Affiliate Marketing – The Dangers You Should Watch Out For
Affiliate marketing – no matter which corner of the net you set your sights on, you’re bound to find people raving about affiliate marketing…how rich they got from the comfort of their own homes, how they were able to buy their new car and mansion thanks to affiliate marketing.
But as with anything that sounds too good to be true (especially on the internet), one can’t help but ask – is this affiliate marketing thingy for real? Is this my key to financial freedom? Or is it another well-designed gimmick meant to rob me of my hard-earned money?
There’s no doubt about it – there are affiliate marketing training and membership programs that do work and deliver. They will teach you the ins and outs of the biz…prepping you for the real affiliate marketing world. HOWEVER, just like anything else – there is a flip side to the coin.
Real lies and false claims – the internet is riddled with these. Unfortunately, the affiliate marketing business is not an exception.
Think about it – how hard is it to piece together an e-book that contains nothing but re-hashed material that you could get for free…get a graphics designer to give it a nice and eye-popping cover and sell it for a hundred times its worth?
Not too hard I’d say! And people all over the globe – including those affiliate marketing gurus and experts that you are worshipping, are doing this dirty trick day in and day out to rake in buckets of dollars that came from the pockets of unwary affiliate marketing newbies like you.
What about building a ‘Members Only’ website that contains ‘all the tools, tricks, and techniques to make thousands of dollars’…information which are nothing special compared to those found for free in the forums and make-money discussion groups?
Get this – anyone can call themselves an expert in affiliate marketing. Anyone can build an impressive and professional-looking website with today’s website-building technologies. Anyone can claim to have the ‘secret sauce’ that you need to finally transform you from a penniless chump into a Don overnight.
“But what about those testimonials they have on their website? What about those great reviews about their affiliate marketing programs, techniques, and tools?”
While there are legit testimonials out there, you should understand that they can be easily fabricated! You should always do your best if they’re from real people…and not just from an image with impressive paragraphs attached next to them.
Believe me or not, this is illegal but nobody has the time or the resources to track them down…let alone prosecute them. The end result? The clever webmaster and greedy affiliate marketer get away with it…and with your money!
The 2 Faces And Platforms For Blogging That You Should Understand
So you’re just starting out as a blogger? Yeah? If you answered yes to that, then you might be scratching your head…confused as to which blogging platform to use and how to get started. You see, there are 2 most popular blogging platforms out there that you could use at your disposal – namely WordPress and Blogger.
And right here, we’ll take a look at both of them – their strengths, their weaknesses, and which one should you use. Let’s go!
Blogger From Google
If you don’t have even a dime to invest for blogging, by all means go for Blogger – the free blogging platform designed by Google. It’s beginner friendly and it’s very easy to use. True, you need to know a couple of HTML codes if you want to add more features to your Blogger blog…BUT trust me, you could master them like the back of your hand within a day or two.
However, Blogger is not without its weaknesses or setbacks. And I think you deserve to know them before you dive in. Here are some of them –
- First and foremost, you’re blog is never yours! It’s still Google’s. That means if you want to sell your blog, you’re out of luck. Not to mention Google can delete your blog when they want it and how they want it. Believe me, I’ve seen many great Blogger blogs go down into flames in this fashion.
- As for the functions and options, they’re very limited. The amount of templates is very limited as well. If you’re going to use Blogger, expect that you’re bound to come across a blog that a design and template that looks just like yours.
And that’s just to name a few!
Here’s the bottom line – if you’re a total blogging beginner and if you don’t have anything to invest in your online ventures, Blogger is the best way to go to get your hands dirty and your feet wet…prepping you for a paid and more advanced platform, which is…
WordPress
If you’re an advanced blogger looking for a platform that gives you flexibility when it comes to options and functions, then WordPress is for you. You can also take advantage of WordPress for free…BUT bloggers who are using it buy hosting and a domain name…for good reason!
- Plugins – they’re your best buddy (the good ones) and your worst enemy (the ones that suck BIG time) when it comes to adding functionality and options to your WordPress Blog.
- You get to own your blog…IF you buy a domain name.
- A look around the net will reveal tons of themes and templates that you can use. Some are paid and some are free. Not to mention many of them looks really professional.
Your Top 3 Make Money Online Questions ANSWERED!
Make money online – the prospect of earning cash from the comfort of your own home…using only your computer and internet connection is a concept that has attracted a lot of following. And for good reason!
Think about it – nobody wants to spend the rest of their lives working for the ‘man’…putting up with their boring nine to five. However, I’m sure you have a lot of questions about making money online – how it works, what to do, what factors to take into consideration, and everything in between.
And that’s what this article is all about! I’ll be answering the top 3 make money online questions asked by newcomers in the biz like you…
What is the number one factor to consider when making money online?
It doesn’t matter if you’re using Adsense, selling your own digital or physical products, using PPC marketing, article marketing, etc. you need to have a concrete traffic generation plan…PERIOD! Think about it – if you don’t get any traffic, who will buy from you website? Who will click on your ads? Who will fill up your referral form?
I’m sure you get my drift.
What technique should I use to make money online?
The answer – it depends…it depends on what resources and skills you have. There are a number of money making methods that you can take advantage of.
If you already have a website with a couple of articles and pages on it (and if you are serving a high paying niche), using Adsense is highly recommended. If you don’t have any experience, website, or product to sell online, you could go for affiliate marketing. There are a number of free web 2.0 platforms that cater to the beginning affiliate marketer. The latter is also perfect if you want to make decent amount of cash without any hassle whatsoever.
How much money can I make?
There are people claiming that they’re making $1000/day or even more! And the truth is – that’s very achievable…PROVIDED that you have the determination and resources to back your money making dreams up! The amount of money you could make from the online world is literally endless. Think about it – you have billions of people as potential clients. After all, the net is not called the World Wide Web for nothing!
Just be wary of those people claiming to help you make thousands of dollars a day, without spending a dime, and while sleeping. Chances are, they’re lying…and they’re about to scam you!
Blog Income Report – May 2009
I did not make many postings on my blog for the month of may. I was having much work and some times I don’t even have time to sleep. But I have decent money just by selling my services. I have made good some money with affiliate marketing and I will let you know as soon as I get paid. I have been get paid by Advaliant.I am happy that one of efforts are bearing fruit 
.The may income report is shown below.
Adsense :- $3.47
Affiliates:- $760.50
Sponsorships:- 0
Freelance work :- $473
Private Ads:- $0
Advertising Cost:- $0
Total Revenue:- 1236.97
Why to Choose Affiliate Marketing?
If you want to establish your online business and possess entrepreneurial spirit then affiliate marketing is the most promising solution available to you. The concept of affiliate marketing can be new for those people who have started their business following traditional ways. In this article you will learn some advantages of affiliate marketing over traditional routes:
Low startup money: If you were in a need of a store that sold magazines and books, you will search for a building, hire numerous employees, look for a supplier, start a marketing campaign to make people aware about your new business and at last, employ various processes required to deliver excellent customer service.
With the help of affiliate marketing you can easily get a profitable business in just $100 and the only thing you require is internet access on your computer.
Automated Functions:
If you own a mortar and brick store then you will be worried about the transactions constantly. You will have to pay for the processing fees charged by credit card companies and will be tensed about the customers returning the product as well. Also the special or bulk orders coming when you are out of stock is another worry. With the help of affiliate marketing the products and services you sell and the payment for it is handled by a third party person. After launching the marketing campaign you can relax and watch the sales go high.
Easy to shift gears: If you are selling grocery items and want to start a shoe selling business, it may be tough offline.
But if you are an online marketer, it is extremely easy for you. It will just require a little bit of hard work from your side and as little as $100 start up. The best part is that your grocery business will still be making money for you online even when you start selling other products along with it.
Residual Income:
Once you start you marketing campaign it remains active continuously and keeps on generating profit to you. Is it possible in other business? No! All other business will demand more of your time, management and investment but affiliate marketing is way above all hassles. You can even promote your already running campaign by adding some more offers to it and employing new strategies. It will further reduce your time of starting a whole new campaign.
When you start a new campaign your old campaign remains active and generates money till the stock is available and the products are being sold. Learning about some important techniques and tactics that will help you rise in your business is very helpful. So whenever you are thinking of setting up a new online business always consider affiliate marketing as you will not be making bigger investment but will only be generating profit through it. Affiliate marketing is the most effective weapon in the internet marketing world and helps to tackle the rising competition quiet easily and attract quality traffic towards your website.
