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CHAPTER 6: GETTING MEMBERS WITH AFFILIATE PROGRAMS

6.1 The Importance of an Affiliate Program to Membership Sites

Affiliate programs are important to membership sites for a number of good reasons. An affiliate program isn't really a program. It's a business arrangement. Affiliate programs are also known as associate programs, associates programs, referral programs and even bounty programs. Most affiliate programs are free to join. Affiliate programs are a way to earn money without producing your own product.

Affiliate programs allow a membership website to generate additional (other than the membership subscription) income by advertising products that are relevant to the site’s theme. For example, let’s say you own a membership website whose theme is golf. You would recommend products that you like yourself like golf books, magazines, videos and golfing gear. When you have an affiliate agreement with the merchants selling those products, they provide you with affiliate links which you paste into your site. Then when members click on those links and buy those products, you earn a commission. Affiliates programs can earn commissions in three ways: per click, per sale and per lead.

The members on a membership website are helped by the affiliate programs as well. They are given easy access to products that they would otherwise have to search the Internet to find.

On the other side of the aisle, you can let other companies post your ad on their sites and pay commissions for sales of your product or memberships. Sure, you may give away 10 percent of your profit to an affiliate; but 90 percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing. You’ll make up in sales quantity what you may lose in percentage of your own net. It’s quite worthwhile in the long run.

Use your e-zine to advertise your affiliate program. Always encourage your newsletter subscribers to forward the newsletter to a friend.

6.2 How Much & How to Pay Your Affiliates

Different companies pay different percentages and amounts for leads and sales. The differences paid for a sale can range from 75% down to 1% depending on the company and the product. What you decide to pay your affiliates will depend entirely upon what you are selling and to whom you are selling it. A good idea would be to check what other companies selling a product comparable to yours is paying their affiliates. However, how much you pay your Affiliates really depends on how much your product/service costs, its profit margin, how much you're willing to give up and what action you want to take place.

Let’s say that your product is priced at $100.00. Let’s also assume that it cost you $10.00 to make it. This leaves you with $90.00 profit is you sell it yourself. The question is how much of this do you want to give away to the person that made this sale possible? Let’s say you offer 50% to your affiliates. It still costs you $10.00 to produce the product so now you will be making $40 profit on the sale. A lot less for sure but 40 is better than the nothing you would have made without the sale.

The other problem is how to pay your affiliates. Money exchanging hands on the Internet presents a whole new set of problems, doesn’t it? However, that problem has been solved for you. Paypal is set up to handle receiving, as well as, sending payments and it takes the money exchange problem out of the equation. When a Paypal account is set up, the bank account of an individual or company is verified, as well as, their credit card information. Paypal provides a quick, safe, easy and secure way to transfer monies between individuals and companies.

6.3 Age-Old Question Is MLM a Viable Membership Model?

If you think you want to get involved with MLM, do your research first. The challenge with MLM businesses is that people at the top are most often the winners. The biggest majority of people at the bottom end up spending money and time to get involved and end up losing whatever they put in. Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a marketing and distribution structure. People at the top sell to those below them, who in turn sell to those below them. The higher up you are in this structure, the more money you can make. Be sure to check with at least a few other people who've entered at your level (who you identify on your own, separate from people the MLM promoter refers you to), and see what they have to say. Find out what they have to say on how - and if it’s possible - to be successful.

There are advantages to Multi-level marketing. First, the start up cost is usually very low and that is a big plus to the work-at-home mom (for example) who has limited funds to launch an online business. It is a way to get started in an online business with a very small personal investment and that is a very appealing thing for many people. Pre-packaged tools and products are provided and that saves a lot of money and relieves the need for warehousing.

Also, sales techniques are given and for the newbie to Internet marketing this is a very attractive advantage.

There are also disadvantages to Multi-level marketing. Many (if not most) people lose money in MLM activities, because they can’t sell the product as effectively as they thought they could. And then there is the problem of credibility. It can become an issue, especially if you start treating friends like they’re customers.

6.4 Preparing Your Affiliate Marketing Materials

There are at least forty affiliate directories providing searchable database's to help webmasters find affiliate programs suitable for their sites. Think of them as the Google of the affiliate world.

Each directory has their own submission policies but in general they will not accept adult or porn sites, or a MLM (a company that pays commissions on more than 2-tiers. Many won’t accept gambling sites and most won’t accept submissions from affiliates themselves, submits need to come from the program owner.

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The phrase “in the child?s best interest” is widely used in the family court in child custody proceedings. But it is used in many arbitrary senses by the family court or judges. Also, its meaning is slightly vague. The child custody law differs from state to state, thus, there is no uniform legal yardstick which determines what would be best for the child.

Some states make provision and insist on joint custody of the child while others do not. It is being found that some states are amending the existing laws and adopting a preference for joint custody while the others are amending the law to provide for joint custody only if the couple agrees to it.

Like most of the other states, child custody in California is decided depending on the health, safety, welfare, education of the child. He should also be brought up in a congenial atmosphere which would allow free play of creative impulse in him. The child must have frequent and continuing contact with both parents.

But the Constitution of California does not put forth a preference or presumption for or against joint custody or custody to one parent, therefore leaving the parenting plan decision up to the discretion of the family court or judge. In 1979, it adopted a presumption for joint custody but later amended the law in 1994 and made provisions for joint custody when both parents agree to it.

As per the American Bar Association website, other states like Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, Vermont and Washington also allow joint custody only if the parents agree to it. States which put forth a presumption for joint custody are District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Texas. There are a handful of states which specifically do not authorize joint custody.

There is a rising trend in favor of joint custody. Many countries are amending their laws. New bills are being passed and new legislations being introduced which would allow for joint custody. It is believed that this is being done in the best interest of the ward.

But in case either of the parents is unfit for taking responsibility or can not fulfill the requirements of the child then this idea is given a miss. But all states have not yet amended their present system and made place for joint custody.

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Chapter 5: Content Membership Contribution

If you have your very own E-product, you can easily submit your product to a high-traffic membership site that provides quality content.

The concept is also similar to blog and article contributors except that it takes it up a notch to E-book creation.

The nature of these content membership sites requires new content to be added in from time to time.

What better way to get your own product in front of the eyes of thousands of resellers and Internet marketers who can’t wait to sell YOUR product for their own profits (assuming that your product has resell rights to it of course).

The Members Are Your Resellers

If your E-product has master resell rights or unrestricted private label rights, you can be sure that your products will be all over the Internet in no time.

Resellers are always looking for products with a complete sales letter to it. If you have drafted out a sales letter that converts well, you can be sure that a lot of resellers will ‘cut-and-paste’ your sales letter and your E-book and sell it to their mailing list.

The same goes for certain PLR products as well.

The most important thing for you to remember is this – your books must constantly lead the readers to your websites.

Your links must be placed strategically in the E-books and as your E-books are duplicated all over the Internet, you can be sure to drive plenty of new visitors to your website – even if they are not in your circle of influence!

Chapter 6: Flooding Your Site With Forum Traffic

A signature on the forum is something like a P.S. at the bottom of a forum post and it used as an advertisement for any website you are promoting.

The signature is automatically inserted into some emails but it works very well in high traffic forums as well.

This is one of the best sources for free traffic that you can utilize. Here’s how:

Write a one-liner description about yourself and place the URL of your site right beneath it. e.g. Jimmy Sloth – Internet marketer and free traffic expert.

The Right Niche

One of the best ways to search for the right niche is to do a simple search on Google.

Find the niche you are targeting and enter the keyword followed by the word ‘forum’.

(For example: if you are looking for visitors to check out your cooking website, do a search for the word cooking forum).

You will see a list of forums that you can tap into. Find the topic that everyone is talking about or asking a lot of questions.

These people are your gold mine! The reason why they keep asking these questions is because answers have yet to surface and this will be your chance to show them what your website has to offer!

Sign up as a forum member and start contributing as a regular. After awhile people will start noticing you and they will start replying to your messages. Some of them will click on your link and it will lead them to your website.

Certain forums also allow forum members to post their offers on the forum as well.

Chapter 7: Summary

The best thing about free traffic is that you don’t have to worry about failing. After all, the worst thing that can happen is that you don’t get any traffic and you’ve wasted some time.

But for most of the examples mentioned above, you will still have your E-products with you!

You still have your articles, blog posts, E-books that you can reuse for another website!

Here is a recap of what we’ve learnt:

Viral marketing is one of the most powerful ways to drive traffic. Make sure you find the right ‘carrier’!

How to make use of fire sales and generate lots of paid traffic to your websites.

How to become a contributor to high traffic blogs and increase your credibility, exposure and traffic!

How to use one simple article and drive traffic from hundreds of article directories online

How to make use of content membership sites by submitting your E-product and leveraging on resellers everywhere to promote your book for you!

How to drive traffic from forums using signatures.

Make sure you take action and get started immediately!

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You have a perfect relationship. You are always together and comfortable with the arrangement. However time factor can become a pertinent issue of contest between partners. One man states that other than the school and work schedule, him and his partner do all other work together. He has to neglect his obligations because his partner gets upset if she has to timeshare with other hobbies, where as she gets all the time for her works when the guy is in school.

This man hardly gets time for himself. Obviously the man will feel that his partner is being unfair. Thus, time factors should be dealt with early enough before it becomes a persistent problem.

It should be realized first that both of you require time out for yourselves. Otherwise there will be some resentment which will result in argument and friction. Time factor is critical and any relationship that doesn‘t allow that is going to disintegrate. Look at the broader picture with you partner and understand each other‘s needs. There is nothing bad in wanting personal space.

Communication must occur in a meaningful and loving manner. Make sure this discussion does not go the wrong way and yield negative result. Communication is the best solution to any problem. Bottled up anger will explode some day and disintegrate the relationship.

While discussing time alone offer assurance to your partner. Emphasize on the time spent together and appreciate it as your best moments together. Quietly explain to your partner that if you spend time alone then the time spent together will be sweeter and something to look forward to.

Tell her you genuinely miss her when you are away from her but you need the time alone to focus on yourself. Encourage her to take time out to focus on herself as well. Do be cautious while discussing time factor in relationship.

Schedule your time alone to put the time factor in relationship to an end. Be realistic and establish a regular routine of time apart. It doesn‘t matter what you do in this time alone. Whether it‘s studying, perusing a hobby or running errands. Be confident and fearless. Remember it‘s for the benefit of the relationship.

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Pricing of goods is difficult. No single determinant magic formula exists that will decide the best price for one?s product. There is no simple strategy but one can take certain measures to make more effective pricing policies. It is difficult to be certain about pricing decisions, one can only rely on ones own judgment. But even while doing so decisions are never quite satisfactory.

The price determination of goods or services is one of the most vital ones in business. The price of products has to be done in such a way that the intended customers are willing to pay that amount and also one that generates profit for the company or the business won?t last long.

There are several scientific and non scientific approaches to pricing. Presented below is a framework for making pricing decisions that takes into account your costs, the effects of competition and the customer's perception of value.

Pricing policies are sometimes unnoticed as part of marketing .They can have substantial effect on profit, so should be given the same amount of thought as promotion and advertising tactics. Variation in price can considerably change both gross margins and sales volume. This leads to indirect effects on other expenses by reducing storage costs, for instance, or creating opportunities for volume discounts with suppliers.

Your pricing strategy might take into account discount offers to consumers who offer you a business advantage. One may offer cash discounts to customers who pay without delay. This system thus rewards those who help one?s company maintain a constant, positive cash flow and reduce credit-collection costs.

Quantity discounts for large orders makes economic sense when the cost-per-unit to sell or deliver a product reduces as the quantity increases. A caterer, for instance, may fill an order for 12 dozen cupcakes for one customer at 10 cents each, while cupcakes sitting in the bakery display rack may be sold to several customers throughout the day for 20 cents each.

This is done because there is the probability that some of the cupcakes won't sell has to be considered. Costs are also associated with keeping the store open for random customers' convenience. There are costs associated with having the store open for random customers' convenience.

Seasonal discounts actually reward customers who essentially assist a company in balancing its cash flow and in meeting production demands. Trade-in allowances for returned old goods that one may either re-use or re-sell for a profit benefits both a company and consumers.

Promotional allowances frequently make economic sense. For instance, if your product is used in ad campaigns or in promotional activities by a retail chain that also sells your product it ends up giving leverage to your marketing efforts . If this is the case, you might choose to discount your price to the retail chain that does so.

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Recent sets of data released by the Federal Reserve, the organization that track and records all monetary affairs in the USA reveal that Americans owe more than two trillion dollars on their credit cards and that the overall credit card debt for each individual in the country comes up to more than seven thousand dollars.

These astounding figures for credit card debt in the USA are bound to affect everyone. What then, you may ask, are the available solutions? You could start by following the suggestions given below which will help you effectively manage your financial liabilities.

Organize your outstanding debt – Begin by taking stock of each and every revolving obligation that you have. This would include all your credit and charge cards. Tabulate and record your liabilities based upon installment schedules, bills etc. Accounting for applicable interest rates calculate the exact amount that you owe.

It is important to know the interest rate on your monthly bills since it is the continuing cost you incur against an ongoing debt every month. So it is to your benefit if you can clear off the loan charging the steepest interest rate as early as you can.

So while making repayments try and send the maximum amount possible to the lender with the highest rate even if it means that you are left with making only the minimum due payments to the rest. In this manner, once the debt with the steepest interest has been repaid, you can follow the same policy for the loan with the next highest rate of interest.

Negotiate for lower interest rates – try and maintain an immaculate repayment history and then call or meet your lenders and request them to lower your rate of interest. Since it is costly for lenders to find new customers, if your credit worthiness is proven, they shall always try to retain you.

So, most lenders will allow customers in good standing to enjoy reduced rates. However, once they agree to reduce your rate, ensure that you pay your bills on time; failing which they could take back the facility and raise the applicable rate of interest once again.

Use cash when you can – Since it?s so much simpler to use a card in comparison to carrying cash or writing out checks, most of us get into the habit of using cards even if these attract charges. So try and cultivate the habit of writing out a check and paying with cash rather than instinctively using the credit card.

Always keep in mind that a credit card purchase is not a gift but a loan. So be well advised when you use the card: rather not use the card at all if you can?t afford the liability. Remember it is better not spending at all rather than spending so much that it begins to hurt you.

If you can organize your finances, minimize your costs and make them commensurate with your earnings you are sure to get tour finances in order and avoid any trouble in the future. If you set you mind to it, financial freedom is not that hard a work, and well worth all the effort.