By Elizabeth McGee

Ever hear people say that affiliate marketing sucks? That’s because for many people, affiliate marketing does suck!

Why is that? Affiliate marketing is supposed to be one of the easiest ways to make money online, right? You don’t need your own product, there’s no shipping, inventory or customer service to deal with and even some of the commissions, especially with electronic products, can be as much as 50-100%.

So what sucks about that?

It sucks because many affiliate marketers don’t make any sales. They find a product they like, they spend time setting up a website, they write, read and promote, and all they have to show for their hard work is an empty bank account..

That would be discouraging to anyone trying to make money online.

In the beginning, affiliate marketing wasn’t my best money maker either. It wasn’t until I made some pretty significant changes that things began to turn around.

For starters, affiliate marketing takes work, but not just any work, you have to do the things that make the affiliate marketing business model work. Simply creating a pretty website, posting affiliate links and expecting people will click and buy, is a recipe for failure…and that does suck.

Don’t follow the failure path, here’s how to get situated on the right track…

1. Find a Focused niche

Skincare is not a niche. Shoes is not a niche. I can say that now because those were my first affiliate sites. Big mistakes.

These topics are too broad and it’s hard to get a handle on what to sell much less what people coming to your site are actually looking for. A good niche has a much narrower focus.

For instance, if you love skincare what about skin care is most appealing to you? Find a niche market by focusing in on a subset of skin care, then focus in on a demographic.

A good example might be anti-aging skin care for women over 50. Anti aging is a common concern for women, and it’s even more of a concern for the demographic of women over 50. See how that works?

2. Create a Themed Website

Create a website around a theme as opposed to a product. You could certainly create a site around one specific product, but what happens when that product no longer exists? I prefer to create a site around a specific interest or problem and find several quality affiliate products that will complement the theme of the site.

Start by creating a WordPress blog or you could even create a traditional website using any number of easy website builders. Once your site is created, add related categories and populate it with useful, interesting information that your target audience wants to know about.

3. Don’t Promote Junk!

Chances are that within your specific niche there are tons of products and services to promote. You’ll also notice that there’s a lot of junk out there, and that goes for any niche.

Learn to be choosy with the products you promote, find the best affiliate marketing programs by choosing carefully. Make sure you promote quality products and that the product’s website has a good presence with a smooth sales process.

I personally like to try the product or service first before I promote it. It’s hard for me to be convincing and compelling if I don’t. Not everyone likes the idea of having to buy the product or service first, and if you’re one of those natural born marketers that could convince anyone to buy anything, then by all means go for it, but for most of us, it’s smarter to try the products we promote first.

I also like to get to know the affiliate manager. If the affiliate program is a good one, the manager will go the extra mile to help you promote giving you personalized help and ideas. After all if you’re successful, so are they.

4. Create an email Opt-in List

Affiliate marketers new to the business sometimes shy away from email marketing. That’s another mistake.

Having even the tiniest email list of subscribers can make you some exceptional money because those people on your list are INTERESTED. What better target market is there? They’re actually asking you to tell them what great things to buy.

But don’t be misled. They won’t buy immediately. Build their friendship and their trust first. Help them get to know you and you them. Once they begin to know and trust you, that’s when they’ll take you up on what you are promoting.

If you need help creating your list, sign up for my free email tips and you’ll have a targeted list built in no time.

Bottom Line…

If you think affiliate marketing sucks because you just can’t make a go of it, let me just tell you that you can. Your problem may be as simple as missing a few key strategies.

Once you find a focused niche, create a blog or website that addresses issues people need to know about, find great products and build a list of interested people, it’s just a matter of fine tuning things before the sales will begin rolling in.

Visit Elizabeth McGee and learn about how she overcame the affiliate marketing blues through reading the Super affiliate handbook. Check out her Super Affiliate Handbook review and find out what most affiliate marketers miss when it comes to making more sales.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_McGee
http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Affiliate-Marketing-Sucks!&id=6895948