Don't Let Amazon.com Use Up Your Valuable Bandwidth!

You already know that affiliate programs are a great way
to make additional income for your web business.

By promoting products that are RELEVANT to your target
audience and presenting those products in a meaningful
way through the pages of your ebooks, websites and ezines,
you can build up a nice steady income with little effort.

Don't forget though, affiliate programs will only earn
you money if you promote them the right way.

Otherwise they're a complete waste of time and effort.

A perfect example of how NOT to make money through
affiliate programs is by carrying banners from big web
companies like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking these
companies.

However, you may as well try making money from
selling used matchsticks as from carrying banner
ads from companies like these on your website.

Why?

Well, firstly, most people are so familiar with
these companies already, that the chances of
them clicking the banner are next to nothing.
You can expect at the VERY LEAST to go through
1000 visitors before you get a single click!

Secondly, even if a visitor does click the banner,
the chances that he/she will buy anything are even
less again. And, because Amazon.com and co. only
pay out commissions if the visitor buys immediately,
then the likelihood or you actually earning
anything are just north of none.

Let's face it, these banner ads enable Amazon.com
and their like to use webmasters to strengthen
their brand name at zero cost.

They'll slow down your pages and will not benefit
your business or your visitors in any way.

If you are an affiliate with Amazon, then the only
way to effectively make money out of them is by
hand-picking a few products that are of direct
interest to your visitors.

If your website deals with fast cars, then promote
fast car books. If your e-book is all about
The Ramones, then promote albums from and
books about The Ramones (Gabba Gabba Hey).

Then, promote those products as if they were
your own. Nothing short of a rave review or a
full-blown sales pitch will do. And place a "Click
Here To Order On Amazon.com" link at the end.

Your visitors know you and your readers trust
you. If you tell them that this product is right
for them, then they'll buy it.

One final point.

Amazon's affiliate program, despite its
widespread fame, is neither the best nor
the most lucrative one around.

It may be worth your while to look around
for websites that promote the same products
but that have more effective affiliate programs.
Programs that pay out more and that use
cookies to record your visitors' click-thrus.
That way, if your visitors buy the product at
a later date, you still get the commission.