Get Information First Before Sending Them to the Affiliate

Honestly, I’m not a big affiliate fan because in the past I
haven’t gotten 90% of the money promised either because they
disappear before they pay out or they have so many
exceptions -- paying out once a quarter, has to be over X
dollars first, etc. Another negative side is that some of
them think that 10% commission or some low amount is worth
the 20 hours it takes for us to sell it. Usually the 10%
equal $10 and $10 isn’t worth my reputation even $1000
actually.

Today’s article is not about the pros and cons of being an
affiliate member. There are some good affiliate programs
out there where you will get a check, their exceptions are
small or nil, and the commission reasonable for the amount
of time, risk, and reputation you place on the line for
their product or program.

This article focuses on collecting their information before
you give them the affiliate link so you can increase your
mailing list numbers or residual income.

Almost all affiliate referrals are handled by providing
someone with the affiliate link. The reader then goes from
your place to their place. If this is what you have been
doing, take the "L" (for loser) off your forehead, and read
this to "get SMART quick."

Stop LOOSING a valuable marketing opportunity -- and stop it
now!

Instead, set up a bridge page (also called a portal page or
doorway page). Use the terms bridge and portal instead
since the word doorway has a separate search engine meaning
that can be confusing.

A bridge page works simply like this. You set up a bridge
page on your web site. You send them to this page instead
of to the affiliate site, collect their information, and
THEN send them to the affiliate site.

The objective is to offer them something for f/r/e/e that
they must register for on that bridge page so you collect
their information. In fact, you can offer several things.

You set up two pages actually. One that is the bridge page
and the other a thank you page. After you collect their
information THEN you send them to the thank you page. On
the thank you page, you thank them for whatever it is they
did and then give them an option to NOW access the affiliate
site.

Here are a few ideas on items you can offer on the bridge
page to collect their information:

* To subscribe to your ezine. If you have more than one,
list these all.
* To register for an ecourse.
* To receive an ebook.
* Offer your opinion or testimonials on using the
affiliate’s product/program.

Now, one of the main things most people do not think about
is offering them something to purchase. And this is
something affiliate offerers lookout for when you sign up to
be an affiliate (at least the good ones do). They don’t
want their competition becoming an affiliate and then
snatching the customer on the way to their site. I am
chuckling on this one -- I think it is great actually. Most
affiliates don’t even know this is happening to them.

Here is a duzie of a hint that I’ve only seen one affiliate
program do. This will give you a head start and it’s kind
of sneaky too.

You can offer something at a price on the bridge page that
has to do with that topic (you have a focused buyer here).
Example: The affiliate item is a software product. You can
write an ebook on the same topic. Yes, will this piss off
some affiliates. You bet, but guess what -- that’s
business. And also guess what -- it’s going to take them a
while to figure it out what you are doing too. They are so
busy trying to obtain more affiliates they don’t have the
time to research each one.

Offering something for a price isn’t as effective as
something for f/r/e/e. Then again, you have to decide what
is your call to action for the bridge page. Is it to
collect name and increase your mailing list or to make
residual income. Don’t get greedy and offer both. It will
bite you in the "assets". Too many choices and it confuses
the visitor and so they don’t make any decision at all and
leave without choosing anything -- no freebie, no affiliate
link.

When you set up your doorway page, set up the metatags and
searchable keywords that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to
place on your site. Make sure that these same words are in
the content.

About the Author

Catherine Franz is a marketing industry veteran, a Certified
Business Coach, Certified Teleclass Leader and Trainer,
speaker, author. Subscribe to her award winning daily
marketing ezine, Light Bulb Moment at
http://www.AbundanceCenter.com.