MARKETING IDEAS and TOOLS
Business Card Design Ideas
Brochure Design Ideas
Die Cut Business Cards
Scented Business Cards
Cheap Business Card Ideas
Unique Business Cards
Unique Brochure Ideas
Cheap Advertising Ideas
Business Card Layout
Promoting a Home Based Biz
Competitive Advantage
Email Marketing Tips
3 Ways To Spend Less
Selling With Color
Promotional Magnets
MARKETING STRATEGIES
Differentiate Yourself
Information Marketing
Building Customer Loyalty
Getting Customer Feedback
Testimonials
How to Define a Niche
Discovering Niches
Finding New Customers
Indirect Benefits
The Consumer's Perspective
Promotional Marketing
Pricing Products and Services
Viral Marketing Magic
Marketing Mix
STARTUP IDEAS and STRATEGIES
Home-Based Startup Ideas
Business Idea Brainstorming
Virtual Assistant
Internet Researcher
Event Planner
Wedding Consultant
Telecommuting Strategies
Freelance Job Strategies
WEBSITE MARKETING
Build Traffic to Your Website
Domain Name Ideas
5 Ways to Increase Traffic
Scavenger Hunts
Talking Avatars
Promote Your Web Page
Autoresponders
Internal Links
Link Exchange Tips
Viral Marketing and Email
Attract Your Target Market
Market Your Website Offline
KEYWORD TIPS
Keyword Competition
Keywords and Meta Tags
Prime Spots for Keywords
Keyword Phrases
AFFILIATE MARKETING
How To Get Started
Residual Income
Affiliate Agreements
ONLINE BASICS
Choosing Domain Names
Domain Name Extensions
Website Design Strategies
Learning HTML
Understanding HTML Colors
Are Your Colors Web-Safe?
How to Accept Payments
Bandwidth: Doing The Math
Find The Right Web Host
Publish Your Website
MARKETING YOURSELF
Resume Tips
Affiliate Programs:
What To Watch Out For
When you invest your time, you should earn a favorable rate of return on that investment. That's how affiliate programs should work, but they don't always.What To Watch Out For
Here are a few things to look for - and look out for - when choosing an affiliate program:
In order to receive a commission, website visitors are tracked from your site to the company's site.
So, what happens to your commission if that visitor doesn't buy anything at that time, but returns later and makes a purchase?
In many cases, you get nothing. Your work has only succeeded in giving the company free promotion.
That's why it's crucial to see how your affiliate ID is tracked and for how long.
Your affiliate link may enable you to earn commissions on all products offered by the company - or only one product.
Here's what can happen, and how to avoid it:
Suppose your visitor arrives at The Company's website via your link.
Your affiliate agreement entitles you to commissions for sales of Product A.
However, The Company also has other products. The visitor you referred happens to follow a link on The Company's site to another site operated by The Company that sells other products.
The visitor buys, and they profit.
So, do you get paid? It depends on the affiliate agreement.
If you have any doubt, email the affiliate support department. (If they don't offer support, don't even think about becoming an affiliate.)
Affiliate marketing is a business - don't work for free. If they earn as a result of your efforts, so should you.
If your affiliate ID is only tracked online, make sure that's how customers are ordering.
Many companies have toll-free numbers that make ordering over the phone as easy - or even easier - than ordering online.
If a company with an affiliate program you're considering has offline ordering options, ask them how your affiliate ID is tracked.
In some cases, an affiliate ID may be requested for phone orders.
If not, you may want to look for another affiliate program.
Nancy Richardson
CreateYourMarket.com publisher
Need a writer?
Quick Tips:
Enclose a business card promoting your website with each piece of outgoing mail.
Ask customers who frequently do business with you for a testimonial.
Promote your website URL offline on everything from bumper stickers to your answering machine message.
Want to reach the highest percentage of your target market?
Advertise in specialty publications including newspaper supplements devoted to a specific topic.
Marketing is crucial, but it doesn't always have to be serious.
Some of the most effective advertising campaigns rely on humor. Don't be afraid to make your customers laugh!