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Top 9 Myths about Affiliate Programmes

Top 9 Myths about Affiliate Programmes

There are a lot of myths associated with affiliate programmes and if any affiliate programme is going to be ‘worth its salt’ then these need to be debunked. So what are they and why have they arisen?

Myth No. 1: always choose a programme that pays high commission.

In fact this should perhaps read ONLY join a programme that pays high commission, since this seems to be the attitude of many webmasters.

Yet the reality is that sometimes it is better to have a low commission rate and get real, tangible leads that will actually follow through, rather than simply going for a high commission rate, where the visitors you direct will simply fail to make a purchase because they do not like the site or they find it hard to use.

Myth No 2: add banner ads for maximum results.

Banner ads are simply not the answer to every marketing problem and often they will fail to generate any traffic to your site. Most people dislike banner ads and just don’t use them; so they are of little use. If you really want to use some kind of advertisement then often a testimonial can be far more effective and can lead to visitors naturally following through.

Myth No 3: don’t worry about the quality of the sites in the programme.

This is a fundamental error; if visitors to the site feel they cannot trust it or they cannot make secure purchases or it simply looks amateurish, then they will leave the site and not follow through. So instead of just thinking that the other sites will be ok, take time to research them, particularly from the point of view of your customers, so that you can try to see any flaws in the design of the websites. If there are flaws then avoid this programme.

Myth No 4: in 10 Minutes you will be earning megabucks.

This simply is not true; it comes back to the old saying that ‘If something looks too good to be true, then it generally is’. This is because if you establish a programme in just a few minutes, then you are probably just relying on banner ads or pretty basic graphics. Instead, it is far better to set up a good, logical and natural set of links to an affiliate problem, and in this way you can ensure that your programme is more effective than if it is clumsy and doesn’t flow seamlessly along with the rest of your website. So take the time and put the effort in so that you can maximise your chances of real returns.

Myth No 5: if you have 1000s of affiliates you will make big bucks.

This again simply does not happen in reality; you may find that there are 2-3,000 affiliates who are all in your network, but there is no point in having them if they don’t actually buy anything. Make sure that you take time and trouble to research the kind of programmes that will generate potential customers, rather than people who simply aren’t interested!

Myth No 6: it is easier to allow the network hosts to facilitate payment.

If you let the network hosts facilitate payment then you have effectively given up a good deal of control and you will have to pay them an extra fee every time that they handle transactions. Also if you handle payments directly then you get to interact directly with your customer and hopefully have them coming back again and again!

Myth No 7: only a big name network will actually be successful for you.

Now this really is a way to get people to join up to an affiliate programme. After all, if only the big fish can help you then why not earth would you ever want to choose any provider other than a big name?

Well therein lays the rub; this is just a clever trick that the big names have pulled to try and get people to stay with them. In fact, the real success of any affiliate programme is the time and effort that YOU put into making it a success and making sure that it does attract potential customers who are interested and not just people who really don’t care.

Myth No 8: it’s too late to get on board with affiliate marketing.

Again, this is a way of keeping things ‘sewn up’. It may well be true that there are more affiliates around who are eager to get their own share of the market, but the reality is that more and more people are going online and so the number of affiliates has risen. The amount of people who are using the internet is also rising quite dramatically, so there is no reason to assume that you have missed the boat, instead you should simply hop on and come along for the ride!

Myth No 9: you can earn money without any increased traffic.

This myth is almost astounding; the whole basis of affiliate marketing is linked in with increasing the website traffic to your site. If no traffic visits the affiliate website then how do you get customers? Are they simply virtual customers or phantom customers? It just doesn’t add up, you really do need to increase website traffic and you can only do this if you take the time and trouble to sort out a good programme and adopt a strategic approach to the whole business.

Any programme that promises you or tells you that you can earn money without increased traffic is simply being false. It may take a little time and it can be a little labour intensive, at least to start off with, but if you are going to do it you may as well do it right and make it a success from the start, rather than just thinking you will get maximum rewards for minimum effort. Sadly life just doesn’t work in this way!

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Affiliate Money Grabbers written by Doug Scott