How to Learn from Unsuccessful E-Commerce Blogs

It’s true that no matter how good your products or services maybe, the marketplace is likely going to be extremely competitive. It’s also true that there is no such thing as a guarantee that your e-commerce blog is going to be successful. However, despite what the odds may be, and despite how competitive your particular market may or may not be, the prospect of starting your own e-commerce blog is one that should always be explored.

One thing any successful e-commerce blog is going to need to make it is hard work. That’s a give-in. Another give-in is that your e-commerce site is going to need great ideas.

However, you can also learn a lot about running a flourishing e-commerce blog by studying. What you study, of course, are the patterns of unsuccessful e-commerce blogs. The benefits of doing this will be almost immediate. Trends that led to the downfall of one e-commerce blog or another will quickly begin to emerge.

Whatever you do on the road to a successful e-commerce blog, learning from the failures should definitely be on your itinerary. 

Unifying Patterns Of Unsuccessful E-Commerce Blogs

You may notice some unifying threads between unsuccessful on your own, but here are five that you’re definitely going to pick up as you study the ones that just didn't make it:


High Prices

Maybe it’s because of the cost involved, or maybe it’s due to a serious miscalculation on the part of the blog owner, but high prices will almost always reduce someone’s interest in a product.


Poor Shipping Practices

No one is saying you have to offer shipping options as dedicated and far-reaching as a giant like Amazon.com, but with e-commerce, fast, reliable shipping can quickly separate a thriving e-commerce site from a dying one. Make sure you offer fast shipping, with multiple options for those who are willing to pay extra to get their products even faster.

SEO
Search engine optimization is sometimes overlooked by e-commerce site owners. Typically, those sites don’t last very long.

User design
Who cares about great products, if the site is a huge headache to navigate? Make sure customers can find the product they are looking for with the minimal number of clicks.

Products
Keep a theme in mind. Go for a niche market. E-commerce sites that offer too many different things just look cluttered and disorganized.

There are plenty of pitfalls that can sink your e-commerce blog in a hurry. The more you study these pitfalls from past examples, the better you’ll be at avoiding them.

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10 tips for coming up with fresh ideas

Coming up with fresh ideas is what turns small businesses into big businesses. Sadly, it is at this point that a business becomes more uniform, less unique, and begins to slowly lose customers to its competitors. This is actually what started to happen to the Apple Company. That was until they created the iPhone and started a new mobile revolution. The Apple Company was forced to be unique and fresh, otherwise they were heading for oblivion.

Here are a few ways you may come up with fresh ideas for yourself.

1 - Get a life and live it
Have you ever heard those pretentious people who say they have traveled the world and now they feel invigorated and refreshed? Feel free to knock the watercress sandwich out of their hands and step on their suede shoes. However, you should note that people with an active life will often have fresher ideas.

You do not have to travel the world, but you cannot just sit at home or work all the time. This sort of thing happens to comedy TV writers all the time. They start their job full of ideas that they have pulled from real life situations. But, a few series into it they run out of ideas. This is because they work all the time (on tight deadlines) and do not get out there and live.

They do not see real life interesting people, or funny incidents that happen in real life. This is also why a lot of comedy shows will parody movies, because the writers are either sat at home, or watching a movie at home. If you want fresh ideas then be more active, aka, get a life!

2 - Keep your problem in your mind
There is a difference between worrying about a problem all the time, and keeping it in your mind. People who are motivated and need new ideas in order to solve a problem will keep the problem in the back of their mind all the time. They will walk around garden centers with their spouse, or watch a soccer match with their kids, and will keep the problem in their mind.

They will often see things during their day that gives them a bit of inspiration. Before they know it, their mind has connected the dots (so to speak), and they are full of new and fresh ideas to solve their problems. Keeping it in the back of your mind will allow your subconscious to have a think about it, whilst you get on with your life.

3 - Use active imagination
You should really research into this technique. Some people believe it is a way to communicate with your subconscious. Other people believe it is a way of tapping into your creativity, and others believe that it is a way of clearing your mind enough to come up with new ideas. It is probably a combination of all three.

4 - Ask your friends and co-workers
If you get really stuck then have a quick conference with your coworkers and your friends. You will probably hear no suggestions that you have not thought of yourself, but there is always a chance that one of them will come up with a great idea.

5 - Look at how others solved their problem
Have other people had your problem in the past? How did they solve their problem? Just because an idea has been used before does not mean it is not fresh to you.

6 - Research into your problem
This does not just mean do a little bit of analysis, it means look into how other people came up with fresh ideas and how they solved their problems. Read books, go to seminars and watch educational programs.

7 - Brainstorm
Sit in a dark room with a digital recorder, and just think about your problem. Record yourself speaking aloud any of your ideas, and you will soon have a recorder full of fresh ideas.

8 - Think of ways to make it worse
Ironically, if you look at a problem and come at it from the other side, you can come up with some new solutions and idea. You first think of how to make the problem you have worse. You then think of ways of hindering your methods of making it worse. The way you would stop yourself making it worse is often loaded with fresh ideas and solutions for your problem.

9 - Do market research

Ask your audience. This is one way of getting new ideas that are fresh and unique. Ask open-ended questions and probe the people you are trying to appeal to. Get their opinions and try to engage them. You may be surprised at the results you get. The added benefit is that it only takes one good idea from one person to turn things around for you.

10 - Hire a consultant

Let us face it, a consultant is expensive and will drain productive hours from you and your staff. However, a consultant may sometimes bring new ideas to the table that you have not thought of (that is basically their job). They have no doubt had a lot of experience with other companies in your industry, and so have a wider view of your particular problem or concern. They are often able to come up with ideas that other people have used, but that are unique and fresh to you.

Written by: Kate Funk from Tutorsville.
 

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How to Extend Your Online Ads

The Adwords system offers some rewards for advertisers that use multiple Google products and one very nice bonus is available for advertisers who also have a Google merchant center account. Google's merchant center allows retailers to upload product data that can be found on the other Google properties like Google product search and sometimes even on the Google.com search results page.

For example a search for men's clothing on Google.com/products shows results uploaded from the Google merchant center. You also see Adwords ads on the page. Remember, this is yet another place that your ads can show if you are opted into the search partner network. If you have a merchant center account you can connect it to your Adwords account and showcase your products in an Adwords plus box ad.

So how does this work? Well when your Adwords ad appear, if your Google merchant center account includes a relevant product Adwords may show an extension that includes images, titles and prices of your closest matching products beneath your ad using a plus box format. To set up this extension you do have to have an existing Google merchant center account and have products listed in it. Assuming that you do, you should now connect your Adwords account to your merchant center account.

First just select the campaign that you want to work with over on the left side bar view and then click the add extensions tab. Remember, if you do not see the ad extension tab just use the drop down to the right to make sure that it's selected to show in your account. Make sure that your viewing the product extension set from the drop down to the left. If you have a merchant center account you will be able to select from the products that you have in that account from a drop down. Pick the one that makes the most sense for this campaign and then you are done. Your ads will now be eligible to run with product extensions. That is it; you have now connected your merchant center account to your Adwords campaign.

So take a look at what this report looks like after your product extension ads have been running for a while. Here you can get data on clicks and impressions, click the rates, your costs and even your average positions. A few more things to note about product extensions, Adwords does not allow you to select specific ads to connect with specific products in your merchant center. But you can help the system connect the most appropriate products with your ads by including product information in the merchant center account. These are called attributes and they help Google understand the nature of the products that you are uploading into the system.

You can find all the details over at Google.com/merchants but just know that the more information that you provide the more likely that Adwords will extend your ads with product information and the more likely it will select the more appropriate images from your inventory in the merchant center.

Once you connect your accounts it can take up to twelve hours to see product extensions with your Adwords ads. And remember Adwords does not show them all the time once it's setup you will have a chance to really showcase your merchandise on the Adwords search engine results pages, once again making your ad stand out from the competition.

About the Author: Sadhiv Mahandru has been involved in online marketing for over a decade covering PPC, Affiliate Marketing, SEO, Content Creation and also creating effective websites. A SEO Company in Manchester and providing services throughout the UK. You can learn more about Internet Marketing and SEO by reading his own blog which is updated frequently.
 

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How to Write High-Quality Content Quickly

Successful bloggers know how important it is to add interesting and high-quality content to their blog in order to keep their readers and their search engine results position. But some bloggers find that adding useful and interesting content to their site on a daily basis is not so easy to do, but it doesn't mean that it's impossible. 

Here we will share some advice for all bloggers concerning how to create effective content for their websites quickly and efficiently:

1. Selecting your ideas
What do you do first when you sit to write an article for your blog? Do you spend a lot of time developing ideas?

When time has passed from the last post publication, and time runs out, you have no time to wait for inspiration. In such situations, we advise the following: whenever there is free time, start a brainstorm to generate ideas for articles, and do not forget to write them down.

Read other blogs of the same niche and do not forget about Twitter! Who knows, maybe you will be able to tell about the same topic in a more interesting and understandable way.

Subscribe to online newspapers, magazines of your favorite topics preferably, and write all the information to your notebook.

2. Combine all the information you have gathered
Gather all the information, simply insert it into a Word document, and write a few chapters of your own. The next step is to format the text, remove all unnecessary words, and distinguish titles. Then you can build a table of contents, it will give you some cross-links, facilitating the search of interesting information in the text.

3. Build a publishing plan
Having a few articles in the reserve, it is not necessary to post them all at once, it is better to plan their publication for a month for example. Believe us, such a step has many advantages. Just think about it: you will not be distracted from your personal affairs and rest, but your blog will be updated with new and interesting content regularly.

4. Objectives
Now, when a publishing plan is ready, you face several more challenges.

The first one is to create a separate file for each message (it can be a Word document for example).
The second one is to create catchy titles for each article.
The third one is to write tags, keywords, and insert pictures – believe us, they will make your blog more attractive.
The fourth one, if necessary, is to add the appropriate information on existing researches and links where the materials used in the article came from.

Having done all this in advance, you will be surprised how much free time you have now, which can be used to promote your blog and increase its popularity.

5. Publishing the post
Now you are ready for publication. All you need is to download the chosen article and publish it on your blog. Make sure you've read it one more time and edited any mistakes if necessary.

6. Scheduling
Even after all the above, it is difficult to stick to the timetable. The main thing is to create a good atmosphere for yourself, which would help you to work at the most convenient time. Just decide when it is more comfortable for you to work: days or nights, mornings or evenings.

7. Write all your thoughts down
Writing down all your thoughts, clever and useful ideas, you will spend less time on the work with an article itself. Also, if you want you can share your main thought on a few posts, it depends on your imagination. Try not to be distracted from the main topic.

And, probably, the most important advice for every blogger is: Write full, interesting articles, and write them for people, not for search engines!

Content Written By: Alex Strike, who writes for writing-help.com and Essay-Writing-Service.net at the moment and can't imagine his life without writing.
 

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How To Make Money Off A blog

What is Blogging? 
Blogging initially began as a means to publish and provide informative articles and ideas online. The emergence of blogs began towards the latter end of the 1990s, as more user-friendly web publishing tools became more widely available, which allowed people to share articles and even diary entries without needing the technical knowledge previously required to post content on the web.

Blogging has become more interactive, and readers of blog posts are encouraged to comment and debate on the articles posted. While blogging began as an informal means of communicating ideas and is often regarded as one of the original methods of social networking, budding entrepreneurial spirits have recently begun capitalizing upon and monetizing their blog posts.

Converting Your Posts Into Cash
In uncertain economic times, many of us are worried about our finances. This means we are searching for ways to bring in a bit of extra income. While it is important to remain realistic about how much revenue your blog could bring in, it’s entirely possible to make a reasonable income from blogging, with successful bloggers claiming to earn well over 50% of their total income online.

If you’re not already in business, the first step to making money off a blog is to come up with an original idea. The web is saturated with blogs on all manner of subjects, so it really pays to be original in your content, tone, style and execution. As with all business ideas, it’s important to do some research and try and spot where the gaps in the market are.

Once you’re satisfied that your idea is a money-spinner, it’s time to get the ball rolling. There are plenty of platforms which facilitate the uploading and hosting of blogs. Most offer similar general features, although there are small differences which you might want to utilize. You’ll also want to register a domain name which is catchy, memorable and related to your subject.

In order to monetize your blog, you’re going to need to exponentially increase the number of visitors to your pages. The more traffic your site receives, the more value it gains and the more advertisers are willing to pay in order to advertise their services on your site. Pay attention to the analytics of your site, and make a note of what blog subjects are bringing in greater levels of traffic.

Making the Most of your Business
Of course, if you already have a business which trades online, blogging needs not be a direct source of income. There is a direct correlation between site traffic and revenues, and blogging about subjects on your website which are relevant to your business means that your search engine rankings will undoubtedly improve, which in turn will lead to potential customers checking out your site and the products you offer, leading to increased sales.

Of course, it's important to remember the old adage: Rome wasn't built in a day. Monetizing your blog takes time, effort and patience, and if you put in the work, you should successfully reap the rewards.
 

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How to make a Travel Blog Stand Out With High Quality Content

 

These days, more than ever, travel bloggers are becoming aware that by implementing SEO to their travel blogs they can increase traffic and generate a larger readership to their blogs. There are a wide range of SEO strategies and tactics that are being used by travel bloggers. However, even with the most effective SEO strategy, a travel blog will not have a considerable online presence and gain publicity without a continuous flow of high quality content.

What defines high quality travel content?
As we all know, high quality content has the necessary characteristics which readers will look forward to. Thus, content should be informative but not too technical, interesting, and relevant.

As for travel blogs, high quality content could mean travel experiences that are laid out in the most interesting ways, travel tips that address a prevailing and common travel problem, amazing travel destination suggestions other than those that anyone would normally find in other travel blogs, or reasonably priced travel service offers.

How can a travel blog stand out with high quality content? 
The notion that a travel blog will stand out with high quality content is not difficult to comprehend. But in what ways can a travel blog really achieve this? 

A descriptive and unique title will make readers visit the blog to get hold of the whole article
SEO may make a content or travel blog be easily found in search engines. But without an enticing and unique title, a reader will simply continue scrolling down the search results page to look for more titles that seems to manifest a more helpful article. 

High quality travel content will make a visitor read through the whole article 
An enticing title can do a great job in making a reader check out the article. But if the content doesn’t seem to have interesting and helpful information or is difficult to read with long sentences and paragraphs, the reader will simply go back to the previous search results and find another better travel content. Travel readers, especially those who don’t have the luxury of time, are always searching for quick but helpful information. Thus, they want content that are direct to the point and has an easy to read format. Travel bloggers believe that content does not have to be encompassing. It has to focus on a particular aspect which is deemed to be more helpful, rather than general information which are common in travel blogs.

High quality travel content will make readers go through other content within the blog
It is common among readers who are impressed with an article to check out other posts within the travel blog. After reading a well-written content, they are expecting other posts to be as helpful and interesting as well. Travel bloggers should take advantage of the readers’ expectations as a result of the high quality content which the reader checked out in the first place. They should ensure that they maintain a continuous flow of travel related content. In may be difficult to sustain this with the travel blogger’s own efforts but with the help of other sources such as freelance writers, guest bloggers, or travel writing services, this is certainly, not far from being possible. 

High quality travel content will be shared by readers even without the travel blog owners’ solicitation
Thanks to the prevalence of social media these days, sharing a link to as many networks of people as possible can be done easily and quickly. As soon as the reader finishes reading the article, he can simply click on the social media buttons somewhere within the page (usually at the bottom) to share the content or blog to his different networks in social media.

Final Words 
The competition in the travel blogosphere is getting fiercer. These days, it takes more than just an extensive travel experience, knowledge, and passion for writing to make a travel blog successful. One has to ensure the quality of the content in order to achieve the benefits listed above, and to give the travel blog an edge in the travel blogosphere. 

Content Written By Sandy Allain: Sandy Allain is a passionate writer who covers helpful tips in blogging and SEO for travel website and blogs. Find out more about him and his services in his website, sandyallain.com
 

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Understanding the basics of email marketing

 

Throughout 2012 I kept a record of email marketing methods which irritated me enough to make me consider unsubscribing. Some of the errors were remarkably basic but that is no reason not to point them out.

1. Frequency
I can forgive an infrequent increase in frequency, especially during times like the approach to Christmas or the anticipated rush of holiday email marketing in the New Year. What is unforgivable and self-destructive is continually pestering subscribers week after week. A basic one to start with.

2. Lies
It is pointless telling me, or any subscriber, that a certain offer will never be repeated and then, a month or two later coming up with an even lower price to clear unsold stock. Further, can I be the only person who feels irritated by time-limited offers that go on forever?

3. Lower offers
Repeat offenders here where I had bought items only to have the same article offered to me later at a lower price later. Email list data should be used to stop this.

4. Additional costs
If it is impossible for anyone to buy the item at the banner price then not only will that put them off buying that specific product but your next one as well. If they feel they can't trust you then the unsubscribe button looks very attractive. Be honest.

5. Confusing offer
It is not a good idea to make me wonder if I am becoming terminally confused. If I have to read the offer twice to find out what it all means, I am unlikely to read it twice.

6. Same difference
If your first offer did spectacularly badly, do not just change the words and the colour of the banner then send it out again. If your subscriber gets that feeling of déjà vu then he will probably do exactly the same as he did last time.

7. Lack of detail
Just one lone example for this and one which, although I went on to buy the product offered, is extremely dangerous. In order to discover whether or not a piece of software could cope with a specific file type, I had to phone the company and speak with one of their tech guys. Her reassurance gave me the confidence to buy. But the question that should bother anyone in email marketing is how many others would follow my example. Is it too much to ask for a hotlink to the full spec?

8. Uninspiring
Fair enough I subscribe to a considerable number of email marketing lists but most are insipid and bland. Try to brighten my life and your returns with an interesting design.

9. Nothing personal
If I have already bought some software which requires a fair degree of technical knowledge to use, I do not want to be told basic details on its upgrade offer. It is as if I wasn't valued.

10. Obey the law
I didn't make any entries on this because there would have been too many things to list. However it did surprise me how many companies ignored the requirements of the regulations covering email marketing. I would not buy from any such company.
 

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7 Great Tips For Business Blogging

More and more businesses are turning to blogging as a way of advertising their products and services to potential customers and online shoppers. It has become a much easier way to develop an online presence than using the more traditional and cost consuming methods of employing web designers and so forth. Starting a successful business blog can be done quickly and effectively with a minimal costs, time and effort.

Here Are 7 Tips And Techniques To Start You On The Right Path: 

 Choose the right blogging platform

The most popular blogging platforms are Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad, Drupal, and Movable Type. Many others are also available, so be sure to shop around for the one that best fits your business needs.

Don't Over Advertise
Not all of your posts need to be product adverts or promotion for your company. If there's anything interesting or relevant to your customers or something that you think they might want to read about, don't be afraid to post it. They'll find your blog more appealing and the content variety won't hurt your blog in search engine rankings either.

Choose a Domain Name and a Hosting Provider
Your business site will appeal more to visitors with its own private domain name and hosting. It doesn't cost much to purchase a hosting package and even shared hosting packages are usually sufficient for blogs and come complete with included domain names.

Build a Community
One thing that will benefit your business blog immensely is getting your visitors to interact with you on a regular basis. Posts that encourage your readers to comment, by asking them questions or giving them the chance to contact you or directly influence the content of your blog, will give them a real sense of being important to you and will help bring them back to you. The feedback will be invaluable in giving you fresh ideas for content as well.

Don't Just Write Anything
Don't post something just for the sake of having a post every day. Make sure that everything you post on your blog is there for a reason. It doesn't have to be a product advert or a business update, but ask yourself whether or not it is something that you would want to read yourself. Write posts about the type of subjects that your users find interesting or topics they want to know more about. Even one or two useful or entertaining posts a week are more beneficial to your blog than a daily meaningless comment or advertisement.

Socialize
Make sure that your blog is socially connected. It's easy enough to give your visitors the chance to connect your posts to Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and other social media sites allowing them to share posts that they enjoy reading. Don't stop there though. Interact with other blogs that you find interesting or share a similar market or common theme with your own and interact with them. You'll soon find that many of them will start to take an interest in you.

Look at the big picture
While it might be natural to only pay attention to the products and services you offer, you can benefit as well from widening your range. For example, if you create a blog for your book store, your target audience may be interested in posts about eBooks, used books, or even children`s books. Stick with your overall business blogging theme, but explore related topics.

Although there are numerous other things a business blogger must put forth to become successful online, we think applying these 7 tips and techniques would be a great start for you and get you on the right path to starting a business blog.
 

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How to Create the Perfect Landing Page

A landing page also known as a known as a "lead capture page" is the first page a person views after he or she finds your site from a search engine results page and decides to click on the link. Having an optimized landing page is very important to internet marketers and online retailers to generate leads, sales or opt-ins for specific products or services.

A Perfect Landing Page Will Deliver The Right Message To The Right People At The Right Time! 

Page Headlines and Ad Copy

The landing page headline and advertisement wording should compliment each other.

Clear and Concise HeadLines 
Being one of the first things a visitor will read, the landing page should not confuse or bore, but compel a visitor take a closer look. Addressing a specific point that is related to the content of the site will catch a reader`s attention more than having a vague and uninteresting headline.

Flawless Grammar
In the example of an online marketer that is asking for visitors to buy a product or service and give their personal billing information, the customer`s trust will be at risk if there are spelling errors and flawed grammar.

Taking Advantage of Trust Indicators
For an effective way of building trust, incorporate testimonials, press mentions, guarantee seals, and third party trust and security certification (Better Business Bureau, VeriSign, ect.)

Use a Strong Call to Action
After a visitor reads the landing page headline, it is crucial that they know what to do next. Take for example when Mozilla Firefox changed their call-to-action from "Try FireFox" to "Download Now - Free", it out performed the original call-to-action by 3.6% resulting in 600 more downloads during the time of the test.

Buttons and Call to Actions Should Stand Out
Identify the keywords people interested in your service might be searching for and use words such as "free", "new", "buy", or "download now". A conversion button should stand out and be placed right below a call-to-action or have the call-to-action as the button. None the less, the button should be big, bright, and above where a user would have to scroll to it. Using orange or yellow buttons help catch a viewers eye.

Go Easy on the Links
Links connecting the user to too many other sites or pages will distract them and have a negative impact on conversations. Lots of links may make sense on a regular homepage, but on a landing page simplicity is key.

Use Images and Video that Relate
Implementing motivational speeches, videos of user testimonials, and product images into a homepage can have a positive impact on viewers, as well as give shoppers an extra push to look further into a product.

Keep it Above the Fold
The space a visitor sees without having to scroll is where the most important parts of the page should be.

Always be Testing
Optimize a landing page for conversion over time. Run tests, change images, and calls-to-actions to see what works best for you. Testing two completely different site designs against each other can be beneficial in the long run.

Hopefully this article has given you an insight on creating landing pages that will prompt your visitors to take action and result in higher conversion rates for your online business
 

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How to Choose the Right Affiliate Program

The hardest part about setting up an affiliate program is choosing the right one. There are thousands available, and the all have different features. Here are some important things to watch for when choosing a affiliate program.

The commission rate
These vary widely. Amazon`s 4 percent initial rate is pretty average, and most programs offer between 3 and 10 percent. Some programs offer a sliding scale where your commission goes up the total sales attributed to your links goes over a certain amount.

Commission exceptions
Some programs offer their highest commission rate only on certain items. Amazon for example offers a higher rate on Kindle and MP3 purchases. It`s also typical to offer a reduced commission on products that are heavily discounted.

Direct versus general links
Most programs offer a higher commission if a sale was generated from a direct link to a product ( as opposed to linking to the program`s home page.)

The commission base 
Some programs base the commission on the selling price of the product, others base it on the profit earned by each sale.

Site restrictions
Many programs reject sites that have " unsuitable " themes such as sex, violence, discrimination, or the promotion of illegal activities.

Check thresholds
Many programs won`t issue you a check until your commission reaches a certain amount.

Exclusivity
Some programs agreements demand exclusivity, meaning you can`t also include a rival program on your site. 

Researching Affiliate Programs: 

The following are three sites that monitor and review affiliate programs

100 Best Affiliate Programs - ( www.100best-affiliate-programs.com )

Affiliate Programs - ( www.affiliateprograms.com )

Affiliate Directory - ( www.affiliatedirectory.com ) 

Steps to Setting Up An Affiliate Program:

Now that you`ve done all your researching and know which affiliate program you want to use, here`s how to set one up:

1. Go to the site offering the program and sign up for it.

2. Create a "store" on your site or designate space on your site to place program - related graphics such as banners and Contextual ads.

3. For each product you want to feature, set up a link to the specific product on the program site. You usually include some kind of code in the link address that identifies your site as the referrer. Most affiliate programs offer a simple copy and paste html code to place on your site

4. Sit back and wait for the checks to start rolling in.

Just because an area generates a high reader focus, it doesn`t mean you must place an ad unit in that area. The number one rule in the web ad game is to not let the ads get in the way of your content. You should us most the high focus areas for your content and reserve one or two for ad units.

Blog Advisor Recommends ShareASale Affiliate Program!

 

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Is Your Blog Content Boring? It Maybe Time for a Change

The signs that our blogs’ content has become boring may not be immediately noticeable. You may have noticed a significant drop in your traffic lately, or a noticeable change in the amount of time your blog readers are spending on your posts and pages. While this can be caused by a variety of reasons, many bloggers have discovered over time their enthusiasm and creativeness going away.

Let`s Take A Look At Some Of The Main Reasons Your Blogs Content May Be Boring To Your Readers And The Solutions You Can Apply To Fix The Problem.

No Story
Each post ought to read like a short story, providing your readers with both information and a sense of experience. It can be very difficult to keep the attention of a reader if you are only writing facts and figures in a plain and usual sense. Can you remember how determined your creative writing teacher was in confirming that your story was actually creative? Try imagining that the teacher is still looking over your shoulder. By using figure of speech, metaphors and narrative speaking, you will keep the attention of the reader while giving them the desirable information they are seeking.

Displaying To Much Advertising
If your blog looks and reads more like an advertisement or a sales page than it does a valuable informational resource, then you may find out pretty quick that your blog readers simply do not enjoy being overwhelmed and bombarded with ads. While some readers will accept advertisements as an everyday part of life on the web, you should as well provide them with relevant information and content that will in fact make it worth their while. More than likely, the information, content and resources you display on your blog can also be found somewhere else on the internet; if they cannot see the sky for the clouds, then they are likely to look elsewhere.

Quantity Over Quality
Many bloggers believe that providing their readers with a great amount of content will give their site an added bonus. While it may help you in the search engine rankings, it most certainly will not help you in obtaining loyal followers and returning visitors. With so many elements to balance in a blog post or article, it can be very overwhelming at times to ensure everything is laid out and brought to the attention of the reader just right. Try spending a little more time focusing on the overall content of your posts, followed by a revision that adds the necessary advertising and keyword components.

Poor Topic Selection
Is the topic that your covering simply not interesting to your readers? Have you taken a alternate approach in recent days or weeks that could contribute to blame? By making sure that the subjects and topics you are writing about are actually desired by internet surfers, you can avoid writing quality articles and blog posts on topics nobody wants to really read.

While all of us have become routinely accustomed to filling in those particular niches, some of the time, a better strategy is to let someone else do the hard work. Select topics and subjects that are relevant to your site, new, trending, interesting or controversial. There numerous areas in which you should be risky when it comes to writing content, but you should never take the risk when it comes to covering a subject that your readers will simply find boring.
 

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5 Blogging Tips For Beginners

Owning a blog is a great idea, especially when you have a story to tell. Blogging has become fun and through it people like you and me have the ability to express what we believe, the things we have done that bought us success, discuss or failures and give successful ideas to people from different walks of life. I have found blogging the best tool and technique, or perhaps a reputable platform I can let the world know what I think and believe.

However, many people think that starting a blog is one hell of a task, but nothing could be further from the truth. Stating my own blog was indeed the simplest way to join the internet community. With a computer and a stable internet connection, all you need to do is follow some simple steps and you will be good to go.

Define your goals goals
Every person needs to know what they want to get the best results in the long run. My goal had to do with the main reason why I was starting the blog. For you, it could be for promoting your business, welcoming friends to join you on social media, helping people with self-improvement information or a forum for you to share your ideas with the rest of the world, or you could be blogging just for fun. Having established your goal, design your blog and market it robustly.

Understand your audience
When you understand your audience better, then you will absolutely know their taste of content. If your audience is teenagers, the design and content of the blog must be directed towards teenagers.

Be consistent 
Always keep in mind that your blog is a brand, and so represents a specific message. Readers treasure consistency.

Constantly update your blog
Always have something new for your readers. I have come to understand that the reason why visitors do not go to some sites is due to the presence of the Methuselah content. If your content is also boring, you may end up having very little visitors to your blog.

Your blog should be inviting to readers
You could request visitors to your blog to leave comments, which you reply to later. This shows the readers that you actually value them and keeps the conversation between you and your readers going. You also take this opportunity to invite your readers to come back for more lively debates.

Creating and sustaining a blog, contrary to what people think, is not difficult. You just need to identify the field you love most and about which you can write most confidently. Being original and writing quality content is a sure way to keep your readers intact. You should desist from copying and pasting contents to your blog.
 

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Are You Ready to Start a Blog? Here’s How to Tell

Everyone seems to be blogging these days. Most blogs get a few new visitors each week, while some have become so popular that their authors are now celebrities. The real question is whether you’re ready to start a blog.

Blogging started as a way to share your innermost thoughts with the online world. Over time, it’s evolved into a way to market your business, brand yourself and create a thriving online community. This has made blogging more of a profession than a hobby, which means that you need to be ready to maintain a blog before starting one.

Why Would I Want a Blog?
If you’re thinking about starting a blog, you probably have a reason for doing so. In fact, many good things can come from a blog, including:

Better Marketing: Numerous articles emphasize the importance of blogging in marketing your business online, but like other marketing strategies, it requires a clear goal and plan for moving forward.

Communication: Blogs are a way to share your thoughts about everything from cool new products to the upcoming election, and these can open up great discussions with friends and strangers alike.

Visibility: A store might use a neon sign to let people know they’re open. Your blog is your way of introducing yourself or your business to the online world.

Am I Ready to Blog?
The great thing about blogging is that you don’t need any special skills or qualifications to start one. The downside is that it takes a lot to make it successful, so make sure you’re able to do it.

Thought and Planning
Before starting your blog, know what you want it to be about. Do you want to be a fashion maven who covers the hottest styles from London? Do you want to offer advice on home repair? Are you a newshound with your own ideas about the events of the day? Make that the focus of your blog and build everything else around it.

Time and Effort
The most successful bloggers know that a blog can’t be a hobby that you write in your free time. You need to make time for it. Plan what you’re going to write about and then develop enough content to update your blog once a week. That’s how potential readers will find your blog and, more importantly, continue coming back to it.

A Unique Perspective
Maybe everything that can be written has already been written, but not everything is written the same way. For example, there are lots of blogs about Cadillacs, but one that covers the history of the car has different content than one that collects stories from past and current owners. Find your favorite topic and find a unique way to discuss it.

Blogs are fun to read and write, but the latter takes more than just a few minutes. If you want to start a blog, be ready to give it the time and attention it needs to succeed.

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7 Tips for Being the Best Affiliate Marketer Ever

Online affiliate programs can be an excellent way to make money from home, but to be successful, you’ll have to find ways to engage your readers. Unlike regular online ads where you make money with every click or impression, as an affiliate you’re only paid if a potential customer performs a specific action such as buying something. 

 With Those Things In Mind, Here Are Seven Tips For Success As An Affiliate Marketer:

1. Get acquainted with your audience

The best way to utilize an affiliate program is to anticipate the needs of your customers and mold the program in order to meet those needs. Why are people coming to your website? What are you offering them? To sell a product successfully, it needs to solve a problem or fulfill a need- and the more relevant your ads are, the more likely your readers will click on them.

2. Gain their trust
Readers can spot an affiliate link a mile away; if you promote products you don’t trust or you have too many ads on your site, they won’t visit a second time. Repeat visitors are what drives web traffic; they give you back links, let others know about your product, and recommend your site to others. If you aren’t honest with your readers, they will disregard everything else you say.

3. Help them out 
The most successful affiliate marketers think of their ads as a complement to their site’s content. All your content should be informative and useful, so it offers your customers something of value. For instance, if you’re reviewing a book, make the review detailed and use your affiliate ads to encourage them to buy the book if they choose to do so.

4. Visit the forums
No one, no matter how successful, was born knowing all about affiliate marketing. There are a lot of places to get advice, but one of the best is an affiliate forum. They’re populated with marketers just like you, and most are perfectly willing to share their secrets.

5. Choose your products carefully
When you’re signed up with an affiliate program, carefully go through all their service and product offerings. Think on which ones your site visitors would like or need, and change ad/graphics/text combinations often. You may try a few different combos before you find one that works.

6. Keep your content evergreen
Older content can be valuable, even if it’s relegated to a lesser page on your site. Take advantage of that fact by writing content that will stand the test of time. Most blogging platforms will allow you to show links to your “most popular”, “most recent” or “related” articles on every page.

7. Be patient
You won’t be making a living wage in the beginning; affiliate earnings accrue over time. Some programs have lifetime payouts, meaning that you’ll make money from visitors even if they don’t return to your site. They aren’t a get-rich-quick scheme, but they do provide an opportunity for a passive income.

If you’re new to the affiliate marketing world, you’re probably looking for the “magic” niche that will make you six figures overnight. However, there’s a lot more to marketing than that - it takes determination, dedication and hard work to get there.

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How Much Blogging is Too Much Blogging

It's easy to begin your blogging journey with tons of passion and energy, but going into overdrive can eventually take the joy out of maintaining your blog. As a result, your posts may lose their vitality and ability to engage your audience.

If you're like most blog readers, you know how disappointing it is to visit a favored blog, only to find that several fluff posts have been published to make the day's quota. Fluff, when done properly, can have its place, but when we've spent our fuel, and we're reaching for "something... anything" to fill space, it translates poorly and cheats site visitors of the experience they were hoping to have when they decided to stop by.

Check In With Your Readers
Identifying when the majority of your readers stop in to catch up on your posts can help you to arrange a more reasonable schedule. With the busy lives most people lead in the current era, they're unlikely to check their favorite blogs every single day without fail. There may be a few diehards who will, but most people have trouble responding to their emails, social network messages, and texts on time. If they can get to a blog they love several times a week many consider themselves lucky. If you're stuck on a desire for daily posts, however, putting together a team of bloggers who alternate posting responsibility throughout the week can meet that need with fresh content that still has spark.

Which Posts Are Your Readers Gravitating Towards?
Utilizing site analytics to identify when your blog receives the most visits and which areas visitors are flocking to can save you a wealth of time (and even money). Google analytics is a free tool you can sign up for, and paid services like www.CrazyEgg.com can give you serious data to work with to this end. Directing your readers to a suggestion box or poll can also help you gather data about their preferences and habits.

When you can identify the kinds of posts your readers most appreciate, you can work to ensure you have a sizable amount of them available on site. There are many ways to approach a subject from a fresh angle. Lowering your output to sane levels will keep your brain refreshed, so you're in touch with your creativity and able to meet the challenge. Your content will be more passionate and dynamic this way, and the enthusiasm wafting off it will be contagious. Your audience will mentally rolodex their plans to check back for more of your content.

Don't Force It
Riding the wave of a popular topic might seem like a good idea, but it isn't for everyone. Hammer pants, for instance, weren't for everyone. Know what your niche is, and stick to it. If another sub-niche comes along that fits your style like a glove, add that to your digital toolbox. Forcing interest in a topic or style to up your post count can show transparently in your presentation. If you want to touch on a trend or topic that isn't flowing naturally, try approaching it from an angle that ties into your current style, or let it go. It's better to be great at what you do best than wooden in your expression of a topic or concept that is foreign to you.

Deciding how much blogging is too much blogging is up to you. Your energy levels and audience response will make the wisest approach clear. From there, you can tailor your blog to the audience it's already drawing, and make the most of your output without breaking too much of a sweat. If you don't take control of your blogging overdrive habits, what will you do to keep yourself refreshed?

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