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[David Cummings Company: AmeriPlan Corporation Contribution Level: 1]

Does your affiliate website suck? Do you even know?

There's a dirty little secret about most affiliate websites: They won't rank in Google. Why? Because they duplicate the content that's in every other respective website in the same affiliate program. Google hates duplicate content and will usually only show the original affiliate website in its search listings—all the other affiliate sites be damned.

If you really want your affiliate website to be found in Google, you've got to revise the content. Not just a little, but by quite a bit. I have written an article to help affiliate and network marketers better understand this dilemma: Why Your Affiliate Website Sucks! And What You Can Do About It.

But I'd be curious to know what your own experience has been and if it contradicts my knowledge of affiliate websites. Do you have an affiliate website and how has it performed for you? Does it rank in Google as is? Or have you had to tweak it to get it to rank in Google?

Thanks in advance for your reply to this post. I think a rigorous discussion on this topic will help us all collectively do better in our affiliate and network marketing efforts.

Cheers!

David Lee Cummings
Top Dog Marketing Group
A Columbus, OH Marketing Firm

[David Cummings Company: AmeriPlan Corporation Contribution Level: 1]

Hey Dean, you're so right about affiliate sites and many landing/squeeze pages. The formula they use has been beat to death. I often wonder how well they still convert. My theory is that they're only effective on visitors who haven't seen a million-and-one of them already. How many of those people still exist, in the US anyway, I don't know.

[aron mills Contribution Level: 1]

I’m a technology lover. I actually enjoy trying out new software programs and figuring out how they work. I realize that most people don’t feel this way. My fearless approach to technology probably comes from a decade spent in the Silicon Valley.At the same time, I want technology to be easy to use. If I have to fiddle with it and I can’t easily find an answer, then I’m quite likely to move on (often to a competing solution). Lately I’ve noticed a number of companies that lack good user documentation.

[Michael B Wilbraham Contribution Level: 4]

Aha...a really great question!

Would the solution not be to create a sort of "review" site? You could base it on a "nerve center" approach, using a Wordpress.org self-hosted blog. Create categories for your different affiliate products, or if you're only running with one product, simply create a page for your product review.

You do this to be able to "pre-sell" your visitor on the product you want to sell. Your review must of course be based on your personal experiences in using the product, detail what the product is, the contents if it is an eCourse or eBook, how it has helped you etc

Then you build in the affiliate link into the review, which will send your "warmed-up" prospect to the affiliate sales page, where hopefully the product will be purchased.

You could also then use your "review" blog to include other information related to the product you are marketing as well as to collect leads for your list by offering something of value for free for the opt-in!

This way your visitor is getting to "know-like & trust" YOU...before being sent to the pitch page for your product.

I reckon the chances are that you would be more successful in selling your affiliate product.

What do you think?

Have an inspired day!

[David Cummings Company: AmeriPlan Corporation Contribution Level: 1]

Michael, a self-hosted WordPress site is a great idea. They're very easy to set up and manage for even nontechnical entrepreneurs. Something to keep in mind about doing a review site, however, is the new FTC guidelines about disclosing relationships in reviews:

"The revised Guides specify that while decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service" (http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm).

I don't know how the FTC plans on enforcing or fully interpreting its ruling (supposedly on a case by case basis), but it's probably a good idea for one to disclose that they are an affiliate or marketer of the product they are reviewing.

[Michael B Wilbraham Contribution Level: 4]

A very good point you raise David!

It would be a simple matter to simply mention in the review that you are an affiliate of the product provider, that you are an affiliate because you believe in the product (having used it!) and thay you will be paid a commission if a sale takes place as a result of your recommendation.

Nothing wrong with that!

I think the FTC guidelines were brought in (amongst other things) to try and prevent the application of over-hype currently being applied with reckless abandon when it comes to income claims.

The question I now have, while we are on the subject - is what if you keep your side of the process squeaky-clean, but the affiliate program you represent brings some "suspect" claims or dubious selling methods into their sales page you may refer your visitor to? Do you then drop that program like a hot potato & seek a more ethical one to partner with?

Who will the FTC go for if this is discovered?

It will be interesting to hear what others think about this.

[David Cummings Company: AmeriPlan Corporation Contribution Level: 1]

Tough question, Michael. If one's dug in deep, I'm sure it'd be hard to abandon or betray the program. I think human nature dictates that one would try their damnedest to rationalize any misleading or false claims (as we do in politics—oh man, do people defend irrational positions), dubious as they were. I think some would jump ship, but I'm sure it would be hard, especially for those making a decent living from the program. No one wants to accept that what they're doing is misguided or just plain wrong.