Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 9:00 pm Post subject: How NOT to build an affiliate business
Heres a little story that might benefit some of you:
Back in 2003 I bought the James Martell guide, and signed to the affiliate buzz (Im sure I must have at least paid for a fill of gas in the Cobra: or a dinner on one of his too regular breakations)
For those of you that are new to this business, James theory was to build websites that are really just ?pass thru? sites, made up of articles that really have no real value to the searcher. The sites were monitized by adsense and affiliate links. James had his own seres of sites called the ?1st in series?, 1st-in-cell-phones.com, 1st-in-golf.com etc. Back in 2003 the search engines gave good ranking to such sites in popular areas like cellphones, electronics, golf etc, but in 2004/5 Google dumped James empire of sites, on the ground that they provided no real value to the searcher ? that?s my theory anyway.
I built about 10 similar sites that did great for a couple of years but then Google dumped them as well. At the time I was disappointed of course, but looking back I don?t really blame Google.
The point Im trying to make is this: If I want to research a new cellphone, I don?t want to arrive on website just made of badly written articles, that talk vaguely about certain phones, and then give an affiliate link to the retailer. What I want are real reviews of the actual phones, knowing that the author had actually tested the phone, with lots of pictures and video etc. http://www.gsmarena.com/ (not my site, wish it was) is an example of a great cellphone site that gets it right. I?m NOT saying that you shouldn?t use affiliate links or Adsense, but if you do at least have REAL content that provides value to the Internet user in your site.
I now have one decent content site (not a cellphone site) that is ranking well in the search engines for many of its keywords. I don?t do things like add crappy articles from the article directories anymore. All I do now is focus on adding REAL content to my site. I write everything myself, and another thing I now avoid is hiring writers cos I find their real lack of interest in my subject shows in their work. I use one small block of adsense on all pages expect the home page and my affiliate links are subtle. As for Links all I do is focus on inbound links, I don?t exchange links either as I think it?s a dated idea. The site brings in ok money but nothing I could retire on. This site also takes up a lot of my time, and for the time invested it is not really paying me that well.
Bottom line: Today in 2007, REAL content is king. Give the person at the other end of the computer the information they are really looking for, and the money will follow.
I also should mention that I came in contact with an unfortunate lady, who bought the Martell guide in the summer of 2006. She spent 4 months building her first site, a cellphone site no less. The best way to describe her site would be a ?vague mess?. She personally wrote loads and loads of tired articles around the major the keywords, but her articles just don?t do anything for the end user, and while its listed in Google, its not ranking at all well. The site is getting little traffic and has brought in less than $100 total.
Now if only Google would step up to the plate and stop indexing the crap alltogether.
I just did a quick search on one of my sites and there are more than 100 scraper sites stealing my content to display adsense.
Google's adsense is both a curse and a blessing. Personally I would prefer it NEVER exisited. The web would be a much better place without the billions of adsense - article - piece of crap pages "out there".
And you can tell people to write content until you are blue in the face. Most people simply are not cut out for writing. So all they can do is cut,paste, and copy.
I am continually suprised by the EXPECTATIONS of people. The believe that anyone with a computer can make money by buying some book or following some system.
I watched the onslaught of homemade celebrity sites a few years back. Now they are few and inbetween.
Today's cut and paste article mentality will go by the wayside as well.
This is a business of keeping up with the technology. What is happening is social networking, content driven database sites, and cutting edge REAL information dispersal.
Interactivity is the new paradigm. Participation is the key to return visits. Figure out how to deliver content to a receptive community, let them participate in the process, and weed out the spammers and you'll win big.
The wanna bees will fall by the wayside, while the innovators, the creators, and BIG BIG business (MONEY!!!) will dominate the rankings and thus make the money.
Google is already canning the Adsense Arbitrage people, and ARTICLE SITES are next.
Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 5813 Location: by the beach, Australia
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 12:36 am Post subject:
What you say makes a lot of sense. As the Internet becomes more and more flooded with junk, it's the genuinely useful, authority sites which will rise naturally to the top, because such sites attract links and favorable recommendations. It takes a LOT of work to create such a site but it's very pleasing when you watch the number of links to your site growing naturally. I own a bunch of sites where that's occurring. It doesn't happen to junky little Made-For-AdSense type sites.
James isn't blind to this. Over the years, he's gradually put more emphasis on the need for high quality articles. _________________ Allan Gardyne
... earning a good living from affiliate programs since 1998.
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The site brings in ok money but nothing I could retire on. This site also takes up a lot of my time, and for the time invested it is not really paying me that well.
Does it also belong to "how not to do it"?
Can't you outsource anything?
If all your time goes into writing content and maintaining your business, you can't move the business on from there. You need to put time into building the business.
Anyone else ideas what to do to NOT get stuck in such a situation?
Or maybe it is not answerable so generally... _________________ Just COPY the system from Ewen Chia. http://www.AffiliateKickstart.com
Joined: 31 Dec 2004 Posts: 38 Location: The Netherlands
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 2:52 am Post subject:
It would indeed be crazy to have to write all the content yourself. Unless you're an incredible writing talent (and some of my writers are!) that would be way too slow!
The only way I manage to get good writers who write Real content is by hiring at least say 10 writers at Guru or eLance to create a few articles each. On average only 1 or 2 out of 10 writers deliver the quality I need. So the best 1 or 2 writer(s) get(s) to write more. Repeat this process till you identified enough good writers for your project. You lose some money because of poorly written articles by the bad/average writers and it's a bit of work, but hey, a quality content site happens to be more expensive and more work than a site that's basically there for the SE's first and for the visiors second.
.........She personally wrote loads and loads of tired articles around the major the keywords, but her articles just don’t do anything for the end user, and while its listed in Google, its not ranking at all well......
I was personally enamored by this kind of trcikery in my early days...not anymore.
All of us want a successful business online. If one is really serious, the focus should shift away from the money to the:
the Customer...aka the visitor, the buyer, the money machine..whatever you want to call it.
If you work your strategy and content around the needs and wants of the customer, the money is going to follow. it's going to be tough, but I think it'll be rewarding and satisfying.
I used to be a James Martell student, his methods worked for a while until Google improved its relevancy algorithm.
You have to structure your website properly and make sure everything is relevant from the top down.
It is more than just about great content.
Profitable Website Building 101 teaches what the gurus
don't know. _________________ Become an SEO Expert in 4 MonthsLearn how to get top rankings without all those backlinks.
Joined: 31 May 2007 Posts: 34 Location: Weaverville, NC USA
Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 11:29 pm Post subject: James Martell sites
Fred,
I am using James Martell theory and did not know it!
Actually, if product or service is under $20 or high demand, I am guilty... but on purpose. I still have good luck this strategy. I am also guilty of doing my homework even on the inexpensive products and they really work well or I do not refer.
More expensive products have good content, of course.
Much Success,
George Pierce _________________ Find out how I get 25-50 FREE Visitors a Day
Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Stayton, OR
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 7:02 am Post subject:
quest wrote:
And you can tell people to write content until you are blue in the face. Most people simply are not cut out for writing. So all they can do is cut,paste, and copy.
I am continually suprised by the EXPECTATIONS of people. The believe that anyone with a computer can make money by buying some book or following some system.
And why not? The media continually tells the public about all the successes on the internet, and then comes all of the schemers using the same lines for a sales pitch.
You don't know how many people I had to deal with that would buy hosting from me and then email (or call) about a week later saying "Where's my website? I can see it on my computer but my friends can't see it on theirs."
Okay. Umm... did you upload it?
"Upload? What's that..?"
I'm not talking about stupid people, just not well informed in some areas. If you watch the news you'd think the net was only eBay and ponzi schemes.
Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 54 Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:46 am Post subject:
I think it's important to create a website which you have some knowledge on, something that you are interested in, and then promote affiliate products in that area.
That way you can write your own informative content for your visitors, and get repeat visitors.
Instead of just trying to promote the next best thing that comes along on the affiliate market. _________________ Free Trial for Site Build It
Promoting the next best thing, if it is a good converting product is highly profitable. Many of the superaffiliates make most profits by promoting NEW products. The first few weeks are the most profitable, then the sales drop very much. But I think for beginner marketers it's rather not a recommendable strategy to build a business, because it requires much recources and skills to do that successful. It can be good for some quick buck, for those who need it, and it will bring experience too, and with time it can grow also to a real business, if one takes it to higher levels.
If you promote the newest products, mind that you compete with the best superaffiliates, they are faster than you, they give better bonuses than you, they have greater recources than you, they spy your PPC campaigns out and steal your customers, they have market research automation with very expensive sophisticated software you cannot afford...
So think twice if you want to jump on that train! _________________ Just COPY the system from Ewen Chia. http://www.AffiliateKickstart.com
Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:59 pm Post subject: James then and now
When I first heard of affiliate marketing it was via Google Cash, then I found Rosalind's book, bought and read that then read James' book. This was back in late 2004. James made it sound time consuming, Rosalind made it sound expensive and I was still frustrated. I discovered Dr. Andy Williams software and took a little from James and a little from Rosalind to create my system.
I bought something that Rosalind recommended and blasted my site with content from other webmasters sites. UGH! I went from 2 in google to 15689, or something just as horrible. Then we had a bad accident, sold our business and house and moved across the county. In the meantime (6 days before we were moving) however, I won a trip to Canada to sit in James' bootcamp. It was amazing because the questions I had were answered.
In all of that time to today, September 17, 2007 I have read, read, read and reread Rosalind's 3 editions of her book, James' 3 edition of his book, attened a live bootcamp, online bootcamp and the online backlinks workshop, read Colin McDougall's book, read Dr. Andy Williams book and recently read Jimmy Brown's List PROFIT system.
What has resulted from this is a good system to build sites. I took from each person a little of this and a little of that. I like the way Colin teaches to organize your site from the beginning. I like the way Rosalind teaches to write your "reviews" of affiliate products, Andy is brilliant in actually writing content (his Creating Fat Sites ebook is about to be released again), I like the way Andy and James teach to set up your "sales" pages and between them all, they are all teaching basically the same way to market your business. Rosalind relies on paid search, as well as Colin BUT with a twist.
All of this is then pointed and directed to what Jimmy Brown teaches in List PROFIT System to get the subscriber and sell to them.
Since this is a forum on James, he has changed the way he is teaching and building sites considerably. Yes he teaches to add content to the web that is good content that teaches someone something and to slowly add content to your site (no more are the days of building a site that is 300+ pages before you get out the door).
When I saw this thread on the main forum page I noticed that Allan started the subject but basically said he preferred the way Rosalind was teaching people to build sites. I love the way she teaches as well but for someone who was just starting out and doesn't have any money for ppc, it is very discouraging. James in a small way teaches how to get traffic without having to pay.
Off all of them, I would recommend Dr. Andy Williams free course for building sites, then add Colin McDougall's book for a crisp refreshing look, a few cupfuls of Jimmy Brown and building lists, add in a little Rosalind for organizing your buisness and creating authority type sites and of course some James to see a much bigger picture of where you can go with this.
For the unofficial record, I love them all, Rosalind because she makes the task of site building seem VERY easy, Dr. Andy for giving giving giving so much, Colin for a fresh look, James for continually looking and questioning how to create a better mousetrap (and not being afraid to say, it doesn't work that way any longer) and Jimmy Brown for bringing home the bacon.
Good luck to you all,
Rhonda Morin
Online Since 1998
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