Affiliate Business

7 Ways To Increase Your Affiliate Commissions

2008-08-23T14:13:00.000+07:00

Suppose you could launch an online business in the next ten minutes? Suppose that this business did not require your own website, dealing with customers, refunds, product development or maintenance? This is the ideal world of affiliate marketing.

Made popular on the internet by Amazon.com, marketers can now earn a referral fee for directing visitors to countless merchants' website. According to Forrester Research, affiliate program earnings will represent $53 BILLION of all e-commerce sales by 2005. How could you earn a sizeable piece of this pie? Here are some powerful tips that would get you rolling in those big commission checks and laughing all the way to the bank.

1. Know what programs and products to promote.

Of course you will want to promote those programs that will bring you the greatest profits in the shortest time. There are several factors that play into selecting such a program. Choose programs that have a generous commission structure, products that fit in with your target audience and a solid track record of paying their affiliates on time. If you cannot recoup your investment, then prune such programs and keep looking for better ones. There are tens of thousands of affiliate programs online so you can afford to be picky. This is a case where you will want to choose just the cream of the crop and so reduce the risk of losing your advertising dollars.

2. Write free reports or short ebooks to distribute from your website.

Most likely you will be competing with other affiliate marketers who are promoting the same program. If you write a short report on a related topic to the product that you are promoting, then you can distinguish yourself from all other affiliates. In this report you can provide valuable information for free with a "recommendation" of the product. This is often referred to as a 'soft sell'.

The report or ebook allows you to develop credibility with your audience and your readers are more likely to follow your recommendation. There is less resistance to this type of selling because the prospect doesn't feel 'sold', just informed. The next step is to make this ebook 'viral' by allowing those who bought the product through your link to 'brand' the ebook for their own promotional use.

3. Collect the email addresses of those who download your free ebook.

Research has shown that over 60% of the sales of any product are made after the fifth exposure to the sales message. In other words, most people do not make a purchase on the first solicitation. You may need to send your marketing message over six times before a sale is made. This is the reason why you should collect the contact information of those who download your report. You can then follow up on these contacts to gently remind them to make the purchase.

4. Never send prospect directly to a vendor's website without collecting their contact info first.

Affiliate marketing is ideal but not perfect. You must keep in mind that you are providing free advertisement for the product owners. The merchants only pay you when you make the sale. If you send prospect directly to their website then these prospect are lost to you forever. If you collect these names instead, then you can always send other marketing messages to them and earn an ongoing commission instead of making a one-time sale.

5. Publish an online newsletter or Ezine.

It is always easier to recommend a product to a friend than to sell to a stranger. This is the philosophy behind publishing your own newsletter. A newsletter allows you to build a subscriber list and develop a relationship of trust with this list. Your subscribers will then trust you to recommend products that will benefit them.

This strategy requires a delicate balance of providing useful information along with a 'sales pitch'. In other words, if you send out frequent advertisement to your list and little valuable information you are likely to lose credibility with your audience. But if you write informative editorials you will build a sense of reciprocity in your readers that will lead them to 'support' you by purchasing your affiliate products.

6. Ask merchants for a higher than normal commission.

If you are very successful with a particular promotion you should approach the merchant and negotiate a higher percentage commission for your sales. If the merchant is smart he or she will likely grant your request rather than lose you. Keep in mind again that you are a zero-risk investment to the merchant, so don't be shy in your requests. Just be reasonable.

7. Learn to write strong Pay Per Click (PPC) ads. One of the most effective means of advertising online is through PPC search engines. As an affiliate, you can make a sizeable income by just managing PPC campaigns on services such as Google Adwords and Overture. Monitor your campaigns to see which ads are pulling their weight and trim those that are not.

You can use the ClickBank? Market Place, for example, and just choose a hot-selling product and start promoting. Once you are earning a decent return on your investment then you are in profit! Just this strategy alone can make all the difference to your commission checks.

Affiliate marketing is an entrepreneur's dream come true. Minimum investment, zero inventory, no employees, no product development-just BIG checks!

Author Bio: Subscribe to Net Marketing Weekly today and receive free enrollment to the entire 27 lesson Internet Marketing Success Course!

http://www.netmarketingweekly.com

Five Knockout Affiliate Tips

2008-08-23T14:11:00.000+07:00

Here are five "hook em in the jaw" affiliate tips that really work. Implement them and see how well they work for you.

(1) Develop a positive and realistic mindset. Do you believe that you can get rich quick or that your business will take time to grow? Those who believe in the online hype are the ones who normally lose. Think positive and know in your heart you can earn an income from your efforts.

(2) Too much information or the lack of it can be dangerous. Not using the knowledge that you have gain can stop your business from getting off the ground and not having the right information can have the same effect.

(3) Market your programs with Google Adwords. This is a powerful strategy you can use and as long as you earn more in commissions than your PPC costs, then you are getting something for nothing.

(4) Write your own ads, articles and reviews instead of the pre-formatted ones offered by affiliate programs. This will set you apart from all the other affiliates in the same program.

(5) Make sure your affiliate program matches the content of your website or newsletter. If you have marketing content then you should promote marketing products on that page. Think of it like matching ads to the page content like the way Adsense does. There may a few exceptions to the rule though, even Adsense does it some time.

There you go. A few tips to help you with your affiliate programs whether you are looking for your first check or to boost your current earnings. Try them all or even a couple and test and track your results. I am sure Lennox Lewis would be proud of your hooks and jabs

by Nicholas Dixon

*****************************************************
Nicholas Dixon is a Jamaican webmaster, writer and affiliate marketer. Find out
how you too can create an online income with our list of highly recommended
programs by visiting http://WWW.Oceanroc.com/affiliate-directory
*****************************************************

Getting Started With Successful Affiliate Marketing

2008-07-13T22:00:00.002+07:00

By Wong Michael

A lot of people want to build a successful affiliate marketing business but after some online marketing, they gave up and dropped their dream. Successful affiliate marketing can be easy if you first get the basics right.

1. The right product

Too often affiliate marketing newbie promote the most promoted product without realizing its potential. Think about this, if every affiliate marketers are promoting the same product, why someone wants to buy from you who are new to the market?

You should spend some time researching for the most suitable product to your skills, interest or hobbies. In that way, you will know what you are selling and how that product can help your customers.

2. The right market

The next thing you need to know is the size of your market.

You may have found the best ebook about successful affiliate marketing business and it fits your expertise as a marketer but if there is no market for affiliate marketing, all your promotion is just a waste of energy.

You can try to key in your keyword in the search engine and if result is more than 1000 searches, it can be a profitable market to get your hands in.

3. The right traffic

Having 10,000 visitors to your product is not enough. What if they are just spectators? You will waste your energy again.

That is why you need to get targeted traffic to view your product and one of the ways is to write an article like this.

If you are reading until this part, it means that you are interested to learn about affiliate marketing. When you are done with this article, you will be interested to click on the link to find out more about affiliate marketing. See, you just became a targeted traffic to the author.

4. Effective message

When visitors arrive to your webpage, you expect your visitors to do something that benefit you. And since you can't communicate to your visitors face to face, the messages on your website became your spoke person.

If you are offering a free ecourse about successful affiliate marketing, you want your visitors to sign up.

You can hire experienced copy writers to convey your message effectively. They will have the expertise to display your letter in a way that most people will act to your favor.

5. Follow up

Now, successful affiliate marketers don't just stop when the sales is made. They follow up with the customers. They send their customers an appreciation letter thanking them for the purchase and offer to help if there is any problem.

Imagine you bought an ebook and there is nothing from the affiliate marketer. Don't you felt like something is missing?

When you follow up with your customers, they will know that you care about them. It makes it easier for you to sell to them later and that is what you should aim for in your successful affiliate marketing business, repeat sales.

It is always easier to sell to happy customers than to build new one.

Building a happy customers base and earning from a successful affiliate marketing business every month is easy. Just grab Wong Michael's guide and enroll to his popular ecourse at => http://www.BeyondAffiliateCash.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wong_Michael

Super Copywriting Generates Super Sales

2008-07-06T09:56:00.001+07:00

By Craig Ritsema

Copywriting is linked to sales. The single-agenda of copywriting is to make the reader act after reading the copy and induce him to buy your product or service, or to make him take some action, such as joining a list. Therefore, it is easy to see that the more effective your copy is, the more impact it will have to the reader, all of which will lead to a direct increment in sales.

Any copywriting material has to be crisp, clear and it must connect with the reader instantly. It should not contain long drawn out words or vague descriptions. Remember, if the readers do not understand something in the copy, they will chuck your letter in their recycle bin without a second thought.

A professional copywriter always puts himself in the reader's shoes and writes the copy keeping in mind their demands. The copy must always answer a reader's question, which in most cases is: “what’s in it for me?” Therefore, the soul of good copywriting is to connect with the reader by speaking from the reader's heart (not from the copywriter's heart that is).

Of course, you have to explain all the salient features of the product and the add-ons that you are throwing in. For example, if you are marketing complicated but revolutionary exercise equipment, then it is bound to have a video tutorial packed along with it. So, in your copy, you must mention this add-on as “this product features a video tutorial that will show you step-by-step how to work on this new revolutionary exercise equipment”. This will inspire confidence in a potential customer, who will otherwise feel lost looking a chunk of complicated machinery.

Every piece of good copy signs off with a call to action. A call to action is something that must spur the reader on to act on the copy. Many copywriters keep going on and on about the product and get this call to action in one line or so. A call to action has to be brief and to the point and the reader must not go to sleep by the time he gets to it. Any call to action is represented by the following phrases: “buy now”, “call now”, or “click here now”. If a copywriter doesn't ask the reader to buy, the reader will merely read the material and forget about it. Many people are in the habit of glancing through sales letters focusing on opening and closing paragraphs – so, it will be a good idea to plug in a call to action in both these places.

The offer that is made in the marketing letter has to too good to resist – for example, if a discount is offered for a limited time, then that will make the reader buy the product during the "off" period. A bonus or a special offer can also be announced in the copy, but whatever is being announced must instill a sense of urgency in the reader.

Finally, copywriting is an art that requires a lot of skill – but it can be learned. As copywriting doesn't come naturally, it will do a world of good to any budding copywriter to keep practicing until he gets perfect.

Send Out a Press Release; Get in More Business

2008-05-18T15:27:00.002+07:00

By Craig Ritsema

Every business needs some amount of media exposure in order to increase their chances of doing more business than usual. A press release, which is an informative statement or document sent out by a company, is given to a media house in the hope that the media house will publish it in their publication/s – online or offline. A press release may contain just some basic business information, information about a special promotion or event, or some exciting development in the company.

Having a story, feature or an interview published in media places the limelight on a company by highlighting the contents of the press release to hundreds of thousands of readers. Apart from getting the publicity and establishing credibility, a company can use these press release clippings and snippets as part of their in house coffee table book or in a press kit.

Though a press release can be turned out at any given point in time, it is best to time it when a special event or promotion is happening in the company. If the press release has meaningful content in it, the media houses will give it better placement because they too want the readability index of their publication to go up. If there is no meaningful content in the press release, the media will push it into a remote corner of their publication.

The format of a standard press release is simple and has been maintained status quo through the years. Typically, a press release has the words "For Immediate Release" on the top left corner – in this case the material should be printed by the publication as soon as possible, preferably immediately. But, if the intention of the press release is to publicize a forthcoming event, then the advance date is mentioned with the phrase: “For Release After [date]". After the release schedule, the full company and contact information is mentioned.

Next, we come to the material contained in the press release, which is also known as the “body”. This is the heart of the press release and contains material/information that is to be publicized. Ideally a press release should make for crisp, fast and exciting reading and therefore, it is best to curtail the number of words. Needless to mention, if the press release is long and extends beyond one page, you must make the mandatory noting such as "more" or "carried over to next page". Before the press release ends, there should be a small paragraph that talks about what the company is all about followed by the words, "End".

When the press release is being written, the writer must focus on the intended purpose and develop copy around it. The words must be sharp and clear and the language must not be long and drawn out. Apart from the objective, the writer needs to write in a style that will cater to the target audience – for example, if the target audience is yuppies, then the press release must be written in a snappy style.

Once the press release is done, it needs to be submitted to the media, which comprises of newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and Internet. You must approach the right media for the correct publicity – for example, if you are planning a local event then a radio channel or a popular local newspaper can get you terrific publicity. It goes without saying that you need to submit your press release well in advance, enabling the media house to check it and plan its placement.

If the media ignores your press release, do not give up. Try out new and different media sources or redo your press release. Remember, every media house receives a whole lot of press releases daily and it may not be possible for them to accommodate each and every one. The moral of the story is that you must keep trying and not give up simply because your press release was rejected. All the best.

Privacy Policy

2008-05-01T19:07:00.000+07:00

Privacy Policy for www.affiliatekedainet.blogspot.com

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at kedainet.181@gmail.com.

At www.affiliatekedainet.blogspot.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by www.affiliatekedainet.blogspot.com and how it is used.

Log Files
Like many other Web sites, www.affiliatekedainet.blogspot.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons
www.affiliatekedainet.blogspot.com does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include Google Adsense, .

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on www.affiliatekedainet.blogspot.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

www.affiliatekedainet.blogspot.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. www.affiliatekedainet.blogspot.com's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

Stir Up Some Enthusiasm !

2008-03-07T13:48:00.002+07:00

Stir Up Some Enthusiasm !

By Craig Ritsema

The advantages of working from home are many. However, you may find that once the initial euphoria of working from home – of not having to wake up early, face traffic jams on way back from workplace, or be answerable to your boss – is over, a kind of languor sets in that sometimes makes it difficult to keep your spirits flying high. You find yourself down in the dumps, see no motivation to work hard, and miss the spirit of healthy competition that exists when you work among colleagues.

And working from home means you don’t have a boss standing over your shoulder and motivating you to work by dangling the carrot of some extra bonus in front of you. Well, you chose to be your own boss, and you have to find ways to motivate yourself into getting your work done on time.

To find your motivation, start with a recollection of all the reasons why you opted to work from home – wanting to spend more time with your family, being your own boss, flexible time schedules, more time for hobbies, etc. Jot these down in your diary, and let it stay near your workplace. Going through your diary whenever you are feeling low will give you instant motivation to not only kick-start your work but also derive pleasure and satisfaction out of it.

Working from home can be particularly lonesome if you are used to working in a large corporate environment with lots of interaction among colleagues. The Internet can help fulfill this urge to interact with peers by providing a platform to network with people who are in the same boat as you. Through various message boards and forums, you can interact with and share your thoughts with other people working from home.

You are sure to find at least a couple of people who think on the same wavelength as you. You can meet these friends in a chat room or on a conference call and exchange notes about how the work is going on, and all that. You can congratulate each other when things are going great guns and help each other find solutions when any problem pops up. You may even pose to each other weekly challenges that will keep the spirit of friendly competition and motivation alive.

Rewards can act as a great source of motivation to work. But just because you don’t have your boss to dangle carrots in front of you doesn’t mean you can’t have these carrots – just dangle them on your own! Reward yourself each time you achieve a challenging goal. It could be anything from a night out to a day of rejuvenation in a spa – anything that leaves you feeling refreshed and ready to take up the next challenge.

It also helps to keep track of your progress. Whenever you feel yourself lacking in enthusiasm to do work, take a look at all the good things you have accomplished and the raving reviews you have received from your clients. You would get instant motivation and feel all energized to meet new challenging goals.

Marketing With Your Very Own Blog

2008-02-23T12:42:00.000+07:00

Marketing With Your Very Own Blog

By Craig Ritsema

A couple of years back, no one knew what a blog was; and then suddenly it burst upon the scene and nowadays, the word blog is indeed fashionable whether you are a "netropolitan" or not. Blogs – a short form of web log – are so popular that nearly everyone owns one, right from a big corporation to the neighborhood grocery shop owner! There's no reason why you should be left behind in the race; and here is why you should own a blog:

Blogs are like personal diaries open to public inspection, and they are super tools that communicate in an informal manner. Whether you are a corporate honcho or an understudy, blogs give you the freedom to let your hair down and post your random thoughts on them. In fact, it's okay to get personal on blogs and post a bit of personal information here and there.

Your blog readers will also figure out what kind of a person you are because they know they are reading your thoughts. This may help you strike up a friendship with some of them. In fact, it will be a good idea to allow your readers to comment on your blog by sending you a mail. You must make it a point to be polite while replying back to visitors' comments and emails though. All this back and forth will make your blog lively and interactive.

If you have started a blog with the intention of promoting your product then you must invite readers to leave feedback or suggestions. You can even ask them to suggest improvements or add-ons. That way you will know what the market thinks about your product. When you reply back to your readers' suggestions or queries, they will figure you are an authority as far as your product goes, and they will begin to rely up on you for their purchase decisions in respect of products that are similar to yours'.

As trust builds up with time, your readers will begin using your product or services because they will get more comfortable and personal with you, and it is a proven fact that people like to deal with businessmen whom they feel comfortable with.

Blogs can also be used to announce forthcoming products, services, discounts or promotions. If blogs are used the right way, they can act as marketing executives of your company who are forever prowling the Internet trying to develop business.

Blogs also help you develop backlinks to your site and thereby, increase its Google PageRank (PR). To achieve this, every article, every snippet and every comment you post on the blog must be linked to a page on your site.

Finally, blogs help you sharpen your writing skills. And that is because when you are writing on blogs you tend to be more casual and you end up trying to write in a snappy tone, which is quite different from the way you write while at work. Who knows, you may discover your writing style while penning thoughts on blogs!

Build Back Links to Your Site the Easy Way

2008-02-23T12:41:00.000+07:00

Build Back Links to Your Site the Easy Way

One of the easiest methods of building page links would be to start your own blog and post snippets on it that link to your site. It is additional work, but well worth the effort.

Another way of increasing back links is to post on forums that are relevant to your site's content and include a link to your website in your forum signature. That way you are addressing people who may be interested in your site, plus you are building back links as well.

The third method of increasing back links is to write articles and submit them to reprint directories. At the end of each article you must include a resource box that talks about your site and has a link to it. When another web publisher picks up your article for reprinting, he will publish the article with the resource box intact and this will increase your back links.

If you are selling a product then you must consider setting up an affiliate program. In an affiliate program, you enroll partners (just like franchisees) and they place your product for sale on their website. Of course, they have to plant a code given by you to connect to your site. As you begin getting more affiliates, your product sales will increase along with your back links. Remember that you have to pay the affiliates a certain percentage only if your product is sold from their site and not for displaying it.

Another way to increase back links is to form link exchanges with other sites. For example, if you are selling herbs then you must approach websites who are in the healthcare and fitness industry and inform them about your site and the mutual advantages of exchanging links. One neat way to attract other sites to exchange links with you would be to publish "How To" articles on your website – "How To" articles are in demand and if you have well written pieces on your website, even big companies will share links with you. Other content will work too, provided their quality is good.

Any website that agrees to link to you; will want a link back to them, which is natural. While exchanging links, remember to go with sites that have rich and meaningful content and are not skeleton sites that indulge in exchanging links without publishing worthy content.

If you adopt the methods outlined above, you will surely succeed in increasing back links to your site, which will go a long way in increasing your site's popularity.

A Product Review

2008-02-23T12:40:00.000+07:00

A Product Review: Create Your Own Podcast using Audacity

By Craig Ritsema

Many thanks to Crissy for the review of the Audacity software. If you're building your own home business this information is valuable to know when planning different methods of marketing.

Product Name: Audacity ( http://audacity.sourceforge.net )

Reviewed By: Crissy Gipson, Soldotna, AK

Product Description: Audacity is free software, available for download, which allows you to record, edit, cut, paste, and copy parts of audio files. You can export them in many types of formats, such as Mp3, WAV, AIFF and more.

Here are some of the features:
* Record live audio
* Edit sound files
* Splice sound files together
* Change audio volumes
* Reduce audio background noise

Thoughts & Criticisms: I am just starting to get into podcasting and am very impressed with this software (plus, the unbelievable FREE price). From a marketing standpoint, podcasting is the next “big thing”. It’s going to be HUGE, and if you have thought about it, download this free software and start playing around with it. If you decide that podcasting is too much work and you’d rather market your business a different way, you are not out a penny.

System Requirements:
Audacity is available for everyone, whether you have Windows, MAC or Linux operating systems

Money-back guarantee: This is free

Rating: 10

Even though Audacity is an open source project, the developers continue to improve and enhance it. Many new features have been added over the past year with a beta version available for download if you want to check out these new features. If you're not interested in beta versions, simply download the lastest stable release.

A Product Review

2008-02-23T12:39:00.000+07:00

A Product Review: Podcasting for Dummies

By Craig Ritsema

Podcasting is a hot new technology which major websites are making use of. Basically it's blogging with a voice. Don't fall behind in the fast paced world of technology. Crissy reviews a book which gives practical advice on helping your podcast's be heard worldwide.

Product Name: Podcasting for Dummies by Tee Morris

Reviewed By: Crissy Gipson, Soldotna, AK

Product Description: Podcasting For Dummies by Tee Morris explains podcasting in a very non-threatening and easy to understand way. This 300 page book will walk you through everything, from getting set up, to recording your voice, and publishing yourself on the web.

Here are some of the things included:
* Step by step instructions for the following topics:
* Choosing a podcast theme
* Recording and mixing your voice
* Publishing your podcast & RSS feeds
* Publicity
* Showcases top ten podcasts and most influential podcasters

Thoughts & Criticisms: Podcasting is hot, hot, hot and this book does a very good job of filling you in on the ins and outs. I think everyone can learn a thing for two from this book (however, if you have lots of experience in internet talk radio or podcasting already, some of the topics will be old hat to you).

System Requirements:
This is a book – you do not need a system to read it.

Money-back guarantee: Depends on the retailer you buy the book from

Rating: 8

The "for Dummies" books are a popular series with very down to earth practical advice. Last check Amazon's average user reviews gave this book a 5 star rating: Podcasting For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

If you already have some knowledge of podcasting, please check out Tee Morris's expert version of this subject: Expert Podcasting Practices For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

A Product Review

2008-02-16T18:44:00.002+07:00

A Product Review: Get Blogging Fast with the Blogging Starter Pack

By Craig Ritsema

If you're looking for step by step instructions on making best use of blogging with your home business, then make sure to read further the review of just the right product to help you get started. Don't be intimidated by new marketing methods such as blogging!

Product Name: Blogging Starter Pack

Reviewed By: Crissy Gipson, Soldotna, AK

Product Description: The Blogging Starter Pack by Lynette Chandler explains what blogs are, how to set yours up, and more. Blogs are a great way to build relationships with your readers. Your readers will be able to get a feel for your personality. All of this creates trust and once your readers trust you, they will be more likely to buy products you recommend and endorse.

Here are some of the things included:
* Step by step guide
* 4 Recorded audio sessions
* Videos that give step by step instructions on how to set up your blog in Blogger or WordPress
* Video that shows you how to set up RSS feeds, which enable your readers to get notices when you have new blog posts
* Blogging Best Practices – this will guide you on getting publicity without getting blocked from search engines
* 7 Keys Of A Good Blog, Access to Lynette’s private blog posts and more

Thoughts & Criticisms: Lynette does a great job of explaining how the technical side of blogs. She provides step by step instructions; the videos are great. You can watch what she is doing, and then do it yourself. I was stuck on how to host my Blogger blog through my own host, but after I watched the Blogger video, I was able to do it.

There is also info for customizing your blog, and that is a big help. Lynette is technically gifted; there is no doubt about that. I am not (and I think I am in the majority!). Trying to figure all of this out by yourself can be a real headache. This product can do a lot to prevent that frustration!

System Requirements:
Internet connection in order to buy and download the product (high speed preferably, so you can watch the videos)
Speakers to listen to videos and audios

Money-back guarantee: If you are unable to download the book, they will refund your money.

A Product Review

2008-02-16T18:44:00.001+07:00

A Product Review: Learn Direct Selling from The Direct Selling Women’s Alliance

By Craig Ritsema

Millions of people around the world are involved in direct selling. Crissy reviews a book which gives practical advice in developing the "life skills" needed for success.

Product Name: Build It Big (anthology from Direct Selling Women’s Alliance)

Reviewed By: Crissy Gipson, Soldotna, AK

Product Description: Build it Big is your crash course in direct sales. This 300+ page book features 101 articles that serve as reference points in build your business. Even if you are not in direct sales, there is still a ton of information that can help you.

Here are some of the topics include:
* How to treat your business like a business
* How to balance your family and your business
* How to build relationships on the internet
* How to get over your phone phobias
* How to set goals

Thoughts & Criticisms: This book contains articles by many different authors, on many different subjects. There will be something that “hits home” for everyone. If you have a website or blog that is focused on helping others build a business, this can serve as a great inspiration. The topics covered in this book are the types of things that people want info on.

System Requirements:
This is a book – no system required

Money-back guarantee: depends on the retailer you purchased the book from

Rating: 8

Don't miss out on this book! 5 star average customer reviews can be found on Amazon's website: Build It Big: 101 Insider Secrets from Top Direct Selling Experts

Tips and Strategies for Article Marketing

2008-02-09T14:16:00.000+07:00

By Craig Ritsema

Article marketing can really boost your traffic, and it can also help you establish yourself as an expert in your field and gain exposure. If you write and distribute articles online, these thins are easily accomplished.
When you’re marketing with articles:
Make sure articles are quality: Don’t write articles just to build incoming links. Although this may be your main reason for writing and distributing articles, your articles should be quality not just for the sake of incoming links, but because other business owners will be encouraged to place your articles on their websites. This will generate both more incoming links and traffic.
Even better, your article may be earmarked for publication in a large offline or online publication. This puts you even more in the spotlight. Mediocre articles just don’t cut the mustard, and you don’t want “mediocre” to be associated with your name anyway. If you’re going to write and distribute articles, your articles should be worth your time and effort and work for you
Be the Expert: Remember that when you write, you’re the expert. Your job is to share your knowledge with your customers. Embody that expertise and make sure it shows in your writing. Remember that if you don’t think of yourself as an expert (and have the chops to back that belief up), no one else will, either.
Write Author Bios that Sell: When you write author bios, don’t settle for the same old name, rank and serial number plus website address. Use that space at the end of your articles to really sell yourself and make that reading as interesting as the article. Readers will be more persuaded by an interesting author bio to click over to your site and read more.
To write the best bio, be succinct but include something that will benefit the reader: “To learn more about building websites that sell, visit maryswebsite.com,” or, “For a free 15-page report on how you can make your website sell more, visit maryswebsite.com.” Every word should focus on the benefit to the reader.

Build Back Links to Your Site the Easy Way

2008-02-09T14:14:00.000+07:00

By Craig Ritsema

If other websites link to your site, then not only do these back links increase your site's popularity, they also increase its PageRank (PR) with the Google Search Engine. So, having back links or outside links linking to your site is an important factor in increasing your site's traffic – the more back links, the merrier.
One of the easiest methods of building page links would be to start your own blog and post snippets on it that link to your site. It is additional work, but well worth the effort.
Another way of increasing back links is to post on forums that are relevant to your site's content and include a link to your website in your forum signature. That way you are addressing people who may be interested in your site, plus you are building back links as well.
The third method of increasing back links is to write articles and submit them to reprint directories. At the end of each article you must include a resource box that talks about your site and has a link to it. When another web publisher picks up your article for reprinting, he will publish the article with the resource box intact and this will increase your back links.
If you are selling a product then you must consider setting up an affiliate program. In an affiliate program, you enroll partners (just like franchisees) and they place your product for sale on their website. Of course, they have to plant a code given by you to connect to your site. As you begin getting more affiliates, your product sales will increase along with your back links. Remember that you have to pay the affiliates a certain percentage only if your product is sold from their site and not for displaying it.
Another way to increase back links is to form link exchanges with other sites. For example, if you are selling herbs then you must approach websites who are in the healthcare and fitness industry and inform them about your site and the mutual advantages of exchanging links. One neat way to attract other sites to exchange links with you would be to publish "How To" articles on your website – "How To" articles are in demand and if you have well written pieces on your website, even big companies will share links with you. Other content will work too, provided their quality is good.
Any website that agrees to link to you; will want a link back to them, which is natural. While exchanging links, remember to go with sites that have rich and meaningful content and are not skeleton sites that indulge in exchanging links without publishing worthy content.
If you adopt the methods outlined above, you will surely succeed in increasing back links to your site, which will go a long way in increasing your site's popularity.

A Product Review: Market Your Home Business Website using Audio Acrobat

2008-02-09T14:12:00.000+07:00

By Craig Ritsema

Crissy provides us with a review of the Audio Acrobat software for creating your own recordings. The software is full featured with many different possible uses. It's easy enough for anyone to use.
Product Name: Audio Acrobat
Reviewed By: Crissy Gipson, Soldotna, AK
Product Description: Audio Acrobat is a monthly audio service that allows you to create and publish audio recordings and videos. The service is available for about $20 per month.
Here are some of the things included:* Record audio by telephone or through a computer microphone* The service provides you with testimonial lines; your internet talk radio show or podcast will sound very professional when listeners call in to leave feedback!* Ability to customize the player that you input onto your website or blog, allowing readers to hear your recordings; also has iTunes integration, so your listeners can automatically download your podcasts into their iTunes.
Thoughts & Criticisms: This is a great service at a very reasonable price. Having audio on your website is a fast growing trend; if you have been considering adding a source of audio to your site, this is a great service to use.
System Requirements: Connection to the internet to record and manage audios; this can also be done via phone if you are away from the internet.
Money-back guarantee: Audio Acrobat gives you a free trial; if charges incur after the trial ends, no refunds will be issued.
Rating: 10
Learn more about Audio Acrobat at: http://www.audioacrobat.com/learnmore/learnmore.htm

The Importance of a Website When Starting a Business

2008-02-03T14:43:00.000+07:00

By Craig Ritsema

The Internet is one of the first places that most people turn to when trying to find information on almost anything. One of the best uses of the Internet is to look for a business that will satisfy a need. It is almost necessary to have a website for your business if you want it to succeed. Do not feel overwhelmed. There are easy ways of creating a website for your business that will not break the bank.
First, it is necessary to do some homework. Look at other websites of potential competitors and see what is included on the website. Ask people who are tech savvy if they know of a hosting company that is good and inexpensive. It is possible to find a hosting company for less than one hundred dollars a year. However, sometimes cheaper is not always better. It is important that the website is searchable and will show up on major search engines. Sometimes it is necessary to pay a little more to ensure exposure.
The next task at creating a website for a new business is to find a Webmaster. This is the person who is responsible for designing the website and is also responsible for the upkeep. This is where some serious cash can be doled out. There are solutions to this problem, however. There are web-hosting companies that are designed to be very easy to customize, allowing someone to be their own Webmaster. Do not attempt this unless you are somewhat accustomed to the Internet, otherwise you run the risk of having a website that looks unprofessional. Another option is to find a talented friend or family member who is willing to help design the site for free or for minimal cash. Finally, consider hiring a student to design and maintain the website. A student will likely be thrilled with having their name credited to the website and will work for less money in exchange for some exposure.
When designing the website for a new business, it is important not to go overboard. Listen to the Webmaster, but don’t do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Make sure that the site is easily navigable. It should include a little history about the business and what goods or services are provided. If you are accepting orders for products online, then it is necessary to supply payment options and include the right forms to be filled out, including the name and address of the customer. Functionality is essential.
The thought of setting up a web site to promote a new business can be overwhelming. It does not need to cause undue stress. A lot of the legwork can be left up to the Webmaster. Find a Webmaster that you can trust and outline what it is you need and sit back and wait for the customers to roll in.

Evolve your Writing Style

2008-02-03T14:41:00.000+07:00

By Craig Ritsema

To some, writing comes naturally – all they need to do is begin hammering at the keyboard or putting pen on paper and words start coming out of nowhere. However, many people get mental cramps if they have to write anything, and the result is that they struggle a lot and often come out with inferior text. Now, everyone has to write something almost on a daily basis – it can be writing while at work or for personal reasons, but writing is a must. Irrespective of the fact whether words come naturally or not, a person should evolve a writing style that makes him sound unique. The following are a few helpful tips on how to get a writing style going:
One of the best ways to develop or evolve your writing style would be to read the works of great authors. Reading and imbibing the works of great authors not only exposes you to some fantastic prose, it inspires and motivates you too. Your mind begins seeing things in a new light and gradually your thoughts begin to flow on to paper.
Secondly, always figure out what it is it that you enjoy writing – it can be short and snappy snippets, it can be fictional stories, it can be factual guides, one-liners, ad-libs, or it can be first-person opinions. It's simple to figure this out. Now, write out a piece and see the style of writing that suits you – is it snappy, humorous, to-the-point, chicken soup-ish, etc.?
Having figured out your core writing strengths, you need to make a start. Take out time daily to write; if you seriously want to develop your writing style, then this is a simple task. Begin by posting your thoughts, opinions or stories on web logs and forums. You will find that after a month of practice, your writing has picked up and the time taken to write articles has gradually decreased.
Of course, you will make mistakes while posting on the web logs and forums written about above, but that's okay. These pieces are not meant to be perfect; they are intended to get you off the ground. You will see that in a matter of time, words begin flowing naturally and an improvement in your writing style – in fact, you will slowly start adopting different styles of writing for different groups of readers.
The next step is to blend your persona into your writing. Pay attention to the words that you speak everyday and get them into your writing. This will make your writing more natural to read and easy to follow, just like how easy it is to understand you and laugh at your witticisms when you speak to people. Ultimately, your goal should be to "converse" with the readers, by plugging in short, easy to understand sentences.
When you begin writing, make sure you aren't disturbed. Focus on what you are going to write and start. Make mistakes galore and don't bother about grammar and spelling – no problem, but just go on at it.
When you're done, read what you have written and review it. It may be structurally wrong or it may be full of mistakes – whatever it is, it is a start and it will surely make you write the next piece better. This is the beginning of the evolution of your writing style.

The Basics of Copywriting

2008-02-03T14:38:00.000+07:00

By Craig Ritsema

Copywriting stands for writing copy whose main purpose is to market or promote a product or to persuade the reader to subscribe to a point or view. Copywriting, being sales-related in nature, is an art by itself and many companies hire the services of professionals to write for them. Like all arts, copywriting can be learnt and here are some basics of copywriting:
Before a professional begins to pen marketing material he must always think of the reader or the customer, who needs to act after reading his copy. A customer even if he is aware of a product may have many questions about it; alternatively, he may not have purchased a particular product because he may not be aware of its salient features. These key issues along with a promotional offer have to be tackled by the copywriter.
The material must be unambiguous, sharp, short and sweet. Remember, in this fast-paced world people do not have time to sit through and read long letters, and even if they do, they want to read copy that is clear and concise. Therefore, copywriting makes use of simple words used commonly in daily conversations. Remember that the copy has to be extremely clear and focused and should create an impact as and when the sentences are being read – so another key to good copywriting is that it should connect instantly and positively with the customer.
The following features have to be included in the copy: i) The reason behind the offer – is it because the company has achieved a milestone, or has it launched a new product, etc. are some questions you need to address in the copy. ii) What is the validity of the offer – normally, offers that go on and on end up putting off customers. So, the offer has to be attractive enough for the customer to act on it and the customer has to act in a given timeframe after which the offer must genuinely lapse. iii) Details of where the product is available and what the customer has to do to get it have to be mentioned in the copy.
Now we come to the soul of the copy – the reason why the customer needs to act and buy the product or service. The market is flooded with every kind of product and the competition is cutthroat. In this scenario, a customer needs a reason, a voice to tell him why he needs to buy a particular product and what is it about that product which distinguishes it from its competitors.
The copy has to be fast-paced and must make for exciting reading. It must grab the customer by his collar and compel him to read the entire letter or brochure. The headline needs to be catchy and the copy must appeal to the customer's sense of humor.
Lastly, the copy must sign off with a call to action by making a difficult-to-refuse offer. If the product is rare, then words such as "limited stocks" will help; if the product is coveted then a "limited time offer" will help. Any offer will depend on the type of product – and whatever the product may be, the copy has to give the customer the feeling that he must act in a hurry, and if he doesn't, he will miss the opportunity of a lifetime.

Affiliate Programs: The Simple Way to Start an Online Business

2008-01-21T15:57:00.000+07:00

The Simple Way to Start an Online Business

by: John Farina

Starting an online business it is a very daunting prospect. Some of the things to be considered are; what can you offer to your potential customers? With your own online business, the first thing you must have is a product or service to sell. Do you have a product that you can buy or produce yourself to sell, or are you going to enter a 'franchise'? Because selling physical products online means you are faced with making the products yourself, finding a franchise opportunity and researching wholesalers, to find a product range that you are comfortable with. Ideally you would have a working knowledge and experience of the product or service. You then need to be able to fulfil orders, package them, deal with customer enquiries, arrange and pay for shipping costs and the list goes on. If you provide a service, then you may well have to start by offering to undertake jobs for no charge in order to get an opportunity to prove your abilities to your potential customers. This is one way of establishing credibility, and then when you are charging for your service, you are still limited by how much work you can actually handle due to time constraints. Of course there are other options like drop shipping with all the problems that may involve. Whichever route you choose to take, it is important to present your business in a form that shows clearly what product or service is being offered. This involves not just building a web site, which is in itself a learning curve, there is also the need to be able to write compelling ad copy, an effective marketing plan, sorting out payment processors and cash flow, all of these things are best planned in advance for smooth implementation, for when you are setting things up for trading. All the above systems do all have the ability to provide you with a very nice income from home, but if you want to get started on making an income from home quickly and easily, then affiliate programs are the ideal starting point, read on to discover why. AFFILATE PROGRAMS EXPLAINED At this point you may well be wondering what exactly ARE affiliate programs? Essentially, an affiliate program allows you to sell another company's service or product and you would earn a commission on every sale or lead. The company for whom you are an affiliate will provide you with an affiliate link, which is a special URL code that will identify you as the source of the customer's introduction to the company, so you can see for yourself that your marketing plan is sound and producing results. This means that the only skill you need to master initially is that of marketing, you do not even need to build a website or handle the transaction. Affiliate programs often have tiers, which means that if someone who signs up to the affiliate program through your link is placed in your "downline" and you will then earn a percentage of any sales they make too. HOW DO I CHOOSE AN AFFILIATE PROGRAM? The first step in deciding on an affiliate program to promote is to research the popularity of some of your interests. You are more likely to make a success of promoting a product or something you are interested in, than something you know little or nothing about. There are many sources to determine if people are searching for products and services in a particular field, including free ones such as the Overture keyword tool; (http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion ) and paid ones such as the word tracker service (http://www.wordtracker.com/ ). Once you have decided on a product or service, for which there seems to be a demand and is in your scope of interest, you will need to find affiliate programs in your chosen field. This can be achieved easily by typing your chosen subject along with 'affiliate program,' into your favourite search engine and sift through the results until you find an affiliate program you like the look of. Alternatively you can search through affiliate directories such as http://www.associateprograms.com and http://www.affiliatesdirectory.com/. Once you have found a program that interests you, ensure you read the terms of the program; take particular care to check the level of minimum payout, and when payouts occur. If payouts do not occur until you reach a high level of commission you may well never see your money. It is a good idea to go with programs that have high commission percentage rates, as in effect you have fewer products to sell to achieve the income you desire. It is often the case that digital products; (books and software) have the highest commission rates, due to the lower costs. A good starting place for finding affiliate programs is clickbank (http://clickbank.com/ ). However these tend to be lower priced than physical goods so pick your chosen affiliate program with care! Affiliate programs will provide you with a variety of marketing tools such as banners, classified ads, email ads and so on. They may well also have training on how to market. Then all you have to do is set off promoting your new affiliate program everywhere you can. Once you have mastered this skill and see the income come in, you will be in a much better position to start selling your own product. Good luck!

Definition of Affiliate Business

2008-01-21T15:34:00.000+07:00

Affiliate Marketing Home-Based Business: What Is It And Why Does It Work?

by: Cesar Campos

We are living in an amazing time in history! Technology has given us the ability to communicate, be productive, and work wherever we have internet access. But how do you get an employer to agree to let you work from home? That is tricky. Most companies are still uncomfortable allowing employees to telecommute. One big reason is that businesses who allow employees to work offsite have to make investments and be vigilant about security breaches into the company intranet. Some companies now allow for an occasional telecommute, but that barely impacts the issues driving the desire to work from a home office, such as high fuel costs, long commutes, expensive child care costs, and global warming. Another way to make money online is to set up your own virtual business. But trying to build your company from scratch is expensive and risky. A quick internet search will present a plethora of home-based business options. So, how do you know which ones are legitimate? The answer is to look at the business model. A solid opportunity provides benefits to all parties involved. Affiliate marketing programs have attracted a lot of attention lately. This type of program is successful because companies need help getting the attention of consumers who have may have an interest in buying from them. Businesses have long known that referrals from a friend, or another influential authority, such as a trusted business or an association are much more likely to make a purchase than those who come in arbitrarily. This recommendation breaks the initial barrier of distrust between vendor and prospective customer. However, before the internet age, companies had a hard time obtaining enough referred business to sustain their profitability goals. So, they also used expensive media ads to bring in additional customers and build their brands. With the proliferation of internet usage, businesses began shifting some money away from traditional advertising venues to website development and internet advertising. This was a successful strategy when the internet was still small. Now-a-days, there is an overload on information and advertising on the web. So, how does a business stand out to customers who are interested in what they have to sell? They first start by improving their search ranking in an effort to land on the first page of results from searches on major engines like Google and Yahoo. They can do this by optimizing keywords and paying to be listed as a sponsor when people search with pre-specified keywords. This is a necessary tactic, but any good marketer knows that relying on only one stream of leads is short-sighted and risky. A second tactic is to partner with other websites that provide content which interests their best prospects. This alliance is called an affiliate marketing program (or performance marketing in some circles). It is designed to create a network of targeted lead generators. The concept is simple: companies advertise related products and services to the targeted audience of a website. The owner of that site is rewarded for generating business for referring business to the company. Example: I am interested in cats and build a site with cat tales. Cat food manufacturers, veterinaries, and stores who sell pet food advertise on my site. When my readers click-through to the vendor's sites or make a purchase, I receive a commission. Although there are several affiliate program models the most popular by far is revenue sharing, also known as Cost-per-sale (CPS) or Pay-per-sale (PPS). First a customer must reach the merchant site by clicking on an ad from the publisher's website. When that customer makes a purchase, the publisher of the original site receives a percentage of the sale. Another commonly used affiliate marketing program pays a set dollar amount per referral who performs a given action, such as signing up to the merchant site, subscribing to a newsletter or filling out a form. This is called Pay-per-lead (PPL), Cost-per-lead (CPL), or Cost-per-action/Cost-per-acquisition (CPA). According to Marketing Sherpa, in 2006, affiliate programs paid out approximately $6.5 billion US dollars in commissions. If there is so much money to be made, why can't you be a part of this growing industry? Perhaps you're thinking you need to be a web designer who is adept at internet marketing strategies. Once again, technology comes to the rescue! The internet allows you to be in business for your self without having to do it by yourself. But how does it work? Where can you go for good advice? Work at Home Enterprises can provide you with in-depth guidance on how to structure an affiliate home business and run it successfully.

Why Do Most People Who Try Affiliate Marketing Fail?

2008-01-21T15:24:00.001+07:00

by: Anita Buchan

Isn't affiliate marketing great? You get to sleep late, sit around all day, and only occasionally have to pop over to the computer to check how much money you've made in the last hour. A job anyone would kill for. Except that that's not quite the truth. Many of you will have a rather different experience of affiliate marketing – one involving lost money, scams, and endless frustration when the profits you were told you would make just never appear. Others will never have got to that stage, but they'll still have the same feeling: that all affiliate marketers are scammers, selling a dream that is impossible for most to achieve. If you're feeling like that, stop it. Because it's not true. Affiliate marketing is difficult. But it's not impossible, and not all the ‘gurus' are scammers. Some are genuine, and really will help you, if you let them. It is possible to succeed. So why do most wannabe affiliate marketers fail? 1. They give their money to scammers who then give them useless information. Many scammers, after they've taken your money, will offer a cheap e-book to download. Sometimes this is stolen from another site, but more often it's something they've written in twenty minutes when they remembered that they needed to offer people something. That means it will be filled with useless information that the scammer probably knows nothing about – and if you try to follow it, you might soon conclude that affiliate marketing is impossible and you were a fool for even trying. 2. They don't have enough patience. It takes time for the money to start coming in. You need to build up a steady stream of traffic and a mailing list before you can think about earning serious cash. When they only earn a few dollars a day, or fail to receive the thousands they were expecting, many people get disillusioned and decide that they're better off with the day job. 3. They don't follow the instructions properly. I know. Why would you spend your money on an affiliate marketing course only to ignore what it says? But people do. They think they know better than the pros who have been doing this for years. And they usually end up making a mess of it, losing money on unprofitable advertising techniques that don't work. But, of course, they don't blame themselves and go back to try to work out where they went wrong. They blame the course they bought, and decide it must have been sold by a scammer – a scammer, like everyone else who claims they make a living affiliate marketing! 4. They think they're not clever or skilled enough. Normally, they're wrong. Affiliate marketing really is very simple. You need intelligence and initiative to become one of the top affiliates, yes – but if you just want to earn some extra money, all you need to do is follow instructions. Buy an affiliate marketing course and do what it says. Too many people sit there and think ‘I can't'. 5. They decide it's too much work. They get taken in by the promises that they can make money going to the cinema, watching TV, washing their hair. In truth, there's a bit of work to do before you get to that stage – like setting up a website and promoting it, for starters! As soon as they realise that it's not going to be as easy as they thought, they give up. The truth is, there's no such thing as money you don't have to work for (lottery winners excluded!). Did you notice anything these five reasons have in common? All of them involve people giving up. Whatever the reason, if you give up, you're not going to become a successful affiliate marketer. Fact is, nothing worth having is easy. Being an affiliate marketer is worth it – not just the money, but the excitement of seeing your list grow and traffic rise. And it's not easy. Most affiliate marketers had to work hard and experienced plenty of failure along the way. You've got to be ready for that as well. Most wannabe affiliate marketers fail because most affiliate marketers give up. You make sure you're not one of them.

Online Home Business Marketing Ideas And Tips For Affiliates

2008-01-21T15:20:00.000+07:00

by: Cynthia Minnaar

A huge amount of time and effort goes into the advertising and marketing of an online home business so herewith some online business marketing ideas and tips for affiliates to ensure you get the maximum out of your online promotions. Unfortunately there are people using the internet who are dishonest and will have no hesitation in changing affiliate links. Affiliate links are easily changed so it is strongly advised that you cloak your links prior to starting any advertising in order to avoid the loss of commissions. You can do this through your hosting panel if you own your own domain or by using tinyurl.com. It is really important to check that all the links on your website as well as your affiliate links are working as there is nothing more off putting to a potential customer to click on a dead link. If you search on Google for `link checker` or `link validator` you will find some really helpful free online tools to check the links on your website. It is not unusual for sites to go down for some reason or another, for example they may be having server problems and if that is the case you need to be in a position to immediately pause your marketing campaigns during the period the site is offline. You certainly do not want to be paying for clicks to a dead link. If you are using pay per click advertising (PPC) you can access your account and temporarily disable the display of your advert. The same applies to credits you may have accumulated or purchased in the traffic exchanges. For example Traffic Swarm offers a facility where you can temporarily disable the display of your link. Once the site is back online you can then simply log in to your account and enable the links again. Most classified advertising sites also give you the option to open an account which will enable you to make changes to your adverts and put them on hold if necessary. It is also unfortunate that some programs are short lived on the internet and so it is important that you ensure that you are not promoting an affiliate program that no longer exists. If you are considering purchasing targeted traffic then be sure you will be given access to a panel where you can check your stats and change the targeted website if necessary. Sure there are going to be places that you are promoting your online home business and affiliate links that you will not be able to change immediately, but at least for any paid advertising it is advisable to only use services whereby you have access to your account in order to be able to control when your adverts run. Also be sure to read emails that you receive from the affiliate programs that you are marketing as they may include important information regarding changes to their links or advertising materials such as banners and landing pages. It is advisable to upload any banners you are using to your own hosting account so that in the event of the affiliate program discontinuing a banner your link will not be affected. One of the very important things I have learnt while growing my own online home business is that you need to be in control of as much as possible on the internet and you can achieve this to a certain extent by owning your own domain. You then have more control of your online home business marketing and will be able to promote all your affiliate links on one website and be in a position to instantly access your hosting panel to change, cloak and redirect affiliate links.