9 Key Ways for Effective Affiliate Marketing

The simplest and the economical way to increase your business is by building a good network of affiliates. It is not of having numerous affiliates, but a few good ones can be a source of regular sales to your online store. And what more, you pay your affiliates only if sale happens. So, there isn’t a reason why you should not look at building an effective affiliate network.

1. Commission Structure: This is the most important factor to decide. You need to spend a considerable amount of time and study the prevailing rates in the market, the method, withdrawal methods and process. You need to decide on such commission structure so the affiliates are attracted to the program.
2. Enticing Invitation: The invitation that is being sent to affiliates should always be tempting to sign-up and take-up your program. If you feel the affiliate is a / or can be a ‘Super’ affiliate then call them and talk to them.
3. Competitive Study: You can look at competitors’ affiliate program and affiliates and try to attract them to your program. Check how you can make your offer more attractive and enticing to get them to your website and keep them with you permanently. You can get these details by participating in various forums and discussion boards. You can also use the competitors’ affiliate link search in Google and can reach their website. Usually, the affiliate links follow a basic structure and you can easily search for the affiliates using them.
4. Motivate and Reward Affiliates: You not only have to provide them with design material like, newsletters, content, email templates, banners…etc but, you also need to motivate them and reward them for achievements. If they make more sales, there is a point to make them happy as well, so that they work harder and stick to your program. You may consider of providing a bonus to affiliates who reach certain set sales goals in a period of time.
5. Educate Affiliates: From time to time you need to share knowledge and educate them with known strategies and techniques. They also need to have the right product knowledge and do not forget them to educate them.
6. Personal Rewards: A personal touch to your business relationship can help your good affiliates stick to you. After all, you are helping out each other in business. A hand-written thank you note, flowers or a wine bottle. These personal touches will not go unnoticed, but be assured; your affiliates will always remember it and will remember that you have gone that extra mile which your competitors have not gone.
7. Call Every Affiliate: Do not just call the best and good affiliates. Try calling each of them and thank them. Also, try to learn their problems and see if you can resolve the same. See how you can make their life easier.
8. Advance Info: Let you affiliates know in advance about any new product or version release in advance. They will feel they are not being kept updated and informed. If they get such information from you through an email or a call, rather than the press release or your website, they not only feel involved but, they will try to be prepared for the release.
9. Make Affiliate a ‘Super’ Affiliate: Do not ignore small affiliates. Smaller affiliate work really hard and a small push from your side will help them to become ‘Super’ affiliate. If they feel that they are being ignored then, they will move to your competitors. So, always pay attention to such affiliates and help them to become big ones. A few good and ‘Super’ affiliates will help to generate sales all by it self in future.

So, note that it only pays to have affiliates which generate sales. And, you need to keep them happy and motivated to generate more sales and not allowing them to go away.

9 Key Steps for eCommerce Optimization to Increase Conversions and Sales

Most of the online business invest much in marketing campaigns. These marketing campaigns will really pay-off well if these camapaigns generate leads which they will, and these leads convert to sales. So, how to convert these leads to sales and how to optimize the whole eCommerce process - here are few key steps.

1. Study and improving the user-interface to make the buying process more easy and simple
2. Study and analyze to reduce shopping cart abandons (I will try to post about this in more detail)
3. Using analytics to help in increasing conversions
4. Identifying the conversion leaks and reduce it
5. Making the eStore search engine friendly
6. Use of virtual agents to help eCommerce customers happy, increase cross-sell and repeat sales
7. Use of social media to expand in that market as well
8. Suggestions of special offers and promotions to boost sales 
9. Last but not the least, let the visitors know that their credit card transactions on the website are secured

New Windows Live using Google Adwords

This has really surprised me. MSN using Google Adwords to promote New Windows Live. That's business.... The above ad appeared on my blog.

How to handle fake profiles on Facebook

Facebook has reached a level where the user base is roughly estimated to cover around 37% of the total world population and along with this huge user base, the fake user base has risen to 27% of the total Facebook users (Nyberg, 2010). In other words, it means that if you get 10 friendship requests a day, then out of that 10 only 7 or 8 are real and the rest are fake (Nyberg, 2010).

There are various reasons that people tend to create fake profiles for themselves or they create fake profiles of others. The most common reason is for fun. It is just to have pranks on friends with the profiles. There are also other stupid reasons of why such fake profiles are created. It can be because of shallow relationships, lovers want to test their partner or a person wants to take revenge on someone.

There are people who create second identities online because they are not happy with themselves in real life. So when they are online, they can be a person whom they have always want to be.

The other reason why people create fake Facebook accounts is for business purposes. Most of the fake accounts are used by some companies themselves to promote their products; this is because people find it more convenient to believe in a product or a service when an individual refers or endorses it (Nyberg, 2010).

Another major reason which can affect the business is creating a fake account of your company. It may be created by someone who is not satisfied with your services or it can be your competitor. And such fake account/s can not only affect your business and reputation but can also frustrate you and loss of trust among your other customers and partners.

So, how to cope up with such fake business accounts.

1. Report it to Facebook: The very first thing you need to do is report it to Facebook as soon as you are aware of it. You need to go to the impostor’s profile and click “Report/Block this person” at the bottom of the left column. Check the “Report this Person” box, choose “Fake Profile” as the reason, and add “Impersonating me or someone else” as the report type. Be sure to add a valid web address (URL) leading to the real profile so that Facebook can review the information. Alternately or simultaneously you can also submit the form here on Facebook to report about the impostor profile.

2. Create your business profile: The next important thing to create a Facebook profile and other accounts in other social networking sites as well so that you get your brand name and disallow others from using it. Next, provide the profile link on your corporate website, newsletters and email communications. This way you will be able to inform your customers that this is the official and the real account.
3. Post messages sensibly: Now as you have an account on Facebook, you need to keep in mind that you have an imposter who is also reading your comments so, be sensible and post the message wisely. Secondly, post such messages so as to when visitors find the 2 accounts on Facebook, they can easily judge your account as the real one. The updates you provide should be able to gain trust of the visitors and the members.
4. Your profile description: You can also, say in the profile description that this is the real and official profile. When some one is searching for your profile and will surely see all the profiles in Facebook related to your business and brand name. The visitor will check the description and if you provide the main website link and say that this is the official page, and you comments too prove it, then it will surely help you to a certain extent.
5. Keep track of imposter: You need to spend some time every week to keep track of the imposter comments and messages. If you find any negative comments then make sure you post the response on that page and on your profile page as well.
6. Legal action: If you feel you have all the details and proofs then you can consult your advocate and the cyber laws prevailing in your city or country and take appropriate legal action.