I get emails on a regular basis asking me how I go about starting a website and making money with affiliate programs. The reader will usually send me his or her website details and tell me their story and I’ll go take a look at what they’re doing.

I usually know without visiting their websites what the problem is. That’s because I continue to see it time and time again. The reason is because many of these beginners are taking the advice of people who have never made a dime with affiliate programs. You see, there is a whole industry out there made up of people who couldn’t hack it in affiliate marketing so they turned to selling crap to Noobs. Noobs don’t know any better so they make excellent targets to be taken advantage of.

So I whipped up a few tips to help you improve your affiliate marketing.

What kind of affiliate program are you using? If you’re trying to sell something like a Chia pet, then you have to realize that it’s been over done and there is little market for something like this online. The best affiliate programs to push are those that are in demand from the masses. Look for niches that few are covering and pick several. Then add traffic for success.

Some beginners choose just any affiliate program. Many times I’ll see them choose a product or service that is currently be advertised by a major company. This company may be advertising on TV, Cable, Radio and in print not to mention online as well. This is a huge mistake unless you have an unlimited advertising budget and the resources to get your website to the top of the search engine rankings. Few beginners do.

Sadly, a lot of beginners give up before they find success. Affiliate marketing is not an over night success. It takes time and patience. I’ve bought a number of websites of affiliate marketers who were getting out of the business. The previous owners had done an excellent job of promoting their website, but didn’t wait around to see that promotion pay off. Usually I’ll start to see income from their affiliate program within a month or so.

Another common mistake I see beginners make is driving the wrong type of traffic to their affiliate offers. It doesn’t matter if you have the best deal on the Internet, if you’re driving people who have no use or who are not in the buying mode, then your efforts are going to fail. As the old saying goes, sell to people who are wanting to buy your product! If you’re driving hordes of Social traffic to your site and wondering why you’re not making the sales, it’s because Social traffic does not convert well. These people are just surfing the Internet looking for something to read, they’re not in the buying mode. Organic search engine traffic converts much better.

One last thing I see beginners fail to do is pre-sell their products and offers. What will make someone buy from you rather than them continue to shop for the best deals on the Internet? You have to convince the traffic that you get that they need to buy right then. If you’re unsure of how to do this, read several books on copywriting or have it done for you.

Related Articles