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Beach Bum Guide #3
Affiliate Programs Tailored to YOUR Website
Affiliate Programs Tailored to YOUR Website
The next step in your online business' website building process, that is if you are building a website designed to make money for you, is to get yourself into some affiliate programs. A complete database will be available at this site in the future, but for now I will give you some fairly general, but effective, programs to choose from to get you started quickly.
In the last guide, I had you join up as an affiliate of Template Monster. If you did then you are already one step ahead of the competition! If not, you'll get a chance to join again in addition to many others that I will recommend to you. But first let me just say that you do not have to join all of the ones I recommend. The idea of this particular guide is to give you a list of programs that you can consider. You may find quite a few that fit in nicely with your site. That is what you want! Don't make the mistake of creating a site that does nothing more than list a bunch of links but has no real content or substance. If you do, you'll be wondering why you are paying money to host a site that doesn't make any money.
I won't name any names, but there are quite a few "get rich quick" schemes out there that will sell you a hosted website, pre-built with all kinds of affiliate links. They'll tell you how much your site could bring in. Meanwhile they're charging you $30 or more per month to host that site through their "reseller hosting" account. Do people make money doing this? Well the people running the program certainly do! I am sure you can make some money in that scenario as well, but the bottom line is that you need to make your own bottom line as affordable as possible. It may take a bit more work up front, but setting up your own site with your own content and hosting it at a place that is under $10 a month is going to make it easier for your website to pay for itself. And if your site is paying for itself, sooner or later it will break that threshold and start paying you too!
Speaking of making money for yourself, there is something you definitely want to consider. You might want to open up an LLC or other business type and run your website under that entity. Why? Well there are several reasons. One big reason is tax deductions. If you are running a business and web hosting costs are a part of running your business, then you may be able to deduct those costs at tax time. There are many other expenses that may be deductible as well, such as the website creation software and web template you purchase.
In the last guide, I had you join up as an affiliate of Template Monster. If you did then you are already one step ahead of the competition! If not, you'll get a chance to join again in addition to many others that I will recommend to you. But first let me just say that you do not have to join all of the ones I recommend. The idea of this particular guide is to give you a list of programs that you can consider. You may find quite a few that fit in nicely with your site. That is what you want! Don't make the mistake of creating a site that does nothing more than list a bunch of links but has no real content or substance. If you do, you'll be wondering why you are paying money to host a site that doesn't make any money.
I won't name any names, but there are quite a few "get rich quick" schemes out there that will sell you a hosted website, pre-built with all kinds of affiliate links. They'll tell you how much your site could bring in. Meanwhile they're charging you $30 or more per month to host that site through their "reseller hosting" account. Do people make money doing this? Well the people running the program certainly do! I am sure you can make some money in that scenario as well, but the bottom line is that you need to make your own bottom line as affordable as possible. It may take a bit more work up front, but setting up your own site with your own content and hosting it at a place that is under $10 a month is going to make it easier for your website to pay for itself. And if your site is paying for itself, sooner or later it will break that threshold and start paying you too!
Speaking of making money for yourself, there is something you definitely want to consider. You might want to open up an LLC or other business type and run your website under that entity. Why? Well there are several reasons. One big reason is tax deductions. If you are running a business and web hosting costs are a part of running your business, then you may be able to deduct those costs at tax time. There are many other expenses that may be deductible as well, such as the website creation software and web template you purchase.
I am no financial advisor or tax attorney/expert so you should certainly consult an expert on this if you are considering it. You might ask why I brought this up now. Well the fact is, whether you believe it yet or not, you will more than likely be making a substantial extra income. Many of the affiliates who you do business with will be reporting to the IRS so you'll want to keep track of your earnings and be prepared at tax time. So having all of your income from affiliates coming in through your LLC or other business type can make things a lot easier, in my opinion, when it comes time to do your taxes. If you're not sure where to start as far as opening an LLC or other business type then I recommend that you check out the following website after you're done with this guide: www.bizfilings.com.
Now, before we get to the real meat of this guide, let me say one more thing. Throughout this process of building your web page and getting affiliates set up, pay attention to the steps you are taking. You see, the beauty of the web is that you can run as many websites as you want! So why not run a few? After all, if you get one successful website up and running, and it is making some good money for you, why not have 2 or 3 or more sites all making you money? Just don't compete with yourself. And I do recommend starting with one and building it first. It is going to be enough work for the time being but eventually it will take on a life of its own and you can focus on getting other ones up and running. This is also a good practice in terms of not having all your eggs in one basket, something we'll cover a little more in the next guide on wealth.
Okay, I think I've given you a good primer for understanding where this is going. Let's say you have a great new website that you are currently setting up and you already have a host chosen, a good domain name and you think you've found a niche market in a subject you know a lot about. Well you're almost there. What you need now is tools and programs that will help you make that site a truly profitable one. That is where advertising and affiliate marketing programs comes in.
By now you probably know what advertising is. After all, advertising is just about everywhere now. But maybe you're not clear on what affiliate marketing is. The simple answer is that basically you agree to put an ad or link on your website and any time someone follows that ad or link and buys a product, you get a commission. Think of it as "performance based" advertising. Some programs also allow you to build affiliates under you, much like the pyramid schemes (before the internet) worked but on a much larger scale (and without annoying your friends and neighbors).
If you've been around the internet a bit then you've certainly seen the Google ads all over the place. Well those are a form of affiliate marketing. Basically you sign up for Google Adsense and agree to show ads on your site that are relevant to the content of your site. I was skeptical of this at first but when I received my first $100 check from Google I was convinced. That is when I realized the potential of other programs that are also available.
But like I said before, it won't do you much good to just throw a bunch of affiliate links on a page and forget about it. That is why I stress the importance of having some content. Content on your site is going to draw in your audience. A successful site needs traffic, constantly, in order to really make some money. The best way to ensure content on your site is to have a blog, forum, or other constantly updated form of content that will keep people coming back regularly. And if you are offering great advice or insight then they will come back. There are also methods of getting your site noticed by search engines, called SEO or Search Engine Optimization, that we'll explore in more detail in a future guide, but for now just know that your success, as I have said before, depends on the content you offer on your site. A dead site full of links is just that- dead!
Okay, I am off my soap box now. It is time to review some affiliate programs that you might find useful for your site. I use several criteria for choosing affiliates that I am willing to represent. So keep some of these in mind for yourself and it should help you to choose a few as well. I am listing a lot here but I recommend that you choose between 5 and probably no more than 10 for now. I will make each review section so that you can easily link to each affiliate and join up immediately. And just so you know, I do not intend to list any affiliates that charge a fee to become an affiliate in their program. I do not agree with that practice. After all, you are giving them advertising that is free to them up-front. They agree to pay you if your site performs for them. The least they can do is let you join for free! I would steer clear of any program that wants you to pay to join. But that's just me.
So my first criteria is that they are free. I also look for programs that offer a product or service that I might use myself. For example, on my top picks section I recommended Cafepress. I not only recommend their affiliate program but I also mention that my favorite shop is www.littlegrasshack.com (Hawaii related gear - my favorite!).
As I said, I use their products myself and have made money selling them as well.
Another consideration is the number of options that you have with the affiliate. For example, you may have the option of selling a product specific to your site or maybe you'll find that you would do better to promote their service as a whole. A great example in this case is Customflix (another top pick of mine). If I had a filmmaking website then I might promote the Customflix service and tell other filmmakers how easy it is to publish their film on DVD and get it on Amazon. On the other hand, I mentioned to you that I found a great DVD called Sunsets of Hawaii which is for sale in the Customflix store. Sunsets of Hawaii is relevant to my site because I am a beach bum at heart and I love Hawaii (and relaxation!). I hope that gives you some insight into the screening process.
I think you're ready for the full list now. Hopefully you won't find it to be too overwhelming and will find it helpful in determining the affiliates that will fit in nicely with your site content, etc.
This list may stay fairly static so you may want to keep up with the Mr Beach Bum Blog where I intend to keep you up to date on other affiliate programs that I find in my daily surfing rituals. Also, if you would like to be a guest blogger and submit your own reviews or describe your particular experience, feel free to subscribe to the forum or submit blogs for approval. This is also a great way to gain exposure for your own site.
Now, before we get to the real meat of this guide, let me say one more thing. Throughout this process of building your web page and getting affiliates set up, pay attention to the steps you are taking. You see, the beauty of the web is that you can run as many websites as you want! So why not run a few? After all, if you get one successful website up and running, and it is making some good money for you, why not have 2 or 3 or more sites all making you money? Just don't compete with yourself. And I do recommend starting with one and building it first. It is going to be enough work for the time being but eventually it will take on a life of its own and you can focus on getting other ones up and running. This is also a good practice in terms of not having all your eggs in one basket, something we'll cover a little more in the next guide on wealth.
Okay, I think I've given you a good primer for understanding where this is going. Let's say you have a great new website that you are currently setting up and you already have a host chosen, a good domain name and you think you've found a niche market in a subject you know a lot about. Well you're almost there. What you need now is tools and programs that will help you make that site a truly profitable one. That is where advertising and affiliate marketing programs comes in.
By now you probably know what advertising is. After all, advertising is just about everywhere now. But maybe you're not clear on what affiliate marketing is. The simple answer is that basically you agree to put an ad or link on your website and any time someone follows that ad or link and buys a product, you get a commission. Think of it as "performance based" advertising. Some programs also allow you to build affiliates under you, much like the pyramid schemes (before the internet) worked but on a much larger scale (and without annoying your friends and neighbors).
If you've been around the internet a bit then you've certainly seen the Google ads all over the place. Well those are a form of affiliate marketing. Basically you sign up for Google Adsense and agree to show ads on your site that are relevant to the content of your site. I was skeptical of this at first but when I received my first $100 check from Google I was convinced. That is when I realized the potential of other programs that are also available.
But like I said before, it won't do you much good to just throw a bunch of affiliate links on a page and forget about it. That is why I stress the importance of having some content. Content on your site is going to draw in your audience. A successful site needs traffic, constantly, in order to really make some money. The best way to ensure content on your site is to have a blog, forum, or other constantly updated form of content that will keep people coming back regularly. And if you are offering great advice or insight then they will come back. There are also methods of getting your site noticed by search engines, called SEO or Search Engine Optimization, that we'll explore in more detail in a future guide, but for now just know that your success, as I have said before, depends on the content you offer on your site. A dead site full of links is just that- dead!
Okay, I am off my soap box now. It is time to review some affiliate programs that you might find useful for your site. I use several criteria for choosing affiliates that I am willing to represent. So keep some of these in mind for yourself and it should help you to choose a few as well. I am listing a lot here but I recommend that you choose between 5 and probably no more than 10 for now. I will make each review section so that you can easily link to each affiliate and join up immediately. And just so you know, I do not intend to list any affiliates that charge a fee to become an affiliate in their program. I do not agree with that practice. After all, you are giving them advertising that is free to them up-front. They agree to pay you if your site performs for them. The least they can do is let you join for free! I would steer clear of any program that wants you to pay to join. But that's just me.
So my first criteria is that they are free. I also look for programs that offer a product or service that I might use myself. For example, on my top picks section I recommended Cafepress. I not only recommend their affiliate program but I also mention that my favorite shop is www.littlegrasshack.com (Hawaii related gear - my favorite!).
As I said, I use their products myself and have made money selling them as well.
Another consideration is the number of options that you have with the affiliate. For example, you may have the option of selling a product specific to your site or maybe you'll find that you would do better to promote their service as a whole. A great example in this case is Customflix (another top pick of mine). If I had a filmmaking website then I might promote the Customflix service and tell other filmmakers how easy it is to publish their film on DVD and get it on Amazon. On the other hand, I mentioned to you that I found a great DVD called Sunsets of Hawaii which is for sale in the Customflix store. Sunsets of Hawaii is relevant to my site because I am a beach bum at heart and I love Hawaii (and relaxation!). I hope that gives you some insight into the screening process.
I think you're ready for the full list now. Hopefully you won't find it to be too overwhelming and will find it helpful in determining the affiliates that will fit in nicely with your site content, etc.
This list may stay fairly static so you may want to keep up with the Mr Beach Bum Blog where I intend to keep you up to date on other affiliate programs that I find in my daily surfing rituals. Also, if you would like to be a guest blogger and submit your own reviews or describe your particular experience, feel free to subscribe to the forum or submit blogs for approval. This is also a great way to gain exposure for your own site.
