This article points out a simple flaw in most people's approach to promoting and marketing affiliate links. It gives you an easy way to improve your sales of any affiliate product or service. It explains what an autoresponder and lead capture page is and how to use them to your advantage.



One of the easiest ways to start a home business on the internet is by becoming an affiliate. As an affiliate, you don't need your own product; you don't need your own service; you don't even need your own website. What you do need is a desire to promote and market someone else's product, services or site in an effective and efficient way.

It's really simple to become an affiliate for most anyone. In most cases you provide them some basic information, like name, email address, phone number and so forth. They provide you with a unique identifying number and website address that is your affiliate link.

When you refer someone to that URL by your promotional and marketing efforts and they make a purchase, you make a commission on the sale. Now affiliate sales all seems pretty straight forward doesn't it? Promote your affiliate link. Make sales. Get paid commissions.

If you approach affiliate marketing in this way, you are leaving lots of money on the table. The most important thing you need to do when promoting is to capture each prospect's name and email address. They are then added to your opt-in list for follow up messages from you for several weeks or months later.

The percentage of those who buy on their first visit to a site are very low. Most require several contacts or follow up messages to remind them of your offer and the benefits it can provide them. The use of an autoresponder to provide sequential follow up messages is one the most powerful items you can have in your sales arsenal.

You will need to promote a Lead Capture page to require that the prospective customer signs up to your autoresponded list before they are sent to the affiliate link you are promoting.

1. WHAT IS AN AUTORESPONDER?

An autoresponder is a computer program that automatically answers e-mail which are sent to it. Some autoresponders can be very simple or quite complex. Autoresponders are often used as e-mail marketing tools, to immediately provide information to their prospective customers and then follow-up with them at preset time intervals.

Autoresponders are frequently used by those who do on line promotion and marketing for one very simple reason. They are effective and efficient in their delivery of repeated sales messages to prospective customers.

2. SHOW ME AN EXAMPLE OF AUTORESPONDERS?

A simple search for the term, "autoresponder", on any of the major search engines will yield lots of results. Some autoresponders are free. The free ones most often include some third party ad in the footer of the message which is unrelated to your offer. If you are serious about marketing, you will want to avoid the free systems like the plague.

Some autoresponders require a monthly fee. There are even auto responder scripts available that you can purchase. Some of these scripts work pretty well, but may require your ability to install and maintain them. My recommendation is that you work with one of the better known auto responder services which does involve a monthly fee that is well worth the cost.

Most likely you have run across those using autoresponders in their marketing. They ask that you sign up by entering your name and email address. A short time later you receive a verification message in your email inbox asking you confirm your desire to subscribe to and receive information from this mailing list.

After confirmation you will receive your first autoresponded message. The first message is almost always a "welcome to the list" message with a link to the sales page for the item which is being promoted.

In the following days and weeks you will continue to receive follow-up messages about this product or service as well as related offers. The messages will probably point out the benefits of the item. Sometimes they will spell out time limits or quantity limits to urge you to purchase now while it is available.

One effective approach being used by savvy marketers is to include some bonus items if you will buy from their affiliate link. It's a great ploy. If you are going to buy this item, buy from me and you will get extra software or downloads.

3. HOW CAN I GET STARTED WITH AUTORESPONDERS?

It's very easy to sign up for an autoresponder service. Once signed up you will want to create a sequence of follow up messages which will be sent out to your prospects. Some good affiliate programs will even provide you with prepared messages with your affiliate link embedded.

Each message will serve as a reminder of the benefits of your product or service that you are promoting.

The creation of your Lead Capture page is created by java script or html code which is provided to you by the autoresponder service you are using.

You may also decide to provide your readers with free reports or articles which are related to the area you are promoting. Weekly mailings to them are helpful in branding you as someone who is helpful and dependable. You will become someone they can trust and buy from over and over.

Are you leaving money on the table with your affiliate marketing? Maybe it's time to revise your plan of attack and incorporate autoresponders and lead pages into your options. Doing so will increase your profits greatly.