Forum Moderators: skibum
1. I signup as an affiliate and start promoting the site.
2. I workout an arrangement with a merchant wherein I develop a site which doesn't indicate myself as an affiliate rather I receive all orders and forward it to a vendor who takes care of the shipping etc. The payment can be accepted either by me or by the merchant.
Am I correct in assuming that the second approach would be better for more sales (assuming the percentage is same in both the cases)?
If yes, how do I get the interest of the merchants in this case? Should I email them with my proposal (shall I do this before I achieve the top rankings or after I get them) or there are some online resources for this?
Also, what are the other issues I should take care of?
TIA
I'd been producing stores for clients for sometime and wanted a bite from the cake as well, so once I'd found my market I pick up the phone
It's a much more personnel approach also you have the benefit of being able to sound them out for yourself as well, lets face it you are effetely going to be setting up a partnership with them and you want to make sure they can deliverer the goods otherwise your going to be getting people emailing you chasing up goods.
I wouldn't contact them by email, as I'm sure like most people they get bombarded with business opportunities emails I'm sure you know the type.
Once I’d found my supplier I then built the site, I’m now considering my second store
So you've tried the second option.
1. Would you rate it better than the one if you'd have signed up as an affiliate for the merchant?
2. Are you contacting another merchant for the second store or is it for the existing one?
I am asking because when you contact the potential partners, would they ask to have a look at work already done? Would it be better to show them SEO work done for other industry or they would want nothing but to see the top rankings first for their product?
Also what kind of concerns the merchant might have which I should be prepared for?
>> I'd been producing stores for clients for sometime and wanted a bite from the cake as well, so once I'd found my market I pick up the phone
Are you saying here that you've contacted the competitors for some of your client for whom the top rankings you've achieved and then developed the site for them? Or it was something else you were implying?
If you do the shipping / billing inhouse, then arrange a bulk discount from a supplier. This is lower risk from them (make sure you get everything on sale or return!).
If you are letting the supplier deal with it then make sure you make arrangements to get your share and set up a mechanism to track the customers you send to them.
Its better than an affiliate as the user wont leave your site, so you have full control over the "sales pitch", and users will return to you for repeat purchases, instead of going to the affiliate where you may not get paid for repeat purchases.
If you pitch a merchant along the lines of...
"Im a professional Internet Marketing consultant and I would like to set a site up selling you product. Think of it of having the benefits of a top notch ecommerce system without the expense."
Then ask them for their thoughts on it. They will share their concerns with you then.
Like tigger says, go for a more personal approach...dont contact by email. Call them, or visit personally if possible.
JOAT :)
I can tell you from experience that the company I work for balked at the idea at first, but now they are interested. The difference to me is that I will be charging MORE, now.
The percentages are high, the commissions are good. I know the products quite well, because we make them.
In all I think this is an untapped market. There are loads upon loads of smaller manufacturers that would LOVE to have their product sold online. The problem is that their webmaster is probably the secretary's son or something like that. Most manufacturers aren't even aware that they can have more than 1 website....
If done right, a person that sells online could conceivably out-perform the regular salesmen and demand an even higher cut.
The key to all of this is simple: They have nothing to lose by having you sell their stuff online. Right now they are getting zero sales, and even 1 sale is better than that:)
>> I'd been producing stores for clients for sometime and wanted a bite from the cake as well
No all I was meaning was that'd made quite few stores in the past including doing the SEO for them and the clients telling me how well things were working out, which I'm very happy about, hec happy clients I'm always glad to hear from :).
I just wanted to make some money from an e-comm site but I didn't have the goods, hence why after I located my product I hit the phone
Yep ScottM has hit the nail right on the head :)
He will most likely ask you to join in his affiliate program...if i were you and if i am sure i can produce good rankings for the concerned kw's i will join as a affiliate first , prove to the merchant that i can produce good sales....Now i will be in a position to renegotiate with the merchant pushing him for a partnership ...it will workout as the merchant knows the competitor is just a phone call away for a succesfull marketer.
