If You HAD to Start Over - What would you do Different???

[purplebear]

Awwwhh come on guys. I stopped here cos I thought I was gonna read on and on and learn all kinds of things. Don't stop now What I have read so far has been very helpful, though
Hmmm where should I start??? Lots of areas to cover. Never in a million years would've thought I'd be doing this so hadn't any grand plans to start with. Can't really say much about what I would've done differently cos at the time I knew absolutely nothing. lol I had no clue whatsoever what I should have learned. Sure would've been nice to have known about here and my other favorite place. (learned most everything from there and some very nice and extremely patient affiliate managers who will never hear the end of me telling them how great they are lol )
Domain name would've been slightly different (didn't know then) definitely would've learned html and css first before trying to make a site while learning.
I'd say I would've done the niche but at the time couldn't find many ummm bears to try to sell. Still can't. Did actually start out waaaay smaller. Then cos I was small some turned me down when applying so then when some I may not have actually wanted did accept me actually ended up with more than I had intended.
Hmm here comes the oh I'm such a softie. Have some on my site cos I just don't know how to say no if an aff. mgr. writes me a nice email for the ummm how many times nicely inviting me to join their program. Even though I probably didn't really want them but will feel bad turning him down and obviously ignoring isn't going to make them stop sending them....Just can't seem to say no cos I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings....so more gets added to site. So...it's gotten pretty big now. Try as I might the items I am really passionate about or just really like usually aren't the products that sell.
I could go on writing for days but there are by now probably several posts in front of mine even though I started first. lol Maybe I'll come back later for another post of the what ifs. Yes I really am done now. lol

[lingstar]

Morning,

There are only two things I'd have done differently during the 9+ years I've been marketing online.

1.) Not gotten complacent. My first product back in 1998 was magnificently profitable...until the rest of the niche caught on. If I had stayed alert, I would have turned on a dime before I actually had to. In other words, one should not have an ego when dealing with one's business.

2.) Incorporated optins on every single page I built. I created 100s of portals on bunches of niches that generated tons of traffic...just think what kinds of lists I would have today if I had offered an optin newsletter!

One thing Google has taught me...one cannot rely upon SEO for continued profits. Adwords folk recently got slammed, "thin" affiliates pages in the past months started searching for the Titanic, etc.etc.etc. heck, even eBay will be implementing an increase in their fees in the near future!

Being proactive and not falling prey to complacency is key.

A data point,

Barbara

[Rugman.com]

PURPLEBEAR!!!

YAY!

How are you? I agree with Webshack that you should NOT worry about hurting anyone's feelings even if they are mine! You are in business, and what better thing is there than to make it with your passions if you can do it!

[purplebear]

Originally Posted by Rugman.com

PURPLEBEAR!!!

YAY!

How are you? I agree with Webshack that you should NOT worry about hurting anyone's feelings even if they are mine! You are in business, and what better thing is there than to make it with your passions if you can do it!

Hmmmmm somebody knows me here?? Says Toronto and know Andy who think is the big ruggie guy in charge of it is in Fla. and Liz I know is in Canada somewhere but since she's doing her own thing now think she'd have her own co. name and not still Rugman...Hmmm that leaves the current aff. mgr. Dougg. I don't have a clue where he's from and doubt if he remembers who I am anyway. So....that means somebody else is using the username Rugman or I'm more memorable than I think and it is Dougg
Sooooo if it is Dougg.....Hi Yipppeee I actually already know somebody here now Well sorta know lol

Webshack - thanks and don't think you're being a smartass But..ya gotta realize how my mind works. lol If somebody takes the time to send me an email actually addressed to my name and says they had been looking at my site...blah, blah, blah somebody still took the time....and still feel guilty. lol
Knew somebody would be posting while I was doing mine. Quite a few interesting posts

[Rugman.com]

ha ha, yes, it's me, Doug

[MikeDammann]

I would have secured a ton of good domain names.

[theGman]

I wouldn't have take the times of success for granted and slacked off! I would have rather used that time to build deeper and farther for increasing the value the sites offered. A year later later, the tables turned and I'm still trying to get back where I was!

[KenMendonca]

Hey Linda,

Depends on how far back we're going here. I guess the real easy thing to have done would have been to move to Costa Rica, start a poker site and be retired right now. Or go back 5 years move to California, fund Tom and be splitting that 550 million he and his boy got from Rupert Murdoch. Or jump on the Datafeeds much earlier and beat Digg.com to the punch.

But where affiliate marketing is concerned, everything has sort of compensated for the various expansions that have occured through the passage of time. The only real thing you can change is finding an idea that will make people's lives easier or better and follow through with it. That's how you become successful.

[Billy Kay]

I started with ONE merchant - they offered me the same percentage with no customer hassles - if I switched from our drop-ship relationship to their new affiliate program. I made a lot of money and had a problem-free affiliate existence for several years

It wasn't until after I decided to join every merchant at Linkshare did my days change fromm one affiliate-related problem to the next

So... in hindsight, I would...

1. Make websites that I enjoy. This way, when problems arise, at least you're dealing with something you like.

2. Do my homework and research and compare similar merchants so as to avoid the "dogs"

3. Always have a fallback plan - for when a merchant changes its terms, switches networks, etc.

4. Develop a relationship with a merchant PRIOR to applying to their program, so that you both know who you are and what you do before you become "partners"

5. I didn't know these boards existed until about 2 years ago. Communicating with merchants and other affiliates is imperative to success. So, find appropriate forums.

6. Go to summits and conferences so that you can meet people in person. No matter how good your online relationships are, meeting someone in person is irreplacable.

finally...

7. Go with your gut. Even if everyone else says "this merchant stinks", go with your gut. Try. Experiment. Learn. Improve.

[Linda Buquet]

Great points Mike, Gman and Ken!

EDITED TO ADD:

Hey Billy Kay we must have posted at the same time, because I saw you online and was hoping you would weigh in. Welcome to 5 Star and thanks for some GREAT insight!