We spend a great deal of time researching affiliate sites. With a few exceptions, many of the sites we've reviewed presented nothing more than a bunch of banners down a page - What is known as a "Banner Farm.” And even worse, they often are not in any kind of order! There would be a banner for an adult site followed by a banner for children's clothing.
Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with promoting such a diverse range of products/services - but - the question is; How does a visitor find anything if/when they have to search and sift through everything?! Is that the way you like to shop? Even second-hand stores have items organized into different sections!
Hello?!
The latest information reveals that you'll be lucky if a visitor spends seven seconds scanning your Web site to figure out if they even want to go any further, let alone how to find out where to go to get what they want!
Maybe these affiliates believe they're making the most of what is known as "impulse buying." A ploy merchants of off-line stores use, that basically means they scatter displays throughout their store in hopes of turning a shopper's eye towards something they might not have been thinking about but then decide they want, need or can use.
This "tactic" can be very effective. In fact, many off-line store managers depend on it for a good percentage of their sales and actually design the layout/format of their store and presentation of merchandise to encourage this type of buying.
There needs to be a balance.
Now one major advantage that you, as a manager of an on-line store/Web site, have is that people on the Internet are actively looking for – anything they can find!
They may start out with a special interest or particular item in mind. But the Internet is such an intricately woven network of information, it's impossible for anyone to receive results from a search engine or directory, or even arrive at a Web site, without being exposed to a variety of other information, launching them out into cyberspace in a totally unrelated direction.
As an affiliate of several products/services, you can capitalize on this fact by designing the format of your on-line store/site to do the same thing - Cause visitors to see other products/services that they weren't looking for, but decide they need, want or can use.
If you haven't heard
When you present too many products/services/choices, especially if they're not in some sense of logical order, your visitors can become overwhelmed and confused, in which case = no choice is made! No one will ever reap the rewards of this tactic, of "impulse buying", if/when their visitors become SO overwhelmed by a totally disorganized and confused display of products/services that they give up and simply leave the store/site! We're not suggesting that affiliates devote an entire page to one product/service - Or even one type of product/service.
What we are suggesting is that the best affiliate sites, and consequently the most successful affiliates, design their on-line store/site based on a format much like that of how off-line managers layout their stores. By separating all their products/services into distinct and appropriate departments/categories AND presenting visitors with valuable information that describes the features and BENEFITS of each item.
Remember - A place for everything, and everything in its place!
Another "trick" off-line store managers have learned works very well, and which you might consider making the most of on your on-line store/site something like this; Being as the entry area of any store is the most important property, if for no other reason than that it's the first exposure a visitor has to the rest of the store. Managers strategically place and rotate merchandise, they're wanting to "move" (sell), in this area. They also use it to "test market" items.
Think about how you can utilize this same strategy to move or test one of your products or services. Maybe head up your page with a section titled something like, "This Week's Special Product/Service"!
Rotate the item however often you decide will allow you a chance to gauge visitors' response. This will be an excellent means of determining which of your products/services does best. And it will help you to know which products/services you may need to focus on more.
But Wait!
All thus far in this article doesn't mean anything if…you don't even have a banner or text link on your site! That's right! In our ongoing review of affiliate sites, we've discovered a shocking element! Some affiliates have not even posted a banner or text link, let alone any useful content on their sites! So we have to ask the question - How does anyone promote any product/service without a banner, link or content?! Trying to make money as an affiliate without advertising the product/service is like winking at an attractive person in the dark. You know what you're doing, but no one else does!
If you need help putting up a banner and/or link and/or content to promote your products/services, contact the Merchants!
Remember - Their success depends on your success!
If you apply just the basics of these ideas - no doubt, you'll be on your way to becoming a successful affiliate.
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