As I stated in My "Intro"...... Where to begin?

[bronco]

I am @ the Start - Gates to Affiliate Marketing,
so my 1st question is.................................

I've found a Company and its Products, I desire to Promote,

Where do I begin ?
What are my 1st...hesitant - baby-steps ?
Is there a "Simon Says"....within the forum that'll recommend,suggest,
or advise me in these matters - please ?

Thanking-the-forum in anticipation,

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi bronco,

There's no single blueprint or step-by-step guide that works for everyone. Too many variables. Plus if there was one perfect guide, everyone would be doing the same thing and no one would get ahead.

So best thing is to read all the stickies here in the newbie forum for starters.
Some of the best free advice on the net is available in those threads.

Then after you read all those and get a little bit better idea of what direction you may want to head,
ask a more specific question and we'll try to answer. At that time you can also give us a general idea about what niche your planning to pursue and what skills you have and we can try to lead you a little better from that info.

 

[petervz]

Best place to start I think is finding a hungry market. No point in trying to sell ice to Eskimos right? For the product you have, put yourself in the shoes of the people who you want to buy it. Why do they need it? How will it make their life easier/better? If you can think along these lines you will be in great stead for a lucrative "career" in affiliate marketing.

 

[James Martell]

Hi Bronco,

I am in the process of walking my wife Arlene through each of the steps I use to create a profitable site.

In her case, she is marketing a product for a merchant, plus she is also selling an e-book she has written on the site. The site is about epilepsy and the related health issues.

The first thing I had her do was to create a visitor profile for the site. We did this during a 40-minute car ride and about 30-minutes the following day when we went for brunch together.

To accomplish the task, I asked her the following questions and we worked back and forth until we found the right answers. The result is a strong profile detailing exactly who her visitors are.

And, now that she has a detailed profile of her visitors, it's far easier for her to create the content for the website because she knows who her visitor is and what problems they are hoping to solve. Her job, is to provide the solution.

These are the questions I asked her: (and her answers)

#1 - Who is Your Visitor?

• mostly moms
• dads
• grandparents and close relatives (i.e. aunts)
• people with epilepsy

#2 - What is Your Visitor Feeling When They are Searching Google?

• frustrated
• desperate
• scared
• worried
• feeling helpless
• feeling overwhelmed
• anxious

#3 - What Problem Are They Attempting to Solve?

• seizure control
• treatment options
• not seeing results with current treatment plan
• personality changes
• long term prognosis
• want to understand what they are dealing with lack of understanding
• conflicting advice

#4. How Would You Like Your Visitor to Feel When they Arrive on Your Site?

• they have found a friendly place where they can get some answers
• they can talk to someone who knows what they are going through
• there is someone who has been through it before them
• there is hope
• welcome, trusting, relief

#5. What Would You Like the Visitor to See?

• this site was created by one of them - (mom to a mom)
• smiling faces
• friendly pictures
• my photo in the header graphic (maybe with Adam)
• success stories
• warm colors
• a homey feel

#6. What Would You Like Your Visitor to be Able to Do?

• tell there story
• a place to vent
• chat with other people who are going through the same thing
• get their questions answered
• easily find and purchase relevant books, products, etc. (advertorials, banners, product feeds, AdSense etc.)
• post pictures of their kids
• listen to audio
• watch video
• learn about and register for events they can attend
• post what's cool about their kid
• contact us
• Arlene Bio

#7. What Is My Goal for the Visitor?

• to become a member
• to sign-up for the newsletter
• to find what they are looking for
• make it easy for them to join the chat forum and upload their photo
• make it comfortable for them to tell their story
• upload a photo of their child
• join us for events
• want them to feel part of a community
• want them to bookmark the site
• want them to tell their friends
• want them to buy my ebook
• want them to answer my surveys
• want them to click on Google AdSense ads
• return to the site three or four times a week

#8. What Do I Want to Know About My Visitors?

• first and last name
• email address
• where they live (profile info)
• how they found the site
• how long they are spending on the site
• how many visitors are becoming members (name and email address)
• how many members are active
• how many members (and visitors) purchase the ebook

#9. What Features Do I Need to Accomplish the Above on My Site?

• sign-up for newsletter
• distribute newsletter
• chat forum
• blog
• photo gallery
• comments
• member management
• survey
• audio
• video
• events calendar
• contact us form
• Amazon
• Google Analytics
• Google AdSense
• Google Site Maps

I have found that it is the visitor profile that helps to clarify exactly what pages and types of features you need on your site and what to do next.

The visitor profile makes it much easier for you to craft the content (text, images, audio, video, etc.) because you will know exactly who you are writing to, what problem they are attempting to solve and their state of mind...which allows you to better serve their needs, which leads to an increased conversion on both sales and newsletter subscriptions.

I have a similar list for a site I am building in the automotive industry, however the answers are vastly different, but I find the outcome is always the same, which is a clearer picture of the tasks I need to accomplish.

I hope this helps.

James