You've launched your affiliate program and everything is in place
to track your affiliate sales. Affiliates are signing up but aren't
making as many sales as you might have hoped for. You know it's
not your product as you're still making sales yourself. So what's wrong?
Why isn't Mr Affiliate making sales?
You must remember that Mr Affiliate is not only your affiliate,
but has more than likely joined numerous other affiliate programs
on the Internet. He obviously joined your program because he
liked it, your product or service and the compensation plan. But
time moves very fast in the Internet world and before Mr Affiliate
has most probably even started marketing your site properly, he may
have even joined yet another affiliate program that appealed to him.
There is certainly no shortage of affiliate programs on the Internet
that are free and easy to join. Mr Affiliate wants to make money,
that's why he joined your program. Unfortunately Mr Affiliate may
not understand Internet marketing as well as you do. He may simply
insert your banner onto his site and wait for sales.
So both of you are sitting there waiting for Mr Affiliate to start
making sales. That's your problem. This is a real shame.
Mr Affiliate is obviously available, willing and able and if only
he knew what to do, would gladly do it and that's down to you. You
need to train Mr Affiliate right away. You can't wait for Mr Affiliate
to get motivated, you need to train Mr Affiliate. You can't afford
to be complacent. The most successful affiliate programs do well
because they have trained their affiliates. Their affiliates
understand the program fully, they are supported and are kept in
touch with. While you're sitting around waiting for Mr Affiliate
to make a sale for you, he is being motivated by other affiliate
programs and making sales for them.
Here are some practical steps to training Mr Affiliate.
1. Explain your program thoroughly before Mr Affiliate joins and
include clear Terms and Conditions. This is your first
opportunity to present your affiliate program benefits and
compensation plan. Let your affiliates know what you expect
from them and what they can expect from you.
2. Make sure you have numerous banners of different sizes and also
text links with clear and easy to understand code. Your affiliates
have different web sites, different designs, and different color
schemes so make sure you give them enough choice to insert a
suitable banner.
3. Supply your affiliates with classified ads and articles. Affiliates
want to promote your program but they don't have as much time or
knowledge to devote to your program as you do. By providing a range
of ads that you know work and articles promoting your program for
inclusion in e-zines, you'll be making Mr Affiliate's job a lot easier.
3. Let your affiliates know exactly where to/how to check their
stats and if possible, set up your affiliate program to e-mail
Mr Affiliate automatically whenever he makes a sale. Affiliates
love receiving these e-mails!
4. Keep in touch with your affiliates on a regular basis. Whether
its weekly or monthly is up to you, but be consistent. Be
helpful to Mr Affiliate, be interesting and he'll look forward
to hearing from you.
5. Send your affiliates the URL's of places to promote your program.
Keep it updated. Again, you don't want Mr Affiliate to have to
waste time looking for places to promote, make it easy by providing
him with this information.
6. Always answer any questions in a timely and courteous manner. Be
personal and let Mr Affiliate know he is a valued member of your team.
7. Be prompt with your payments. Your affiliates have most probably worked
hard for their sale/sales so reward them when you say you will. There's
nothing as motivating as receiving payment!
By following these simple steps Mr Affiliate will market your product
easily and professionally with not that much more effort required. He
will be making sales and will no longer just be Mr Affiliate, he will have
become Mr Happy Affiliate Making Sales!
And if you can turn all your Mr Affiliates into Mr Happy Affiliate Making
Sales, you yourself will go from being simply Mr Affiliate Owner, to Mr
Successful, Lying-in-the Sun, Professional Affiliate Owner!
About the Author
Holly Janion is the webmaster for Wade's World Ltd, an Internet
solutions company at http://www.wadesworld-usa.com. Her latest
creations can be seen at http://www.wwwtreasurehunt.com and
http://www.view-home.com. Holly can be contacted at mailto:
webmaster@wadesworld.co.uk