Forum Moderators: skibum
I've owned a domain name since 2002 that brings in on average 15 type-ins a day. I link that directly to the merchant and so far on average I've brought in on average $0.86 a day... I also got into AdWords for awhile and again I would directly link the ads to the merchant. I would have came out on top if I wasn't underage at the time... I was 17 and the affiliate site I was "partnered" with was semi-pornographic. They wouldn't send the check. Oh Well :( Anyway, as you can see I'm quite un-experienced.
I've decided the real way to make money is to create your own content rich site, get it ranked, and promote a few products related to your content.
Now to the question/s. What do you guys look for when choosing an affiliate program? How do you determine if the competition is too overwhelming or not? I know it's easier to find a niche market and even better, one you enjoy. How niche should the niche market be? If I search for the product on Google and get 100 results I'm thinking that's waaaay to niche, obviously. OTOH, if I search and get 5 million results that's way too much competition IMO. What do you guys look for?
I think you are asking for a lot of answers. My approach is to read what others are saying or not saying and make up my own mind. Some of my AM friends sometimes give me good tips, but the final decision is always mine.
I like a merchant that answers my questions. Responds to my emails. You'll be surprised how many don't.
I like a merchant that pays me. You'll be surprised how many don't.
Look into Commission Junction if you haven't already. They have lots of merchants, been around a long time, a good affiliate interface, direct deposit.
About the completion:
Some areas have so many pages on the internet I can't be motivated to make another. Even if I could make some money at it, I'd rather do something that 500,000 other people aren't already doing.
I don't think 100 results would be too small of a niche. If its your niche, you can grow it. Each idea you publish is another page someone is searching for. Money? You don't need to sell many jets to make a living.
I have some pages that show at the top of a search that gets 15 million results. The site doesn't make any money because people aren't looking to buy anything.
You can try to make a killing in 6 months or plan a site/business that you can be proud of and that can be a steady and growing source of income for a long time. For the latter, make your own niche.
