What is an affiliate?

An affiliate is, in the simplest terms, a person or a company that sends visitors to a website in return for commission (money).

As an affiliate, you will be given a link to send visitors through, and if those visitors buy a product, you will receive either a percentage of the value of the sale or a set amount. The vast majority of affiliates own their own websites. However, this is not a requirement. You can buy advertising in a variety of forms, and send visitors directly to the product site. The choice is yours, and there are advantages to both ways of doing it!

If you are totally new to affiliate marketing, then please don't worry. It can sound daunting at first, but the rewards of being able to work for yourself are well worth the effort it takes to get started. With affiliate marketing, you really do get out what you put into it. The more time and effort you are able to spend on creating your sites and/or your advertising campaigns, the more money you will earn. It really is as simple as that.

Why should my business become an affiliate?

If you currently have a website, and you have unused "real estate" on that site, you are missing out on an opportunity to attract visitors. One of the most successful affiliate programs your business can take advantage of is Amazon.com. Amazon has hundreds of thousands of products that you can add to your website for the occasional browser, or even the brand loyalist. Granted, large businesses will only show their products or pages related to their brand, but as a small business you may want to expand your horizons. Another affiliate program is Google Adwords. Seriously? Sure. You can target the ads that show on your site to a specific product you do not offer or a business that you've partnered with and have them do the same. Google is also very good at reading the content of your site and targeting ads that complement your business. Networking with other businesses to increase traffic to your website is always a good bet.

Why should my business have an affiliate program?

There are several good reasons why your business needs affiliates. The first is profitability. With affiliates promoting your products and/or services you have a ready workforce of people willing to help your business grow. You also have a workforce that is never late for work, doesn't have to leave early, and there are no other costs associated with hiring someone like retirement, health care, paid vacations. An affiliate is his/her own boss and will work to increase their own income. It's an instant sales force on commission only. Next is visibility. Affiliates will (because of their own interest in making money) make your web site more visible to the browsing public.

Additionally, having affiliates promote your products and services could mean lower advertising costs for your business. Instead of running ads on Google, Bing, or in newspapers, affiliates (in most cases) are much better at using PPC or PPV advertising.

Now the downside to having affiliates is brand loyalty. If your affiliates do not have the tools to promote your products then you have affiliates who look elsewhere for commissions. These tools should include banners, properly formatted links to your offers, and most importantly, fresh content. You should not expect your affiliate team to create the content for you (although there are some who like to do just that) or buy your products to test or promote them. and beware of affiliates who promote in multiple programs - these individuals are looking for whatever the "flavor of the day" is, and you will be competing with other brands similar to your own.

The other benefit to having your own affiliates is the possibility of international sales. The number of affiliates in other countries is increasing and some of these home businesses have a huge network of people they can tap into.

And finally, should you have an affiliate program manager? The best short answer is YES. You should have someone who is dedicated to that one task of managing your affiliate program. This person will track sales and viability of your marketing efforts, and develop tools and creatives for your products/services. An alternative to hiring someone for this function is to outsource to a company that has it's own staff. There are a number of companies that do this everyday.

Well it's getting close to tax time again.Many home businesses that have seen a decrease in their sales will work at completing their taxes on their own.

I have used Turbo Tax for years and find the software to be reliable and easy to use. (Plus my "kids" depend on it to get their taxes done quickly and easily.)
Click on the box below and choose the version that is right for you.

The newest marketing buzz word during the holiday shopping season was "M-shopping". But, as most business owners know the internet and accompanying technologies mean that this has already changed. The new-newest trend to watch in 2012 is "T-shopping". According to a new study from e-commerce marketing and merchandising companies Zmags and Equation Research, 87% of the tablet owners surveyed during the holiday season were using their devices to research, browse and buy products.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/165923/enter-the-t-shopper-tablets-flex-retail-muscle.html#ixzz1jvWzpCmz

And it looks like this trend will continue to grow. The research showed that 53% of tablet owners were using their devices for shopping-related activities at least once a week, with a third doing so more than once a week -- and it won’t ease up in the coming year.

Compared to other methods some purchasers used, "T-commerce" is at the growth center: 49% of tablet owners say they plan to buy more via the tablets in the coming year, compared to 19% of smartphone owners who have said they will buy more using their phones and 20% of consumers surveyed saying they expect to spend more online.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/165923/enter-the-t-shopper-tablets-flex-retail-muscle.html#ixzz1jvWzpCmz

A recent article from Mobile Beat indicates that payments made to PayPal, an online payment processing company, are increasing exponentially. Payments processed in 2011 reached $4 billion, up from $141 million in 2009.

This revelation is offered as proof that your business should be incorporating mobile computing in its' marketing plan. Adding tools such as QR codes, SMS messaging, and developing mobile friendly websites can help increase your profits by increasing the browsing capabilities of mobile device visitors to your website.

After you have setup your mobile website you will undoubtedly attract users who appreciate getting information on their mobile devices. But how do you maintain contact with your mobile users? One way is through email campaigns.

An e-mail campaign is the best way to maintain brand loyalty and keep customers informed of special offers and updates to your mobile website. One service that is available to business owners who are not familiar to this tool is StreamSend. StreamSend offers an easy-to-use, affordable and dependable email marketing software solution designed to help businesses make the most of their time and money.

Right now, you can get a free trial of the service to see if it is a good fit for your business. And they have flexible pricing that lets the service to grow as your business grows.

There are so many companies who are still not jumping onto the mobile bandwagon. In 2012, that will change. The technologies and tools available to businesses is still a "mystery" to some, and a marvel to others. But, there are now many people who can provide the services and assistance to help businesses succeed with mobile marketing.

So, what tool are available right now?

• SMS (text) messaging
• MMS (Multi Message Service)
• CSC (Common SHort Codes)
• VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
• IM (Instant Messaging)

SMS or Short Messaging Service, is used almost exclusively by most mobile phone users, and it can be a powerful tool for your business. Mobile users are curious about most things, but the ability to receive messages about special promotions, new products, or even a simple greeting can attract the attention of many users. And since most mobile providers give their users very low cost, or free, text messaging in their service plan, SMS gets more of their attention. But, be aware that sending someone an unsolicited message is something like spamming. The key is to get users to opt-in to recieving messages from you.

Mobile marketing is not as difficult as it may seem, but it is (or should be) a vital part of your maketing strategy.

If you need help in developing a mobile site, call us at 888-287-8883, or email us, and we'll work with you to make sure your marketing has all of the tools necessary to move your business forward.

Do you use Twitter in your marketing efforts? Most business owners find it a bit strange or awkward to send out a short tweet about their business. But, there is a better way. One program I found very useful is call Tweetglide. It's an application that allows you to send "tweets", but with a twist: You're not limited to 140 characters.

So how does it work? Well, Tweetglide is a desktop application that has features every business owner needs like automated shortened links, the ability see your followers, create groups, create ads, downline messaging, create messages that exceed 140 characters, that are automatically posted, and manage all of your account from one location, and the best part is it's FREE!

Here are some things to know:

1. The main panel, or Home Glide. This is where you will see posts from all of your "friends" or followers. Posts made by you are a different color, which allows you to see your posts quickly and easily. The @Mentions and Direct Messages can also be turned on or off in the Home Glide and are also a different color! When others reply specifically to your tweets or you reply to others, the tweets become "threaded", so when you read replies, they are attached to the message being replied to. No more confusion or searching for the original tweet!
2. Sponsored Tweets - as the name implies, this is where you view ads by other TweetGlide members, as well as your ads. This Glide can be turned off, but can not be moved from the second column as long as it's turned on.
3. @Mentions - an easy way to view any mentions of you. Now you know quickly when people are replying to your tweets, or mention you in other tweets.
4. Direct Messages - view all messages sent to you, or all messages you have sent to others!

What is not shown in the image: you can also create a Glide for Favorites, Filtered Searches, Groups and more. Open all the Glides at once, or toggle any of them on or off to create a totally unique experience! The application is totally customizable. Make it look the way you want for your business.

I've used TweetGlide since it was first introduced and I can tell you that it is far easier to use than the Twitter application. And one of the best things is they're developing a mobile app for it to be released soon. Oh, and yes, all the updates are free as well.

Click on the banner below and download it now. (Oh, and don't forget to watch the video that explains Tweetglide so much better.)

One of the more disparaging aspects of this dismal economy is finding different ways to make an income. Many people are turning to the Internet, and are discovering a slew of "gurus" more than willing to sell you the latest info package on how to best accomplish that task. The biggest frustration comes from the diametrically opposing views and the confusing language that comes from these newly minted "experts".

However, from one corner of the Internet comes an individual who has been successfully marketing online, and who brings the budding Internet Entrepreneur rock solid, straight-forward tips, tools and resources to fulfill that dream of Internet riches. His name is Alvin Phang, and he has been helping people accomplish their goals since 2006.

His blog site, Make Money Online, provides quality information that is useful to everyone. And he proves that you can successfully make money online without the hype.

Check him out. It's worth your time.

The holidays are here and you've just launched your new business online. The web is a huge place and you've told all your friends, family, former co-workers (maybe even the former boss) about your new venture. But is it enough? Your advertising budget is not at the optimal (especially since you spent more on getting started than you wanted to) and you really want people to know you and your products or services. So, how do you get the word out? One very effective resource is eReleases, an online press release service that can get your message out faster and to a very wide audience.

Tell the World about Your Company/Website with eReleases! Get $50 Off Any Regularly Priced Press Release Distribution.Coupon: Gobble

eReleases is having a holiday coupon sale (expires 12/15/11) that you should take advantage of before the crush begins. An online press release gets more targeted traffic to your site, and because of more mobile marketing tools, your worldwide exposure grows.

Developing a marketing budget can be a daunting task, especially with all of the confusion on the Internet today.  But, you can minimize your costs by starting with an online press release, which, by the way, when properly written and formatted for the media by experienced professionals, increases your branding potential.

It's never too late to get started.

I found this interesting article on why you need more than a web site to compete online. You have to have a complete marketing plan of action, that includes articles in targeted industry newsletters, social media strategies and a focused online presence. Click here to read more.