Wallet Relief Blog

Do your homework to determine the best affiliate programs for your web site.

Affiliate (aka Associate) programs are a win-win situation for everyone involved.  Internet-based merchants hook up with affiliates to generate traffic to their web sites.  Affiliates get paid if the traffic from their site visits the merchant web page.  The smart Internet entrepreneur does some research to determine the best affiliate programs for her business.

Where to Look

Affiliate networks are the middle man between affiliates and web sites with affiliate programs.  Look for affiliate networks that provide all the tools needed to set up and maintain an affiliate program.  AssociatePrograms.com is a popular directory with information about merchants that pay you to sell their wares.

Commission Junction is a free network that offers access to thousands of the best affiliate programs.  Commission Junction combines all your affiliate earnings (product sales, on-line ads, links) into one monthly check.  One caveat, however, is not to sign up before you are ready to start promoting products, because some programs will disenroll you if you wait six months after sign up to actually get  your sites and promotions up and running (networks do not want to have hundreds or thousands of inactive members cluttering up their affiliate program software and complicating their statistics).

What to Look for

The best affiliate programs will be those that target your customer base.  An on-line florist would get little traffic from a pet supply website.  You want an affiliate whose business is similar or comparable to your product.  Avoid affiliates with low quality products.  Ask to speak to existing affiliates to find out if a company is reputable.

Referral traffic may link to the merchant site and not buy initially but return to make a purchase weeks later.  Look for affiliate programs that remember your site was responsible for that customer.  The best affiliate programs remember you for 60 days by using cookies to tag the customer’s computer when he visits the merchant site.

The best affiliate programs offer reliable support such as ads, logos, and sales advice.  Good programs also provide timely updates on click through sales and earnings, and, respond to questions or problems within 24 hours.

Getting Paid

There are three common affiliate payment plans.  With pay per sale, the merchant pays when the affiliate sends a customer who buys from the merchant’s site.  The payment could be a set amount or a percentage of the sale.

In a pay per click set up, the affiliate is paid based on the number of people who visit the merchant’s web site regardless if a purchase was made.

With pay per lead programs, affiliates are paid based on the number of people who sign up as leads.  A lead would be a visitor who filled out an information page on the merchant web site thus becoming a potential customer.

Multi-level payment plans allow affiliates to earn commission on sales, clicks, or leads from their sites as well as commission based on activity generated by affiliate sites they refer to the merchant site.  Another form of payment is residual commission.  Affiliates continue earning money after the original sale has been made.  This is common in situations where customers pay monthly fees for merchant services.

The best affiliate programs pay at least 25% commission with some going as high as 50%.  Payments should be made at least once a month although some affiliate programs pay quarterly or twice a year.

Honorable Mentions

There are hundreds of good, reputable affiliate programs.  Three that stand out among the best are Neil Shearing’s affiliate program which pays some of the highest commissions and conversion rates; Ken Evoy’s 5 Pillar Program which offers excellent marketing and educational information; and My TemplatesStorage, a good site for web development merchants. Each of these, however, has its own plan details that may or may not be best for you and your situation, so be sure to read up on how any affiliate program works, and what is required for payment.

Sources

“How Affiliate Programs Work,” (howstuffworks.com)
“Best Affiliate Products for Maximum Profits,” (bestaffiliateproducts.com)
“Affiliate Programs,” (buildwebsite4u.com)

Check out the wholesale market for low prices and great deals.

Own a business?  Buy for large groups (scouts, students, family)?  Allergic to paying retail?  Any of these reasons is good enough for you to explore the world of buying wholesale.

Hard Core Buyer or Casual Shopper?

If you always buy large quantities of merchandise, it would be a good idea to obtain a business license and reseller’s license.  Some wholesalers will not sell to you without these permits.

In addition, the licenses are your ticket to trade shows that are not open to the public.  Here, you can find a multitude of items priced below retail.  You can also get on the mailing list for major trade shows.  These events sell everything from furniture to the latest fashions at wholesale prices.

When applying for a business or reseller’s license, make sure you understand what fees, taxes, and bureaucratic red tape are required to keep you out of trouble.  Depending on the state, you may be able to get a reseller’s license for free.  However, you are responsible for collecting sales tax on products sold within the state.  Assess the cost verse expected savings from buying wholesale to determine if it’s worth the trouble to obtain licenses.

To get a business license, you must be in business or planning to start one.  You can legitimize your business status by turning a hobby or talent into a business venture.  For example, a weekend furniture maker sells a few pieces to friends and a business is born.

Even the casual shopper may benefit from obtaining business and reseller’s licenses.  You get access to non-public wholesale events and wholesalers that don’t sell to the general public.  In addition, you can make a little money off the deals you find.  Buying wholesale usually means purchasing large quantities.  While you don’t need three dozen cashmere sweaters, you can keep a few and sell the rest to friends, or, via online auctions and at flea markets.

No License, No Problem

Although business permits give you more access to buying wholesale, you don’t have to have a license to get wholesale prices.  Wholesale businesses often have special times they open to the public.  Prices will be a little more, but you still pay less than retail.  Check the Yellow Pages to find local wholesalers and ask if they have public sale hours.

Consider buying wholesale from liquidators.  Liquidators buy huge quantities of product from manufacturers and retailers.  These items are usually discontinued, damaged, or from a previous season and prices are often below wholesale.  You can find liquidators in the phone book or on the Internet.

The Internet is also a good source for buying wholesale merchandise
especially for those who don’t want to bother with permits and buying in bulk.  Many Internet wholesalers don’t require a minimum purchase.

Another option is to join an association that buys in bulk.  The combined purchasing power of a large group lowers the cost of merchandise.  Warehouse clubs such as Sam’s Club and Costco are another good source for prices that are close to wholesale.

Wholesale Grapevine

Use your network of friends, associates, and family to find wholesale buying opportunities.  Your interior decorator neighbor may grant you access to her wholesale contacts.  The local florist may be willing to let you in on a sweet deal on dried flowers.  Beware though - these folks may require you to engage their professional services in exchange for buying wholesale through them.  Weigh the cost of doing business with them against potential savings from buying wholesale.

Sources

“How to Buy Wholesale,” (ehow.com)
“Five Secrets to Buying Wholesale,” (majon.com)

Affiliate programs are a great way to increase traffic to and sales for your web site. There are several affiliate tracking software solutions that keep track of sales, clicks, and commissions.

Affiliate tracking software solutions come in a variety of packages.  Software for a click-based program allows you to pay affiliates a set rate for each visitor to your web site.  Look for click-based software with helpful features including click-through tracking, link code generation (keep banners current and linked correctly), referral tracking, and detailed stats.

Other software lets you set up a commission or flat rate pay for each potential customer sent via your affiliate member.  You can also customize the commission schedule for individual affiliates.  Commission-based programs can be more economical because you only pay affiliates when their referrals generate sales.  

You don’t have to choose between click-based or commission affiliate tracking software.  Programs are available that let you use both pay arrangements.

Many affiliate tracking software solutions now have private affiliate network capability.  This feature is helpful for those with multiple web sites.  It lets you run one affiliate program for all your web sites on your own private network as opposed to setting up affiliate programs for each site.

How does it work?

The basic premise of affiliate programs is the same for all affiliate tracking software solutions.  An affiliate joins your program by logging into the member area on your web page.  There the affiliate can get the tools needed for linking to your site such as banner codes, text links, and product images. 

When a visitor clicks from the affiliate’s web page to yours, the tracking software places a cookie on the visitor’s computer to track him as he browses your web site.  If the visitor buys a product or service from your web site, the tracking software notes the affiliate responsible for said visitor and records the sale in a database.  The Administrator and the affiliate are both notified of the sale via email.

Affiliate software makes its easy to monitor the success of your affiliate programs by tracking the number of times banners or links are displayed, number of visitors who linked to your web site, and how many of these visits resulted in a sale.  In addition, the software keeps account of commissions earned by and payouts to affiliates.

Helpful Features

Software packages are easy to install and manage.  However, software companies will gladly lend a hand to technically challenged web entrepreneurs. Look for affiliate software tracking solutions that provide reliable tech support and don’t charge setup fees or monthly charges.  The software should be easy to customize for your specific needs.

Other helpful features include:

Unlimited affiliates categories
Automated fraud protection
Performance rewards for your best affiliates
Lifetime upgrades
Multi-level marketing (affiliate program promotes itself and your web site).

Sources

Cosmicperl (cosmicperl.com)
Affiliate Wiz (affiliatewiz.com)
Quality Unit (qualityunit.com)

There’s money to be made on eBay

Garage sales and flea markets are so 20th century.  Today, if you have stuff to peddle, sell it on eBay.  You’ll be joining thousands of other like-minded citizens who seek to make money selling their wares on the popular web site.  Since everyone is hip to the online selling gravy train, you’ll need to make your items stand out in order to make more money on eBay.

Size up the Competition

Before listing your items for auction, check out eBay’s Completed Items listings.  Here, you’ll see what products are up for sale, their prices, and how they are presented.  You might also get a better idea on how to title your product to produce a higher price.

Don’t overload the auction site with items.  You will make more money on eBay auctions if you sell a few items at the same time rather than overload the auction site. 

Describe Your Wares

You have limited space for product information so make your words count. In the auction title, avoid words such as “Look,” or “Wow.”  No one types in these words to do a search; use words that potential buyers will likely use do search for your product.

Be generous with information in the auction description.  Include any product details that buyers will find helpful.  Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words (or maybe  a thousand dollars!). A good, color picture is essential to catch the eye of a buyer.

Shipping News

Don’t tack on too high shipping/handling costs for your auctions.  While your aim is to make more money on eBay, sky high shipping fees may turn off buyers.  There’s always another seller who will give them a better deal.

Promote Your Wares

To help make more money on eBay, it helps to advertise your auctions on a personal web page.  Or, run an online store with links to your eBay auctions.  Send emails to subscribers notifying them of upcoming auctions. 

eBay Auction Support

eBay provides sellers with several tools to help them navigate the auction process.  Automated listing tools allows sellers to post additional listings without going through the “Sell Your Item” process every time.  With eBay’s Turbo Lister, you can sell your wares without having to visit the web site - and it’s free. 

If you are selling a very expensive item, it may be beneficial to purchase an auction upgrade from eBay.  These upgrades generate more potential buyers.  However, the cost of auction upgrades will eat up the profit on lower priced items.

The Right Stuff

Having unique, high quality items is another way to make more money on eBay.  Estate sales are great places to find specialty items such as antiques, vintage clothing, and jewelry.  You may also find a few nuggets from liquidators who purchase discontinued or last season’s merchandise from manufacturers and retailers. 

Sources

“Tips for Ebay Sellers:  How to Make More Money Off of Your Auctions,” (associatedcontent.com)

“How to Make Money on eBay,” (submityourarticle.com)

“How to Make More Money With Ebay’s Affiliate Program,” (bharatbhasha.com)

Billions of dollars worth of products are sold on eBay and other online merchants every year.  Where are people getting all these items to sell?  Surely, they’ve emptied their closets and garages by now.  Even if they have, finding stuff to sell online is still relatively easy.  Several sources are available for those who want to make a little or a lot of cash selling online.

Home Stuff

Not all garages have been cleared of junk.  Weekend garage sales are still popular places to find items to sell.  Sales in higher income areas tend to net more quality items like designer clothes, high end furniture, and antiques.  However, don’t neglect an average Joe garage sale; one never knows what unique items will be unearthed regardless of the neighborhood.  Go to these sales toward the end of the day.  Homeowners will be more inclined to sell you merchandise at rock bottom prices rather than having to pack up unsold items.

Look through your own garage and closets to find items to sell online.  You may be harboring old clothes, books, Cds, and toys that will bring in a few bucks online.  Offer to rid your friends and family of their unwanted junk by selling on consignment.  You sell their stuff and keep %25 of the profits.  Local retailers may also agree to let you sell their overstocks and returned merchandise on consignment as well.

Buy Online, Sell Online

Finding stuff to sell online is as easy as buying it from the same online source. eBay is an excellent place to find everything from antiques to huge lots of merchandise that you can buy and resell at a profit.

Locate other online sources by using search terms such as wholesale liquidators, closeout dealers, and drop-ship services.  These same sources can also be found in print media including the Yellow Pages and classified ads in newspapers, trade magazines, and free weeklies.

Auction Action

Unclaimed, slightly damaged, and repossessed merchandise can be purchased at freight claims and government auctions.  Check the Yellow Pages for contact information and newspaper classified section for upcoming sales. 

There’s a storage unit operation on every corner these days.  The storage company auctions off the contents of unpaid rental units.  Although the contents are sold sight unseen, there’s probably enough sale worthy items inside to let you break even.

Estate auctions are another great source for finding stuff to sell online.  Like garage sales, high income estates yield the greatest finds, but gems can be found regardless of the estate’s net worth.  These sales are advertised in the newspaper. 

Drop Shipping

Drop shipping is an easy, hands off way to sell online.  You send the order to the manufacturer or distributor and they ship the product to the customer.  No inventory or shipping hassles to worry about.

Local Events

Bazaars, flea markets, and festivals are good sources for everything from unique handmade crafts to valuable collectibles.  Like garage sales, stop by near closing time for deep discounted deals.

Check with the local convention and visitors’ bureau to find out about upcoming trade shows that are open to the public.  You’ll be able to buy from manufacturers and sale reps selling the latest products on the market.

Offshore Action

Asia is a good source for finding stuff to sell online.  However, the red tape and cost of contacting sources there can be a hassle.  Your best bet is to hook up with a manufacturer’s rep who has overseas connections.  There’s enough available home grown sources for locating products to sell to make this option unnecessary.

Sources

“Finding Stuff to Sell,” (alsnetbiz.com)
11 Of The Best Places to Find Items to Sell on Ebay,” (ezinearticles.com)
“Finding Product Sources for Your Business,” (entrepreneur.com)

Can you get rich selling e-books?  While Bill Gates’ type of income isn’t guaranteed, you can earn you a very nice income selling e-books online.

E-books are electronic versions of printed material that can contain text, sound, and images.  The profit potential from selling them is high because start-up and operating expenses are very low.  The biggest expense is purchasing books for sale. 

You can earn even more money if you write some of your own e-books. Your writing skills don’t have to be stellar.  There are online sources that will take your research and craft an  e-book for you.  Some of these companies even take care of marketing, payments, and shipping.

Buying  e-books for Sale

You can purchase e-books from authors online.  eBay is another source for e-book buying.   Purchase e-books with resell rights.  This allows customers to sell the e-books they buy from you themselves thus providing an incentive for them to do business with you. 

Make sure the e-books you buy (or write yourself) are full of useful information and resources.  Some e-books are nothing more than ads and sales pitches for the writer’s products.  These “ad books” will turn off customers and decrease repeat business.

Do your research to determine what types of information people are seeking.  Getting rich selling e-books will depend on the topics covered, customer base, and marketing campaign. 

Before buying an e-book for resale, do an online search for the title.  If lots of web sites are selling the book, it’s probably a popular title and will be a good seller.  It also helps to sell e-books that cater to a specific market niche.  Search online forums and other group sites to locate potential target markets for niche titles.  Contact these groups with a short email inviting them to visit your site.  Offer an incentive such as 20% off first purchase to increase site traffic.

E-books about current trends or hot topics will generate more income.  Your income will really get a boost if you can spot the “next big topic” and write or purchase e-books to sell before the competition saturates the market. 

Marketing Extras

You can use a common template for your e-books’ web site or sell them on an existing site you already have. However, to stand out from the competition, create you own web site to sell e-books.  Always add new titles to your stock to keep old customers coming back and to attract new ones.  Use email to notify customers of new titles and special sales.  Offer discounts on slow moving titles.

Affiliate programs are another way to get rich selling e-books.  The affiliate pays you a commission for his or her e-books you sell.  To earn extra cash from e-books you write, start your own affiliate program.

There are plenty of online and print books that will help you learn how to get in on the e-book sales bandwagon.  A good place to begin reading is “Make Your Knowledge Sell,” by Ken Evoy and Monique Harris.

Sources

“About Making Money with E-Books,” (about-the-web.com)

“Make Money Selling Ebooks,” (christianet.com)

“Make Money Selling Ebooks,” (homebusinessmag.com)

“Is Your Dog Selling eBooks Too?,” (marketingsource.com)

If you are a stay at home mom you may be getting the urge to do something more with yourself.  You may want to make a bit of money while staying at home with the kids all day.  One of the best ways for any stay at home mom to make money is by using eBay.  This may sound a bit far fetched, but the fact of the matter is that thousands of people have turned eBay into a full-time job.  And to take this a step further, there are many people who have become millionaires by using eBay to buy and sell items.  If you work hard at it, you can be next in line for the profits that are being made on eBay everyday of the week.

At this point you may be wondering how eBay can make you money.  This is something that a lot of people have on their mind.  Using eBay to make money is quite simple.  You will list items for sale, and then wait for other people to bid on them, or purchase at a predetermined price.

But in order to get started with this you will need to have items that you can place for sale on eBay.  There are a few ways that you can go about getting these items.

1. To find items to sell on eBay you may want to become a regular at garage sales and flea markets in your area.  At these events you can buy items for cheap, and then turn around and sell them for a large profit on eBay.  This is one option that a lot of stay at home moms opt for when looking for items that they can sell on eBay.

2. Another option to consider is making your own products, and then listing them on eBay.  For instance, some people make crafts such as candles and then list them for sale.  You may not think that there is a large audience for this type of thing, but there are many people that make a lot of money doing just that.

3. Stay at home moms can get their start on eBay by selling items that they have laying around the house.  Chances are that your garage or attic is full of junk that you no longer use.  But just because you think that the items you have are junk does not mean that somebody else will. By just selling items that you have in your home you may be able to get your start on eBay.  And with the money that you initially make, you can then in turn buy more items.  Pretty soon you will notice that your profits are growing. 

If you are new to the internet world you are not alone.  There are a lot of people who are not too familiar with the internet, but want to join in on the profits that are available.  If this sounds like you one of the most important things that you will need to learn is how to promote your web site. 

When it comes to promoting your web site there are many options available to you.  The good thing is that a lot of them are free of cost, or will only set you back a few dollars.  But at the same time there are also a lot of ways that you can promote your web site that will cost you quite a bit of money.  But either way, if you learn what you are doing you will be able to get the word out about your web site.

As far as free web site promotion is concerned, one of the best things that you can do is join in on the discussions that are taking place at some of the online forums.  For instance, if your new web site is targeted towards the clothing industry, you will want to find forums that discuss this topic.  When talking with others you can run ideas past them, and also market your new web site to them.  Make sure that you add your web site to your forum signature.  This way, every time you make a post anybody that reads it will be able to click on your link.  Believe it or not this will drive plenty of traffic to your site.

Another low cost way to promote your web site is to submit articles to article directories.  This can be done in a matter of minutes.  All you have to do is write an article that coincides with your web site, and then submit it to directories.  In addition, you will be able to add an author’s resource box after the article.  This again will allow readers to click on your link and head straight for your site.  Over time different article directories will pick up on your articles.  In turn, your links will begin to show up all over the internet, which of course means more traffic directed to your web site.

Overall, web site promotion is something that you will want to learn about early on.  But do not let this scare you away.  There are many ways that you can promote your new web site to the internet world.  With a bit of research, patience, and determination, you will be successfully promoting your web site.  And with successful promotion comes traffic and profits!  And isn’t this what everybody wants?

Many of my readers may already own a health-related blog or may be contemplating starting a website related to diet, weight loss, or nutrition information.  After all, diet and nutrition are always popular topics, and many home businesses or work at home on the internet situations promote or advertise products having to do with weight loss or nutritional supplements. A new service has become available that provides original private label rights articles in this diet and nutrition niche on a monthly basis at an affordable price.  The articles are perfect for blog publishing or other web content uses, and the overall project is overseen by a physician concerned with quality content.  If this niche interests you, don’t miss checking it out early before the competition catches on.  Just go to http://www.diet-nutrition-article-niche.com/ for more info on these private label rights articles for the diet & nutrition niche. 

If you like pets, starting a pet photography small business is a great way to make money.  Not only will you get to make money, but you will also get to do so while enjoying your job.  And isn’t this something that everybody is looking for in a career?

But before you start a pet photography business there are a few things that you will need to keep in mind.  Remember, you cannot simply start a pet photography business because you like animals.  There is much more to it than that.  And if you want to be successful at what you are doing you will need to be the best of the best (or at least one of the very best).

Before you start your pet photography business look into the market that you live in.  There are two things in particular that you should look at.  First off, are there enough people in your area that will want to use your service?  Obviously, the bigger the city you live in the better your chances are of garnering a lot of business.  You will also want to make sure that you do not have a lot of competition in this industry.  If there is already an established pet photography business in your area you may want to reconsider where you open up shop.  This is a specialized niche, and if somebody has already tapped into it you may have a hard time grabbing a share of the market.

To have a successful pet photography business you need to be good at taking pictures.  That is the bottom line.  If you do not have the skills to take top notch photos nobody is going to pay for your services.  In addition, you will need to have the necessary equipment in order to be a success in the pet photography industry.  This can cost a lot of money, but it is something that you need to have to move to the top of the industry.

And speaking of expenses, a good pet photography business has a professional atmosphere in which clients can bring their pets.  You will need to have a space to do this, as well as different props and backdrops.  Plus, keeping the area clean is an absolute must if you are going to be having pets in and out all day long.  Giving off a good sense of professionalism is a great way to garner repeat and referral clients.

Overall, a pet photography business is a great way to make money. If you love pets, and have a knack for photography, you should look into this industry right away.  Who knows, you may carve out a niche in your area and garner more clients than you ever thought possible.