Our Affiliate Marketing Success Story

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Hi everyone. What’s up? My name is Randy. Welcome to my blog.  On this particular post I wanted to tell you some more detailed personal stuff about how I got where I am today.  Hopefully, this story will inspire you so you know that I’m a real person just like you, and making money online is possible even if you are just starting or you’ve been at it for a while and are still failing.

Like most people, I’ve never been quite comfortable talking or writing about myself. It just feels weird and sometimes it feels like I’m bragging or being narcissistic.  When I talk about the success I’ve had in affiliate marketing and list building it also reminds me of failures.  Let me tell you a secret…

I used to get suckered into get-rich-quick schemes. You know the ones I’m talking about. The “guru’s” that stand in front of their Lamborghini’s holding 6 figure checks, promising they will tell you their “secret” or “system” that of course, anyone can do with very little effort? Yeah, those guys. I’m sad to say, I got suckered into more than a couple of those.

So don’t you think for a second that you are alone…

Even as a successful affiliate marketer, I still got sucked in. Most of them are selling snake oil (send me $5 and I’ll show you how to be rich!), but that doesn’t mean they are bad marketers. Many of them are fantastic marketers. They show you legitimate and real 6-figure checks, show you their fancy cars, show themselves hanging out with celebrities; all the stuff that ‘proves’ this online marketing thing can work.

I’m not that way.  The life I have built before I achieved success online is the foundation of everything I do in my business no matter how much wealth I achieve.  I don’t want to be the person that shows off bank accounts and fancy cars to entice you.  (First off…it’s nobody’s business how much money I have).  But besides that…it’s the foundation of the system you follow that will build wealth not how you spend your earnings.

Of course, this site you are reading from is designed to make me money, but on this post, I’m not going to sell you anything. This is just my honest story. No bling, no secret systems, and no bullshit. I’m not telling you my affiliate marketing success story to sell anything, this is just to show you that it really is possible for anyone to make money online with email marketing if you build and nurture your list.

I hope you feel free to give me some feedback on my story because it helps to know that when I tell it, I am helping other people to get to the same level of success.  

My REAL Life..Before Online Marketing

I grew up in Michigan and I lived a pretty “normal” life.  After high school I started college and that is when I first started to realize that maybe the “regular” path that most of my friends were taking wasn’t for me.  After a few years of college I just dropped out and joined the Navy.  I decided that I wanted to do something more exciting.  And once there I loved it.  So I made an entire career out of it and stayed in the Navy for 25 years.

Along the way I met and married my beautiful wife, Sharon and had two children.  It was a good life with ups and downs just like everyone.  But as I approached time for retirement from the Navy, I was still looking for something else.  Another source of income and something that I could build for myself and my family to give us more freedom since I spent so much time away during my military career.

So I started actively looking for ways to make money online.  This was around 2005 and the internet was still pretty new I guess.  There was no social media, no YouTube to look up how to do stuff, it was basically almost ALL done through email.  So you would sign up for a newsletter to learn how to do stuff.  They would send you info and then links to products that would teach you how to set up your own website and affiliate marketing was king back then.  (Hint:  it still is.)

That’s how I got into affiliate marketing.  I would get traffic from making article posts and blogging.  SEO was soooo easy back then because there was much less competition and the search engines were brand new and didn’t have all these “algorithms”  built in.  You could get traffic and make money quickly (little amounts of course).  But there was always still this separation between the big money guys and everyone else.  Why were some people making cash hand over fist and becoming wealthy quickly no matter what they were promoting?  Why wasn’t I having the same success?

There were times when I would literally want to throw my computer across the room.  I would spend all this time and money on the next “easy system” only to be disappointed again.  I just didn’t understand what I was doing wrong.  Well…let me revise that.  In the back of my mind, I did know something that I had heard a mentor of mine tell me, but I had been ignoring it.  I was sure that I could circumvent and get to the end goal quicker.  What am I talking about?…

I’m talking about building your own email list.  You see, like most new online marketers, especially the ones who get started in affiliate marketing, somewhere along the line you get told that the “money is in the list”.  The problem with that is that it takes time and effort.  Why would I waste time getting people on a mailing list, paying for the autoresponder system, nurturing them before anything else?  All I want to do is find people who are looking for a particular solution and sending them to a website where they buy something so I can get paid.  I mean…that’s what affiliate marketing is in a nutshell right?  Making money off selling other people’s products.  

That’s why so many newbies start there.  It’s low cost because you don’t have to create your own product.  Most times you don’t even need your own website, unless it’s a blog, and you can do that for free.  All you need is traffic (website visitors).  You find them and direct them to the sales page.  

But like my mentor had told me in the past and it made sense to me…if you send people to the sales page and they don’t buy…then what?  This make money fast mentality is what KILLS more dreams than anything else.  You want to shortcut things and just get to the endpoint faster.  Here’s why that’s incredibly dumb.

First off, like I just pointed out, what happens to that person you sent to the sales page of whatever you are promoting doesn’t buy or sign up?  Well they click away and you never see them again (probably).  So all that time, effort, and money that you spent getting them to click a link and they don’t buy is wasted right?  Even worse, let’s say they just wanted to think about it and later they remember, “hey, let me check out that guide again about weight loss”…so they google it and find the link.  But the only thing is the link they click on this time is someone else’s and they buy the product but not from you.  Granted, you’ll never know this as it happens but in reality you’re losing tons of money like this if affiliate marketing is your thing and you are not building your list.

Another problem with not building your own list is when YOU change your mind about what you’re promoting.  Companies and opportunities come and go every day.  This is especially true in the online world or with network marketing companies.  How do you think that the same people get on leaderboards and make money no matter what they are promoting?  It’s because they have their own email list of loyal subscribers and they spent the time and money necessary to build that list.  So they can always go back to that group of customers and show them the latest products and opportunities.

If you just decide that you’re going to build your own list of followers around whatever your niche is and you offer them value for free, then you can get them to follow you anywhere.  Then as you show them different products or opportunities they are going to take a look because YOU recommended it.  And they know, like and trust you to give them solid advice.  

Once I decided to do this once and for all… my results online SKYROCKETED! I literally saw a 500% increase in my sales once I got a list big enough.  Was it difficult at first?  Yes.  Did I have to be patient? Yes.  But it was worth it.  Because I have built an actual relationship with my subscribers and many of them have become personal friends and business partners.  Some of them are much more successful and experienced than me.  Some of them are brand new to online marketing and list building.  But the bottom line is…they are my tribe.  They know me, they like me, and they trust me.  So that’s how I have a source of customers at the ready for anything.

The BIG Point

I guess the main point I want to drive home with this post is that ANYONE can do this.  I know that sounds like a cliche but it’s so true.  The reason that most people fail online is because they don’t do the fundamentals and they want quick results.  So if you’re willing to slow down and do things with the right foundation.  If you’re willing to invest some money as well as time to get started on the right foot.  Then you too can become wealthy online.  When I first started this thing I just wanted to make a little extra money on the side.  I got so freaking excited when I made my first commission of $9.  It was awesome.  I spent (and wasted in some cases) so much more time and money trying to duplicate those results with little to no success before I decided to build my own list.  Once I did that…it was like night and day. 

Today, we make over 6 figures online annually…  and we are expanding on that.  We have built a huge subscriber list and a growing source of new lead so that we can also provide email traffic to our customers.  Our email solo-ad traffic from business opportunity seekers is one of our main sources of income now.  My next goal is to retire completely from my offline job and do this full-time and travel the world.  I know now that it is possible because we follow the simple goal of always building our list.

If you are reading this and want to learn the basic list building principles that we follow and you are not already a member of our growing community, then join our list here:

CLICK HERE TO GET ON OUR LIST

You’ll get a free guide on affiliate marketing just for signing up.  Then you’ll get to know me FIRST, as a real person who cares about you and your goals, before I make you a customer and protoge.  That’s how I do business.  Even though it’s online and I may never meet you in person, I consider you a friend and hope you have the same success we have.

Thanks for reading this short story and follow us on social media too.

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How To Make Money As An Affiliate

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Discovering how to make money as an affiliate online can be a rewarding experience. There are many programs out there that offer unique commission plans to people who are willing to promote products and services.

People who promote products and services are called affiliates. Many large and small corporations have affiliate programs that people can join free.

Before getting started people should do some research and learn what it takes to earn money promoting products and services. It is easy to get started. People who are interested in becoming an affiliate need to pick and choose one or more programs they are interested in. Once they have decided which company or companies they want to work with, all they have to do is register with those companies.

Getting started is easy to do. Before applying to a program, you may want to create a website or blog. Occasionally, companies require that their affiliates have a website or blog before they are accepted into their program. In some cases, a website or blog will not be required. In other cases, owning a website or blog will not get you accepted into a program. It is important to understand that having a website or blog does not guarantee acceptance.

All people who are accepted into a program receive their identification code. It is this identification code that allows companies to track where sales are coming from and credit affiliate’s accounts accordingly. Without that code, companies would have no way of knowing where their buyers were coming from. Each person’s identification code will be embedded in HTML code that can be copied and pasted wherever you will be promoting the products or services.

People can make huge sums promoting products and services. To start making money people need consumers to purchase a product or sign up for a service through one of their promotional links or banners. People are paid if the person purchases a product or pays for a service. In some cases, people will be paid each time someone clicks on a banner even if the click did not result in a sale. How much a person makes depends on the particular program. In some cases, people can earn 10%, 25% and even up to 75% of each sale generated. It depends on the specific program.

What most people don’t realize is that promotional banners and links can continue to generate earnings long after the initial click. Companies and services track prospective buyers. People will still receive credit for a sale even if it does not happen on the buyer’s first visit to the website. Companies keep track of anyone who visits their website and knows where they come from. In most cases, companies continue to reward promoters for weeks to several months after the buyer’s initial visit to a website.

Determining what works and what doesn’t work is a process of trial and error. The only option that way people will know what products and services generate the most commission is by finding promoting a variety of products and services. People will quickly determine which products and services sell and which ones don’t. After being accepted into a program, people should copy the code to products they think will sell. There is no limit on how many products they can sell.

Tips To Build Backlinks

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It has been said that links are the currency of the internet. While many marketing and traffic building methods come and go, this seems to hold true. Links make the internet go around. So, naturally, you want to have as many incoming links to your site or blog as you possibly can. The more relevant they are, the better.
There are many kinds of links and link programs out there on the web today. You’ll hear terms like one-way links, three-way links, do follow links, no follow links, SEO backlinks, .edu links, link wheel, and so on and so forth.

Let’s simplify this and just look at seven ways to build links to your website without ripping your hair out. Don’t worry about the technical details of things, just think of a link as a link and block the rest from your mind for a moment.

–Blog Commenting. This is a fast easy way to get relevant incoming links. Visit blogs that are about the same topic as your site and leave a relevant comment on a recent post. That’s it. You’ll get a link back from the comments section and hopefully you’ve found a great new blog to read regularly.

–Build a Squidoo Lens. This seems to scare some folks, but it’s really easy to do. Building a Squidoo lens is mostly point and click plus drag and drop. There are no special technical skills needed and you can have a lens up in 20 minutes or less linking back to your website or blog.

–Comment on a Squidoo Lens. Maybe you’re not feeling up to taking the time to build a Squidoo lens right now, or you’re in a bit of a hurry. No problem, you can still harness the link power of Squidoo by commenting on an already existing lens about your topic and including a link to your website as the resource. Easy peasy.

–Submit an Article to Directories. That sounds simple right? Write an informative article about your topic and submit it to article directories. Not only will you get an incoming link from the article directory, but also whenever someone republishes your article on their site. Again, super easy and non-technical.

–Be a Guest Author. If articles and comments are a great way to get links, then being a guest author at another site or blog is just pure brilliance. Being a guest expert not only gets you a nice in content link to the page of your choice, it establishes you as the go-to person on the topic and gets you in front of an entirely new audience.

–Bookmark It. While not my personal favorite method for link building, it is still a backlink. Bookmarking on social media sites like Digg, Delicious, and Facebook etc. I don’t really recommend bookmarking your own stuff, but instead putting a few select social media icons on your site to allow your visitors to choose which content to submit to those places. Don’t worry, they will.

–Help Someone on a Forum. Message board communities are powerful and amazing places online. If you find a forum that is based around your niche or topic, sign up and get active. Helping someone on a forum is like handing out free cookies. People will love you for it. Be honest, be yourself, and don’t forget to link back to your website in your signature and profile while you’re there.
 
 

Tips For Higher Converting Landing Pages

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If you are looking to provide a great visitor experience for the traffic that lands on your website, you need to create a good website landing page.

This is the web page on which all traffic to your website lands after being directed from a specific search result, like using Google or Yahoo, or seeing an online advertisement (banner display), or after clicking a link in an email.

As a smart web business owner, you need to ensure that you achieve SEO goals, like building your web sales, increasing your article marketing sign-ups and having your website visitors respond positively to your call to action message.

Just read through these top 4 tips for optimizing your landing page given below and apply them to your website promotion campaign to see instant results using proven website SEO techniques!

  1. Provide Original, Optimized Website Copy For Landing Page – It is important to research best keywords for your business, integrate these naturally into original website copy written specifically for your target readers in mind while ensuring sufficient information is available to the visitor on your landing page to empower him or her to take the next step. Therefore, provide at least 200 – 500 words of original, keyword rich, quality website copy on your landing page, ensure it is written in an engaging manner, strive to build trust to make your website visitor stick around to take the necessary action.
  2. Ensure Landing Page Message Matches The One On Your Banner or Search Ad – If you want to ensure the best visitor experience on your landing page, you need to use the same message on your web advertising campaign that you have displayed on your website’s landing page. If you have different messages for both these optimized content pages, you will only end up confusing the visitor and driving traffic away. So, don’t miss out on any opportunity to convert visitors into buyers, especially if you are conducting a CPC campaign. For best SEO results, ensure the message on your web page coincides with your advertising campaign.
  3. Provide Two Calls To Action On Your Landing Page – The best SEO tactic is to include a minimum of 2 clear calls to action, such as “Order Now” and “Get More Details” so your website visitor feels privileged to get choices, not obligated to just follow your instructions. If you want to target the spontaneous buyer, place your first call to action button or message on your landing page’s top portion; for the most discerning buyer who needs more info, place the second one at the end of the
    page.
  4. Simplify Your Website Conversion Process – When a web business owner provides a simple and quick conversion process, there are higher chances of selling more products as compared to one that has a complicated conversion method (long order forms, excessive navigation or too many clicks required, etc.) on his website.
    Control the need to up-sell multiple products, which only confuses or annoys visitors looking for something specific that directed them to your landing page. Instead, focus on that specific product, limiting up-selling for any follow-up calls made by the visitor. In case, your web host provides a tracking tool, or if the visitor leaves personal details in your order form, it is all right for you to conduct a follow-up on their requirement, but restrict this to a later date.

Thus, to build your web business, ensure that your website copy contains original, optimized content that coincides with your other marketing messages, provide clear calls to action for your prospects and win them over with customer-friendly site navigation.

When you’re ready for traffic, CLICK HERE, and get the highest quality premium email traffic on the internet.

5 Tips for Generating Online Traffic

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A lot of work goes into making a successful online platform, and generating traffic is without a doubt a headache for many people. Nevertheless, there are numerous blogs and websites that record hundreds of thousands of visitors every day. What is the secret behind their success; what do they do differently? Here are 5 tips for driving traffic to your website.

  1. Post Interesting Content

Content is king! Visitors will be seeking to have their needs fulfilled by browsing the content on your platform. As such, it has not only to be relevant but also interesting and engaging. Make sure that the title is catchy, and the content is enjoyable to read, watch or listen to. Additionally, be sure to incorporate SEO in your written content for better ranking.

  1. Embrace the Social Media – Share, Share, Share

Sharing your content on social media platforms is your best chance of generating organic traffic quickly and easily. The trick, however, is to dedicate as much time and energy to it as possible. You need to share your content periodically to ensure that it reaches as many people as possible; also be sure to follow up on your posts to engage with your followers and nurture trust for a loyal following.

  1. Good Web Design

Your website’s design will determine its initial reputation on visitors, and, as such, it should look good and work flawlessly. Good web design incorporates factors such as fast loading, easy navigation, and a neat appearance, just to mention a few. For example, speed when loading is necessary as most people do not have the patience to wait longer than few seconds before moving on.

  1. Guest Blogging

It does not hurt to work with other website owners and bloggers (as long as they are established well in the industry). The best way to work with them is by guest blogging. Content posted on their platforms is embraced by an already established traffic base, and if it is impressive then interested visitors can be lured back to your platform. It also helps to have influencers write on your platform as they tend to have a loyal following and a good reputation.

  1. Make the Proper Analysis

Trying to generate traffic without performing analysis is like flying blind. You need to know how people are responding to your efforts to react accordingly, and the best way to do this is through Google Analytics. Google Analytics allows you access to important information such as how many people have visited your site, where they are from, how long they spend on the site, and even the keyword that led them to you.

Generating traffic is definitely not easy, but the right tactics ensure not only success but also numerous visitors. There are numerous tips on how to beat the system, but the strategies covered above are not only safe and effective but will appeal to both the visitor and Google as well as other search engines. The world is at your fingertips; all you need to do is reach out.

3 Reasons Why Affiliate Marketing Is Great

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Affiliate marketing is a renowned marketing strategy, both for publishers and advertisers. In simple terms, affiliate marketing is described as an agreement between a site owner and a merchant. The affiliate (website owner), promotes the merchant’s products and services on his website or through other media such as email marketing. In return, the affiliate receives a commission for every sale generated through his link. Here are the top 3 reasons why affiliate marketing is great.

Cost-Effective and Low-Risk
Many businesses have embraced the concept of affiliate marketing because of its cost-effectiveness. Contrary to other forms of advertising, the merchant only pays the affiliate once he delivers results. These results are determined by various parameters such as a sale, click-through or lead. Affiliate marketing is also ideal for small startups since it is a low-risk investment. With other types of advertising, one would be required to pay the costs upfront with no guarantee of measurable results. With affiliate marketing, you only incur an expense when a purchase is made. This is to mean that your investment always earns you a considerable return.

Brand Exposure
One of the secrets to a successful advertising program is brand visibility. Affiliate marketing allows you to market your product or services on hundreds of websites; thus, giving you the ultimate brand exposure. An increase in brand visibility translates to increased revenue. 

Moreover, affiliate marketing benefits merchants by offering targeted prospects. Most affiliates only market the products and services, which are likely to appeal to their site visitors. The affiliate understands his audience; hence, he takes offers that are best suited for them. For the merchant, this means that your product is advertised to a relevant demographic.

Easy Tracking and Transparency
With affiliate marketing, merchants can track the progress of their marketing strategy. It is achieved by assessing the purchases made, click-through rates and page views among other parameters. By monitoring the performance of your campaign, you can identify the areas to invest in more efficiently. 

Affiliate marketing offers a win-win situation for the merchant and affiliate. Merchants get to enjoy a wider market to advertise their products or services. Besides, this platform gives you direct access to your target audience.
On the other hand, affiliates can make immense profits quickly. Typically, you can generate income without incurring any production costs or inventory expenses. The best part is that you can join most affiliate programs for free; hence, you do not have to look for startup costs.
 

3 Tips for Better Concentration

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Concentration requires time and effort, especially when trying to do your work. Even if you have duties for only a few hours a day, or twice a month, the results will not be productive if your brain isn’t performing well. However, there are a few easy ways to improve your concentration at work to enhance productivity.

So here’s 3 tips for better work concentration

  1. Cut-off the noise

It may seem like an obvious course of action, but more than a few times people forget to cut off the noise. It could be tempting to have everything ringing around you, from email alerts to your phone, but all these actors often act as a distraction.

Trying to achieve productive concentration can take roughly 15 minutes. However, if you are getting distracted every 5 minutes, there is absolutely no way you will focus totally on your work. The best thing you can do is to answer your emails at scheduled times, request that people don’t interrupt you when you’re working, and tell them to call when you are free.

  1. Set deadlines

Deadlines tend to have both their advantages and disadvantages when trying to enforce concentration. The thing is that a deadline makes it easier for you to forget the non-essential aspects of your work and focus on one particular project. For instance, if you give yourself just an hour to finish a company logo, you will keep it to the point without too many extravagant designs.

Time limits only become a disadvantage when they cause anxiety and worry. Therefore, deadlines are only recommended when:

• Time is limited: When you have only a day to complete to complete a big project, breaking it down into specifics will help to strip away unnecessary elements.

• Losing sight of the bigger picture: If your task may lead you to an extreme number of variables, you can use a deadline to make sure you only do what is needed.

• To prevent procrastination: A tight deadline helps to prevent cases of procrastination.

  1. Stay healthy

It is true that whatever you put in your body has the potential to affect your concentration. For instance, you can’t focus if you show up for work smelling like a liquor distillery. If you also deprive yourself of sleep, abuse drugs, eat unhealthy foods, and don’t stay fit; your concentration will definitely be affected.

You should to eliminate any unhealthy habits when you have work obligations. Doing so will significantly increase your concentration and productivity.

3 Tips for Building an Email List

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Email lists can be a remarkable away to make lifelong profits in affiliate marketing. Email lists are so powerful because they help you build equity in your business. You are not just driving one-time traffic to the highest bidder for a one-time commission. Instead, you are developing relationships with a customer base that comes to see you as a trusted advisor. They will make you money in the short run, and they will make you money in the long run. Your part of the bargain is to give them quality content and honest advice.

Affiliate programs will come and go, but if you develop a powerful email list, you will have equity in your business that cannot be taken away. If you choose to change affiliate programs, or if there are additional products you wish to market, there is no starting over. Your list represents prospects that place their trust in you, and they will follow you wherever you go.

Here are three tips for building a powerful email list.

1) It starts with trust. If your customers trust you and your product recommendations, building a list is easy. So don’t start with building a list, start with building trust. Become a recognized expert. Write numerous articles for your website and for article directories.
Become a regular participant in forums. Share your expertise and experience. When you become known, people will follow you to your site to see if it will provide them additional value. When you develop a following, based on your article writing and forum groups, you will have the foundation to build a list of people that have a relationship with you.

2) Market a product for which there is a demand. Do some research where the demand is before you pick your product? If you have a good understanding of what the people on your list need, you will be successful (and thanked) for offering a solution to these needs.

3) Develop relationships with other affiliate marketers that use email lists. There is no better resource than other business people that have tried and succeeded at what you are attempting to do. Network with others in the affiliate marketing business and find out what worked for them. There is no substitute for their tips and war stories.

Email lists take work. You will need to build your list up from nothing up to a quality repository of warm leads. But if you carefully build your list, the long-term rewards of having a large pool of repeat customers that trust your recommendations is incalculable.