Link to future affiliates?

Jewel · #1 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 11:42 AM

I posted this question at the SBI site but I love my little "family" here so I thought I would get your advice as well.

I am still writing content to get to my 30 pages (working on page 6, hopefully uploaded tonight) so I have not yet done anything to monetize my site. I plan on using affiliates, Adsense, and possibly dropshipping.

But as I am writing the content pages I am talking about different products, which are good, what to look for...and in some cases mentioning where you can get these products. Later I plan to apply to the affiliate programs for the companies that sell these products, but I was wondering if I should just go ahead and link to their websites (opening in a new window) for now, specifically right to the product I am describing, so visitors reading my content can see more about the product.

Right now I am looking at it as it would be just a nice service to my visitors...later on, once I have the affiliate programs in place I can just change the link to my affiliate link.

Is it too soon to link out of my website like this? On SBI someone mentioned to me just to go ahead and sign up for the affiliate programs. I have a whole list of affiliates I want to sign up for..but I was thinking that with the small amount of pages I have I would probably get rejected and that I do need a quantity and quality of content for the approval.

So I guess I have three choices questions here...

should I put in a customer service link to future affiliate sites....

should I go ahead and just sign up for the programs and link to those sites....

or should I keep building content with no links for the time being until I am ready to affiliate, then go back and put in all the links

NewMama · #2 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 01:06 PM

Jewel,

I don't have the answer, but I have the very same question. I'm so glad you asked!

I have a couple pages in which I have my top 3 recommendations for certain products and I have a link to those products, usually on Amazon. So in the future it would be great to be an affiliate of Amazon. But I wonder if I'm doing the wrong thing by liking to Amazon now?

Thanks for asking this!

Ulrich · #3 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 01:29 PM

I'm not a professional in the area but I've learnt over the last week to PREsell a product instead of selling it.

In other words it's far more effective to supply good information (content) about a certain niche and then within your article recommend a product but don't make it look like it's a sales pitch. Personally I think you'd do yourself harm if you go straight away and just list some cool products which you think are good. Build credibility and traffic first.

Your question is whether you should start linking to the affiliate pages already, well you could I guess but try to do it in the manner in which I mentioned above.

http://www.associateprograms.com/ taught me a lot - it could do the same for you.

PS: What I did just now with associateprograms.com is a perfect example of PREselling. - I also think Lisa uses the same principle very effectively by putting her knowledge out there, building credibility (an audience, friends etc.).

lisa · #4 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 04:37 PM

Excellent post Ulrich and thank you.

If you want to go ahead and join some of these programs, go ahead. But I think the reason SBI! suggests you wait until 30 pages is because most people don't have much traffic in the beginning so even if they do put up affiliate links, chances are they won't make many (or any) sales.

When you start getting near the 100 visitor per day mark then you should start looking to promote and earn from affiliate programs. But definitely focus on the traffic now.

And as far as getting accepted, I know Amazon.com is pretty easy to get into. I think I had like 5 pages on my site when I first joined (but that was in 1998).

But to answer your question, it's certainly not going to hurt much if you have an affiliate link or two through your content at this stage, just keep in mind you really need to focus on building traffic in the early stages.

Jewel · #5 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 04:38 PM

Hi Ulrich, thanks for your reply.

I am following the Preselling model with SBI and my site is content based so I do understand and agree what you are talking about. I am just trying to determine if I should keep building content first and then join the affiliates, or just go ahead and do it now while I am still building.

Actually, originally I was asking if I should just link to the sites in an informational way...with no affiliate link, just talking about the product to my visitor and give them a link where they can see and find out more about it....and then someone mentioned to me that if I was going to link I might as well go ahead and sign up for the affiliate program and I don't know if it is too soon for that or not.

lisa · #6 (**permalink**) 04-16-2008, 04:53 PM

Jewel I think we were posting at the same time. LOL Again, I'm not sure whether you join now or later is going to matter much. Go ahead and join and link with the affiliate links. As long as you understand the traffic situation then that's what counts.

Jewel · #7 (**permalink**) 04-17-2008, 07:56 AM

Thanks Lisa!

Yep, I am not concerned about the money aspect of it yet, as far as putting up the affiliate links...in other words, since I am only getting about 17-20 visitors a day right now (and now that I have installed Google Analytics it sure is depressing how fast they LEAVE!!!) I am not expecting much in the way of sales. If that is the only reason not to do it, then I might just go ahead and do it!

I don't really feel the answer was hit square on the head though....remember, I am going to have to go back and add the links anyway once I am an affiliate.

That being said...is it just better right now to just put up plain links, nonaffiliate, as a courtesy to take my visitors to the site where product is? or is that driving visitors away (if they can be driven away any faster than they seem to be leaving anyway)

Then again...I don't have to put up any links at all right now.

I don't know...I am still so confused!

I guess listening to you Lisa...if, regarding the traffic, it is all only about my expectations, then it is okay...I understand that. If it is regarding traffic at a certain level that the affiliate I am applying to wants me to have, well then that is another story 'cause I ain't there yet!

West · #8 (**permalink**) 04-17-2008, 09:40 AM

HI Jewel, I think you have the right idea. Sounds like your main reason for wanting to add the links is to provide useful informtation to your visitors, not to start making a profit from them.

I think another reason SBI! insists that you wait before monetizing is because if you start too early, you may become slightly obsessed with how much money you're making, and lose sight of building more content.

lisa · #9 (**permalink**) 04-17-2008, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by West

I think another reason SBI! insists that you wait before monetizing is because if you start too early, you may become slightly obsessed with how much money you're making, and lose sight of building more content.

Good point West.

To answer your question, Jewel, I don't think putting the affiliate links up is necessarily driving people away. Ken wrote an article once that says the average person only views 10-20% of your site (unless you have a very niche site and your traffic is extremely targeted) so don't get too alarmed by the Analytics stats. I have to admit, 2create has 140+ pages but the average person only looks at 3 pages... yet the site is extremely successful (affiliate revenue wise) because I have a lot of traffic.

Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't work on your content to try to improve your bounce rates and page views per visitors, but don't get too bent out of shape about those numbers.

But back to your original question.... Go ahead and put up the affiliate links. No sense in putting up plain links and then going back to switching them... especially since a lot of people still don't know what an affiliate link looks like (especially on sites not related to Webmasters).

Jewel · #10 (**permalink**) 04-17-2008, 11:15 AM

Great...thanks Lisa and West.....those answers feel better, more like you got the main gist of my question.

Don't worry about me and the content Lisa.....even though I seem to be all over the place, it is because I am learning. I have a great blueprint in place and am trying as best as I can to organize my thoughts into some logical order...but the big target that looms in front of me is definitely the content...and I that is what I keep my main focus on. I may deviate from the straight path a little...but I am still definitely headed in that direction!

Some of the other stuff comes up as I build my content pages just because I am trying to get the pages up as complete as possible so I can move on to more pages and topics...but I know I have to keep my eyes on that content target.

It is great to be able to have the ability to get answers to all of these questions that seem to pop up in my head endlessly as I attempt to learn and build a successful site! Thanks

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