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Maybe you've thought about starting a business online, but
you're just not sure what you can sell. There is so much
competition on the internet that you may fear sinking a lot of
money into something that will just never be successful. What
are your options?
AFFILIATE PROGRAMS - GOOD STARTERS
Affiliate programs are possibly the easiest type of online
business to start running. Why?
Well, in order to start any online business you need a product
or service to sell. First, you need to create the product. Then,
you will have to create a website, write advertisements and set
up a marketing plan. If it's a physical product you are selling
then you're going to be limited by the amount of time it takes
to make or buy the item, package it and ship it. Then, there's
the issue of accepting payments and filling orders. We haven't
even started talking about refunds and returns!
This is a daunting task especially if you've never run an
internet business.
AFFILIATE PROGRAMS ARE THE ANSWER
So, what ARE affiliate programs?
Affiliate programs allow you to be the "sales force" for someone
else's product or service and earn commissions for each sale.
You may be pretty internet savvy without ever noticing that many
companies offer you the ability to become an affiliate. Check
for the "affiliate program" links which are placed in a discreet
manner on many sites. One big advantage is that you do not need
to build a website (though you can) or handle the transaction or
fill the order. Your job is to drive traffic (customers) to your
affiliate link. When a sale is made, the affiliate will send you
a commission!
Signing up to become an affiliate is usually a pretty simple
task. It usually involves filling out a web page providing some
basic information about yourself. In turn, the company will give
you an affiliate link. This is a special URL code that will
identify that a customer came to the company's site from your
advertising. It is usually the website address with a code
attached to the end.
HOW DO I CHOOSE A PROGRAM?
There are several factors to consider in choosing an affiliate
program.
1. It should be free to join.
2. It should be a high quality product or service.
3. The product should pay you a good commission. Unless you are
selling a big-ticket item or one which offers residual income,
you should look for commissions of 25% or more. Note: Often you
will find electronic products and services will offer the best
commission rates due to the low overhead of this type of
business.
4. The affiliate should have a professional looking website with
effective sales content.
5. Do they provide marketing resources for you? Some affiliates
will offer a wealth of marketing help including banners, product
feeds and more. Some will even include a ready-made web page for
you!
You will probably want to pick a few popular affiliates in the
general area of your interest. You don't want to be affiliated
with too many products because you probably won't be able to
effectively market all of them.
START MARKETING
Affiliate programs are great for beginners since you can focus
all your energy on marketing. As you gain experience and learn
the internet marketing business, you can make adjustments and
start building a wonderful income!
About the author:
Dave Keegan's web site, www.dkeeganonline.com, offers resources
to help you build a successful internet business. While
visiting, don't forget to sign up for his *free* 5-part
newsletter entitled "Online Advertising for the Completely
Clueless".
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