November 5, 2015 - Vertū Marketing

Less is more tends to hold true in home decorating, cooking and, yes, affiliate marketing. Sure, “marketing” might be half of the profession’s name, but the real product that is being provided is value, not links. This means that both your website and its contents should be streamlined and focused on providing the best experience possible to visitors.

When building your affiliate marketing career, keep the following in mind:

For the Website

Your website is akin to the storefront of a brick and mortar business. Just like plastering adverts all over the window or having a cluttered, mismatched display window can deter a passersby, a busy website can steer traffic away. So what does an ideal affiliate site look like?

It is well-designed with a professional banner head.
All important information is easy to access and site navigation is bug-free.
Bold colors are only used when necessary and not as a main theme.
Advertisements are kept to a minimum and do not interfere with site navigation.

For the Content

If the last half-dozen of your posts have been geared toward affiliate links, take a break. Ideally, you should include at least 2-3 valuable posts in-between your affiliate pitches. Follow this approach to keep the content interesting and engaging:

Find a niche for your blog and focus non-affiliate posts on that topic.
Make all of your posts as well-researched and informative as possible.
Encourage readers to sign up for an email list so that they can stay up to date on all of your posts.
A picture is worth a thousand words! You do not need a professional camera, but you should include well-lighted pictures that contribute to a topic or post. Including a tag with your website’s name on it can help drive other visitors to the site, and these are easily added by using online photo editing programs.

The Internet is awash with websites and blogs trying to be the brightest and boldest in order to gain as many readers as possible. Stand out among the clamor as a dependable and trustworthy resource for truly valuable content, not flashy gimmicks, and watch your affiliate marketing readership grow.

Every business owner can benefit from an occasional evaluation of his or her online marketing strategy. Without a marketing plan that is specifically designed to attract online consumers, it is difficult for a small business or mid-market business to succeed.

It is now possible for small businesses to have an in-depth look at their web traffic and social media success through analytics. In the past, this kind of insight was cost-prohibitive for small businesses, but now it is now available for free through Google Analytics. Business owners can now track and connect web traffic to viable, profitable leads. Analytics is a helpful tool for every small or mid-level business.

Branding is an important step for every business, but it is vital to the success of a small business looking to establish a footing in a crowded online market. Branding provides consistency in all aspects of a marketing strategy. Continuity can be a important aspect of attracting new client connections and maintaining existing relationships.

A business can have a well-managed social media presence, offer practical, useful products and services and still fail to communicate effectively with online customers. For this reason, it is important to have website content that is clear, informative and even entertaining. It is vital to populate a website with content that is both professional and accessible to any consumer. When small businesses have websites with poor content quality, it can have a ripple effect on the overall success of an online marketing strategy.

Small business owners should carefully evaluate their existing website, current site content and overall branding and marketing strategy. If you have not adjusted to meet the demands of the online consumer, it may be time to seek marketing help from a professional team knowledgeable in the needs of small and mid-level businesses.