Probably one of the most frequently asked questions I get from newbie affiliates that are struggling to make solid commissions online, is
“how do I get more traffic?”
I usually reply with:
“What’s your conversion rate like?”
Often people are a little confused by my response, and unfortunately a large number of affiliates can’t give an answer. Why? because they are so focused on driving traffic that they don’t track their conversion stats at all.
When people have asked me to then critique their sites, I am left stunned that they are wondering why they aren’t making many sales. The copy used on these sites did a great job of confusing me on most occasions, and was a long way from convincing me to click anywhere accept the BACK button, let alone any affiliate links.
Recently I helped a young budding affiliate with his site. He made a few changes to his website that I recommended and within hours he made his first sale, he had waited 12 months to experience this joy!
You see, more traffic alone wont increase your affiliates sales, but more traffic with higher conversions will. So if you are not getting at least a 2% conversion rate with your pages then you seriously need to rethink your approach.
One of the biggest lessons I learned when I was a newbie affiliate that helped increase my sales was that my role as the affiliate was to focus on the PRE-SELL, and the merchants job is to close the deal. I see a lot of affiliate sites that are trying too hard to promote the product they are affiliated with, and start taking on the merchants role.
This is exactly what I explained to this young internet entrepreneur I gave advice to, and as I mentioned when the penny dropped for him, his first sale soon followed.
With that said here are some tips for how to pre-sell effectively:
1.) Research Your Customer: It is important to know what makes your ideal customer tick. Use forums and social sites and find out what their major concerns are and what the common attempts to resolve these concerns have been. Your customer will know if you really understand their concerns by the language you use. If they smell a rat they will not listen to your recommendations.
2.) Show Empathy: Demonstrate to the customer that you understand their concerns by echoing their frustrations. Tell a personal story where you may have had a similar experience and how the product you endorse resolved this problem.
3.) Be Honest: People are not silly and when you give them the most incredible glowing review of your affiliate product, 100% fool proof etc…they will not always believe you. So one tactic is to reveal some of the minor flaws in the product. If you do this well then the visitor will view your recommendation as more credible.
This can work even better if you have an alternative choice for the visitor to select, that fulfills the weakness of the first product. I have seen this work well by using review sites where, instead of having number 1,2,3 …you actually have categories where you review the best in each category.
If you are in the learn Chinese online market, a weakness of one course may be that it doesn’t focus on learning to write but specializes in speaking. However you could also have the best Chinese writing course reviewed also.
4.) Call To Action: Of course you must still have a call to action, but again you don’t have to take the pushy sales person approach. Instead you are just recommending a product that you find useful, just like you would to a friend you know personally.
These are some tips for promoting your affiliates products without being overly pushy, that will inturn increase your conversions!
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I assume that this post is your view on the need for a review site? Kinda like warming the list… you dont just fire off emails yelling “buy this, buy that..”.
You can trust first and build a mini-relationship which helps the final sale, like a referral from a friend.
Matt Carter Reply:
August 2nd, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Hey Rob, yeah that on the right track, people always feel more comfortable buying once they have a recommendation , especially off someone they trust! Thanks for your input mate!!
I agree with you Matt. You can have all the traffic, but if you not converting that traffic, your focus is on the wrong place.
Matt Carter Reply:
August 2nd, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Thanks Trevor!
Hi Matt
this was really PERFECT reading and learning material.
It is a circle, I believe. Reaching your customer/visitor and giving it the personal touch is highly important and can lead to more than the one time visit.
Thanks very much
Rob
Matt Carter Reply:
August 2nd, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Hey Rob, yeah I agree, relationship building is key for a successful online business. Cheers
Matt
Your right. There is too much focus on traffic today and not enough on the customer – and because of that the bounce rate is high and sales are low. I think working on quality content first that the customer actually enjoys will attract greater retention and good word of mouth – there in lies quality traffic.
I agree Steve, great comment, quality content is key!
I have been so pleased with your tutorials you have sent that I find myself wondering what time the next one is coming in! Only started reading about blogging around July 1 after knowing for many years that I was a writer and stumbling upon several clues as to the platform that should be used. I saw a blog first in ’06 and was very intrigued by this “online writing”. I want to know what I don’t know that I don’t know. I do and will know it as I see it and am continually adding bits to what will be my own masterpiece. Found you via Adam Short through Yaro Starak from Darren Rowse. You are also in a pro league of your own; a top quality act, I must say. This is my ZONE!
Matt Carter Reply:
August 8th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Thanks Sheila, it is great to have you on board!
Matt
Matt, some great insight. I will go back through my own site and see what I can do better in this regard. I am not making sales, so it’s time for me to do some more tuning and of course, I do need more traffic.
Stacie
Matt Carter Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Hi Stacie,
Great to hear from you again!
If you like I can have a look at your website and see if I can
provide some advice for you.
Send me an email if so.
Cheers
Matt
Hello Matt,
Your writing makes sense : ) Mr. Tommi Laiho from Sek & Grey Finland, write an arrticle to Marketing & Advertising Blog http://www.marmai.fi/ about similar case although it was in comedy format. Your idea in Your writing is peak performance – today.
It is very important to have conversation with customers. I have noticed that people generally are very eager to get followers and traffic from there to their online business other revenues. So much speed that the customer is forgotten totally. Your writing is very good because it creates thinking on that direction.
I have been 30 years in sales and do respect all efforts to make deals, but often quote Donald Trump words: “Do only what Your customers want and what they are willing to pay.” If You truly obey this idea, You will have at least a tiny association to do something which will help Your customer and give true benefits to them.
Best Regards,
Markku Tauriainen
Finnish Entrepreneur
http://idea500.blogspot.com
Matt Carter Reply:
August 31st, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Hi Markku,
Thanks for stopping by and I found your comment was excellent, thanks for the input.
I look forward to hearing from you again.
Cheers
Matt
Hi Matt,
I’ve just started yesterday to create my first Landing Page (a Review Style) and these tips will come handy. But now I’m struglling about the content. I think the content has to be a proper sale letter style and not a normal content you use for blogs.What say?
You are exactly right. This is a great post. People concentrate all of their efforts on making that quick sale when in fact the long term sustainability of their business is the most important and that comes by being honest and being a leader that helps others be successful in their lives.
Thanks again.