One of the biggest problems I see on the Internet when it comes to making money as an affiliate is jumping on the wrong train.
You see, you can get everything right, as in picking the right niche to build you business on and even getting an affiliate product that is profitable, however, this does not always guarantee that you’ll make money in the long term.
Infact a lot of these affiliate programs have a short life span, particularly when it comes promoting Internet Marketing products.
I find that those kinds of product have a very short life span, primarily because the technology in the Internet space moves at such a rapid pace.
Which means that you could be promoting a very successful product one day and then the very next day it gets superceded by another, or the strategies no longer works, because they were based on a “secret loop hole” or they were trying to “game” the system in some way.
Those sorts of businesses will always have a flimsy foundation.
And what happens when you’re business is built upon a liquid foundation? It can and eventually will fall over.
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So why do so many marketer choose to go down this path?
Because it’s easier.
Well, the perception is that it’s easier, however, what seems to be a quick win and money in your pocket NOW, turns out to be a short lived solution.
Actually, I’m not sure you can call it a solution, because if it doesn’t last, then a more accurate name would be a band aid.
And let’s face it, no longer term solution is rooted on the strategies of a band aid.
But look – let’s come back to oridinal question of how to build a stable residual income online the right way.
Sell an evergreen product
There are products that are more suited to specific calendar events throughout the year, like Valentines day, Halloween, Easter or Christmas. And there are others that can be sold year round like Ipads, TV’s, Computers etc.
Now if you have a website that specializes in Halloween costumes, it can definitely be lucrative, however, that might only happen once a year as opposed to being able to make sales all year round.
Sell A Profitable Product
There are many products in your chosen marketplace that you can sell.
Some products convert into sales more readily than others, because they have a better product description, more benefits, or have a reputable brand in the marketplace.
So don’t be afraid to test this out different product to see what products convert the best in your niche.
This could translate into a 50% increase in revenue in some cases, so always worth investing time effort and money.
Ensure product is consistently up-to-date
One of the biggest problems I found when I decided to promote IM products is that they were consistently out-of-dated.
What this means is that, visitors would be less likely to trust your advice given the product no longer delivers on it’s promises.
It’s no use trying to sell a product that has been abandoned by the product owners.
There have been a number of products in the IM space that I used to promote that actually worked well (two of them can be found here and here), but are no longer effective given the constant algorthimic changes going on in the serps.
Whilst the product owners haven’t abandoned them altogether, I find they are always in catch up mode.
Continuity Plan or Membership websites
Okay, so I talked about what doesn’t work and what you should be looking for, now here’s one of the biggest secrets.
Most affiliate follow the “hit and run” business model, which means they get a one time sale and then they’re onto the next one.
However, a lot of affiliates who start making money online soon realize that if your traffic source were to dry up, then your income is cut off at the last sale you made.
This is a cause for concern for sure, but the way to earn a long term sustainable income is to promote a product that is membership based, meaning you not only get paid for the inital sale, but you continuely get paid for the lifetime of the membership.
And if your traffic source were to dry up for whatever reason, then you’ll still be earning income while you work on developing your traffic source again.
The idea is to keep funneling sales in the front end and (depending on the product you’re selling) your income will start to grow from month to month.
Keep doing this and you will build a sustainable long term residual income. Want to know what membership website I recommend?
Have any thoughts or insights you would like to share? Then please feel free to leave a comment below.
Best,
Frank
Frank
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Hello Frank. I really enjoyed reading the articles on your blog. I wanted to know if online success is possible without having to pay out monthly fees for memberships.(at least to start)
I’ve read from various posts, videos, that it is possible to start in this business and be financially viable (producing positive income) using all of the free products available online.
(aside from domain name fees)
I ask, because my head is swimming in the massive amount of info I have read over the last 3+ weeks. And before I commit to $50 to $100 monthly support fees, and $100-$500 for software license fees, I would first like to have some idea if in your opinion purchased seo software, and co-op groups like wa and warriors that charge $ a monthly fee for association is absolutely necessary
Thanks for any input,
NancyB
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for your question.
Whilst it is possible to make money without paying a monthly fee, you’ll find that you will have to spend some money along the way, if not for education then for tools. I wrote an article about it here.
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a whole lot of money to make money online, you just need hosting, a domain name ($10), some training (see what I recommend here hosting is included) and a good keyword tool ($20 – 30 per month). That’s it.
No co-ops they rarely work in my opinion, and no other tools.
Best,
Frank