Word Count: 850 Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 6:52 AM
What Your Target Market Really Wants from You
When people visit your website, are they looking for your products? Probably not, they're most likely looking for information. It may be information about your exact affiliate product. It may be information on a topic related to your affiliate product.
Through SEO optimization or whatever other means, they are now on your site. Are they ready to buy? No, they typically are not. They're looking for information and a reason to buy your product. Only after they achieve these two goals will they consider purchasing.
Give Information
People use the Internet the way they use libraries. They want to read about and investigate topics. Yes, they shop online, but they tend to research what they buy not just whip out their credit cards and click. You must give them quality information to read on your website.
What should you have as content on a website you designed to earn you an income? Here are some things you can include:
Product Reviews
Your website is your opportunity to offer your niche market detailed product information. A purchaser may be averse to linking on banners initially. They may feel they will just link to a sales site that will prompt them to a shopping cart. They want to study before they purchase.
Have in-depth reviews that you write, about your affiliate product. Give an objective, non-sales language intelligent presentation of your product. Let potential customers make their own conclusions. This is the no pressure way to interest your audience about your affiliate products.
Customer Testimonials
Informative content includes customer testimonials. You can have an entire sub-page of your website devoted to customers' experiences. People love to read about how others have found benefit from a product. Some sites even have video representations of those who have agreed to have their testimonials recorded. Real people, experiencing real help from your product can lead to real sales.
Quality Articles
Why not write some information-rich articles for your website. These can offer extensive information on topics related to your affiliate products. You establish yourself as a knowledgeable affiliate marketer when you have these types of articles on your site. Those interested in your topic will view your website as an information portal. They will not just see your site as a shopping mall.
If you engage in article writing, and article marketing, provide links to those articles. Potential customers will see you as an authority if they see your articles on other websites. You build credibility this way. Of course, you're also giving them more information aside from your webpage content.
Interviews
Quality information as content on a webpage also includes interviews with experts. Maybe your affiliate program provides written content or video content interviewing the inventor of your affiliate product. There may be an interview in print or on video with an expert doing research on topics related to your product. Maybe they do research on applications of the actual product. Put this information on your website.
Links to Other Resources
People love when you can point them to other authority sites where they can investigate further a topic. Of course, make these links open in new pages. You don't want your visitors to lose your page.
Providing links to other resources, says to your audience, "I'm here to give you as much information as possible." It also shows you're not an attack-dog salesperson. Salespeople of this type give links to their other affiliate product sites, where there is also no useful content. You do not want to present your business this way. You want to be the go-to site for quality information, resources, and yes products.
Give Them a Reason
Okay, you have disseminated as much information as is possible within the confines of your website. What's next? The "next'" is to give your visitor a reason to click to the affiliate product logo on your site. Many others may be selling the exact affiliate product you are selling.
You must encourage clicking through from you. Quality information can keep visitors on your site. Incentives and an honest representation of the actual affiliate product will inspire conversions. So will transparency on your site and a promise of after sales service.
Offer a free sample, a free special report, or case studies concerning your affiliate product. Have a crisp clear photo and mini-description of the product accompanying the photo. Have an About Us page with a phone number, address, e-mail address, or all three. Promise to stand behind what you sell with additional guarantees on top of what the affiliate program offers.
Give your target market what they truly want. Give them the information and resources they need to make informed decisions. Give them a reason to trust you and your affiliate products. Build your relationships with them through this pre-selling then watch the sales come your way.
About the Author
Rebecca Taylor is a coach for the Affiliate Program at Article Marketer. She assists and coaches Article Marketer affiliates. Are you an Article Marketer Affiliate?
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