Entering the world of Affiliate Marketing is a new, exciting venture with heaps of opportunity since you can begin making money based on any sort of interest, industry, or passion, but one of the largest mistake new marketers make is that they monetize too quickly for their own good.
Charging right into the industry without proper competitor & customer education can leave many marketers biting at their nails as they nervously wait for affiliate commissions to trickle in since a lack of knowledge in these two elements can lead the marketer astray and on the path to a dead-end.
Every marketer should take their time to develop their brand presence before pulling the trigger on their affiliate offers; here are some of the reasons why you should hold off from monetizing your affiliate website (for now) …
- You’ll scare initial visitors away – People landing on your website came for information but seeing too many affiliate offers when you’re not considered an expert in your field will make your website appear as if it was created solely to gain a click; people become nervous when there are too many ads because they aren’t sure about your intentions. Remedy this by rolling out affiliate offers as content begins to expand and your community starts to form.
- Google doesn’t want a lot of ads – Sure they give you Google Adsense but it’s not meant to be abused and there are harsh consequences if you overload your website with too few content and too many ads. The best approach is to go with the bare minimum if you’re just starting out such as a single ad in the sidebar or one placed at the bottom of your blog posts.
- You should work on list building, first – Affiliate offers send visitors to a landing page; if you’re lucky they’ll convert but most of the time they become subscribers for the product owner. The product owner will generally be within the same niche (or at least related) so you can bet that they will produce the type of content your visitors were seeking thus making it a conflict on why they should bother returning to your site if they’re already receiving great information. Instead, focus on building your email list and social media presence when you’re first getting your go because a handful of passionate community members will do far more for bringing people to your website than just rushing them off into an offer.
- Take the time to find your voice and tone – The early days of operating your website are crucial to your ability to develop your voice and tone because you’re still going through a learning process of distilling your ideas and expertise into content. Hold off from monetizing your website until you begin to feel comfortable with your content creation and copywriting since doing so will allow you to perfectly pair your recommendations with your message instead of trying to force it in.
- You could work on a product – Consider taking the time you’d put toward affiliate research into creating a product. A product gives you a greater presence in your industry because it shows that you’re taking your affiliate business seriously and the information you provide, in your paid product, adds greater value than just the stuff you’re giving away for free. Additionally, those that purchase a product have a higher commitment about learning what you have to teach which means they’ll also have a greater incentive to purchase affiliate products that are linked within the work (not to mention you now have a true customer list).
I know you want to start making money from your affiliate venture as soon as possible but consider the downsides of rushing in too quickly. You have all the time in the world to research your community and find the right products rather than basing your promotions on cold, lifeless research – give it a few months so you can build your presence, content value, and community, and then begin to roll-out smart, logical promotions on your site.
