Category Archives: Affiliate Marketing

Effective online affiliate marketing tips, tactics and methods from a full-time 15-year ‘well-seasoned’ marketing veteran.

ICANN’s New Generic Domains Could Change Everything



BWMagic’s Internet Marketing Newsletter


ICANN’s New Generic Domains Could Change Everything

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I don’t see or hear
much discussion about the new upcoming ICANN changes
to how domains will be named in the future.

Starting next year – between January 2012 to April 2012 –
companies can apply for a “generic” or “dot anything”
domain. Instead of using say a “.com” “.net” “.biz”…
for a price tag of $185,000 a company can buy a domain
such as “www.hotels” or “www.hotel”, which will probably
mean anyone searching on the web for a hotel room could
just type “hotels” into their browser and the site holding
this domain will pop-up.

Assuming of course, ICANN (The Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers) approves this generic
domain and lets someone buy it… the same could
also apply for other lucrative domains such as
cars, loans, banks, gifts… and even brand name domains.

The SEO fallout could be very significant if Google and
the other search engines start listing these Top Level
domains first in their rankings. And how can they not,
because these top domains will quickly grow a whole
list of backlinks if they follow the pattern set by
the web.

As web users get used to just typing in directly what
they’re looking for on the web, this traffic alone could
result in the loss or gain of billions, if not trillions
of dollars.

It also probably means anyone holding a “.com”, “.net”,
“.org”, “.biz”… type of domain, has just seen that
domain being devalued because they are no longer the
top domains. Especially, when it comes to the now perceived
top-level “.com” domains – millions of these domains will
have their values lowered.

These “dot coms” are no longer “king of the hill” and on the
web being at the very top, means everything.

How all this plays out will be very interesting to watch.
How many generic domains are created and what kinds of
keywords ICANN will accept could be especially worth
watching.

After the vote, Chairman of ICANN’s board of directors,
Peter Thrush stated: “Today’s decision will usher in a new
internet age. We have provided a platform for the next
generation of creativity and inspiration. Unless there
is a good reason to restrain it, innovation should be
allowed to run free.”

The key will be the web user’s acceptance of these new
domains… will they still want to use the “.com” at the
end of urls. Or will they stop using the search engines
less and less, by going directly through the browser to
the site for the keyword listed.

The only problem with that, as most affiliate marketers know,
the most lucrative keywords are the “long-tail”, more
descriptive phrases… it is unlikely someone is going
to buy “florida vacation rentals” as a generic domain,
unless browsers are redesigned to go directly to
www.floridavacationrentals, even if you just type in
“florida vacation rentals”.

Of course, one way this could play out, a company would
buy the “www.rentals” domain and then have sub-domains
pointing to the different markets. Such as “florida.rentals”
or “vacation.rentals” and so on.

For big companies and some small ones, if they can afford
the hefty price, it could be a very good way of protecting
their trademarks. Just type in Sony and you go to the Sony
site. Just type in Apple and you go to the Apple site…
if nothing else, it will be faster.

But I have a feeling these new “generic” “dot anything”
domains will play a much bigger role with it comes to SEO
and your rankings in the search engine. They will make a
lot of difference in the amount of traffic your domain receives.

In actual fact, it could really change the web as we know it…

It will no longer be open and available to everyone, because
while the Internet will still be open to any Tom, Dick or Mary,
who has $8 or $10 to buy a domain… the real prize domains
will only now be available for those elite few who can afford
the hefty $185,000 price tag and the $25,000 annual fee.

For more information on this issue and what it could mean
for you as a webmaster go here:



The Internet is Dead, Long Live the Internet




Helping People Succeed Online Since 2002!

Kind Regards,
Titus

http://www.bizwaremagic.com

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How To Monetize Your Web Content



BWMagic’s Internet Marketing News





How To Monetize Your Web Content


Perhaps one of the most frequently asked questions for webmasters
has to be: How do I monetize my web pages? How do I make money
from my online content?

As a full-time online marketer and webmaster, this is a question I
have considered many times and found my own answers through years
of trial and error. Of course, I have taken the passive route in
my quest for that online income. This means instead of producing
my own products, I market and promote affiliate goods and services.
I do NO direct selling on any of my websites, I collect no money
and I don’t even have a payment program or system in place.

All my income and commissions come from referring traffic or clients
to the affiliate companies which I promote. Totally passive.

These companies do all the selling, delivery of products, customer
support, everything… I just get a small percentage for having
referred that customer or client. This passive method has worked
extremely well for me but keep in mind, selling your own products
and services will be much more lucrative since you will receive
the majority of the profits instead of just a small commission
or referral fee.

However, if you’re like me and want a more “hands-off” passive income
from your web content, here are some of the things I have learned over
the years. You might find some of these tips helpful in your own
monetization. I have placed these tips in the form of a “q and a”
format…



1. Should I use Google Adsense?


While placing Google Adsense ads on your site or blog is extremely
easy, the rates are very low. You can make 10 to 100 times more
by using affiliate links instead of these ads. For example, for one
Adsense click you could get anywhere from a few cents to several dollars,
whereas with an affiliate program you can get from $10 to $100+ for
a click which turns into a sale. However, Google is one of most respected
and reliable companies on the web. They pay on time and should not be
ignored. I have used Adsense for years mainly because you can’t always
find affiliate programs for some content and besides, you can place
both affiliate links and Google Adsense on your pages.


2. Should I use Amazon?

Another very simple way to monetize your content is to place Amazon
products and referral links on your pages. Amazon’s referral rates
are slightly better than Google Adsense especially if you have high
volume sales but they are still lower in general. However, I have
found users tend to really trust Amazon and buy from them more frequently
and more often so conversion rates are much higher than any other
affiliate program I have used. For this reason alone, Amazon should
be on your list if you want earn money from the web. I have been
using them for years and find building your links are very easy,
so too is building whole “A Stores” on a particular topic or line
of products.


3. What is ClickBank and Should I use it?

ClickBank is one of the largest affiliate networks for downloadable
products such as ebooks and software. They pay some of the largest
commissions, 40% to 50% or more is very common. Very reliable, I have
been using them for years and you should include some ClickBank products
on your pages. Please note that ClickBank does deduct a small percentage
of your commissions to cover any returns, but it also means you don’t
have any dropped commissions – once you make a sale, you will get paid
for it.


4. What are affiliate networks?

Affiliate networks, like Commission Junction and LinkShare, are major
players in the online affiliate world. These affiliate networks represent
thousands of companies which offer products and services that webmasters
can promote. They handle all sales transactions and send out your
commission checks each month. Most of my affiliate programs are through
these affiliate networks with CJ being the top one mainly because
they have excellent feedback and tracking.

5. How do I find a profitable affiliate products or service?

Regardless of what you’re promoting, you must be very careful to pick
quality products that’s closely related to your content. These two factors
will mainly determine your conversion rates, although product ads and display
images do play a small part. If you use a network like Commission Junction
they will tell which company is making the most sales, they will also tell
you which ads are getting the highest return with the actual dollar amount
(EPC – earnings per 100 clicks). I always use this data when picking which
companies and products I promote on my sites.

6. Why do I need to create different income streams?

The real beauty of running an online business, you can have many different
income sources which pay you each month. You should plan on having at least
10 to 20 income streams, if one should dry up, you will have the others to
depend upon. Once you have quality traffic coming to your website, it is
just a matter of placing different affiliate links on your pages, I like
including at least three or four different companies on a page, this way
you can easily create different income streams for the same page. Throughout
your site, don’t just rely upon one company or product, have many different
affiliate links and companies.

7. What should be your main strategic objective?

Don’t make this mistake, instead of making one sale and getting paid for
it once, pick products and services which give you a re-occurring or
residual income. You do the same promotion and work but get paid for
years to come. I am still earning income on sales I made five years ago.
This will significantly improve your bottom line or your return on investment.
Products and services which have a monthly billing element are good candidates
for residual income… such as web hosting, autoresponder services,
tele-communications and so on. Don’t rule out forming partnerships
with businesses in the subject of your website, you might be surprised
at the response you get.

Effectively monetizing your web content will largely determine if you succeed or not, so try some of the tips above. Of course, there are many other ways to monetize your traffic such selling direct ads and links on your pages. The list above is not my full list but they are some of my top-performing programs and they should also work for you and your web content.

If you need more help why not try our online Affiliate Guide:
Affiliate Marketing Guide




Helping You Succeed Online Since 2002!

Kind Regards,
Titus

http://www.bizwaremagic.com

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Simple Marketing Tips For Black Friday & Cyber Monday



BWMagic’s Internet Marketing News





Some Simple Marketing Tips For Black Friday & Cyber Monday


just a short email this week since I am extremely busy gearing
up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Since I do a lot of targeting
to the “gift markets” especially corporate business gifts, I have
been updating my pages with the constant flow of offers/discounts
coming from the different companies which I promote.

Regardless of whether you’re promoting affiliate or your own
products… you should be taking advantage of next week and the
following weeks leading up to the Holiday Season. These have
always been my most profitable times, especially the days following
ThanksGiving.

Although I must sound like a broken record and I know not
everyone reading this is into online marketing, but targeting
the “gift markets” is still one of my most effective ways to earn
online revenue. Getting buyers when they are ready to buy is
the whole key.


Obviously, someone looking for a gift is ready to buy.


Now you can target different kinds of gifts: wedding gifts,
graduation gifts, christmas gifts, holiday gifts, birthday gifts…
any occasion where people give gifts to loved ones or colleagues.

If you’re selling your own products – try to find a way to
promote them in any one or all of these gift niche markets.
This can be an easy way to boost your sales.

Since I am into affiliate marketing, many if not all of the
companies I promote, have special holiday discounts and deals.
Combining these holiday discounts with the gift market has
been a winning formula for me.

It has proven very effective since promoting holiday gifts with
special discounts will increase your sales. People are in the mood
to buy a gift but in these harsh economic times, they also want
a bargain and a way to save money. Just give them what they’re
looking for on your web pages.

While I promote products mostly through the big affiliate networks
such as Commission Junction, LinkShare and Shareasale… another very
good one for me has been Amazon.

Now, I find Amazon commission rates to be rather low compared to what
you can get through CJ and the other networks. However, there is a catch,
and it’s rather significant. Over the years, I have found that featured
Amazon products on my sites have a much higher conversion rate than
anything else that I have tried.


That is, you will get less for selling Amazon products but you will
sell more of them.


One of the major reasons I believe why this is the case has to do
with trust. Online buyers have come to trust Amazon. They know
they will get fast service and they will have few problems if
they want to return an item. This reputation or trust has been
built up over the years and can prove very beneficial to your
online marketing.

Another reason Amazon products convert very well is the low prices
offered. Prudent shoppers know where they can get a good deal and Amazon
is one of those recognized places that’s in the back of everyone’s mind.

Furthermore, another reason why I believe Amazon products sell so well
has to do with the very convenient way product ads can be placed on
your site… an image is given and the buyer just has to place the
cursor over this image and more information pops up – usually the price
appears, along with consumer ratings. Very effective.

Regardless of whether you’re heavily into affiliate marketing or just
want to earn some extra cash from your site or blog, I would strongly
recommend trying some closely related Amazon products. Tying in these
products with the upcoming Holiday Season gift market could prove very
effective for you – I know it works for me and my sites.

If you still have trouble finding buyers or visitors to your site
who are in the right “mindset” to buy, I would suggest you use this
handy tool from Microsoft which tells you the commercial intention
of your keywords.




Helping You Succeed Online Since 2002!

Kind Regards,
Titus

http://www.bizwaremagic.com

Did you find the above information helpful? If so, why not
help spread the word – recommend this content by using
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