Associate Programs Newsletter #194

You can get a lot of cheap traffic fast by buying pop-under traffic.

Read today's test results before you rush into this.

CONTENTS:

1. Why I'm changing to twice-monthly
2. My pop-under test results - not entirely bad
3. A floor installer's Internet success story
4. "Secrets to Their Success" pays residual commissions
5. PlugInGo drops affiliate network
6. How Google's link popularity system works
7. Have you been at the computer too long?
8. Useful free resource: Blogger
9. Popular articles you may have missed
10. Quote for today: See what PlugInGo says about
      building long lasting relationships

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1. Why I'm changing to twice-monthly
====================================

I've been re-evaluating my goals and priorities. As a result I'm going to start publishing the Associate Programs Newsletter twice a month instead of weekly.

This will allow me to research articles and affiliate case studies more thoroughly, ensuring you receive the best information possible to increase your online income.

With any luck, it will also give me some time to walk on the beach and spend time with family and friends.

Think of this as my small contribution to decreasing your e-mail overload.

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2. My pop-under test results - not entirely bad
===============================================

In the recent reader survey I ran, some respondents asked for results of marketing experiments I do, including the failures.

Here's a marketing test that was far from successful...

After EasySiteHits launched an affiliate program for its pop?under traffic, I did an experiment buying pop?under traffic from different sources.

Christopher Pearce created a CGI script for me which tracked the number of pop-unders delivered and the conversion rate for each advertising campaign.

For the experiment I used a pop-under which has been achieving a 10.5% conversion rate when used on AssociatePrograms.com. It seeks subscriptions to this newsletter.

The results: I paid from 42 cents to $9 (ouch!) per subscriber.

I like to think that no marketing test is a failure because at least I learn what NOT to do - like paying $9 per subscriber.

Here are the results:

http://www.i-web-marketing.com
Bought 20,000 unique visitors for $149
We registered 12,032 impressions.
Subscriptions 53
$149 / 53 = $2.81
Cost per subscriber $2.81

http://www.EasySiteHits.com
Bought 10,000 for $89.95
(split into two categories, marketing and webmasters)
Marketing category
We registered 4,272 impressions
Subscriptions 5
Cost per subscriber $9

EasySiteHits
Webmasters category
We registered 4,135 impressions
Subscriptions 8
Cost per subscriber $5.62

http://www.WebHitsDirect.com
Bought 10,000 for $89.95
We registered 9,072
Subscriptions 26
Cost per subscriber $3.46

http://www.SiteGadgets.com
Jim Reardon offered me 12,500 as a gift
(usual price about $2 or less per 1,000)
His software registered 16,000 impressions
Our CGI program saw 10,774.
Subscriptions 59
Cost per subscriber: $0.42 cents.

Note: The cost per 1,000 usually declines sharply if you buy a
larger number.

(I intended to test http://www.fastclick.com but decided not to when I discovered that it wants a minimum of $1,000 to launch an advertising campaign. Far too much for a test, I reckon.)

So, what I have learned?

A pop-under which works OK on my site won't necessarily work well when I try it elsewhere.

I need to experiment with the pop-under words and design. A more powerful benefits-laden offer should increase the conversion rate. Trying different colors and graphics would be interesting.

There can be a huge difference between the number of impressions paid for and the number my tracking sees. (Some of the ad sites offer technical explanations for this.)

I'm not interested in debating whether the impressions paid for were delivered. What matters is how many sales or subscriptions are achieved per dollar paid.

If you want to buy pop-under traffic and have a site aimed at webmasters, Jim Reardon's http://SiteGadgets.com has the best deal I've come across at about $2 per thousand. (There's no affiliate program for that.)

If anyone is offering a better deal, please let me know.

Verdict:If you want to buy pop-under traffic, start cautiously, do lots of experimenting and track the results.

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3. A floor installer's Internet success story
=============================================

In 1997 Robert Clark was living with a roommate because he couldn't afford his own place to live. He worked as a "floor installer" installing carpet and vinyl floors.

He knew nothing about computers.

He had no idea what HTML was. Just about the only things he DID have were a willingness to learn and a keen desire to quit his job.

Robert learned about the Internet when he asked a librarian how to do searches. He eventually saved enough money to buy a computer.

He went from having absolutely no experience using a computer to designing his own site, building his own software, and increasing his sales by personalizing his web site for each new visitor.

Now he makes $250,000 profit a year from his Internet business.

Robert tells his success story in Case Study #8 in the February edition of Corey Rudl's new "Secrets to Their Success".

It's a hugely inspiring interview, just one in a series I've been reading avidly since the first issue.

"Learn from those who can prove their success," is Robert's advice. "Don't waste your time or money on those who cannot substantiate their level of success," he says.

"It just sickens me when I see sites out there trying to sell Internet marketing secrets when they are only making peanuts or claim to be successful and get virtually no traffic to their sites."

For a small monthly fee, you get two Internet success story case studies and a site review each month. I can't wait to see what Corey has for us next month.

To read these fascinating interviews for yourself click here:

[UPDATE: This private site is no longer available.]

=======================================================
4. "Secrets to Their Success" pays residual commissions
=======================================================

If you joined Corey Rudl's affiliate program some time ago and have switched to promoting other products, it's time to have another look.

Corey's latest product, "Secrets to Their Success", is a very high quality private site that gives you access to all the success stories from the first issue.

The program pays residual monthly commissions. You keep earning as long as the subscriber stays subscribed - and there are "almost zilch" unsubscribes.

Corey says I've been achieving about 1 sale in every 25 visitors I send to the site. That's a fantastic conversion rate.

You can feel good about promoting this fantastic, USEFUL product.

Join the program here:

http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/coreys

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5. PlugInGo drops affiliate network
===================================

In early December, PlugInGo's servers stopped forwarding traffic to merchant sites, Dave Bealer of just4yucks.com told bCentral Digest.

Affiliates received no warning that the affiliate network was being abandoned.

The site now says that PlugInGo provides a management solution for life insurance agents.

My e-mails to people at PlugInGo have gone unanswered. They're probably somewhere in the middle of a deluge of complaints.

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6. How Google's link popularity system works
============================================

Here's an article for people who like to know all the details.

It explains, with diagrams, how link popularity affects rankings at Google:
adventive.com/contributor/contributor-clason.html [This link no longer works.]

Here's a quick summary: Provide good content so you'll attract links from important sites.

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7. Have you been at the computer too long?
==========================================

Last week I reported how while out driving I asked my wife if a main road was the "main page".

Stewart Hutton comments:

Good One! I know that feeling ...

I was in our garden one day last year - in the peak of the Scottish summer =:> - and tried to right-click on a plant to find out what it was!

Stewart

http://www.PracticalDotComBusiness.com

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8. Useful free resource: Blogger
================================

Blogger is a free, web-based tool that helps you publish to the web instantly - whenever the urge strikes. Blogger is the leading tool in the rapidly growing area of web publishing known as weblogs, or "blogs".

A blog is a web page made up of usually short, frequently updated posts that are arranged chronologically - like a what's new page or a journal. The content and purposes of blogs varies greatly -- from links and commentary about other web sites, to news about a company/person/idea, to diaries, photos, poetry, mini-essays, project updates, even fiction.

http://www.blogger.com

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9. Popular articles you may have missed
=======================================

Previous articles:

Network of mini-sites earns $5,000 a month
Mini site success

Semi-neglected site earns $400 a month
Semi neglected websites

High school dropout creates profits from mini sites
Create profit from mini sites

My view of a sub-tropical bay
My view of a sub tropical bay

Are you new to affiliate programs? I highly recommend the FREE "Affiliate Masters" course.

Download the 10-day free course here:

Free Affiliate Masters Course


=================================================
10. Quote for today: See what PlugInGo says about
      building long lasting relationships
=================================================

"One of the most important things you can do for yourself and your clients is to build long lasting relationships."

- from PlugInGo's web site today

All the best

Allan Gardyne