Buying The Cow: The Pros and Cons of Paid Affiliate Sign-ups

Buying The Cow: The Pros and Cons of Paid Affiliate Sign-ups
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

"If you can get the milk for free, why buy the cow?" This rather crass question became popular in the late 1970's, when many couples chose to live together without the benefit of marriage. Similarly, today's affiliate marketers tend to favor programs that offer no sign-up fee, especially when so many include support, personalized websites, back-office marketing, etc.

And, too, there are programs that offer nothing more than an ID link and a few banner ads on a login page. In fact, seemingly sophisticated marketers are often offended by a program that requires an up-front investment. And for good reason: the marketer is already investing time, effort and their own marketing system (i.e., money) to promote a given program-- an additional investment seems as if the company is taking advantage of them.

And some do. But not all of them.

In fact, online companies that offer affiliate programs can be divided into roughly three different categories: Those that offer free sign up; those that offer a free sign-up but require some kind of back-end fee; and those that require an up-front investment from their affiliates, as well as a back-end fee. The reasoning behind each strategy varies from program to program and should be considered along with the qualities of each. But, in general terms, these are the basic strategies behind them:

FREE SIGN-UP PROGRAMS
This kind of arrangement is usually offered by those companies that offer little, if any, hands-on support for their affiliates. They supply the link and a login-secure page on their site with several advertising tools, possibly with an automatic payment system, such as through ClickBank or Storm Pay.

These companies are generally small -- possibly only one or two people -- and are hoping to capitalize on the affiliate marketing system with little or no effort on their part. Generally, too, they offer only one product or promotion. For the marketer, unless volume sales are huge, they can expect to make only a few dollars from these types of programs. But, if all they have to do is put an affiliate link on their website to generate sales, this is sufficient for the marketer. Also, a very small percentage of companies in this category offer an MLM system.

PRO: These type of programs are a quick and easy way to cash in on a new product or trend, provided one learns of it early.

CON: Once the market is saturated, sales reduce to the point where even the small space the link takes up on their webpage becomes a loss. Also, unless the company is sound -- as well as responsive to its affiliates -- there is always a chance it could fold up and disappear before the marketer ever sees any actual cash for his or her sales.

FREE SIGN UP WITH BACK END PAYMENT PROGRAM
This is the most common type of arrangement and the companies that employ this seem to be trying to utilize the "best of both worlds" approach. Either the company will offer initial sign-up for free with incentives to upgrade, or they will charge for "extras" in lieu of sales or a downline (in the case of MLMs). Essentially, these companies are "straddling the fence", that is, trying to find a way for the affiliates to cover their own expenses without making an "up-front" investment.

PRO: Programs like this often forego charges once a marketer creates a certain amount of sales or take the charge out of commissions, both of which give the marketer an incentive to make a minimum amount of sales. The companies that use this type of program usually offer adequate back-office support such as a support staff to answer questions, payment schedules that are adaptable to each marketer and regularly updated promotional materials. They also tend to be better established than the completely-free-program companies and often have a physical contact address and telephone number for questions or problems.

CON: Without sales or a downline, marketers are often paying much more in the long run than many up-front investment programs charge. Also, in the case of companies that ARE well-established, a new marketer may be unknowingly entering a field that is fully saturated with other, well-established and more experienced marketers. This makes obtaining the sales they need especially challenging, particularly for the newer marketer. Getting their foot in the door becomes a challenge of its own.

THE UP-FRONT INVESTMENT PROGRAM
These are less common than in the past but still exist -- and, in fact, are still being created -- under certain, specific circumstances. The company that opts for this arrangement may use up-front investment as a way to "pre-qualify" its marketers, hoping to capture only the most professional and serious-minded marketers. They usually offer higher than average incentives and may also have a high-demand product in which the company has already invested heavily themselves. And, too, they may be budgeting for future advancements and product placements, as well as creating support teams specifically designed to help the marketing staff alone. These companies will often include -- to help off-set the investment -- many back-office features not usually offered to marketers in other programs. And, without exception, these companies offer higher-than-average commissions.

PRO: Programs such as this offer more promise to actually obtain the kind of income that has become infamous (not to mention synonymous) with internet marketing. Also, bonuses or other payment arrangements that allow the marketer to make higher than average commissions. Back-end support is usually top-notch including, in some circumstance, the marketer is treated as an actual employee. Some even include benefit packages and other employee-like perks. The product or product line is something in high-demand and/or has a high rate of sales.

CON: The up-front investment obviously causes start-up marketers to turn away. Also, competition from serious marketers who have well-established sites makes succeeding in this field challenging. Further requirements after joining the program that may increase the challenge of succeeding. Due to their inherent popularity, a short time-frame in which joining this type of program is viable in terms of ROI.

In choosing individual programs, a marketer must decide which type is best for them, regarding their resources, their own marketing strategy, the overall ROI (return on Investment), and based on their advertising campaign/budget. Many marketers choose a mixture of these programs in order to minimize their investment while maximizing their return.

Oh and, by the way? In case you're wondering, many of those couples in the 1970's that started out living together, ended up getting married after all. So, what does that say about getting the milk for free?

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------
Author Dan Hartshorn is the owner and operator of AZProfit.com,
a web site bringing together all the hottest affiliate
marketing programs on the internet today. Start your
affiliate adventure today at http://www.AZProfit.com
------------------------------------------------------------

Affiliate Marketing: Get In the Loop of Internet Home Business

Affiliate Marketing: Get In the Loop of Internet Home Business
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

Have you ever dreamed of putting your destiny into your own hands? Or have you imagined that you could earn commission on a brand-name or niche product just by placing a link on your website or in your email? If you have, you may want to try affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is essentially a website network. It is a modern variation of the practice of paying finders' fees for introducing new clients to a business. Nowadays, affiliate marketing is primarily conducted online as the number of people surfing the Internet for what they want is growing exponentially. It is a popular method of promoting web business in which an affiliate is rewarded for driving traffic (visitor, subscriber or customer) to merchants' websites through his efforts. Commission may be made depending on a certain value of registrant (pay per lead), sale (pay per sale), or any combination. Simply put, it's about paying people money for helping merchants sell products.

Let's say you created a website dedicated to promoting computer repair services/consultations and reaching out to potential customers. While your service is basically fixing PC problems, you notice that your clients also need registry cleaner utilities for the maintenance of their computers. In this case, affiliate marketing could involve contacting software developers selling registry fix or repair products, posting links to their sites on your website, and collecting a percentage of profit for each purchase those companies receive. In the long run, you can exchange links or sign contracts with the companies you are affiliated with. When someone browsing for computer maintenance or repair service on their websites clicks the link to your website and then decides to contact you for a consultation, the website that sends business your way will then receive commission.

In fact, you are not required to have your own business as far as affiliate marketing is concerned. You can make a living selling any products without having to take orders or maintain your inventory.

How is this done? Build up a website to promote the products you are interested in. Make sure to include appealing articles about the products. After your website is established, contact online companies selling similar products and set up affiliate agreements. Those who hit your site and become regular visitors will inevitably be interested in ordering the products advertised on your site. Once an advertisement link is clicked by your site visitor and a purchase is made, you will receive commission.

If you don't have a website, you can still earn money through affiliate marketing by generating targeted traffic to the websites you're affiliated with. Google Adwords is the most important PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising system on the Internet. It allows you to directly advertise your affiliate links in the Google search engine results and on their partner networks.

The key to being successful in affiliate marketing is simply driving traffic to your site consistently. The more hits on your website, the more chances you have of gaining profit from purchases made through your links. Promoting your website through eZine and Banner advertising and providing free newsletters for subscribers would be promising ways to generate traffic to your website. Once your site consistently achieves a lower ranking in Alexa toolbar (which means your website is popular), other website owners or companies will be more likely to join forces with you in affiliate agreements.

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------
Author Dan Hartshorn is the owner and operator of AZProfit.com,
a web site bringing together all the hottest affiliate
marketing programs on the internet today. Start your
affiliate adventure today at http://www.AZProfit.com
------------------------------------------------------------

Affiliate Marketing - Make your Living Online

Affiliate Marketing - Make your Living Online
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

Affiliate marketing's been a staple of the internet marketing scene for many years now. It's highly touted as a money maker for newbies and experienced marketers alike. But does it really pay to be an affiliate marketer? Let's take a look to learn more...

Basically affiliate marketing's an agreement between a web site owner and a merchant. The web site owner's actually an advertiser for the merchant or product creator. The agreement is a contract between the two parties that stipulates that the site owner can use various methods including the space on his site to promote the merchants goods. The merchant meanwhile agrees to pay a percentage of each sale generated through the affiliates personalized link.

This benefits both sides because the product creator spends nothing to advertise their goods and the affiliate pays nothing to research and develop new products.

This creates a win-win situation.

The product creator wins by saving money on advertising, which is one of the most costly aspects of doing business, by passing this cost on to affiliates. Basically it's a pay-per-performance deal because the merchant doesn't accrue any costs until the sale's made and the merchant pays the specified commission.

The affiliate marketer wins by being able to sell an already developed product, thus saving the time and money on the front end by not having to deal with R&D and product creation. The product is already developed and proven by the merchant, and all you have to do as an affiliate is find as many prospects as you can that will bring in the profit for both the merchant and yourself.

Another benefit to the affiliate is that most programs are free to join and have pre-made sales material so your marketing experience doesn't have to be that of an expert.

Probably the biggest benefit to being an affiliate marketer on the internet's the internet itself.

Because of the global reach of the internet it's very easy to reach tens of thousands of prospects for almost any type of product line. It's also very easy to intensify your efforts as an affiliate marketer to exploit new and productive strategies such as viral marketing, ebooks, special reports and autoresponders.

Lastly, as an affiliate marketer you get to pick and choose between many different products to promote. You're not married to a specific product or even a specific product type. Your risks are minimal because there are no long term binding contracts so if one product doesn't bring in a profit you can quickly and easily replace it with another.

All in all affiliate marketing's still an excellent way to earn income from the internet. Perform your due diligence, find a hungry market, find a good product and go for it!

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------
Author Dan Hartshorn is the owner and operator of AZProfit.com,
a web site bringing together all the hottest affiliate
marketing programs on the internet today. Start your
affiliate adventure today at http://www.AZProfit.com
------------------------------------------------------------

5 Things You Must Have to Succeed in Affiliate Marketing

5 Things You Must Have to Succeed in Affiliate Marketing
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

Perhaps this is the reason why more and more people are succumbing to one of the most popular businesses around - affiliate marketing. It is because in this business, there are no bosses to order the employees around. There are no deadlines to meet and no clutter of work do to. One only needs to be equipped with the tools needed to succeed in a business such as this, and he is bound to get what his heart ultimately desires.

Just what are the things needed to be able to succeed in affiliate marketing? What must one have within himself to be able to do well in this industry? There is a lot of competition involved in affiliate marketing, and to be able to rise above the norm, one must be equipped with just the right stuff necessary to propel him forward.

There are five things one must ultimately possess if he wants to achieve the glory he is yearning for in this business, and these five things are a must for him to possess to be able to stand out among the rest. The best affiliate marketing has got to be with clickbank, Clickbank offer products from thousands of sellers from every industry and all have brilliant returns on advertising their products. But if you are not a member, then it is still possible to find your own affilliates, it just takes a bit longer.

The very first quality one must possess if he wants to try his hand in affiliate marketing is the willingness to learn and be trained. Treading through unfamiliar territory is scary stuff if one is not properly equipped, and he might get lost amidst a jungle of the unknown. Learning the tricks of the trade is also an important aspect of the game, and one's willingness to know it all will give him far better advantages in the business than he could ever imagine.

The second quality one must possess is the willingness to invest time and effort even if direct results do not seem at all apparent. Although several months may pass without good news, it is important for one who has his foot in the industry to hold on and wait. It is this quality which would save him from giving up after investing a lot of himself in the business.

The third quality one must possess is self-determination. If one wants to conquer the affiliate marketing world, he must have the ability to push himself ahead. Never having to say die is a quality each and every affiliate marketer should possess, and the ability to motivate oneself into scaling greater heights is an ability which would actually take an affiliate marketer there.

The fourth quality one must possess is discipline. If one knows how to teach himself to work everyday with all the energy he can muster, then he is close to achieving what he has set his heart to having in the first place.

The fifth and last quality one must possess is optimism. Negative attitudes and hearsays should not discourage an affiliate marketer from pursuing what he has to in order to make life better for himself and for everyone concerned. Neither should anyone influence his attitude toward the business, because once in it, it is a must for him to be the captain of his ship and the master of his soul.

The ingredients to success in a business such as affiliate marketing are diverse and manifold, but the most important thing one needs to be able to make it big lies in himself alone. It is he who has the capacity to do everything to be able to realize his prospects, and the desire which fuels his heart in doing so is the gasoline which should keep the engine going.

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------
Author Dan Hartshorn is the owner and operator of AZProfit.com,
a web site bringing together all the hottest affiliate
marketing programs on the internet today. Start your
affiliate adventure today at http://www.AZProfit.com
------------------------------------------------------------

What Is Tagging And How It Can Help Your Online Business?

What Is Tagging And How It Can Help Your Online Business?
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

Articles took the internet marketing world by storm in 2004. Blogging and pinging were hot marketing strategies for 2005. Videos set the online business world ablaze in 2006. Now, the question that many NETrepreneurs ask is this: what's the next big thing that will hit the internet marketing world by promising to be highly efficient and wondrously profitable?

The answer?

It's called tagging, and though you may not be familiar with it right now, you will be able to master the same by the end of this article.

What Is Tagging?

Tagging is a new way of categorizing certain topics of your blogs. Now, categorizing blog entries is nothing new. Whether you have been using Blogger's services or Word Press, you should be very familiar with how categorizing works. If your entry has something to do with search engine optimization strategies, for example, chances are, you'd place it under the category of SEO. If your entry has something to do with email marketing techniques, you'd place the same under the category of Email Marketing.

The titles of these categories are very important for tagging.

This is because these titles serve as your tags.

Okay, but why is tagging so important for Internet marketing?

Tagging is an innovative way of categorizing information in the World Wide Web, a fact which we have established earlier. But tagging has a distinct advantage over other categorizing methods currently available.

Users are in control over the proper categories of the information they will share.

Users are no longer dependent on search engines to do the categorizing for them. Now, with tagging, they can simply allocate certain content under certain categories and the tagging system will take care of the rest.

The foremost tagging service available for people on the internet is technorati.com. It is a widely popular website that attracts millions of visitors everyday. It's not really different from the pinging systems that have grown in popularity over a tear ago. The system employed by technorati.com involves the following:

- Users can categorize their latest blog entries according to tags.
- Each category will display the newest entry on top.
- The hottest tags will be displayed on the homepage, available for everyone to see.

Immediately, the businessman in you will see the many benefits you can derive from Technorati's tagging system.

1. You can use it as a market research tool. Simply study the hottest tags, which should correspond to the hottest topics on the internet today. With millions of visitors, such hot tags hold a lot of weight, and whatever you can gain from the same will more or less be determinative.

2. You can use tagging as a new model of pinging, albeit better. Do you have a blog? Categorize each new entry and classify them according to the hottest tags of the moment. You'd be able to expose your URL to a very wide audience.

3. Update your blog regularly, and tag every new entry. You'll almost, always be on top of the category appropriate for the tag. This is a great way to ensure fresh visitors every time you post something new.

Tagging Is The Next Big Thing

Already, tags are being implemented in other popular websites like MySpace and YouTube. It's the wave of the future, a category management system that any online businessman can sure exploit to drive monumental traffic for his of her website.

Tagging is one of the novel methods included in what many veteran internet marketers have labeled as "new age marketing." It's something that the present generation of internet users have come to accept as a standard, and to win their attention, we have to play their game.

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------
Author Dan Hartshorn is the owner and operator of AZProfit.com,
a web site bringing together all the hottest affiliate
marketing programs on the internet today. Start your
affiliate adventure today at http://www.AZProfit.com
------------------------------------------------------------

How You Can Become a Super Affiliate

How You Can Become a Super Affiliate
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

The humdrum existence of going to the office day after day doing the usual 9-5 shift is a trying task for those who have lived all their lives doing so. This is why the convenience of doing work at home under amazingly flexible working hours is a dazzling prospect to them. Doing work at home that is as fulfilling as having a career working for a computer on the 19th floor of a skyscraper is already a possibility in these modern times. This is because the jungle-like network that is the internet has given birth to a business that has given some people practically new lives doing nothing but so.

This particular business allows people to work at home under flexible working hours. There is no boss to scream around putting pressure on everyone about the deadline at hand. There is no clutter of messy paperwork that needs to be completed the soonest possible time. Conveniences such as these are experienced by those who are into affiliate marketing, the newest way to earn money without having to go through all sorts of routine found in regular employment.

Those who have been in the business long enough can attest to the fact that it is a lucrative business indeed, one that can actually give people things that they could not possibly possess or experience under ordinary circumstances.

The business called affiliate marketing involves an affiliate's promotion of a merchant's website. Here the website owned by the affiliate is made to advertise and market the website of the merchant through the affiliate program that they run. Whenever someone clicks on the merchant's website promoted by the one owned by the affiliate, the affiliate is given a commission. This is in recognition of his effort in helping the merchant make a sale. The best affiliate marketing has got to be with clickbank, they offer products from thousands of sellers from every industry and all have brilliant returns on advertising their products. But if you are not a member, then it is still possible to find your own affilliates, it just takes a bit longer.

The system involved in affiliate marketing seems easy, but it also takes a lot of diligence and perseverance for one to be able to penetrate it thoroughly. Those who want to get into this type of business should possess the necessary skills to be able tread through the industry with confidence and self-assurance. Still, other factors are needed by one to be able to really break in. Knowledge about the business at hand is very important as it dictates the actions that are to be done by people who are into it.

The leading figure in affiliate marketing is the super affiliate. He is basically an e-mail marketer who collects large databases of e-mail addresses through newsletters. Super affiliates are also those who know the business even better than affiliate managers as a result of their knowledge about the affiliate marketing industry inside out. Those who want to be super affiliates should know that becoming a super affiliate is not easy, because it takes a lot to be able to master the marketing craft.

Becoming a super affiliate means having one's own website and autoresponder. These tools will help a lot in one's facilitation of the business. Building one's own list is another. Creating a loyal customer base and taking care of it is one secret that successful super affiliates have. Making good customer relations is also important if one wants to be a super affiliate to reckon with.

Continuing to market to the people on one's list is another must if one wants to succeed as a super affiliate. Sending out quality content in lieu of ads is an advantage as products are marketed better whenever enough information is given about them.

Building traffic to one's own site is also one of the most essential points in the affiliate marketing business. Making one's affiliate links his own business will allow him to build a strong relationship with his customers, enabling him to market to them over and over again.

The most important thing one should remember if he wants to become a super affiliate is to treat affiliate marketing as a business first and foremost. If he is capable of doing this, then he will never have to go back to the humdrum existence of working the 9-5 shift. A career as a super affiliate in the business which will change his life forever could possibly take that unexciting job's place.

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------
Author Dan Hartshorn is the owner and operator of AZProfit.com,
a web site bringing together all the hottest affiliate
marketing programs on the internet today. Start your
affiliate adventure today at http://www.AZProfit.com
------------------------------------------------------------

Create A Marketing Edge With Positioning

Create A Marketing Edge With Positioning
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

Internet Marketing is largely about positioning. And a key part of positioning is building a trusting and reliable relationship with your prospects and customers. This isn't difficult to do and it helps you move towards that most desirable of states - a marketing edge.

It pays to know as much about your market as you can. Communicate with your market about the ups and downs, advantages and disadvantages, progress and problems associated with it. Do what they do, read what they read, know their likes and dislikes, search and study resources.

Above all, look for answers and innovations. Then find a way to use them in your marketing and advertising. People will always be interested in new and better things and are drawn to those who have them.

This will not only help in positioning yourself as an expert, but also in finding ways to position your products or service as having unique benefits. You do this by finding unsolved needs and thinking up solutions. Being the first at something also affirms you as an expert par excellence.

If you do these things, you and your business will be positioned. You will have the MARKETING EDGE.

Let's say your market is people who like to fish. What they buy are reels, poles, lure...things they need to fish with. You could tell them the Best Ways To Fish For Salmon, Bass, Trout...The Fine Art Of Fly-Tying...How To Cast For The Best Catch...How To Find The Best Fishing Spots...Cleaning And Cooking Fish In A Snap.

If you sell reels, poles, lure, etc. - then such reports will attract readership from your target market - the people most likely to buy from you.

Chances are if those readers found something useful in your report, then they would be interested in reading more. Give it to them - have them sign up on your list.

That is how positioning works, and the reward is great. Having a list built up of targeted, loyal, and responsive prospects is the very best thing a business can have.

Not only can you tell them how to catch more fish with the least possible effort, but also how your products can help them to do it even more so. Since you are an expert, it's only natural that you would have the greatest tools and tackle.

There is a special thing about having a list, so treat it special. Consider it for what it will be - the marketing life-blood of your business.

Most businesses, if they keep lists, just have lists of customers who bought from them, and yet do not even send them as much as a Thank You Note or Christmas Card.

The people on your list will have a more connected relationship with you. You are not just a seller to them, and they are not just a customer to you. They will look forward to contact from an expert giving out the latest fishing tips and you will be ready for any questions they might bring you. Your answer will most likely be of interest with your whole list, so share it with all of them.

The more you can make the people feel privileged to be on your list the better. You can give your list exclusive deals, free offers, deep discounts, holiday specials, even the chance to sign-up for a paid subscription service where they get the meanest down and dirty underground secrets of fishing success where the fish don't stand a chance in Neptune.

This works for any marketing niche you happen to be in, not just fish. Positioning is the very best way to 'fish' for prospects in your market. Lure them with the knowledge and service you provide, and soon you have your own stocked pond full of hungry fish that you can catch over and over again.

Positioning is the best plan that any business can implement.

Positioning is putting yourself in the right place in the eyes of your market. You get your market to know you as an expert that can be trusted. You get looked on as a reliable resource for information.

Positioning is easy to do. Just give free information of interest to your market. Your market is the people who would be likely to buy the services or products you offer.

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------
Author Dan Hartshorn is the owner and operator of AZProfit.com,
a web site bringing together all the hottest affiliate
marketing programs on the internet today. Start your
affiliate adventure today at http://www.AZProfit.com
------------------------------------------------------------

3 Steps to Getting Organized in Your Online Business

3 Steps to Getting Organized in Your Online Business
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

No matter what size your online business is, whether part-time or full-time, it's essential to operate it just like any other business (online or offline). You must ensure that certain systems and routines are in-place, otherwise it all becomes disorganized, hard work and possibly destined to fail.

When I first started out in my online venture, I joined up for a lot of different programs, subscriptions, memberships and products and before I knew it I had emails galore in my inbox, receipt numbers, passwords, usernames, and account numbers. I quickly become overwhelmed and in total disarray, so right then and there I decided to systematize everything.

The first thing I did was to create a simple database that I called "Account Manager". Here I listed all the company names, dates joined, invoice numbers, usernames, passwords, website, email, whether a once-off or monthly fee, and any relevant comments. What a HUGE difference this made... freeing up much of my time and energy. It certainly made life a lot easier and more disciplined.

Second thing that I set up was a spreadsheet to track income and expenses. Obviously this is very important for tax purposes. But just as important I think, is to constantly monitor your profit and loss situation at any given time... to keep measuring your progress. If you don't monitor the performance of your business, how will you know if it's getting off-track? How will you know what is working and what needs changing? You need to see if you are getting a return on all the time and money you are investing in your business. The spreadsheet that I have set-up is pretty basic and straightforward but I might find later on as the business expands, that an accounting software program is more appropriate... such as Quicken, Quick Books or MYOB (Mind Your Own Business).

The last system that I put into place was a spreadsheet that summarized my entire ad tracking results for advertising campaigns. Now ad tracking, I believe, is extremely important to the overall success of your business. Without the ability to test and measure all of your advertising, you might as well just wear a blindfold. You absolutely MUST KNOW what is working and what is not working so that you can dump the useless ads and keep running the ones that bring you profits. Otherwise you are flushing your hard-earned cash down the drain.

This spreadsheet includes ad cost, number of subscribers (in an ezine), number of clicks, number of sales, cost per sale and ROI (return on investment). This is so simple and yet so effective (and so profitable). At a glance I can see which are my most effective ads and the most effective advertising medium as well. Well worth the effort I feel.

These things take a little bit of effort to set up initially and to get into the routine, but once done it's easy to keep going. The benefits are certainly worth it. I just wish I had set all of this up BEFORE I started. Ah well, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------
Author Dan Hartshorn is the owner and operator of AZProfit.com,
a web site bringing together all the hottest affiliate
marketing programs on the internet today. Start your
affiliate adventure today at http://www.AZProfit.com
------------------------------------------------------------

Traffic Exchanges and Their Effective Use

Traffic Exchanges and Their Effective Use
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

The term "traffic exchange" can mean different things in the realm of internet marketing, but for the sake of this article, it refers to the many "surf for traffic" or "auto surf" web sites. A traffic exchange web site consists of a number of free or paid members who earn system credits by viewing other members' web sites. The overall idea is that when enough people view a member's site, that member will make sales, gain opt-in leads, obtain downline sign-ups, or all of the above.

To sign up with a traffic exchange web site, submit username and password information, some personal information and often a primary web site. Most sites will use email confirmation for account activation to ensure the use of a real email address. Once a member it's time to set up the web site urls that are going to viewed by other members on the exchange as they surf for credits. Many sites provide free credits on signup so that the new member's site can begin to be viewed immediately. When a web site is setup for viewing, credits can be assigned to site which will dictate how many times the site will be shown in the network. Some exchanges allow only one site at a time, but most allow for many and even have an auto-distribution feature with can evenly distribute remaining credits to all of a member's active sites that are established in the network.

Most traffic exchanges have both free and pay memberships. Some even have different levels of pay memberships. It is easy to get started with a free membership, but there are many incentives for upgrading. One incentive is that paid members often get a better surf ratio. A surf ratio is the number of sites that have to be viewed by a member in order for their site to be viewed one time. For example, a 3:1 ratio means that the member must view three different sites in order for their site to be viewed once. Most pay memberships offer a 1:1 ratio, but some go further and offer 1:2 or 1:3 ratios, meaning that a paid member need only view one site in order to have his site view two or three times! Surf ratio is an important factor to evaluate when deciding in which exchange one should upgrade to paid status.

Another advantage of paid membership is it often comes with discounts on purchased credits. Most exchanges sell credits to people who have more money to spend than time to surf. Purchased credits, like earned credits, can be assigned to one's web sites in the exchange. A paid member will often get a big break on the price of purchased credits. In addition, most traffic exchanges reward their paid members with free month credit allocations. This ensures a constant exposure to their web sites.

There are ways to use traffic exchanges that can be very effective. Instead of using the main page of a web site that has lots of information on it, create a "splash" or "capture" page. This type of page is simple in design but attractive and attention-grabbing and it's main goal is to get a user to click on a link that takes them to a sales page. Be sure that the link opens up a new browser window so that the user's surfing is not interrupted. Another use for splash pages is to capture a user's name and email address for an opt-in email list. Offer a free eBook, promotion code or other incentive in exchange the surfer's sign-up. When creating splash or capture pages remember that most of the members of the traffic exchange are business owners, webmasters or internet marketers, so offer something that would entice this audience.

When utilized properly, traffic exchanges serve as a power tool in the internet marketer's tool chest. When many are utilized, especially with some upgrades, good, consistent results are very likely.

About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------
Dan Hartshorn is the owner of AZProfit.com.
For home business ideas focusing on the
legitimate business opportunity that
you can work from home, visit:
http://www.AZProfit.com
-----------------------------------------------------

Breakdown of Types of Online Affiliate Marketing

Breakdown of Types of Online Affiliate Marketing
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

Affiliate marketing is gaining popularity day by day because of the increasing consciousness amongst the masses about it. Merchants as well as the affiliates have realized that affiliate marketing proves beneficial for both of them. Affiliate marketing gives the merchant the opportunity to advertise their products at a low cost while the affiliates find affiliate marketing as an easy way to earn money online and that too by doing something that they enjoy -- developing websites.

People's perception about affiliate marketing has changed along with its rising popularity. Today, no one considers affiliate marketing as only an alternative method of advertisement of products by a merchant or as a source of additional income for an affiliate. As of now, affiliate marketing has become the main source of profits and revenues for the merchants as well as for the affiliates.

Now, there can be a number of questions that could be asked about affiliate marketing. For example, what type of affiliate program should one consider? Do all affiliate marketing programs accrue the same benefit? Are all the affiliate marketing programs the same deep down or are there affiliate marketing programs that prove to be more beneficial than the others?

It is true that there are different types of affiliate marketing but these types surely depend on the way one classifies them. However, fundamentally affiliate marketing programs can be classified two main ways -- pay per click (PPC) and pay per performance (PPP).

Pay Per Click (PPC) And Pay Per Performance (PPP)

PPC is the most popular as well as the easiest way of earning money for affiliates having smaller websites. An affiliate gets paid when a visitor is referred to his site when a user clicks through the merchant's banner or text ads. This payment to the affiliate does not depend on whether the visitor makes any actual purchase on the merchant's site. Contrary to that, under PPP affiliate marketing the affiliate gets paid only if the referred visitor actually makes any purchase or if the referred visitor turns into a lead. Due to this difference, the returns on PPC for an affiliate would be comparatively less than PPP. PPP affiliate marketing is considered a better bet for both the merchant as well as for the affiliates.

Pay Per Performance (PPP) affiliate marketing has been further classified into two categories: Pay Per Sales (PPS) and Pay Per Lead (PPL). As the name suggests under the PPS system, the affiliate only gets paid if actual sales are made. In contrast, under a PPL affiliate system, the affiliate gets paid if the visitor fills out an application form or any such similar form related to business of the company. This kind of system is used by companies which depend on leads for their growth like finance and insurance companies.

Single Tier, Two Tiers And Multi-Tier Affiliate Marketing

These are different types of affiliate marketing programs depending on the depth of the affiliate network. In the case of single tier affiliate marketing, an affiliate only gets paid on the basis of direct sales or traffic that he has referred to the merchant's site (for example PPS, PPL and PPC). In two tier affiliate marketing, he gets paid for the direct traffic that he has personally referred and also for traffic or sales that has been made by affiliates recommended by him. In multi-tier affiliate programs, the affiliate gets paid like in two-tiers but besides that he also gets paid for other affiliates in different tiers in the affiliate network.

Residual Income Affiliate Marketing

A final form of affiliate marketing is called residual income affiliate marketing. In this type of program, the affiliate gets paid not once but every time the referred customer makes a purchase on the merchant's site. The payment may be made as a fixed amount or as a percentage of the sale amount depending on the program.

Thus, we find that there are a number of affiliate marketing programs and the choice that one makes must depend on one's own convenience and requirements. There is money to be made in all forms of affiliate marketing programs and joining some of them is a great way to start any online business.

About the Author:
------------------------------------------------------------
Author Dan Hartshorn is the owner and operator of AZProfit.com,
a web site bringing together all the hottest affiliate
marketing programs on the internet today. Start your
affiliate adventure today at http://www.AZProfit.com
------------------------------------------------------------

Affiliate Marketing – Marketing for the New-Age

Affiliate Marketing – Marketing for the New-Age
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

The days of relying on print, and television advertisements, and radio spots are long gone. If a business wants to compete on an international level, they must make use of the internet. Affiliate marketing can enable a new business to get a booming start or an old business a new rivival.

If a business is to compete in today’s market, then they must establish a presence on the internet. It’s no longer enough to rely solely on the “real world” to succeed. Sure, you can be successful without an internet presence, but you won’t be as successful as you could be. And once you’re on the internet, you must successfully market yourself.

Online affiliate marketing has taken the marketing world by storm. Affiliate marketing can help any business reach a worldwide audience in a short amount of time. After all, the world affiliate means to be closely associated or connected. Let’s explore the various aspects of affiliate marketing.

Direct affiliate marketing is when a sponsor provides all the resources the affiliate needs. No third party software tools are used. This method is favored by large merchants who can afford to develop their own software, and hire the necessary affiliate support.

There are various types of affiliate options for managing administrative duties, such as software, shopping carts, and hosting services. This can be overwhelming to a small-business person. A form of indirect affiliate marketing is using third-party software tools to perform many tasks.

Indirect affiliate marketing involves using an outside program to track sales and traffic. There are many pay and free software tools available. You simply have to pick the one that meets your needs. Whichever method you select, direct or indirect, you stand to increase your business profits by up to 25 percent or more.

Some affiliate marketing programs also offer a multi-tiered setup. Under this type of program, affiliates are encouraged to recruit more affiliates. Usually, it’s the sponsor’s sole responsibility to find new affiliates.

A multi-tiered program removes some of the burden from the sponsor and passes it to the affiliate. However, the affiliate receives a commission whenever an affiliate they signed earns a commission. It’s kind of like old-fashioned multi-level marketing, but on the internet.

Affiliate marketing is one of the most powerful marketing tools available. Any online business should consider starting its own affiliate program. If you offer a fine product, and support to your affiliates, you will find success. Take advantage of all the internet has to offer, and your profits will rise.

About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------
Dan Hartshorn is the owner of AZProfit.com.
For home business ideas focusing on the
legitimate business opportunity that
you can work from home, visit:
http://www.AZProfit.com
-----------------------------------------------------

20 Super Hot Ways To Make More Money

20 Super Hot Ways To Make More Money
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

Affiliate Marketing on the Internet CAN be done and YOU can do it. More and more people are succeeding each day & leaving that "9 to 5" behind. But, it does take work and a bit of creativity to stand out among the other marketers and make the sale. There is a plethora of resources & tools to help you along your way, come visit our site for more, but here one of the "cut-to-the-chase" Reader's Digest condensed list:

1. Insert a brochure for another product in the first product package your customer buys from you.

2. Sell a basic product and tell people for a little more money they can receive the new & improved deluxe edition.

3. Give your customers a free subscription to your e-zine and include back end products in each issue.

4. Charge people extra money to get the reproduction, reprint or resale rights.

5. Send your customers greeting cards at holidays with your back end product offer included.

6. Offer your customers a discount if they buy more than one of the same product or package a few together.

7. Include a back end product offer on your online 'thank you' page.

8. Give people a huge discount to your subscription product if they subscribe for a longer period of time.

9. Send your customer a free surprise gift with your back end product offer included.

10. Give your customers a discount if they buy over a certain number of any products.

11. Publish a back end product offer inside any of the information products you sell.

12. Group your products together in package deals to make more profit form each sale.

13. Include a back end product offer inside your 'customer's only' online club.

14. Join someone else's affiliate program and use it as an upsell or back end product.

15. Follow-up with your customers to see if they're happy or need assistance and offer them another product.

16. Offer people a free sample of your product letting them in on the benefits and tell them they will get a discount if they order now.

17. Send your customers a 'thank you' e-mail with a back end offer attached.

18. Offer your customers add-on products like gift wrapping, batteries, imprinting, etc.

19. Allow your customers the option of signing up to your 'future product offers list'.

20. Explain to people that for extra money, they can extend the guarantee or warranty of the product.

If you can do just half of these things, you're doing more than 80% of the marketers out there and I'm sure you will be in profit! Stay dedicated, stay motivated and don't give up! To your success!

About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------
Dan Hartshorn is the owner of AZProfit.com.
For home business ideas focusing on the
legitimate business opportunity that
you can work from home, visit:
http://www.AZProfit.com
-----------------------------------------------------

Ad Tracking Is A Must For The Affiliate Marketer
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

There is a lot of money in affiliate marketing. This is true, only to those who are serious and working hard on their affiliate program. Affiliate marketing success varies in every individual affiliate and, it depends on their will and perseverance. No matter how good an affiliate program is, it will not prosper if you do not pay the price of hard work. You must put in extra effort especially in your promotions. Nothing will happen if your site dosn't get any traffic, you must be able to convince your visitors to click the links and proceed to buy the products. No click-throughs means no income for an affiliate marketer.

You can generate a full-time income with affiliate marketing and you can do it at home, even while you sleep. You must have a good web site. It must have good promotional and informative contents, pleasing design, inviting banner ads and all other important elements in an affiliate marketer's web site. You should use some other means of advertising such as newsletters, email marketing, message boards and ppc such as Google AdWords. It can be easy if you plan your course of action well and have taken all the steps towards success carefully and diligently. Now, there's a tool you can and should use to help you go through the program with ease and confidence, the Ad Tracker. For many experienced and successful marketers, the Ad Tracker is a key to successful affiliate marketing.

So what is an ad tracker? It is tracking software or program that allows you to trace and take note of every click-through made by visitors of your site and by other customers who got your referral link. There are ad tracking service providers as well, so you will just have to pay them to do the tracking for you. If you use an ad tracker, you can keep an eye on the progress of your marketing and advertising campaigns even offline. This tool is especially helpful if you are engaged in several affiliate and pay-per-click programs and have placed ads in emails, pop-ups and pop-unders, message boards, auto responders, Ezines, forums, several web sites, surveys and various ad service providers.

As such, you don't want all your efforts and money to be put to waste so you want to be sure you are getting paid for your hard work. Likewise, you want to make sure every dollar you disburse in your advertising campaigns is not wasted. With the help of the ad tracker, you will know exactly how many and which of your links where clicked on, how many clicked on your links, how many of your emails were opened and how many of those who opened your email clicked through the business site and purchased a product, how many products were purchased, which of your banner ads or links brought the most leads and sales and many other facts and figures you need.

Sales records and all the data you collect is necessary in any business as this could determine if your affiliate program is worth continuing. This would also help you determine which of your marketing strategies is most effective and which is most beneficial for each product or service you are promoting.

Every decision you make must be supported by facts. That decision may not be the best, but it is something not to regret when you had valid reasons for coming up with that decision. You cannot just decide to quite your affiliate program, just because you don't earn big immediately.

If you're serious about affiliate marketing, keep in mind that your success lies on promotion and your hard work. If you don't seem lucky enough to convince many of your site users to buy the products, don't get discouraged and think your affiliate program is a failure. If it works for others, it should work for you. Know whether your advertising techniques are effective or not, which works best and which doesn't. Get an ad tracker to track everything and you'll surely be on the right track towards success.

About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------
Dan Hartshorn is the owner of AZProfit.com.
For home business ideas focusing on the
legitimate business opportunity that
you can work from home, visit:
http://www.AZProfit.com
-----------------------------------------------------

A Day In The Life Of A Successful Affiliate Marketer
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

Engaging in the affiliate marketing business is much easier now with the internet at your disposable, compared to the days when people have to make use of the telephones and other mediums of information.

With technology at hand, and assuming that the affiliate is working from home, a day in his or her life would sound something like this…

Upon waking up and after having breakfast, the computer is turned on to check out new developments in the network. As far as the marketer is concerned, there might be new things to update and statistics to keep track on.

The site design might have to be revised. The marketer knows that a well-designed site can increase sign-ups or opt-ins from visitors, resulting in the affiliate’s higher conversion rates.

Having done that, it is time to submit the affiliate program to directories that lists affiliate programs. These directories are great means to recruit more people in into your affiliate program. A sure way of promoting the affiliate program that should never be neglected.

Time to track down the sales you are getting from your affiliates fairly and accurately. There might even be phone orders and mails to track down. See if there are new clients checking your products out the first time. Compiling the new contact information into a list as a viable source for future business and contact.

There are lots of resources to sort out. Ads, banners, button ads and sample recommendations to give out because the marketer knows that this is one way of ensuring more sales. Best to stay visible and accessible to stay on top of your market.

The affiliate marketer remembered that there are email enquiries and questions to answer from the visitors. All emails has to be answered quickly. Nothing can turn off a customer more than an unanswered email. Nobody wants to be ignored and customers are not always the most patient of all people. Quick answers should appear professional and yet friendly, most importantly strive to add a human touch, no one likes dealing with robots..

In the process of doing all the necessities, the marketer is logged on to a chat room where he or she interacts with other affiliates and those under that same program. This is where they can discuss things on how to best promote their products.

There are things to be learned and this should be a continuous process. Sharing tips and advices is a good way of showing support. There may be others out there wanting to join and may be enticed by the discussion that is going on. There is no harm in assuming the opportunities ahead.

The newsletters and ezines were updated days ago, so it is time for the affiliate marketer to see if there are some new things happening in the market. This will be written about in the marketer’s publication to be distributed to the old and new customers.

These same publications are also an important tool in keeping up to date with the newly introduced products. The marketer has put up a sale and promotion that customers may want to know about. Besides, they have to keep up with the deadline of these sales written in the publications.

It is that time to show some appreciation to those who have helped the marketer in the promotions and sale increase. Nothing like mentioning the persons, their sites and the process they have done that made everything worked.

Of course, this will be published in the newsletters.

The marketer still has time to write out recommendations to those who want credible sources for the products being promoted. There is also time to post some comments on how to be a successful affiliate marketer on a site where there are newbies or starting affiliate marketers.

Two objectives done at the same time. The marketer gets to promote the product as well as the program they are in. Someone may just be inclined to join.

Time flies. Missed lunch but is quite contented with the tasks done. Bed time….

Ok, so this may not be all done in a day. But then, this gives you an idea of how an affiliate marketer, a dedicated one that is, spends the marketing day.

About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------
Dan Hartshorn is the owner of AZProfit.com.
For home business ideas focusing on the
legitimate business opportunity that
you can work from home, visit:
http://www.AZProfit.com
-----------------------------------------------------

3 Affiliate Marketing Tools
Copyright © Dan Hartshorn
http://www.AZProfit.com

The term affiliate marketing is used to describe an advertising agreement between a website owner and a merchant. If you have researched Internet home business opportunities, you know that affiliate marketing is one of the most simple and profitable opportunities on the web. Most affiliate marketing programs cost nothing to join, which means that there is no financial risk involved for you.

For the most part, getting started is easy. There is no previous sales experience required, and as mentioned above, there is no charge to join most of these programs. Most programs provide all of the marketing materials you will ever need, including site graphics and links. You also don't have to worry about many of the other things that come with an online retail business, such as inventory, order processing, and shipping.

However, these programs, like any work at home business, requires an organized plan of action if you want to succeed. To assist you in developing a plan, Web Business Tools has created a list of affiliate marketing tools that are essential for every work at home business.

Tool Number One: Your Own Website

When it comes to affiliate marketing, your website is not only your most important tool; it is the key to your success. In addition to being user-friendly, your site should also be credible and professional looking. If you are interested in using one of these programs as an Internet home business opportunity, you will want to begin by building a website that will serve your needs. To come up with ideas, search the web and see what others are doing. Assess these other sites to determine what you like and what you don't like. Make notes as you go and use them to develop an original and unique website that can stand out among the competition.

If you are unable to build your own website, there are many different professional web development companies who can. They may also be able to help you develop optimized content that will be relevant to your Internet home business opportunity. If you are not interested in hiring someone, there are also software programs that can be purchased which will teach you all about website building and website development.

Tool Number Two: Incentives

To be successful in affiliate marketing, you must encourage people to click on links for the products and services that you are promoting. To help build a clientele, create an opt-in email list, newsletter, or e-zine. If you really want to increase the profits of your work at home business, offer incentives, such as free software, services, etc., that will encourage people to subscribe to your publications. As with any Internet home business opportunity, promotion is the difference between success and failure.

Tool Number 3: Links

Affiliate marketing success depends heavily upon the traffic that comes through your website. Your search engine ranking typically determines your traffic level, but another factor is link popularity.

To gain link popularity, you can submit your site's link to other websites, free newsletters, etc. The more times you submit, the more chances you have to become a popular destination, which in turn, provides you with more chances to make your Internet home business opportunity a success.

Having your own work at home business can be a satisfying experience. If you want to make the dream come true, give affiliate marketing a try. By taking time to learn more about affiliate marketing programs, affiliate marketing tools, and other Internet home business opportunities, you can develop a successful work at home business.

About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------
Dan Hartshorn is the owner of AZProfit.com.
For home business ideas focusing on the
legitimate business opportunity that
you can work from home, visit:
http://www.AZProfit.com
-----------------------------------------------------