Choosing the Best Affiliate Products to Market

Affiliate marketing programs are newer marketing methods of making money on the Internet, and this is where you do not your own product to sell. The product being sold are supplied by a merchant.

When you register as an affiliate of the merchant, there is is usually no charge to register, and your main task is to refer people to the merchant's website. Each time one of your visitors purchases a product from the merchant, you will be entitled to a commission. In this method, the merchant is responsible for developing the product, negotiating the actual sale through their site, handling tasks like collecting payment , product delivery, and handling other concerns.

Standard commissions may vary according to the merchant and product, but these usually range from 30% to 75% of the sale price. Although commission levels may vary depending on the price of the item, it would be best to look for a commission of at least 50% unless it is a very high ticket item.

Which Products Are The Best Ones To Sell?

A lot of individuals these days may wonder how this marketing method works, and which product is the best. According to industry analysts, there is no single product that one could say is the absolute best, and many say that the best product to market, is one that is related to the content on your Web site. You may look for products that are related to the content of your site, for example if your site is about pet food, you probably will not generate considerable sales by selling affordable MP3 players.

According to marketing veterans, you could fully maximize your sales if you sell products in a niche market or segment related to the content of your site. If your site focuses on information about dogs, your visitors would probably be interested in dog food, canine shampoos, flea powders, and pet dresses. You certainly would do great by marketing dog-related products.

Know What Your Target Market Is Looking For

An affiliate product is not going to be a good one unless people actually want to buy it. A major aspect in choosing the most appropriate products, is to exactly find out what people are looking for. Do some thorough market research in the field you are interested in, and verify exactly what people are looking for. Once you already did some research and have a good idea of what people are looking for in that field, then go and look for those products.

Don't Choose A Product Based On Its Commission Rates

Prospective marketers need to know that it won't be good to decide on choosing a product or service by the strength of its commission rate. If you don't believe in the product or service, you won't be able to effectively market it, so there'd be no point in getting a high commission rate if you can't take advantage of it. It would be good to choose the products that you can sell.

According to successful marketers, The best affiliate programs always pay fair rates and do so on time, and they do not hesitate to reward deserving individuals, businesses, or Web sites, and are always more than willing to lend a helping hand to their affiliates.

By Vanessa A. Doctor

What are the Benefits of Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a cooperative effort between merchant and an affiliate's website. It has become popular for Internet sites trying to create some extra income for their site, perhaps changing a hobby to a profitable, self-supporting business. Affiliate marketing has proved to be a cost-efficient, measurable method of delivering long-term results. Research points to this method of marketing will be an industry trend.

The benefits to the merchant are many. First, it gives them a broader market to sell their product. More sites will naturally create more sales, if the sites they have chosen to use are in their niche marketing. The merchant needs to do their part by researching interested affiliate websites to make sure they are a good fit for that particular website.
Finding a fit for their merchandise would be the key to more generated income. The merchant has access to markets and customers that he doesn't spend valuable time searching out. Banner ads on affiliate sites are not distracting to the site user. It might create interest for that product and drive the consumer to the merchants website. For instance, on one of my favorite websites, it haws an affiliate marketing link to a toy store, where I was able to research and find a suitable gift to send to my one-year-old granddaughter. I needed to do this on-line anyway, as they live in another state and the banner ad prompted me to look at the site and make the purchase. This one buy will expand to others as I have four grandchildren I send Birthday and Christmas gifts to.

Benefit to the merchant? Repeat customers and recommendations to other consumers who are in need of the same product. Merchants just getting into the field shouldn't expect immediate sales results. Placing your merchandise with an affiliate program is the same as training a new sales assistant. It will take time and training to reach the fullest potential. This is another important reason to ensure you are using the sites that fit your target customer. Bringing consumers in from different websites also gives the merchant a better idea of consumer trends and needs.

The affiliate marketer also sees many benefits. Adding marketing banners to their site is not distracting. In an interview with a new Webmaster just beginning in the field, she has found no adverse reaction to banner ads added to her site. Users have expressed their thanks for the unique ability to shop from a site they already visit regularly. The affiliate needs to have a clear understanding with the merchant what the commission will be, expected payment method and time involved in contract. The affiliate has a responsibility to represent the merchandise their user based would be most interested in. For instance, if the site has a user base of mainly stay-at-home mothers, then on-line job opportunities such as surveys would be a good match for them. This group would also appreciate direct links to children's products and informational sites.
Merchandisers often provide targeted, best-seller items and personal support to their affiliate. They often offer sales promotions that will benefit the merchandiser as well as the affiliate.

Affiliate marketing is a nonintrusive way to generate extra income for their website. It will take time for the users to understand the dynamics of banner marketing. This can be aggressively marketed to create instant sales, or can be a subtle way to make extra income to support their site.

Affiliate marketing is a win-win situation for both the marketer and the affiliate. Working together, they can be an advantage to both. The Webmaster I spoke to advised me this type of marketing has turned her website designed to be a help to women of Boomer age, into a site that was an out-of-pocket expense to a site that is now self-paying.

By Ty Magnum