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.
