Affiliate marketing is a vastly growing income opportunity. The trick is getting people to visit your site instead of someone else’s, and buy the products from you! It takes planning and forethought to build a great site, and your first step is joining Wealthy Affiliate.
I cannot stress this training enough. Building websites and getting indexed on Google is not for the weak-hearted. Wealthy Affiliate is meant for those of us who do not quite understand the internet marketing process and takes the strain out of building a beautiful website. But a well-constructed site is just the beginning.
In order to draw attention to your site, there are few things to consider, and I will address them in this post. I hope you like checklists because there are questions to ask your self before you begin setting up your affiliate marketing website.
USE OF YOUR WEBSITE
The five P’s drive a business, and this is also true when establishing an internet business: Passion, People, Platform, Product and Promotion.
People can tell if you have passion for what you are selling, just by the way you promote your products.
The first step is establishing your platform. A platform is nothing more than how you will promote your products.
For web building, it is what program you chose to put your website on. WordPress is featured with Wealthy Affiliates, who took the stress out of learning the program. You can set up your theme and start blogging. Most of the WordPress plug-ins that you need for your site are included with your premium membership at WA. All you have to do is upload them.
The second component of building a platform is your ability to get the word out. Who is your target audience and how visible is your site? Begin by asking these questions:
- What do I like to talk about? What do I like to do?
- Who is in the most need of my passion?
Make a list and check it twice - What is the best way to deliver #1 to my ideal audience?
- What assistance or service can I offer?
On your website, you can 1) post a media kit, 2) offer an online course, 3) exchange links with other sites, 4) post articles and blogs, 5) directly provide resources to your readers 6) gather feedback from your readers via the comment section, and of course, 7) market your affiliate links and products.
POINTS TO CONSIDER WHILE BUILDING YOUR WEBSITE
Can visitors easily find what they need? Is your site easy to navigate? Are they drawn in by the format and the topic?
Do I look like a real business? Here are some ways to make that happen:
Put your top offers in plain sight. The less your readers have to search, the more likely they will stay on your site.
Create catchy titles. Finding the keywords that draw in traffic is the key to having a great title. How to do a keyword search is covered in another article.
Make points of interest visible with headings that draw your reader’s interest. The best way to do this is list the topics in your post as an outline and then begin writing beneath the headings. This is a short version of an outline, you do not have to get fancy, but it is a great way to organize your thoughts.
Give your readers a wealth of information. Tell them what they need to know on your site, so they will stay with you and not wander off to another site that gives them more information. How do you know what they want? Ask them, read their comments, search the internet for their interests.
Make your tabs visible and informative. Guide your readers to your blogs so they do not have to search.
Conduct thorough research on your topic. Your authority and expertise on the topic rest on your research. Your readers will know if you are feeding them false information, and once they figure this out, they will no longer visit your site.
Check your links often to make sure they are up-to-date and working properly. How discouraging to click on a link only to find a 404 message. Makes me want to click out of the site and move on. Make your visuals scream CLICK ME!
Respond to your readers comment in a timely fashion. Set a schedule of when you will answer comments, and stick to it. Remember your reader is like you. How do you feel if your comments go ignored? Keep the communication open, and directly answer their questions. Maintain an image of dignity and trustworthiness.
Make sure your content is clear and concise. This takes practice. Refer to writing books to learn how to get your point across in as few words as possible. Follow the guidelines for good writing. Be sure to use proper spelling, grammar, and word usage. Having an extra pair of eyes to proofread your work will eliminate errors and typos that you miss. Do you like sites that are full of misspellings? Is your content compelling enough to make them want more?
Is your site intriguing to your readers? Is it professional looking? Is your subject interesting? Are your images appropriate to your subject? Does the visual aspect of your site inspire uniqueness?
KNOW YOUR READER!
Who reads your blogs? This is not a random question and requires considerable thought. You cannot write for everyone, only a certain audience is interested in your site. Who are these people, what do they like, where do they come from?
Create an ideal client and write out their demographics, so you can have a clear idea of who they are and how to target their interests. Write with this image in mind.
Here are some things to consider:
- Age and gender
- Education, income, and occupation
- Hobbies and sports
- Marital status
- What problem can you solve for them?
THE FOCUS, TONE, AND LANGUAGE OF YOUR WEBSITE
You want your site to be personable, relatable and friendly. Accomplish this by focusing on your visitor’s needs and wants. Sell your product by telling your readers how your product can change their lives and how they will have more time and energy to do what they love. Offer quality products that will improve some aspect of their life. For instance, “CBD oil will improve your pain and sleep.” What better claim could there be than that? Make it personal, but do not dwell too much on you. Ask yourself what you like in a website. Use this as a guide for building an exceptional site.
PROMOTE YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS
Use the about page or welcome page to let your readers know a little bit about you. Here you can identify your expertise and why you are qualified to help them. Two or three sentences are all that is necessary. No need to go into your life history.
A word about a profile photo: With Facebook’s new facial recognition software, posting a picture of yourself online is risky to your safety. It is impossible to stay anonymous with an internet business. You want to establish trust, and images of people ensure trust. While you do not want to cultivate a “faceless corporation,” you also do not want to increase your risk of having your personal information stolen.
What you want to feature on your site about yourself is a personal decision. In another post, we talk about building brands and logos, and an eye-catching logo often can have as much appeal as a face.
It is important, though to give your audience a way to contact you, at the very least an email address. Be sure to have your contact information prominently displayed. Some companies put “Contact Us” in the smallest print possible, and then make you answer a series of questions before you can get their email or phone number. Make it easy for people to find you.
FINAL THOUGHTS: SUCCESS IS IN THE DETAILS
Building a beautiful and appealing website takes work and dedication, but in the long run, you will gather momentum with an increase in traffic. Use a professional tone and language, stick to the facts, do not mislead your customers, and you will establish a long-term relationship with them. If they profit from your services, they will come back time and again, and will spread the word to their friends, both on social media and in person.
Word of mouth is the best advertising medium. Remember Deming’s principle: A satisfied customer will tell two people about your great service. A dissatisfied customer will tell ten people about your horrible service.
Build a great website, offer terrific products and service, and you will be on the road to success.
Business is about connections.
Being comfortable and feeling safe.
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