Get Out Of The Way
As you have learnt there are basically two methods of making money online with digital products. Either we create our own downloadable items such as a pdf, video, webinar or podcast, or we promote other people's products and receive affiliate commissions. Of course we can combine the two.
As an affiliate marketer I have been going down the path of creating reviews of certain products in the hope that my site visitors will then click through my affiliate link. But I am now thinking this is a wrong approach as I am introducing too many steps for my site visitors to take.
I am careful what products I want to promote so I check out the website of the vendor and see just what they are offering. So I am thinking 'Why don't I just send my visitors straight to the vendors website?' Of course I need to capture an email address (the money is in the list).
People have come to my website either by accident (a Google search) or as a result of paid advertising. So they are already wanting to know more. Normally we have been trained to offer some inducement such as a free gift in exchange for an email address. This leads to a 'Thank You' page with a download link. Then the visitor needs to be presented with the link button through to the vendor's website.
I have decided to cut out all that stuff. People have come to my site because they are interested in finding out more about a solution to their needs. So I get them to their goal straight away. I don't even give them a free gift!!
When we set up our opt-in box our auto-responder service (Aweber in my case) has the option to put in a custom url for the 'Thank You' page. INSTEAD OF DOING THAT I AM PUTTING MY AFFILIATE LINK HERE. Yes they will get an email asking them to confirm their email address. But they can pick that up later and confirm it. In the meantime they are straight through to the vendor's website getting the information they crave!
In the weight loss/dieting niche I have an example of what I am talking about. Imagine you have seen my blogpost or responded to a paid ad and clicked through to my website for the fast solution to your weight issue at http://holistictreatments.life/3-week-diet as soon as you have entered in your email address you are straight through to the vendor's website.
I am certainly leaning more towards the paid advertising traffic sources instead of just worrying about search engine traffic. I will write another blog later with the results of this exercise.
I would be interested in your feedback on this approach but I will put that request where it belongs - in the 'request for website review' bit.
Recent Comments
2
Inducements are not necessary if you are dealing with customers that are mostly sold on your product and service.
You have to presume that their interest has no predilection of resistance to it.
Thanks for sharing.