Are You Making These Mistakes With Your Affiliate Program?

By Author: Jeff Smith
Total Articles: 13
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You spend a few weeks putting together, or finding your
product - now you can sit back while your own ARMY of
eager sales people drive sales and fill your bank account.

Sound about right?

It can happen to you.

You really can develop an online business where the vast
majority of your sales come from others who are eager to
share your product with their customers and subscribers.

Unfortunately 95% of the affiliate programs out there don't
follow the success patterns and they pay the price -- no
sales, inactive affiliates, lots of administration.

Here's the truth about average affiliate programs...

1. On average, 5% of your affiliates will be active --
which means 95% will NEVER generate ANY traffic or sales.
2. Less than 2% will be SUPER affiliates which will drive
BIG sales
3. For most affiliate programs - less than 1% will stay
with you over 6-months

But wait...

There are some set principles you can follow to make your
affiliate program a massive success -- and when you do -- ...
...
you really can sit back and enjoy the incredible results.

Try these now.

Success Tip 1. Arm Yourself With Affiliate Tracking
Software

There are quite a few options out there.

What you need is a system that allows affiliates to sign up,
see their statistics (hits, repeat hits, returns, sales,
commissions, payment status, etc...)

You want a system where all of this is automated, that you
can use to offer multiple products, that you can customize
commissions (for special joint venture endorsements) and
that you can track commissions to be paid and those that
have been paid.

Based on personal experience, my preferences are either...

Ultimate Affiliate Software - $200
http://www.infoproductcreator.com/part/groundbreak

OR...

AssocTrac - $677
http://www.infoproductcreator.com/part/assoctrac/

There are also programs where you pay a monthly fee, but
generally these require you to pay out over 15% of each
sale -- OK if you only make a few sales each month, but if
you bank on being successful, you'll want your own software.

Success Tip 2: Actively Pursue Super Affiliates

Massive success with affiliate programs depends on you
seeking out "super affiliates"

You have something great to offer webmasters, business
owners, ezine publishers -- they just don't know it yet.

Approach them with partnership in mind - open the door
by complimenting their business, send an offer they
can't refuse and follow up to maintain the relationship.

Use tools like the toolbar from http://www.alexa.com to
help find sites that have a good supply of traffic.

Every market has a buying cycle.

Determine where your product fits in the buying cycle,
and approach related websites, ezine publishers.

For example, you have a book on computer security.
Who might you target?

Sites that deal with computer software, PC support,
PC utilities, computer games, DSL (which creates
a more vulnerable "always on" connection to your PC)

Success Tip 3: Make Sure Your Product Has A PSP!

What's your Powerful Selling Proposition?

If you had to write one sentence describing the
ultimate benefit of your product - what would it be?

For example...For the security book -- "This Secure
Your PC Book will making Bulletproofind Your PC as
simple as Turning It on!"

If you don't have a PSP - you better get one RIGHT
NOW!!

The Ultimate Information Entrepreneur's Success Package
can help you create or fine-tune your products to
attract massive demand...

http://www.infoproudctcreator.com

Not only does the fate of your affiliate program depend
on this - so does your entire online marketing success.

Success Tip 4: Your Affiliates Are People To

It's to easy to sign up hundreds, even thousands of
affiliates and look at them as numbers or JUST names.

Make your affiliate program stand out by contacting
your affiliates - personally, either via personal email,
telephone, or regular newsletter.

Help them be more successful with their affiliate
marketing.

Yanik Silver has written the book on nurturing his
affiliates -- his main success for...

http://www.infoproductcreator.com/part/y33days.html
http://www.infoproductcreator.com/part/ycopy.html

Another master of affiliate follow up is Marlon Sanders
of...

http://www.infoproductcreator.com/part/pushbutton/

Success Tip 5: Continue To Improve Your Business

To keep your most successful affiliates, you'll want
to keep providing new products for them to earn
money with.

They can only market a single product to their lists
so often -- if you have more products coming through
your pipeline, you'll find those affiliates will stay
with you and work with you to a greater extent.

In addition - plan your price points and margins for
your products with affiliate marketing in mind.

Can you turn your $27 eBook into a $67 course?

How about a $197 multimedia course?

Many super affiliates will not even LOOK at a product
unless it sells for at least $50 and they get 45%+
of that product.

This does depend on the market, but the principle holds
true -- higher payouts will motivate super affiliates
to be more active, longer.

Don't underestimate the power of affiliate programs.

Joint ventures and affiliate programs go hand-in-hand.

These two ADVANCED marketing techniques can easily mean
the difference between struggling online to making a
very good living online.

Now you know how!


About the Author Here's the #1 Mistake That DOOMS 95% of Infoproducts...
And How To AVOID It! Get Jeff Smith's blockbuster Ultimate
Information Entrepreneur's Success Package and find out
how You Can Develop Your Own High Impact Infoproducts
In Days. Click here: http://www.infoproductcreator.com