February 9, 2016 - Vertū Marketing

Of course, no two people on this planet are exactly alike, and for good reason. Can you imagine a thousand Aunt Maries descending on Target? Or twenty Uncle Johns discussing their golf games around the Thanksgiving table?

The same can be reasoned for entrepreneurs. Each and every individual who embarks on a journey to self-sufficiency through business brings a unique aspect, trait or outlook on life that generates new customers. Since no one particularly wants 20 frozen yogurt shops lined up one by another at a strip mall, the differences between business owners are invaluable.

However, despite the differences and nuances in business operations, there are actually quite a few similarities between entrepreneurs, even in those who operate in very distinct fields of business. It is the entrepreneurial spirit that binds the men and women who break out and carve new pathways for themselves. Wondering if you have the entrepreneurial spirit? Here’s a few indications that you might:

You plan everything, from your mom’s surprise birthday party to every last detail of the summer road trip. Need to stop to refill the tank or stock up on snacks? You’re the person everyone looks to for that information.

You roll with the punches. No business venture can rise to success without handling a few blows along the way, and it takes the right kind of leader to see a new company through.

You see value in others. Even if a new business starts out as a one-man-show, most operations eventually need to bring in the right kind of expertise. You understand that seeking help and advice from others is not a sign of weakness but a strategy for success.

You are a natural born negotiator. Did you ever whittle down a grounding from three weeks to two? Maybe you picked up a pound of oranges half off because they were close to the sell-by date? You know what it takes to get the right price point and you don’t shy away from the process.

Because the world of business is as big and diverse as the Earth’s population, it is no wonder that many aspects of the entrepreneurial spirit manifest in other parts of life. Understanding how these skills have led to past successes can be a gateway into business success.

When broken down, success in affiliate marketing ultimately rests on three different points: traffic, clicks and conversions. If commissions are faltering (or never actually picked up in the first place) the problem can usually be narrowed down to an issue in one of these three areas.

Traffic refers to the number of readers who actually visit your website. As an affiliate marketer, your readers are your customers for whom you’re providing a product — value. Your blogs and posts, even the ones that do not contain affiliate links, need to provide some sense of value to your readers’ lives. If your traffic has tapered off, compare recent posts against ones that garnered a better rate. Chances are you will be able to spot the differences between them.

Clicks are fairly straightforward. If a reader follows an affiliate link, then he or she has “clicked” and been taken to the product that you wrote about or reviewed. Pretty simple, huh? Just get someone to click a link and viola! You have a click? But, hold your horses, as there is more to it. Readers must be compelled to follow a link, not just presented with the mere option of doing so. Be honest, be optimistic and give your audience what it needs in order to make that click.

Conversions can be a bit trickier and are largely overlooked by many affiliate marketers. After clicking the affiliate link, people have two simple options — make the purchase or don’t. Conversions refer to the clicks that ultimately follow through on a purchase. If you steadily experience slow conversion rates, consider the possibility that the product(s) for which you’re campaigning are not all that great. Take some time to compare other affiliate programs and related products before deciding whether you should stick with your current program or jump ship.

Of course it might seem overly simplistic to narrow down success in this business to three main points, but there is still a lot of room for personal movement and growth within these factors. However, without the secure foundation built by nailing down the right kind of traffic, clicks and conversions, most attempts simply fall through.

What it Means to Have the Entrepreneurial Spirit

The 3 Biggest Factors in Affiliate Sales