Financial Literacy Affiliate Program

Are you familiar with Dave Ramsey? The National Financial Literacy Network offers similar products to help individuals rid themselves of debt. The package, which I always thought this was comical, costs an amazing $149.95. So explain to me how a company can be concerned with your financial well being and still be interested in taking 150 bones out of your pocket?

At any rate, financial mangement is big money, therefore NFLN has launched an affiliate program. The program is available to webmasters, bloggers, and newsletter producers are encouraged to help sell this Do-It-Yourself product.

The Dallas-based National Financial Literacy Network today launched their affiliate program that enables webmasters, bloggers and email newsletter distributors to remarket NFAN products and earn 25 percent from sales the affiliate generates. Those interested in becoming an affiliate can go to www.nfan.com and click on the “Become an Affiliate” link to register.

It's success is mentioned on the official website, but for webmasters, we're more interested in the commission we would receive. 25% is nothing to sneeze at, so get signed up if your blog and/or website offers any sort of financial advice.

PayPerPost Referrals

A few of my more loyal readers have already hooked me up by allowing me to refer them to PPP. PayPerPost is a network of bloggers and advertisers that allows people like you and me to earn revenue for the posts we make. Advertisers give us opportunities, we blog about the opportunities, advertisers pay PPP, and PPP pays us via paypal.

I'd like to sing up as many as possible, so if your not a member yet and live in the US just drop me your email in a comment. For every person that I refer to the network I earn $5, not a bad way to make money.

Currently there have been discussions that PPP will offer their affiliate program in the form of links. Although it is a bit cumbersome to exchange emails, it does open the blog up to some nice conversation and allows me to meet my readers.

NoFollow Affiliate Links

With my latest project moving full steam forward and having enjoyed the luxury of top placement in the SERPs, I discovered something disturbing. Within 48 hours of me placing my affiliate links up, the site that I was affiliating for moved ahead of me in the SERP. While this could be a coincidence, I may be contributing to their success...more than I want.

I want people to find me, not them!

Online affiliating can be a dangerous game, especially considering most businesses have larger ad budgets than their affiliates. When at the whim of search engine traffic, one can't be too careful when it comes to link juice. Let's hope that by building more specific backlinks with specific anchor text I can overcome the affiliate SERP ranking.

I need to do some more research into the effects of "nofollow" on affiliate links and whether it is even allowed by most programs. Once I have some more specific data I'll report back.

Learning SEO

SEO techniques change almost daily and keeping up with what the Search Engines are doing can be a full time job. The easiest way to keep up with such a fast paced market is to monitor weblogs.

Apogee offers a great SEO Blog, that offers up the latest in search engine optimization. Updated on a regular basis following this blog makes it easy to follow trends in SEO and PPC. Successful website designs starts with quality research, Apogee offers a great resource, so check it out!

Domain Name Affiliate Program

NetRegistry has launched a new affiliate program that helps remove the burden of offering support and other requirements of reselling hosting. This affiliate scheme was designed to help businesses that wanted to sell domain related services, but didn't have the expertise associated with the support side.

"This scheme really suits organisations that want to provide these services to customers but don't want to be responsible for ongoing billing. For example, a Web designer," he said. "In this way, resellers can maintain relationships with customers but we handle the back end."

I'm sure all are aware of the low price of domain names, therefore the affiliate commission is very low. However, earning $.10 per domain purchase can really add up and you receive the commission for the life of the customer. I've already purchased over 25 domains in my short existence in webmastering, imagine how many teh big dogs are purchasing.

The Adsense Alternative

Blogging on the internet is the latest and greatest thing and for some a method to get-rich-quick. The number one tool used by bloggers, especially those on BlogSpot.com, to make money is Google Adsense.

Google Adsense is contextual advertising, which essentially takes the guess work and leg work out of advertising on a site. The ads displayed are triggered by certain keywords in posts, therefore making the ads relevant. Phenomenal idea that works for some, but not most.

The problem with Google Adsense is first to receive a check you must have earned $100. Although this may not seem like a lot, it is whenever you are only receiving pennies on the click. This is typical CPC(cost per click) for bloggers and google wants it this way, their latest is smart pricing, which we'll get into at a later date.

The alternatives to Adsense are few and far between, but leading the way is PayPerPost.com, a beta project I've mentioned on a number of occasions. Essentially a blogger is paid to post about certain products, services, or sites in general to generate a buzz. Perhaps this is the next step in Blogger revenue building techniques, Adsense may just be dead for bloggers.

Positioning Your Affiliate Site

I've mentioned previously in this blog the importance of positioning your website for prelaunch products. Today I've learned just how important that really is, especially following major announcements.

The product I'm affiliating for made an official announcement yesterday stating the launch date and pricing info. Following the information my site was literally flooded with search engine traffic, so much so that it virtually shut down my servers. All of the traffic stimmed from keywords that I had been targetting, but was not heavily searched. Now that the info is available, the number of searches hunting for my keywords has went through the roof.

24hrs after this announcement and I am well on my way to affiliate stardom. As I compile the specifics I'll keep this blog updated.

The MySpace Marketer

Interesting enough, MySpace can be a phenomenal place to market any website that you own. However, creating a presence, a persona, or even a reputation can be difficult amongst the sea of sameness.

To help in the matter of setting your self apart from the rest, avatars are often used to help individualize people. It’s difficult however, for those without Photoshop skills, to create their own avatar or rendition of oneself on the internet. To help, TheDollPalace.com offers a number of avatars for you to create, personalize, and then use as avatars as you see fit.

Although the doll maker program can be used for alternative purposes, it most definitely can create a welcoming persona on MySpace. If your like me, you don’t like showing your face anywhere, especially internet social networks, so this offers a simple alternative.

Below is an example of what TheDollPalace.com is capable of creating, flashy and perfect for the MySpace crowd.

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With a flashy presence on MySpace individuals will be more likely to add you to their friends list. Therefore you will have a larger audience to market to once you start sending out those ever important myspace bulletins. My MySpace research is still undergoing testing, however, as of today it is a free source of traffic…looking very promising.

MySpace Advertising

MySpace, a popular social networking site(you should know this by now, duh!?), has a bohemeth of an audience to market to, putting it lightly. There are ways to tap into this resource, but use caution when moving forward.

For example, it's probably pointless, depending on your niche, to target any and every person on myspace. However, by doing searches on topics that cover your niche you can easily find a number of people to add as friends, for whom you will advertise to. Currently, I'm experimenting with users in the gaming industry and my ability to 'market' my affiliate site to them.

I'm keeping close tabs on the numbers and hope to be able to provide a decent resource for MySpace marketing techniques. One of the biggest problems to overcome is the number of indivduals using the service, that don't have money. Persistance pays off in numbers...right?

Paper Hanger

It seems like most days I'm busier than a one armed paper hanger, but I really shouldn't be. If the boss of our location was a little bit more in the managerial field I think things would be a little smoother.

ManagerAssistant.com offers a great program that helps with managerial duties and increase productivity. Their latest toolset features the ability to help with Employee Apprasials and Reviews. It'd be nice to get a raise every once in awhile in my 9-5, that is until my online affiliate plans take off. ;)

Affiliate Planning

When we talk about affiliate marketing we are talking about products that are readily available from specific vendors. However, what about getting a jump on the affiliate train and start building sites targeted to pre-release products?

I have created a site that is focusing entirely on a product that has yet to launch. There is a large buzz around the internet focusing on this product and potential launch dates have been announced. The benefit that I have is that my site is aged, has already been optimized, and is receiving several hundred hits daily for a very specific phrase and this phrase pays BIG.

Planning ahead and watching product markets that interest you can pay off in the long run. Target products or services that your interested in, build a site focused on this upcoming opportunity and promote, promote, promote. Eventually there will be venues for affiliating that product, that's when you start cashing in. Good luck and happy affiliating.

SEO, A Part of Your Affiliate Plan

Success on the internet takes many forms, however to get there it only takes one thing, traffic. The greatest source of traffic on the internet comes from Search Engines. SEO(Search Engine Optimization) is the optimization of your site so that it's listed at the top of SERPs. Finding a company that is qualified can be difficult, but if your looking for Search Engine Marketing in Austin, then I can recommend Apogee-Search.com.

Apogee-Search.com is the fastest growing SEO company in Texas and offers a number of different services. From Paid Search Advertising to Affiliate Marketing programs, Apogee-Search has the bases covered in regards to optimizing your site for traffic and ROI(Return on Investment). Get the traffic and start earning revenue, Apogee-Search can help.

Paid to Post

On occasions there will be posts here that appear to be slightly out of place or rather not focusing on my typical subjects. These posts are more often than not instruments of capitalism and my relentless pursuit at earning revenue on the internet.

I accept posting offers from companies, through Blogitive.com and PayPerPost.com and in return I am paid through PayPal for my services and links. I'm not getting rich off this endeavor, but it is fun to do and is a quick source for a few extra dollars. However, paid-to-post services are still in their infancy and Nailsblog.com offers up a great review of one of the services. Nailsblog does a blogitive review and offers up some deciding points on which service is best for you.

Tips On Internet Marketing

This post was inspired by a thread at DP and as such I decided to summarize for my visitors here. The idea behind website marketing is simple as such, but becoming successful is a completely different story. Competition, bankroll, and unpredictable search engines can create a load of troubles for beginner webmasters. Below is a few suggestions made by the friendly people at DP.

• Browse and Read DP(and v7n) There are a wealth of sites and free information out there, feed off of the knowledge of others. If you don't learn the answer, you'll at least be able to ask the proper questions.
• Make a Site that Interests you. This is especially important considering all the barriers that will prevent you from being successful. Devoting time and effort everyday to site that your not interested in makes things worse, enjoy the topic you choose.
• Research your niche and other sites in the market. Notice what works well in the niche that you choose, emulate, but do not copy and build upon what they have done for your success.
• Research Research Research
• Don't expect to Get-Rich-Quick, online marketing is still work.

DealASite Website Marketplace

I personally have sold a number of sites through online forums, mainly through the likes of DP and v7n. Although these methods are good, a site such as DealASite.com is what is needed to maximize your profits.

In addition, I have had a site listed with DealASite as well. Buy-Wii.net was listed for a brief time on the site, before I removed it for personal reasons. In the few short days that it was listed I received a lot of hits from DealASite, let me say it again, a lot of hits. This let me know that my site was being viewed by potential buyers.

Exposure is everything and if your looking to sell a site DealASite.com is a great way to go. The next time I decide to purchase a site, once my plate is not so full, I'll be going there first. ;)

Latest Hosting Affiliate Program

MochaHost announced they are launching a new affiliate program. Like most affiliate programs it's free to sign up to and you need not be an existing customer.

The program works on a tiered commission basis, meaning payouts could range from 30-50% of the referral amount.

"We are exciting to introduce this new program and pass the profits directly to our clients. Our clients would earn on average of $20-$125 per sale", says Jim Truong, VP of Marketing with MochaHost.

The short and long of the program:

Affiliate Program Details
Commission Type	Pay-Per-Sale: 30% of all sales you deliver.
Initial Deposit	$10.00 USD - Just for signing up!
Payout Threshold	$50.00 USD - Minimum balance required for payout.
Payout Duration	Payments are made on the 1st of each month, for the previous month.

Check out and sign up to this program here.

The Relocation Shuffle

The owner of the company I work for has a success in his bloodline. His brother is the owner and operator of a large firm that specializes in relocation for highend companies. The company operates in a 1-call fashion where everything is handled from getting rid of the realestate to purchasing the new home and taking care of the physical moving of items. But this is the high-end side for rich corporations, what are the rest of us supposed to do?

Thanks to GetAMover.com we have options and we get help every step of the way. GetAMover makes things easy by utilizing their database of Moving Companies they are able to query the best option for your needs. Not only is it convenient and easy to use, but they also provide security as well.

GetAMover.com has been around for more than 5 years, so they are a website you can trust. In addition, every business added to their search database must be a member of of some industry agency, like the BBB(Better Business Bureau). By providing safety on both sides GetAMover has created a method that saves both sides money and increases your efficency at relocating.

Adsense Niche Research Tool

Many of our readers are also familiar with 5StarAffiliatePrograms.com as well, they provide an exceptional service. Recently, they have released a new tool that finds out a number of key factors about the ads you can or need to display on your site. The items are researched in this tool:

Enter Key Phrase Below to Discover:
Cost per Click
Total Clicks per Day Estimated Volume
Historic High/Low Data
Total Cost per Day Estimates
Related Key Phrases to Click and Instantly Research

Definatley a useful tool if your looking to incorporate Google Adsense with your affiliate marketing site. Also, this tool is a great at helping you to find a high paying niche market to focus your efforts on.

5StarAffiliateProgram.com Link Bait Link

Pay-Per-Post Saves GM

Domestic automotive manufacturer General Motors posted an increase in sales compared to this time last year. FordMoCo and other domestic manufacturers are struggling to turn a profit and even considering going private to help their money problems. GM attributes its latest increase in sales to Pay-Per-Post.com.

GM utilized ads on blogs through Pay-Per-Post.com in an attempt to generate a marketing buzz about their latest automotive products. By redesigning their latest SUV’s and releasing a new line of cars GM was looking for a way to build buzz about their new offerings. Thanks to Pay-Per-Post they were able to get their message out there via the blog network.

Pay-Per-Post single handedly brought GM back into the black. Thanks to it’s success, PPP is now looking at the possibility of purchasing Ford Motor Company.

Online Affiliate Mentality

The moment you join an affiliate program, you become a sales representative for the product you choose. It's important to think of yourself as a brick'n mortar business when setting up your online marketing plan. To be successful, a professional atmosphere and trust needs to be established before large earnings can be reached.

Traffic is key to a successful affiliate program, but not the only ingredient to a successful business plan. It's also important to establish trust with your visitors and reader base. Chances are if they trust you, they will trust recommendations you make off of your website. This applies to links, products, or any other gateway off of your site.

Inbed ideas such as this into your affiliate mentality. Make quality decisions on choosing an affiliate program by placing yourself in a suit and tie, then thinking, can I sell this to the first person that walks through my door?

VoIp Experience

Broadband phone lines have been around for a bit, but as of late they have taken off in popularity. One of the oldest and most experienced sites around is a Vonage forum, which takes information on VoIP to the next level.

Vonage-Forums.com is a 4 year old site with all the news, content, and user reviews of Vonage related products you could use. The portal to their forums includes uptodate news in regards to Vonage and easy navigation to find what you need to get going with VoIp.

Do you need Affiliate Program Advice?

Affiliate Program Advice is the middle man to the middle man. It offers a number of services to help webmasters get the most out of their affiliate programs and increase revenue. In addition to Affiliate Mangement they offer CPC management and SEO optimization services.

Their servcies appear to be custom tailored to each business, since their is not "generic" package.

Step One:
contact us.

Step Two:
We need a meeting to look at and understand your business. We can assist with choosing the right affiliate solution provider, we have deals in place with most of the networks where you either get a reduction in set up costs or a lowered override, in some cases both.

Step Three:
Agree if you need a full or part-time affiliate manager.

Step Four:
sign our 30 day notice period layman’s terms lease contract.

Step Five:
Introduce you to your virtual affiliate manager and we begin the briefing.

Step Six:
Begin acquiring or increasing, retaining, and insentivising your affiliates.

Your account manager will touch base with you once a week to discuss new products added or any thing you want your affiliates to promote. Provide a monthly progress report. Remember your affiliate manager will pay their own way in the sales or leads that they drive via their affiliate partnerships.

How much will it cost?
£65.00 per day exclusive of VAT for full-time affiliate manager.

Worth checking out if your about to hit the big time. Their services appears to speak for itself, although I have not tried it, they do have some big name clients in the UK.

LikSang Affiliate Program

LikSang’s affiliate program came very highly recommended, but I have yet to find out why. For starters, their system is extremely bulky, using the same interface customers would have…there is no separate control panel. And their banners, garrr, are horendous.

It’s unclear to me, at first glance, whether or not they allow deep links. That is, I’m allowed to link directly to the item I’m interested in affiliating for. Most of the time it appears your linking to what they want you to sell or the homepage. However, the focus of mys ite I’m using is very specific to what I’d be able to market. Although, it may all be null and void seeing the commissions they are wanting to pay.

When I first signed up it appeared that I would be receiving +10% on all referred sales, but it doesn’t look like this is true. I contacted the affiliate program support people in regards to a few topics; deep links, preorder affiliate workings, and banner concerns. After 2 weeks of no response I sent out a second email, this one with a second email tag in the subject. After 2 days I finally received a response back from their lackluster affiliate support people.

I would only be receiving 2% commission on the consoles that I would sell. You have to be messed up to think I would promote such a large item for such a small fraction of commission. In addition, they neglected to answer my other questions with just an assurance of that I’d get paid. Sounds like another case of cheap outsourced customer service reps.

The short and the long of it is, LikSang has terrible customer service (affiliate side), terrible marketing tools, and low low low commissions for console sale referrals. I believe I will take my possible LikSang console referrals elsewhere, perhaps local. Hopefully others have better experience with this company, because I have heard positive things…just not from my mouth.