links".  Either way they are the same thing and all that they are is a link to your site from another site.

If you are not yet sure on the best way to go about getting links to your site then I highly recommend that you check out The Keyword Academy. They have an absolute compendium of free information that you can research and get a good general knowledge on how to go about doing that.

One thing I have to tell you is that I was pretty much lost on the proper way to promote the sites that I was building and get them ranked in the Search Engines until I came across these guys.  They also have a monthly subscription to all of their services and it starts with a $1 (30) day trial.  After that you have a couple of options, but the maximum subscription price for everything they offer is currently $33.00/month and it is so worth it that I can honestly say that I wouldn't still be in the business if it wasn't for them.

Okay.  Once you understand the importance of "back links" or "links back to your site" the next questions a lot of aspiring internet marketers have is:  "Are all links back to my site equal in importance?" or put another way "do the search engines see all links that point to a site the same?".  The answer is NO.  The search engines or SERPS do not see all links in the same light.  They pay a lot more attention to links that point to your site if they are coming from .edu and .gov sites of course as they see those links as being a lot more authoritive.

But no need to worry about trying to get those kind of links at all right now.  I have many sites (and more particularly "pages" within those sites) on the first page of Google that don't have any of those kind of links.  They are not all that important especially if you are doing your "keyword research" properly.  Once again I'll point you to the Keyword Academy to learn more about the importance of that, and especially the best way to go about it.

Why Back Links To Your Site Are Important:

The bottom line about back links is that getting ranked on the first page of any search engine comes down to the fact that The Internet is a Popularity Contest. That is the best way I can describe it. If you have more links pointing your site about any given subject (or keyword) than anyone else promoting the same or similar content then you will rank better than them in the SERPS 99% of the time.

Now that statement sometimes scares a lot of aspiring "I want to make money on the internet" personalities.  And it should.  It is the one reason that 98% plus of those trying to make money on the world wide web never make enough money to keep going.  They don't know how to get good quality links to their sites and even if they do they don't know how to get the kinds of links that not only hold up over time, but also give their sites a lot more authority in the eyes of the search engines.   That's why having a resource like the Keyword Academy is so important.  Not only do they teach you how to get the right kind of links, they also have the tools to help you do it as well as a community of people who will help you along the way.

A final note... Don't fall for all of the "Make $10,000 in 30 days" type promotions that are out there.  (you might even find links to some of them on this site)  While most every one of those e-books has quality information that you can use don't get yourself in the mindset that you are going to make that kind of money that quickly.  It takes time.  If you get to work following the principles taught at the Keyword Academy you can (and will) develop the ability to make that kind of money, but you have to be willing to put in the work and be patient along the way.

Return to the Home Page of JackFolsgood.com for more internet marketing articles.

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How and why to build an email list

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You've probably heard this common Internet marketing mantra a million times. The money is in the list. List marketing is probably the most powerful way to create a profitable home based business. You can't afford to ignore this powerful approach.

Why it works

In most cases, people need to see a marketing message more than once before they're persuaded to make a purchase. Repeated exposure is usually necessary to inspire action. You can create opportunities for multiple exposure by adding an individual to your list.

People are also more likely to buy from those with whom the feel a trusting connection. List marketing gives you a chance to develop a relationship with the people on your list. That increases your credibility, producing more sales.

How to do it

Internet marketing is a proven winning home based business for women or men when you implement a simple squeeze page. A squeeze pages has only one purpose. It should persuade the reader to become part of your list. Anything else is completely extraneous.

The use of a free gift is an effective way to persuade visitors to join your list. This time-tested strategy can substantially boost your bottom line.

Having a quality inducement won't automatically make your squeeze page a success, though. Building a squeeze page the right way is just as important. We know that specific squeeze page techniques generate optimal results. You should emulate those proven techniques. That means you'll want to follow these three guidelines.

Squeeze page basics

Initially, there should be no outgoing links on your squeeze page. You want people to sign up for your list, not to have them click away to something else.

Second, you'll need to write a short, powerful message. You want people to take advantage of your inducement and to become a subscriber, not to complicate the situation. Don't forget that your squeeze page only has one purpose - to build a list. You should choose every word with that goal in mind.

Third, you will want to approach the sign up process as if it were as important as a big sale - close that deal! Thus, your squeeze page's sign up form needs to include an extremely strong call to action. Clearly communicate the value of subscribing to those reading the page.

Summary

A good inducement and a squeeze page built with these three recommendations will get the job done. That will give you the opportunity to develop an effective relationship with prospects. You'll also have the chance to expose your subscribers to key marketing messages more than once.

You will take your Internet marketing efforts to the next level if you learn how to build an email list. It's not a coincidence that top marketers all rely on their lists. It's true - the money is in the list!

Return to the Home Page of JackFolsgood.com for more Internet Marketing Ideas and Information.

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7 reasons why you MUST have your own info product

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Think about this: What's the most common reason people get online each and every day? Simple. To get information. This is so ubiquitous a quest that Google handles 400 million queries a day! So what does this mean to you? Well, this is an opportunity for your to provide what people want - information. And when done correctly, you can get paid for it, too!

What is info marketing?

First, understand that this is the simplest kind of business there is. You create a product that provides information. And other people buy this product to get the info. Sounds simple enough, right?

How does it work?

OK, the concept is simple. But to make it a successful business there has to be value in the info you're selling. So step one is to discover what kind of info people want. How do you do that?

One very simple method is to do a little research. Visit answers.yahoo.com or similar sites and see what kinds of questions people are asking. You want to find something a lot of people are asking about. That people are having trouble solving. Then just give them the answer in your ebook.

Think about this:

If you're worried about how to write an ebook. Put it this way: An info product is just a bunch of articles strung together. So instead of sitting down to write the whole thing. Just write some articles for your blog. And when you've got a few finished, expand and embellish them and combine them into a single ebook.

So, what's so great about ebooks? Interestingly enough, we're back to the name of this article Here are 7 reasons for you:

1. Simplicity and ease

Once it's built it runs pretty much on it's own. Custom support is all but non-existent. So it's nearly a 100% hands-free business. It really is like and automatic money machine.

You have no physical inventory. You never have to deal with shipping. It's digital.

2. Product combos

When you have a created a few information products. You can put together bigger more expensive information products. It's very easy to package multiple ebooks together as one new one. And you'll be able to charge much more for this "new" product. People will be willing to pay a lot more for one big ebook. Instead of several small ebooks.

3. Resale rights

Since it's your product, you can offer other people the resale rights. Resell rights are very hot right now, because people just don't want to invest the time and money into making their own. And what's more you're selling the same product . . . but for 3 times the price for the rights!

4. Leverage

Leverage means doing something once and reaping multiple rewards. Break it apart and create a multi-part email series with it. You can use this to build a list that you can marketing to again and again.

5. More leverage

Utilize your content in as many ways as you can - like creating a few reports from parts of the ebook. These reports can then become lead generators for your ebook. You can give them away or even charge a small amount for them. And you're creating targeted leads for your main product all along. And if you're really clever, you'll let your affiliate use these reports as marketing tools. Which brings us to...

6. Affiliates

This one is huge. When you own your own products. You can get other people to promote it for you. Imagine having 100's or 1000's of other people promoting your products. You've got to have your own products to have affiliates.

7. JVs

OK, this is by far the biggest reason why. Setting up joint ventures is the fastest way to gain success. Period. So, I'd say this is the most important reason to have you own products. Without your own products, you can't do JVs.

Summing it up

If you're not convinced to start selling information products, then you haven't been paying attention. You'll become the ruler of your own fate. Because you're the boss! So just get started:

  • Go to answers.yahoo.com
  • Find out what people need to know
  • Write about the answers

Information product development really is that simple. And in no time you'll have an info product ready to go.

Return to the home page of JackFolsgood.com

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Using Web Audio for Success

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It would be hard to argue against the fact that adding audio to a website increases your overall results. If you don't have audio in your arsenal, you're missing out. Audio increases opt-ins. And your sales.

Why does it work?

There's no real mystery. The web is mostly silent. It makes your site more "human". And makes people feel they're dealing with a real person. Audio literally breathes life into your website. And people like to interact with things that are alive!

The benefits of audio

You'll receive two immediate benefits to your bottom line when you employ the use of audio. First, you'll make more sales. And you'll spend less getting those customers. You won't have to hire someone to write your sales letter. Just record some audio and add it to your site. An authentic message from you will do more than the best ad copy.

And you will increase your subscriber opt-in rate. The reason this works so well is because people need to be told what to do. So you just add a simple audio that says: Put your email and name into the form and submit. That alone can increase opt-in rates up to 310%!

Some ways to use audio

Put a welcome message that plays automatically on your site, Most people abandon a website within just a few seconds. Your welcome message could make them stay when they would normally leave.

Lead them by the had. Just like in the opt-in example. You can use audio to tell your visitors exactly what to do. That includes filling in your order form!

Get testimonials for your services and products. It's good to get written testimonials. But an audio testimonial is better. It's pretty easy to fake a written testimonial. Using audio makes it much more believable. And will definitely increase your results.

Sneaky tick

Something you may not have thought of is using audio for the product itself. Audio is faster to produce than anything else. And it still has a high perceived value. Podcasts are still popular, so this is a great format. Plus you can get them transcribed cheap. Then you've got an eBook, too - but it was easy to create!

How hard is adding audio?

It's actually really easy. There's software that will show you how to add audio to a website. The software does all the work. The program records and then converts the recording and generates an audio button. You just copy and paste into your website. There's nothing to worry about.

Summing it up

Just a reminder of why you want to start using audio. Setting up some web audio will do wonders for all your results. You'll enjoy more customer sales. And your opt-in rate will increase. And you can quickly produce products and website sales copy. It's a less often used medium. But audio is a really big time and money saver. Get started right now and realize instant results.

Return to the home page of JackFolsgood.com

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