iMark Interactive

I want to put a service on the radar for any blog or content website owner.  If you are a part of affiliate programs and active in affiliate marketing, then you might want to check this out.  The service has been given some funding from Google and it looks to have a lot of promise.  This could make affiliate marketing a little easier for website owners.

The service is called VigLink.  It is not open to everyone as of yet due to it working out some kinks in its software, but you can get a report for your site and they will contact you when their software is available.   All a webmaster has to do is install a  simple piece of code on your website or blog and VigLink will do the rest.  Before, if you were part of affiliate programs, you would link certain words to the affiliate program in hopes to get clicks and sales.  The hard thing is that if you a lot of content, it can be hard to remember all your affiliate links, which in turn takes you more time to get a post up on your blog or finish new content for your website.

With VigLink, all you need to do is write your content as usual and link to your affiliates website in a normal fashion without your affiliate links installed.  Viglink is a part of every major affiliate program out there from Commission Junction to Google Affiliate Program.  If someone clicks on the link in your post or other content, then VigLink will look through the affiliate programs and see if there is one for the website you are linking to.  If there is, then it will automatically append affiliate tracking to the URL.  VigLink appends their affiliate tracking, so they are the ones that get the commission, but they share it with you, with most of it going to you.  This is kind of link sponsored posts and sponsored links that you get from some services around.  They only give you 75% of the total amount paid by the advertiser.  VigLink does something similar.  Most visitors should not see any difference on the front end as this is done in the backend.

While some of you have been doing affiliate marketing for years and you have good ways to deal with your affiliate programs, so this might not be for you, but for people that are just getting into affiliate marketing, then this could be the best way to get in and increase your profits.  If you have a new blog or website and want to get into affiliate marketing, then look into VigLink.  I would put it in your radar just to keep looking when they go live for any sites.  This service could really help boost profits without you having to sign up for all the affiliate programs on all the networks.  This alone could save you time in order to keep you on track to write great content for your website or blog.

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If you have a website or a blog, but do not have an email newsletter, then you need to start one soon.  An email list is one of the number one items that most marketers use to make money on their websites and blogs.  If you have the content and the visitors, then building your list can be easy if you have the right software.  There are many email marketing software providers out there, but only one that most internet marketers and affiliate marketers use and that is Aweber.  They provide one of the best solutions for email campaigns and increasing your subscriber count.

Start with Aweber for Only $1…..Sign Up Now!

Like other solutions, Aweber has a lot of features to use in order to maximize the program, but unlike others, Aweber does it better.  You can send out email newsletters, create signup forms on your website or blog, setup autoresponders, manage unlimited email campaigns, simple and effective email templates, blog newsletters, and much more.  There is not one feature that they provide that won’t help you create and build an effective email list for your website.

Aweber provides an intuitive form creator that allows you to publish signup forms on your blog or website.  This is the first step to building a great list.  If you do not have a good signup form, then how do you expect to get readers and subscribers.  You can set it up to send your visitor to any page after they signup, so you can offer some quality CPA offers or any other webpage that you wish.  You can have the signup page be on your webpage, or in an unblockable hover popup.  They allow split testing for headlines of your form to see which one has a better conversion.

If you have a blog and you want to send your subscribers updates of your posts, then Aweber has your covered.  You can send out your updates daily, weekly, monthly, or whenever you post something new.  This is a great way to keep your active readers up to date with your posts and your blog.  While bringing in visitors with your blog newsletter, you can entice them with a nice CPA prepop offer, which might earn you some extra cash if the offer is good.

While we are not going to get into every aspect of Aweber, you can see that it is one of the best programs out there for website owners and bloggers alike.  It has a very intuitive feature set that will build your list leaps and bounds above whatever method your are currently using or thinking of using.  Remember…..The Money is in the List!

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Recycling programs created for customers is becoming a large part of many business programs.  Large retailers like Best Buy and others have created their own recycling programs for old electronics like MP3 players and printer ink.  While this is a great thing because not only is it a great marketing program for your brand image, but also it is good for the environment.  Not recycling old and used electronics was always a problem that no one really had an answer to.  Most consumers do not have the initiative to recycle their old electronics before they purchase new and updated electronics.  At least that how it was until now.  While most companies do not have the money or resources to start a recycling program for their customers, rest assured, there is still a way to do it.  A company called CExchange has created a simple and effective way for electronics retailers to provide a recycling program for their customers.

CExchange provides a simple to use web interface for customers to see if and how much their old electronics are worth.  The best part is that CExchange will pay for the return of the old electronics.  The retailer gets to choose if they want to provide their customers with just money back or gift cards to use at the retailers website.  Both can be a good option, but providing gift cards can be a better way to make sure that the retailer gets the sale in the end.  Not only can the retailer choose the payment method, but they also get a small kickback for every product that can be recycled.  CExchange provides each retailer with their own branded subdomain on cexchange.com that has their logo, so when the customer comes from the retailers website, it still has a brand to relate to.  All you have to do is provide a link from your website to your cexchange subdomain and let your recycling program start.

Mind you that not every electronic item can be recycled.  CExchange has looked into most of the major electronics products like ipods or video games and gives the consumer an amount that it is worth depending on the condition of the item.  This makes it easy for any consumer to recycle their old electronics and the incentive to do so.  CExchange gives all retailers the way to start an easy recycling program that can pay off in more ways than one.  If you are an electronics retailer, check out CExchange and submit a partnership inquiry in order to start your own recycling program

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As 2009 nears an end and 2010 begins, it is time for both online and offline marketers to get their agendas finalized and hopefully budgets together.  As we look back at the struggles of 2009 with the recession, we see that one medium has thrived and will continue to thrive.  Social Media has blown the gates down this year as many retailers start using it to promote their companies and provide deals and sales to their followers.  The main question is will you start or continue with social media?

If you have thought about getting into social media, but just haven’t done it yet, 2010 looks like it is the year to start.  With more and more people jumping onto social networks and following their favorite retailers, everyone should start getting a piece of the pie.  A lot of companies have created new positions for social media in order for everything to be properly tracked and accounted for.  It is easy for customers to post negative things about your company and you want someone or a team to be on top of that and provide real time action for those negative comments.  This shows that you are dedicated to customer service and only Social Media provides that instant fire fight capability.  Without it, you resort to trying to resolve issues the old fashion way.  As more retailers and businesses join the social media ranks, it will become the mainstream way to handle customer service issues and the most cost effective.  There have been some companies that have eliminated their phone staff for social media experts.  This method does not work for everyone, but it can work for some.

If you are already participating in social media, how can you improve on it?  Does your company provide exclusive deals via twitter or facebook?  Do you offer product reviews via Youtube?  Are your company updates visible to your followers and your groups?  There are many ways to improve how you use social media, so think outside the box and use this medium as a way to improve your relationship with your customers.  If you have the capability, it would be wise to assemble a team to improve your social media usage and increase its power for your company.  2010 is the year of social media, so jump on board and control your company’s brand a little better.

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Comparison shopping is a big industry with a few large companies at the helm.  The biggest sites are the likes of Shopping.com, Shopzilla, Nextag, and others.  People are starting to price compare before they purchase and they go to these type sites in order to get it done.  Have you thought of starting your own price comparison engine to make some money online?

While you can create one from scratch if you have a coder, it will be very costly and time consuming.  You will never have a change to catch up with the large players in this game.  The best solution is to get a pre-made solution that you can tweak and market yourself.  We are going to provide you with two easy ways to start your own comparison shopping engine.

DataFeedScripts.net – This company has created an out-0f-the-box solution for both the Shopping.com and Shopzilla API.  Now, you might ask, why would you try to compete with them if you are going to use their API.  We say that if you can take the time to properly market your site, you can be large like some other companies that use their API’s.  You are not going to try and beat them, but just provide yourself with an opportunity to make money online.  This script works on both API’s, but you have to choose either Shopping.com or Shopzilla as they are two different scripts.  Both cost $250 for the license, but there is no monthly fee.  You need to sign up for the Shopping.com Partner Program or the Shopzilla Partner Program first before paying for this script.  They will need to approve you into the program and if you don’t get approved, then you would have wasted $250.

Once you get in the program, you can download this script and enter your API information.  You need a web host that can handle ASP.net, which is usually a windows machine.  It would be wise to place this script on it own domain if you had the opportunity to do so.  You can change the colors and many different aspects of this script except for the API calls.  This comparison shopping script is for all the categories on both Shoppping.com and Shopzilla.  This will provide you with a general comparison shopping engine.  You can get it customized, but it will cost you.  You get paid by having someone click on the products within the script, so you are paid per click up to 80% of what Shopping and Shopzilla charge their merchants.  You can also place Google Adsense into the script as well to earn a little extra.  This is a good script that can help you earn a lot online if you are good at marketing and SEO.

DataFeedFile.com – This is a 3rd party aggregator that takes the products from merchant affiliate programs and creates a comparison shopping script for affiliates.  This is a free script and provides a basic comparison shopping script.  You will have to sign up for each individual affiliate program that you want to publish on your site.  This script is best if you plan on doing a niche comparison shopping site, like electronics or automotive.  This can be placed on a subdomain of a site you might already own or it can be used as a standalone site as well.  You can customized things to make them look good and add any advertising that you wish.  This is a good starting script to see if you can make it in the comparison shopping world and you don’t have to pay anything for it.  You do need to sign up at Datafeedfile.com as an affiliate in order to get access to this script.

While these two options might not work for everyone, they are a great starting point to see if you have what it takes to customize and market a comparison shopping engine.  These type of sites do extremely well around the holidays and if you run it properly, then you can make a good amount of money online without having to create a complex website with a lot of features.  These out of the box solutions are great for anyone and can help you earn the chance for financial freedom online.

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Affiliate Marketing is a powerful tool that should be in every companies toolbox.  Most programs are fairly easy to setup depending on your market and should only take one to two people to run successfully.  If you have been thinking about setting up an affiliate marketing program for your company, now is the time.

Affiliate Marketing Programs are big business.  You can set one up internally with software like idevaffiliate, or you can use one of the many networks that provide you with the necessary tools to succeed.  You will need to look at your cash flow to determine what you would like to do in order to setup the right program.  One thing to remember is that an affiliate program is not set it and forget it.  It takes constant updating or work to be successful.  You are competing with other companies for the affiliates and you might even be competing with your direct competitors.  If you have an enticing program then you have the chance to bring an affiliate from your competitors program to yours.

If you are interested in starting your affiliate program with an established network, then here are the best networks out there.  Remember, starting with an affiliate network is an investment, but it will pay off in the end if you build it correctly.

• Commission Junction (CJ) – Commission Junction is one of the oldest and most established affiliate networks out there.  It has great tools to help you get started and succeed with running a program.  There are so many publishers (affiliates) to choose from that it makes building a good program easier to do.  One downfall of CJ is the cost to start up.  If you are a small business you will most likely not be able to afford their costs.  This program charges a setup fee, monthly fee, and transaction %.  It can be very costly if you do not have a good program.
• LinkShare – Linkshare is another old affiliate network that has many fortune 500 companies with a lot of good affiliates.  This is another place to look into if you want to get a good start with your new affiliate network.  The cost of this network is also pretty high and may be cost prohibitive for small to medium sized businesses.  You can contact them for specifics on pricing.
• Google Affilate Program (Used to be Doubleclick Performics) – This is run by the largest search engine in the world and they also provide a great platform and tools to start and build your network.  Their costs are a lot less than CJ and Linkshare, but they still provide an excellent way to get your program up and running successfully.  This would be a great option for any sized business.
• ShareASale – This network is one of the smaller ones, but they offer great reporting and tools to succeed.  This is a network that would help people that are price conscious to start a network.  Their start up fee is under $500 and they take a small percentage of affiliate sales with very low monthly minimum requirements.  There are about 1700 advertisers, but a lot more affiliates.  This network is growing and very popular with a lot of affiliates.
• ClickBank – This network is different because it is geared toward digital products.  If you sell music or products that your customers can download, then you should really checkout ClickBank.  It is the largest network for digital downloads and outperforms many other regular affiliate networks.

These networks are probably the ones that are used the most.  While there are many more networks out there, these provide the tools and the know how in order to successfully start up your affiliate program.  The best part about affiliate programs is that you can specify how you want to pay your affiliates, either CPC, Cost Per Sale, or Cost per Action.  You can specify the action and how much they earn.  You have total control over your program.  Affiliate Networks are there to help you along and provide a fantastic platform to build your program.  Creating an affiliate program in-house is much harder and can be very daunting.  If you are an internet retailer, then running your affiliate program on a Cost Per Sale makes the most sense because you only pay your affiliates when the traffic they send you converts into a sale.  If they do not purchase, you do not pay.  This also allows you to fine tune your processes during checkout if you see that many visitors are not purchasing.  Affiliate Programs are a great way to debug any conversion issues that you might be having without loosing money with CPC programs.  So, if you are in the market of starting an affiliate program, checkout the above networks to see if they will be able to assist you.  Creating a program can payoff big time in a short amount of time if all goes well.  Good Luck!

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As the internet ages and online marketing gets harder, companies need to now think about using social media as a marketing medium.  If your company is not using social media as a way to attract new customers, then you really need to think about starting.  Social Media outlets include blogs, twitter, facebook, you tube, and more.  These are great venues to build your brand online.

One of the most important things about online marketing is building your brand and keeping your brand awareness with your customers.  The easiest way to do so is with social media.  Not only good to build brand awareness, but you can also use it to solve any customer service issues or any negative feedback that you might find online.  It makes it easy to stop negative feedback when it starts, so it gives you a better reason to fight negative comments.

Twitter is an easy way to tell your customers what you are doing right when you are doing it along with giving your followers deals that no one else can get.  You can also use twitter to answer customer questions and provide information about your business and products.

Facebook is also a good way to build your brand and keep your customers up to date with what you are doing and what products/services you are now carrying.  It is easy to setup an account and build your own company page.

Not every business can use You Tube, but if you sell products and you can provide video reviews of these products, then youtube is a great venue to be at.  Anyone can sign up and post videos, so provide your customers a great way to see who you are and what information you can give them.

Creating your own company blog is a great way to voice your opinion about your industry and to let customers know what you are doing in your company.  They are easy to setup and can be a very good asset when trying to convince customers to do business with you.  Most hosting platforms include wordpress, which is one or the most popular blogging platforms.

No matter which social media outlet you choose, or all of them (this is preferred), you can keep your brand well protected and keep your customers happy as well.  Many companies are creating positions in their marketing teams that is for people to runt their twitter, youtube, facebook, etc accounts to make sure that they are looking good in the eyes of their customers.  Social media is not going away anytime soon, so make sure your company is utilizing it.

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