Questions from a newbie

Earning affiliate money from a small content site

[solotraveler]

Ok, I did the keyword research, created this small site that isn't anywhere near flashy and put content on it. It's heavy on information, traffic is a trickle.

Now I'm stuck. How do I add my affiliate links? Do I get new domain names for affiliate? My host will not allow me to put more than one domain on my hosting account, but I can have up to 100 subdomains. I've considered buying Phil Wiley's book on mini sites and setting up mini site pages under 'products' on the site to earn income.

All the gurus say 'you need to have a name capture page' so I can email my site prospects. Except for some clinical trials or something, the site I have really doesn't lend itself much to 'Hello, how're you doing? Here's a new gadget/widget/lotion/potion you should buy'.

PPC appears to be a crap shoot. So I tried the traffic exchanges (don't ask what that got me) and some classified ads. Still trickle.

So, can some of you who are successful at affiliate marketing, earning a decent income, help me or point me in the right direction. Thanks.

[Beagle]

You don't need a separate domain for affiliate ads - they go right on your regular site pages, ideally on pages that address the same topic as the ad. You don't need to add another site unless you want to cover two totally unrelated topics.

Sometimes it takes a lot of testing to find out what works on your particular site. It sounds as if you're in the health field; if so, there are a lot of affiliate programs out there, either with independent programs run by companies themselves, or within the networks like LinkShare, Share-a-Sale, etc. There's also Commission Junction, but they have a minimum sale requirement, so might be difficult if you're just starting out. Heck, you can even check out amazon.com's program. They have a new "health and beauty" section, along with books on any topics you might cover. There's also the PPC programs, but I don't know much about those.

Keep your eyes open for programs you think would fit your site. If there's a related site you like the look of, and it says "Check out our affiliate program," do it (doesn't mean you have to join, but check it out).

If you have a new site on a new domain, don't expect your "trickle" to turn into a river anytime soon. Even if you do everything "right" (whatever that means), it takes time.

[SusaninMontreal]

There are also quite a few Indy (Inhouse) programs that may work for you as well. There are a few forums available that list the Indy programs and you can directly apply.

And I agree, it takes time and commitment, so if you really want to make it work, hang in there and don't give up.

Cheers, Susan

[solotraveler]

Thank you for the feedback. I found the affiliate programs that match my site, bought Phil Wiley (hope i can put that in here) book on minisites and figure I can make one page per affiliate between the articles.

I'm not giving up. If nothing else, I'm learning to build a real internet business and may make a dollar in the process. ;) Even if I don't make a dollar, I'll learn as I go and maybe the next one will be better.