what is an affiliate marketing website supposed to look like?

[shortylow50]

Hi,
Ive been reading these forums for a little while, but this is the first post. I think i am ready to start building my webpage, but i really dont know how to start.

Am i supposed to build a website about the topic, and discretely promote the product?

OR...

Am i supposed to build a webapge AROUND the product and flat out promote the hell out of it?

If anyone is willing to share one of their affiliate marketing websites with me, it will really help me out in getting started. I understand that you may not want to share it with the public, but maybe you can pm me?

ANyways, this forum has really gotten me interested in affiliate marketing. Thanks everyone.

[Linda Buquet]

Hi shortylow50,

Welcome to 5 Star. Well affiliates don't like showing their sites and I can't because it's a breach of privacy, but I can give you some ideas.

There are as many ways to build an affiliate site as there are ways to build any other type of site. There are many different strategies. Some of the big affiliates have sites that are big malls filled with thousands of products. That's not a good way to start, but that's one example.

You can do a search for about any type of product like digital cameras or luggage or a merchant like Best Buy, Overstock, Walmart, Amazon and find tons of affiliate sites - all set up differently but you can get some ideas and see them. Google XYZ coupon code and most of the sites that come up will be affiliate sites - that's just one type - coupon sites. Some affiliate sites look so good you'll think it's an actual ecomm site - but when you click to buy you end up at a different site - the merchant's site - then you know it was an affiliate.

Some focus on a single type of product and write reviews. Some are howto sites, some are coupon sites, some are article sites, some are shopping comparison sites, some are pure sales sites - there is every type of affiliate site out there you can imagine.

One strategy I recommend and many smart affiliates these days use, because the net is so competitive - is try to come up with a unique smaller niche. Some topic or need or disease or problem or hobby that a small niche of people are interested in but one that hasnt been marketed to death yet. Then an easy way to start is to do a blog. Variety of options there. Then AFTER you figure out the topic, generate some content and start getting traffic you can start adding affiliate links.

The thing is it takes LOTS of targeted traffic to make any sales. So don't even worry about joining affiliate programs at 1st. Concentrate on building a site that has value, then after you get it going start thinking about how to monetize it.

That way instead of trying to learn everything about building sites, writing content, marketing and affiliate stuff all at the same time and getting so overwhelmed you get no where and quit, just focus on building the foundation 1st. The foundation is finding your niche, researching the right keywords, building a site or blog, generating content and then learning to market the site.

Read all the stickies in the newbie forum. Then start reading the niche forum to learn how to research niches. There are many ways to get started, so you need to learn some of the options and get a feel for what may work best for you.

We're here to help you along the way!

[shortylow50]

Hi Linda,

Thanks so much for the great advice. You can be sure I will be sticking around the forum for quite a while. Anyways, when I start to build my site and am ready to pick a program, do you suggest the big ones or the ones that are more "underground" (assuming it is all the same niche)?

[Linda Buquet]

Well it really depends, don't think there is a right answer.
If by big you mean a program on a network like CJ - there are benefits
and it's easier to start there for most I think - but there are also some drawbacks
to working with certain networks.

If you find an in-house program or smaller program not on a network, there could be less competition but you have more concerns about whether you will get paid and if the tracking is working right. Also if you join a variety of in-house programs it can be a pain because each has a different log in, different reports, totally different everything so you have to learn each one and it's just more time consuming.

Testing is good - to optimize your chances of success it's probably good to use a couple different programs and test which one converts better. Even if one pays lower commish if it converts twice as well then you still could be ahead with that one.

[mattcook620]

Wow solid advice. I think we could all learn something from that.

Cheers.

[shortylow50]

Thanks for the info everyone. I have another question. Since it seems to be not a very good idea to share your site with the public, how would a newbie like me ask for advice/changes on my site once it is almost done?

[Linda Buquet]

Oh when your site is new it would not be that big of a deal to ask for a site review here and we could help and give you some tips. Don't share it though if you think you've found a super niche or if you are doing something very unique.

The pros don't share their money makers due to site stealers, idea stealers and the potential of creating extra competition in their space. But if it's just a new site, not making money yet not as much a concern plus down in site review not that many will see it and the ones that do can give some valuable feedback.
I just would not put it your link in any forum sigs where tons of other affiliates would see it.

[Lisa76]

Hi shortylow50

Just to give you another example, I remember when I was researching mp3 players about a year ago I found a site created by a guy who was an mp3 player junkie. He had purchased about 10 different brands in a few short years and compared/reviewed them all. You could tell this guy really knew his stuff.

He joined related affiliate programs and for each review he would send the person to the appropriate site to buy the product with his affiliate link.

I thought that was such a great example of taking a product you have a great interest in and building up a gigantic information site surrounding it. There must've been at least 200 pages on different mp3 related topics from downloading music to creating playlists, etc.

Some people are very clever at finding hot niches and creating profitable affiliate sites, but I've always been a fan of building your affiliate business around topics or products that interest you.

[shortylow50]

Ok this sounds like a good plan. Anyways, I am starting to build my webpage, but before I get to far into it, what do you think is the better approach?

1. Have the landing page a basic preview of whats to come, then draw them deeper into your further pages (within the same website) where you can write/promote your product in more detail?

or...

2. Write/Promote the products on the landing page and try to make a sale right there?

Again, all the help I've received from everyone is very much appreciated! Thanks a lot!

[Linda Buquet]

If you are doing PPC then yes a landing page. If you are going to try to get traffic through natural search then ideally you want multiple pages of content written with specific keywords that tie into the niche. Bass fishing lures, fly fishing Colorado, how to catch more fish, whatever. Each page would be a doorway from the search engines that focuses on specific keywords and topics people in the niche would be searching for. The more pages you have, the more open doors and the more potential traffic you could attract.