Affiliate Marketing – The SMART Way

145 responses so far ↓

• 1 admin // Jun 8, 2008 at 9:41 pm

  Alright, firstly, here’s the links to the 2 PDF reports:

  My Story: http://www.thelazymarketer.com/MyStory.pdf

  My “Interrogation” Transcript: http://www.thelazymarketer.com/My-Interrogation.pdf

  Download and enjoy!

• 2 admin // Jun 8, 2008 at 9:47 pm

  Okay, here’s the sample, ideal format for your own questions:

  ———————————————-

  “Hi Chris,

  I’ve been active in a certain niche for 6 months now and really have not much to show for it.

  I have three mini-sites built, and for each of them I’ve built backlinks by submitting to web directories, submitting articles and with reciprocal links.

  I built the sites with Joomla.

  They all basically get the same amount of traffic (20 visitors a day, average), and I’m lucky if I see a sale a week – and that’s from ALL the sites combined.

  My question is this – how do I know if I’m in the wrong niche? And what’s the “indicator” for knowing when to abandon a niche or not?

  It’s frustrating and part of me feels that either I’m doing something wrong, or the niche just isn’t profitable.

  Please help,

  -Mr. Example

  ——————————————————–

  Again – please be concise and address ONE general/overall problem or theme.

  That will help to make this a lot more feasible for me, especially as I expect a big response on this one…

  Thanks!

  -Chris

• 3 Morgan // Jun 9, 2008 at 4:15 am

  Hey Chris, please tell us more about your 6 month training course and when you plan on starting this?

  Will this 6 month training course have an option to get one on one email access to you for Q & A’s?

  Look forward to your training and reports

  Morgan

• 4 Morgan // Jun 9, 2008 at 4:21 am

  Hey Chris

  Me again, I would have to say my challenge is about building lists as an affiliate marketer, meaning how does one know if one should be building a list in that niche or not? and also how to effectivly go about doing email marketing and creating value content newsletters etc.

  One other thing , it would be great to know how your site creation and sale funnel works from beggining to end, doing a live case study on a site would be ideal and very useful. You did start doing this with a registry remedies site but then for some reason this case study stopped, would love to of known what your results were as time went on with your marketing of the site.

  Cheers

  Morgan

• 5 Abel // Jun 9, 2008 at 5:52 am

  For me the biggest question is finding profitable and desperate markets. I have read your book and Alexis’s Desperate Buyers Only and tested a few but no luck.

• 6 Alex // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:06 am

  Hi Chris

  Here’s one for you. Thanks to some of the help I got from you I rank pretty well on some keywords on Google and MSN.

  For the same keywords I’m not even in the top 100 on Yahoo.

  How do you get a page one listing on Yahoo?

  Alex

• 7 Abi // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:13 am

  Hey Chris, I have been doing affiliate marketing for a while now. I have built niche websites following simple strategies like in your lazy marketer book and it used to get 100 to 200 unique visitors a day giving me a good month with $1200 (I hadn’t paid much attention to adding more product reviews).

  My site was slapped from google two months ago (but it was still in index.. BAD RANKINGS). It came back into index and gave me good commissions. I did nothing to it but the site has got slapped AGAIN! (BAD BAD rankings from page 1 to page 20!)

  I have already done article submissions, directory submissions, web2.0 networking, linkvana etc… Should I start building more backlinks to it to bring it out of the index or is there another strategy for this problem?

  And is Article Marketer a good service for building backlinks?

• 8 Bernie // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:20 am

  Hi Chris,

  I’ve been trying affiliate marketing now for a couple of years with very little success.

  I’ve had the odd sale, but nothing to write home about.

  My biggest problem is how to get traction.

  What I mean by this is that I have read a lot of ebooks, listened to audio broadcasts, attended seminars.

  All of this work has left me dazed and confused by all the different techniques that people are pushing.

  I have found it difficult to put all the pieces together to create an affiliate marketing process that works for me.

  I’m slowly piecing together my marketing model, but there would be two things that would help me immensely.

  1. Create a report outlining the basic steps a NEW affiliate should follow to get sales. Attach to this report a flow chart for them to follow which refers back to specific steps they need to follow. This should be no fancy techniques, just an easy to follow basic affiliate model that works.

  2. I have made some clickbank sales and have a few hundred $$ in commissions, but I still cannot receive a cheque because my account has not met Clickbanks initial sales criteria for me to receive cheques.

  If you could help me get my clickbank account qualified then that would be fantastic.

  Thanks

  Bernie

• 9 Brian Hill // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:30 am

  Hi Chris,

  My problem has been getting a list built on my website. So far I have had three subscribers. I have been using traffic exchanges, safelists and articles.

  Could you help?

  Brian

• 10 Neo // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:32 am

  Chris,
  First of all thanks for starting this thread. This should help us as well as you, when you expand your course.

  1. The first big obstacle for me is finding the right niche. I have tried many niches including gadgets, weightloss, wedding, travel etc. Some of them got good traffic. (700uniques/day) But none of them made any decent money except the cents paid by Adsense.

  2. I have followed your guide and built a site at http://www.dietcontrolpills.com I know it is not perfect. But I have spent some time and money to get back links and as a result I have PR3 after the last update. But traffic is still low. By luck I got a sale to one of the secondary sponsors I used on that site. But that’s all from last 6 months.

  Now, I am not a complete newbie on affiliate marketing. I have been promoting adult affiliate programs on my adult related sites and makes a decent income from that. But I am contantly trying to break into mainstream without success.

  I am not sure what exactly is going wrong for me. Is it the wrong niche selection or poor site building?

  Regards,
  Neo

• 11 Jimmy b. // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:44 am

  Hi Chris
  Here’s my story I have been in the internet game
  for a little while now, and I think I have what it takes
  to make some decent money, but I feel that I’m stuck in a rut
  because I don’t know how to write, (The Internet Is A Writers Game)

  Ok I think I know how to start but I sit on the fence,
  First finding a good product to promote! There’s allot of products
  out there, which is the best to start with?

  Then set up your review site with your lead capture that leads to your
  product that your are promoting.

  Now it’s time to start writing articles and getting back links to your site.

  Here’s the hard part I Can’t write and I can’t afford to pay $300 a week
  on articles to get a decent amount of traffic, and I certainly do not have
  the money to waist on ppc campaigns.

  So I just get frustrated and can’t seem to put it together,
  I know I’m close I can feel it, but I just need that
  confirmation that I’m going in the right direction!

  Thanks Chris for putting yourself out there to have this kind
  of interaction!!

  It’s nice to see someone take this step…

  Jimmy b.

• 12 Des // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:46 am

  Hey Chris,

  Great idea and thanks in advance.

  Would you say it’s best to build your business hub around a blog. for example, if you were marketing weight loss programs would you focus around creating a blog, say “www.getyourweightdown.com/blog and then keep driving traffic back to the blog via email marketing, articles etc.

  Thanks,

  Des.

• 13 Cara // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:52 am

  Yes, not long after purchasing your “confession” ebook, I remember reading your email where you promised to send us how you actually build the “Registry Fix” review or mini site. You also mentioned that you would show us what software you used to build the site quickly.

  But somehow, you did not deliver that promise. Or did I miss it?

  Cheers,
  Cara.

• 14 Cheryline Lawson // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:55 am

  Chris,
  I know how to get on the search engines. I know how to research long tail keywords and to put up a blog, but I am not getting sales. I also do article marketing. What is wrong? I am really a passionate writer and not much of a marketer and so would love to JV with a marketer so we can combine our skills together, but I haven’t been successful in having anyone interested in this. Help!!!

• 15 Elizabeth Ashe // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:59 am

  Hello, my main focus is on building a small empire of niche related items focused around the same topic so that i can start making money from them.

  I have one product so far in a highly competitive market, but my product has some great bonuses and low price w/ some new web.20 information material.

  I currently have two more products in the work and one ecourse so for. Along w/ working on a couple more to get subscribers.

  I have started to do alot of article marketing and a little payperclick. With out much result. The product is fairly new and I have been online for quite some time now w/ a blog and everything else. But still I have not managed to make enough money that is even close to full time income.

  My Question is how do you take a product along w/ others and make it sell, when you know it will sell. Although it is not getting enough traffic, and how do I increase the traffic for a info product?

• 16 Bill Kurt // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:00 am

  Hi Chris -

  I publish a financial advisory newsletter at this site. (Not an easy sell, I suppose), I have top rankings in Google on subsidiary keywords (but not on my top keywords), probably due to a flood of articles that I’ve posted on EzineArticles.

  Many gurus are intent on demonstrating how to build a complete website, while claiming all the while that they show you how to “build a list” – which is where they fall short. None of them seems to be focusing like a laser on that one aspect ONLY – “How To Build A List.” That’s a gap which needs to be filled.

  What has been your experience with AdWords?

  I intend to create a second website to offer my own technical analysis program’s Operating Manual as an inexpensive e-book, under a second domain, and the program itself (with hookup to Genesis’ Trade Navigator platform) as a high-end Upsell under a third domain.

  Please peek at my website and tell me what you think. It would be greatly appreciated.

  Thanks.

  Bill

• 17 Vijay // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:06 am

  My problem is just plain FOCUS. I divide my attention between 15 different sites and in the process none are successful.

  If I close down all my email accounts,twitter, forum visiting etc, I have no doubt I’ll be successful.

  Just writing this down has answered my own stumbling block and I intend to just put my head down and finish one campaign and only then check any emails or visit any forums.
  I know its easy to say, I just hope I’ll be able to stick to it.

• 18 Riti // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:22 am

  I work on weightloss, smoking, automotive,pet and photography area.

  Manage to sell max 8 to 12 CB products per month including all I promote.

  Question : Did not understand exactly which keywords I should use for review and article pages

• 19 Chris W. // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:28 am

  Hi Chris,

  My biggest obstacle is niche selection. Are you basing it strictly on keyword searches? I’ve put together one site based on your methods although I did use WordPress instead of an HTML site. I have started with your link building techinques but have yet to make any sales. Just wondering about the niche selection criteria mainly.
  Thanks,
  Chris W.

• 20 Alex Miller // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:45 am

  Hi Chris,

  Good to hear from you again and hope the travels went well

  I have built 2 mini sites so far and currently designing the 3rd one.

  The first two are in the spyware and registry cleaner niche and it took a long long time (4 months) before I could surpass making only 2-3 sales per month.

  Traffic to my sites is pretty good, an average of 40 google searchers / day but it’s on the increase. I am now making 1 sale / 2 days on this site solely because I have been targetting the product related keywords more.

  I find it very difficult to convert the ‘cold traffic’ from the search engines (not product related keywords).

  My question is: How can I increase conversions in this niche? I really think that I should be capturing email addresses because it is rare that people simply buy from their first visit to their web site.
  How would you suggest I do this? Give away something for free (like a report on cleaning up your PC etc) and then show them the merchant?

  Or is that risky in the sense that too many people will not enter the site and see the offer?

  I am waiting for my second site to rank well in Google – it’s currently sandboxed – and so it would be good to implement your ideas/suggestions on that site too.

  Thanks Chris,

  Alex

• 21 Jason // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:50 am

  Hi Chris

  I understood the way you build traffic. however as a foreigner, whereby our currency is weaker than US dollar, its too steep to consider the options you listed.

  Perhaps if you hv methods that can help to bring in traffic, it will be good to know.

  I am doing article marketing to drive traffic but so far the result has not been good even after 35 articles.

• 22 Herb Lee // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:51 am

  Hi Chris,

  Thanks for your sincerity to help people to succeed… I’m really stuck on the internet marketing part, my real interest is to produce more arts and not in marketing. I have over $20 millions in art assets for sale and I am happy to share with someone who cares and be happy to do marketing. Money isn’t a big issue for me, you can have as much as you want and deserve out of the deal …

  Below is a short writup of me
  ———————
  Stockbroker, Financial Advisor, Investor, Entrepreneur, Artist, Author

  For over 2 decades, Herb has been a very successful stockbroker; advising his clients and investing hundreds of millions dollars in the stock markets. Occasionally, he helps to bring companies public. As an investor and entrepreneur he discovered the beauty of investing in arts and his latent talent for floral paintings. Since 1996, enjoying his good life as a private person, he has become a serious nature lover and traveled extensively, improved on his painting skills and developed what he called “inventive painting”.
  Inventive painting calls for using various media and new technologies to create beautiful visual images. Herb likes the earthly floral which he believes has universal appeal and positive implications for the betterment of humans. For years, Herb has quietly perfecting his inventive arts and created a large inventory of wonderful floral paintings which he branded as “Salubrious Art”.
  Herb has big ideas for his salubrious art debut, and as a result he has developed a business plan to popularize his art through the belief that the people who are associated with him must be benefited first and foremost by his salubrious art.
  Herb authored two large inspiring pictorial books featuring 73 pieces of his paintings (“God Is Love” and “Thank You God”) which are now available from amazon.com, borders.com, barnesandnoble.com, artsalubrious.com and your local book store.
  June 2008

• 23 Petronille // Jun 9, 2008 at 10:09 am

  I have problems staying ranked

  From time to time, my Google traffic collapses from typically 500 visitors per day to almost zero.

  Before collapse, I had typically 100 pages ranking well (in top 10 or in Top 20) for typically 500 keyphrases

  After collapse, the 500 keyphrases suddently rank like 800 or 900 or more,. It happens overnight.

  Sometimes, the process is reversible (after 1-2 months, the traffic comes back to where it was, then it collapses again)

  Apparently, a few people are facing the problem, but no real remedy is reported.

  My questions:

  What is the cause ?

  What is the right corrective action

  Thanks

  Petronille

• 24 Billy W. // Jun 9, 2008 at 10:12 am

  Hi Chris,

  How do you thrive in a highly competitive niche?

  I have a product and site dedicated to stock & option traders. My conversion is good and I sell a decent amount of product over a year without really any involvement in the site.

  The problem is that I know it could do better especially once I get my technical skills up to par and develop a backend and upsell.

  Its just seems that paid traffic is really expensive in my niche and SEO is hyper-competitive.

• 25 Ludzen // Jun 9, 2008 at 10:13 am

  Chris,

  I’ve been online for a couple of years now and have dabbled in just about everything from adsense to even my own e-commerce site.

  So far I’ve achieved very little success.

  I’ve recently change my business model and will be focusing solely on affiliate marketing by building mini-sites. I now have 2 mini-sites built.

  My biggest challenge has been getting free traffic to those sites. I’m trying some of the strategies outline in your confessions ebook and am waiting to see what happens.

  In the mean time, what’s the fastest way (free) to get a site index by Google? As you know 3waylinks won’t approve a site into their network unless you have at least 2 pages indexed by Google.

  Thanks

  Ludzen

• 26 Kwame // Jun 9, 2008 at 10:28 am

  My challenge is building a great relationship with my list. I need some tips on this topic.

• 27 John C // Jun 9, 2008 at 10:48 am

  hi, chris and thanks for this opportunity. i am in the classic “info overload” stage. i’ve been researching IM for many months now and am stymied in terms of what model to use to start, and what market to enter. there’s so much conflicting info out there, i just don’t know where to start.

  thanks

  john c

• 28 Jason W // Jun 9, 2008 at 11:03 am

  Hi Chris,

  First of all thanks for this opportunity. It’s very much needed with all the confusion and false information that exists online.

  I’ve submitted articles, bought lists and currently use eBay with a low cost physical product to build my list in one niche.

  I’ve read and seen many times where using low cost/no cost reports can help build a list. My question is this. I’m not technical at all, so how do I go about building a download page for the reports/ebooks, etc. and make all the links connect, so the opt-in page gets to the download page and the downlaod page will connect to a OTO…I have no idea how all that works. I know WHAT I want to do, I just don’t know how to get it done.

  Thanks

• 29 Andrew Witherspoon // Jun 9, 2008 at 11:16 am

  Hi Chris,

  I am currently using your strategies in your Lazy Super Affiliate E-book and was wondering if you could provide information as to the templates you use for this strategy. Viewing the video of the site you built based on the e-book was helpful but constraining. Thanks.

• 30 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 11:32 am

  Morgan,

  I’ll answer both your questions in one here – the 6 month training course should be ready by September. It will have a coaching component for those that want one-on-one help.

  Now, about list-building and where it works market-wise:

  This is a simple equation, really. If the market consists of people who will buy multiple “things” (products, tools, training, etc), then list-building is practically imperative.

  For example, the following niche-markets are highly catered to list-building:

  Golf, Dog Training, Forex Trading, Internet Marketing, Health/Fitness, Dating, Marriage, Raising Kids, Real Estate Investing, Cooking, Magic Tricks, Religion Topics, and so on.

  One thing to observe here is that in many cases, these aren’t your typical “desperate” markets.

  You see, the customer only remains “valuable” as long as their issue lasts.

  If you’re marketing to golfers – it’s safe to say that they’ll be working on their game until they’re basically too old to walk/stand. Literally.

  But if you’re marketing to people who want to stop a foreclosure, well – you really only have them for a matter of months – at MOST…

  That’s not to say it isn’t profitable to build a list in a desperate market – it can be – it’s just that the objective is different and your long-term value is evaluated differently.

  In long-term markets, your list is an asset that can be mined over and over again – and it’s virtually endless and limitless in markets where there’s always new problems, new content, new products, etc.

  In short-term markets, your list is more of a “second or third chance” attempt tool. Your job in these markets is to recycle your traffic as much as you can before the lead becomes cold.

  Seriously.

  So long as you’re clear about the frequency of the newsletters they’ll be receiving from you when they join your list – it’s perfectly fine to HAMMER them at least on a weekly basis with options and solutions to their problem.

  Try and address all the angles as quickly as you can, before each client’s “interest cycle” expires.

  There may be exceptions to this general rule, but you’ll see what I mean once you get into these markets yourself.

  For example – there’s a reason why “background check” sites on ClickBank don’t build lists, and why “weight loss” sites DO build lists.

  In both cases, the players in the markets are CLEANING UP – the demand is enormous – but only one niche has the long-term value.

  ———————————————————

  Perhaps to simplify this, when you’re looking at a market and wondering if it suits the list-building model, ask yourself these questions:

  1) Are the major players in the industry building lists prior to the sale?

  2) How long will the central issue or problem that the niche represents actually last?

  3) Are there communities or forums (active ones) that focus on this niche?

  If all 3 of those questions have a positive answer, then the market lends itself to high-value list-building.

  Thanks Morgan,

  -Chris

  P.S. I actually revealed how much the registry site made in the LinkVana case-study video at http://www.thelazymarketer.com/flash/700in2weeks.html

• 31 Paul // Jun 9, 2008 at 11:34 am

  Hey Chris,

  getting traffic
  how to find profitable niches
  increasing conversions

  All three of these aspects are, I’m sure, are a pain in the backside to Most marketers, including myself!

  I have four websites, I’m an expert author on EZine articles (but use many), I’ve studied and used traffic programs up the ying yang, I’m no beginner with AdWords and PPC marketing (have probably made $1,200, but spent 2,700!).

  I make Squidoo len’s etc.. etc.. etc.. I’ve been marketing for about 2 years, and I am an affiliate in All the major affiliate networks!

  All my articles, len’s etc. of course link back to my money funnel.

  I’m going to be selling my own website template product here very soon, can you give me some of your infamous wisdom as far as a plan of attack?

  What does a guy have to DO? Help!

  Thanks,
  Paul

• 32 Len R. // Jun 9, 2008 at 11:42 am

  Chris,

  thank you for this chance.

  Where I am stuck is exactly how do you build a website like the example in your book.

  I know you made a video showing the site and recommed xsite pro, but some of the niches I am interested in do not provide you any things you can use.

  If you could say exacly how to build sites like you recommend in you book, that would be great.

  Thank you,

  Len

• 33 Mark P // Jun 9, 2008 at 11:49 am

  Hey there Chris, thanks so much for your kind offer.

  As you already know there is no end to the questions i have but i will respect your request of one per comment.

  There was a similar comment above but would like to present it in my own way.

  I think my biggest frustration is trying to get “true” step by step instruction on any given topic.

  What i mean by this is even when i purchase an eBook on a subject that claims to be step by step the author almost inevitably is so knowledgable they assume a basic level of understanding of the reader and because it is so “second nature” to them they fail to realize their reader is in the dark on some potentially key issues.

  Often the pieces that are missing for me are ones that i can see are potentially key to the success or failure of the project. Often a basic understanding of the key foundation of a topic is required before true success can occur.

  As an example: if you’re ebook is telling someone to build a mini site show them an example of a good one and an example of a bad one… tell us how to pick the best domain name for it i.e. how many keywords with or without hyphens… are there any key layout or design strategies required etc…

  Often the gurus tell you “throw up a Squidoo lens in 5 minutes or social bookmark your site to 47 sites in 10 minutes yadda yadda yadda” and when it takes me 10x longer then they said it should and I have 10x less the results i realize I am missing something here…

  I hope my point came across through all my rambling.

  Best wishes to all in their ventures

• 34 Robert Hodgson // Jun 9, 2008 at 11:53 am

  Hi Chris,

  The biggest problem is – Getting going and the problem of distraction.

  If there is something you believe in then the problem dissapears but following your passion does not mean there is a market.

  I suspect that if you want to follow the market, then a step by step blue print is required.

  I would therefore like some kind of blue print to follow which includes setting up landing pages and obtaining traffic.

  All the best now!

  Robert

• 35 JanPaul // Jun 9, 2008 at 11:58 am

  Hi Chris,

  I am an artist making oil paintings. That is not a very good niche for making sales online, but people simply expect you to have a presense on the web anyway, so I do have a website. It is like an online portfolio and besides that I try to come up with digital products such as an ebook course on painting with oils.

  Although traffic is very low I have sold a couple of courses, so the conversion ratio is ok.

  Big question for me is how to drive traffic. It’s no so easy to come up with loads of articles on art. And people like to watch art more then to read about it.

  Of course I looked into social bookmarking as well, but that is hardly worth my precious time.

  What should I do ? Sell wallpaper screenshots ?
  Thanks for some advise.

  JanPaul

• 36 Ron Stone // Jun 9, 2008 at 1:15 pm

  I have a number of websites but they really don’t fit your Affiliate strategy very well. I just listed one above. Anyway where I am stuck is on content creation on a new subject (related to a good Affiliate product) that you don’t know a lot about? Is 2 or 3 paragraphs per page on say a 6 page site enough?

• 37 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 1:19 pm

  Abel,

  You asked about finding desperate and profitable markets…

  You may be falling into the same trap as many others by thinking that this has to be some sort of untapped territory – or something that’s not “out in the open”.

  To qualify that, though, I recognize that sometimes a desperate market isn’t a profitable one. And vice-versa.

  What I’d INSTEAD suggest is reverse-engineering the process.

  To do this, go to active marketplaces such as Ebay, ClickBank, CJ, LinkShare, ShareaSale and so on and browse their product categories.

  Obviously ClickBank will all be digital (ebook/software), but the others will have physical products & services that may also have lucrative payouts.

  What you’re looking for is service or product that solves something PAINFUL.

  Hint: You might also want to check out MarketHealth.com for a line of products that fit your requirements for “Desperate” and “Profitable”

  In ClickBank, the marketplace is by default arranged by profitability, top to bottom. Scroll down the listings of each category and look at whether the product is targeted at someone who is in an urgent, troubled or desperate mindset.

  ALSO – I’d like to stress that “desperate” is relative.

  People buy on all sorts of emotions – including prospect for gain, curiosity, laziness (ie. software or plug/play solution), fear, pride/vanity – and the list goes on.

  You don’t JUST have to market to desperate people.

  It’s usually easier, but it’s not a requirement.

  You can succeed in selling ANYTHING that’s already proven to sell effectively. Just find out how it’s being done, do it, and scale it up.

  -Chris

  P.S. TO ALL: I need to go get some breakfast because I’m starving, and I have a full day of answering questions ahead of me, so I’ll be back shortly

• 38 Shaan Yuhas // Jun 9, 2008 at 1:22 pm

  Hey Chris,

  I emailed you but I got your support ticket instead…. I was just wanting to get your
  review on Bum Marketing Pro.

  http://www.shaanyuhas.com/beta

  Let me know,

  Shaan

• 39 Jason M // Jun 9, 2008 at 1:34 pm

  Hey Chris ,
  I have a question about Reviews. If you have 10 vendors that sell within the same niche such as music gear etc – how do you construct a review for each vendor? I would assume that you want to have each review so that it gets the visitors interest to check out the individual sites. However , do you only focus on the positives or do you focus on the positives as well as some of the not so greatest such as cost comparisons , items not being in stock , limited selections, shipping charges etc. It seems you want to be honest , but you also do not want to turn visitors away from your potential vendor that could generate a sale for you.

  Thanks,
  Jason

• 40 Jason M // Jun 9, 2008 at 1:37 pm

  Chris , would you agree creating a review for either a product or vendor is a great way to pre-sell the visitor to take action and check out the vendor more in depth?

  Thanks again.
  Jason

• 41 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 2:48 pm

  Alex,

  Regarding Yahoo search listings – Yahoo seems like it’s a “slow” MSN, largely. Meaning that whatever you get for results with MSN, you can basically count on seeing a similar ranking several months later with Yahoo.

  I actually completely ignore Yahoo because of this, and simply just “let it happen” – because it does, over time.

  Yahoo seems to be highly influenced by its own directory listings (sites listed in Yahoo DIR are usually the prominent sites in their given keyword categories), and it lists blogs (and squidoo pages) highly in its SERPS.

  But basically, you’re going to get ranked in ALL the engines if you simply follow the fundamentals of SEO.

  It’s just that it won’t happen quickly…

  -Chris

• 42 Pedro // Jun 9, 2008 at 2:57 pm

  Hi Chris:

  I absolutely loved your ebook. Currently I’m giving it a second, more throughout read. My “problem” has already been mentioned >Minisite creation. I know some of the basic HTML stuff, have spent countless hours with Dreamweaver. Never used XSite Pro and almost on “the verge” of buying it – I’ve used other “free site creators” but it is always the same:

  I start with the intention to “quickly” create a Minisite (as recommended in your book), but then it either looks “crappy” or I spend sooo much time tweaking some header graphic that I get discouraged and leave things “hanging” out there unfinished…..if I really commit myself than it takes dozens of hours and the site still looks “amateurish”…… I don’t know if Xsite Pro will help….

  Please give some advice on HOW TO PUMP ONE SITE AFTER ANOTHER, THAT LOOKS PROFESSIONELL (I think it is very important to establish TRUST!)

  Wish you great success!
  Pedro

• 43 Cynthia Alexander // Jun 9, 2008 at 3:03 pm

  Chris,

  I’ve been online for several years. I’ve built a few sites but none makes enough money to brag about. (The sites I built & related products I created weren’t based on what I wanted, but on niches someone else wanted me to go after.) I’ve been in a few coaching programs that for some reason or another, the coaches bailed on. So I learn a bit but never enough to make it work because I’m always missing a piece (or many pieces) of the puzzle.

  I see a lot of people here have the same questions I do. So I’ll just wait for your answers.

  Cynthia

  P.S. For Bernie,

  ClickBank did that to me as well. If people pay using Paypal (which is more & more common now), it doesn’t qualify as a CB sale. I think you have to have 5 different credit cards used before CB will cut a check. You can contact them about purging your account & they will manually print out a check. That’s what I did.

• 44 Ant // Jun 9, 2008 at 3:10 pm

  Hi Chris

  I have 4 mini-sites built, and for each of them I’ve built backlinks by submitting to web directories, submitting articles, buying quality links, Linkvana and social bookmarking.

  Site1 (HTML)
  Launched 3mths ago
  388 Backlinks (Yahoo! Site Explorer)
  PR3
  Average of 30 visits p/d
  3 sales (none in the last 2 months)

  Site2 (HTML)
  Launched 2mths ago
  260 Backlinks (Yahoo! Site Explorer)
  PR0
  Average of 35 visits p/d
  1 sale

  Site3 (Drupal) **Best Performer
  Launched 2mths ago
  274 Backlinks (Yahoo! Site Explorer)
  PR0
  Average of 100 visits p/d (Was at 250+ p/d after a month but has since dropped off)
  11 sales in 1 month

  Site4 (Drupal)
  Launched 3mths ago
  219 Backlinks (Yahoo! Site Explorer)
  PR0
  Average of 45 visits p/d
  0 sales

  Received my first check from Clickbank for $310.95 the other day which was nice however this is not even close to the kind of profits I’d like to achieve. Site3 is on the first page of Google for a keyword that is bringing all the sales. I have seen first hand that sales are almost directly proportional with traffic.

  My questions are:

  - How do I rank for specific keywords and STAY ranked?
  - How do I increase my traffic?
  - How do I increase conversions?

  Thanks

  Anton

• 45 Floyd Fisher // Jun 9, 2008 at 3:38 pm

  Chris:

  I would love to know exactly what I’m doing wrong.

  I don’t want to spell everything out here, but I’ve got a solid JV proposal on the table that is a total loss for me (or so I think), and it seems nobody wants to bite.

  Can you contact me at the email address I left if you have some time, and I’ll divulge the details to you and let’s see if we can troubleshoot it.

  -Floyd

• 46 Steve // Jun 9, 2008 at 3:39 pm

  Hello Chris!

  To set up my question…

  :: I wrote and sell a 146 page ebook on Clickbank with a 50% commission.

  :: The ebook sells for $47.00 with an upsell on the order page for another related ebook…for a total of $65.95 for both.

  :: About 75% of my customers buy the $65.95 package.

  :: Its for a tight niche.

  :: I get about 200 visitors per day.

  :: My profits are only about $1100.00 per month.

  :: I’m going to create and then sell 3 instructional DVD’s soon, plus an audio CD of the book.

  :: I’m thinking of raising the price of my ebook to $97.00.

  :: I have a 16 issue auto responder newsletter with a list of 2500.

  :: I recently started a blog and broadcast an email to my list whenever I update my blog.

  :: I get some traffic from affiliates and I do PPC.

  :: I’m thinking of creating a series of weekly lessons from my book for a fixed-term-membership site using another domain with a low monthly fee of $14.95.

  My question has to do with how to structure and price an offer please…

  Should I go for the volume and sell a related $10.00 ebook, and in that book I’ll mention my main ebook for $47.00…and after selling them the $47.00 book, then sell those customers my DVD’s later? Or should I just bump the price of my book up to $97.00, and sell them the DVD’s a little later?

  Thanks.
  Steve

  P.S. Thank you for your excellent book. Its probably the best of its kind. Desperate Buyers Only is very good too. I get tons of ‘guru’ emails and your emails are the ONLY ones I keep.

• 47 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 3:56 pm

  Abi,

  Regarding the ever-continual “Google Dance”…

  The only way to stop this is to either target obscure, zero-competition phrases

  OR

  To actually create an authoritative reference on the target subject and get OTHER authoritative sources to link to it.

  I try to develop a good MIX of links – from a variety of sources. Articles, LinkVana, Directories and Web 2.0 sources are what I’d call “indexing tools”.

  They’re great for getting your site’s pages indexed and visible in the SERPS, but they’re not reliable if you want ROCK-SOLID rankings for competitive terms.

  If you want to rank competitively, then there’s no way around it – you have to COMPETE.

  And this doesn’t necessarily take an investment of money as it does EFFORT and brain-power.

  For example, I’m currently rolling out an authority resource in a very competitive niche. So what I’m doing is starting out with a “BETA” release, where the main function of the site is free to begin with.

  (Providing something that’s free where it’s normally something that’s SOLD gives you an easy press opportunity)

  Later on of course, the site will hard-sell other offers

  Anyway – what I’m doing right now is contacting other authority sites directly and requesting that they tell their visitors about it, since it’s actually pretty cool and useful. And free.

  About 1 out of 7 sites I contact does this. In fact, just yesterday, I obtained a one-way link from a PR 6 site, and the page where my link is posted is on a PR6 page, with about 10 other links.

  Powerful.

  Natural.

  THAT’s how you establish actual SEO placement for the long-term, and you need to do this a lot to begin with.

  However – over time, especially after you get your first wave of exposure, things start to get a lot easier.

  You can leverage your users and readership for more links, and other sites will refer to yours as a default resource once you have your initial rankings.

  THIS is how it’s meant to happen.

  That’s how to work with the “system” rather than trying to beat it.

  And you don’t need to necessarily use my “beta” trick, either. This applies to any kind of site that’s actually providing something useful.

  Now, let’s also talk about something else…

  ———————————————-

  TRAFFIC DIVERSIFICATION

  You’ve heard of “multiple streams of income” no doubt.

  But most people don’t tell you about “multiple streams of traffic”. What this means is that you don’t want to be relying on Google, Yahoo or MSN for your bread and butter.

  You can certainly USE them, but they should be one strategy of several.

  For example, once you’ve seen good results in a market you’ve tested and you’ve built the beginnings of an authority resource, it’s time to look at diversifying traffic with:

  * Video submissions

  * Viral Marketing

  * Press releases

  * Creating a product and recruiting affiliates (powerful – this effectively includes all the strategies combined!)

  * Building an opt-in email list

  * Posting regularly on popular forums

  * Using podcasts and multimedia to obtain more, targeted exposure

  * Doing JV deals, cross-promotional deals, etc.

  * Becoming your own competition

  * And so on…

  Yes, you want search engines to be a major source of traffic for you – but you don’t want to rely on them.

  In fact, by NOT relying on them, you’ll establish a more “natural” online presence, which serves as a better foundation for establishing long-term rankings, even in highly competitive markets.

  Thanks,

  -Chris

  P.S. If you ever want to see WHY a site ranks like it does, use Yahoo’s Site Explorer feature to pull up its inlinks.

  Yahoo actually seems to list a site’s backlinks in order of authority…

• 48 Jennifer Jones // Jun 9, 2008 at 4:22 pm

  Hello Chris,

  I created this shoe blog 3 months back and added unique content. I am not getting any sales despite submitting to directories, social bookmarking sites etc.

  How do I get traffic? Where am I going wrong?

  Thanks for your help

  Jenny

• 49 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 4:41 pm

  Hi Bernie,

  In regards to a simple approach for getting sales that WORKS:

  What you’re experiencing is natural. Just like the scientific community (or any other professional community), marketing is comprised of many, many experts who all have a different OPINION on what works, what doesn’t, etc.

  Guess what?

  You don’t need to do “everything” in order to succeed!!

  You can choose ONE STRATEGY, learn it well, and then simply repeat it over and over again until you’re happy with the results.

  Of course, I’d recommend a leveraged, long-term strategy – but that’s the reality of the situation, plain and simple.

  There’s a bunch of business models and strategies and they all work great.

  The important thing is to choose one and do it.

  Now, let’s talk about what I personally feel is the best way to get started as a NEW affiliate and see results right away…

  ———————————————————-

  THE CONDUIT STRATEGY

  As I expanded on in Part 1 of “Confessions”, one of the easiest ways to make money as an affiliate is to essentially INTERCEPT inevitable sales.

  When someone is researching a purchase decision, it only makes sense that they’ll be looking for opinions, user feedback and objective reviews on the product to see if it’s worth the investment.

  And to do this, guess what they’ll be searching for?

  THE PRODUCT NAME – or – THE MERCHANT’S NAME

  Along with the variations thereof, along with added words such as “review”, “scam”, “does it work”, “feedback”, “test results”, and so on and so forth.

  The thing is – this is a serious searcher. Someone who is laser-focused on finding REAL information.

  This is why simply creating a site that reviews all the products in a niche – each on a separate page – can often be insanely profitable and methodical.

  It really takes little effort to get decent rankings for the more obscure phrases, and most affiliates will be gunning for the “prize” keywords (you know, like “car insurance”, etc)

  (Let them struggle all they want – they’ve got a long road ahead of them…)

  But as for you – all you’ve got to do is actually research the product yourself, get it if you can, and do searches to find actual user feedback.

  And then write like a reporter.

  DO NOT sell – instead, *report*. That’s it.

  Then whatever your assessment, make your recommendations from there (buy/don’t buy) and make it EASY for your visitors to get to the product by way of your affiliate link.

  Here’s another “bonus” about using this strategy – when someone’s researching something serious like a product purchase, they’ll often go through several pages of search results until they find something that doesn’t simply look like a “pitch”.

  (Think about what YOU do when you’re researching a purchase, and then just reverse-engineer the process)

  You can literally build one site after the next like this, and when you MASTER the art of the “nonchalant” review style so that your visitor’s actually trust you – you’ll pull down some serious profits.

  In fact, that site I mentioned in my LinkVana case study that had earned $700 in it’s first 2 weeks from ORGANIC traffic (the site was brand spanking new) followed this strategy to a tee.

  Not to mention, if you’re building a list with your “conduit” sites as well, then you’re by default acquiring more valuable prospects who are serious about buying solutions.

  This is something I’m scrambling to do as fast as I can, to be entirely honest.

  These sites generate sales from very little overall traffic, and it’s practically guaranteed to work just by its own design.

  In fact, let’s go with a very conservative estimate. From my own results/experience, I know that doing this can result in having sites (built in less than a few days usually) that pull in anywhere from $300 to $3500+ a month in commissions.

  What if you built just two sites a month like this using the conduit strategy?

  Not including your future profits from list-building, you’d quite realistically be building your monthly income by at least $1000 per month, every single month.

  Yes, it will take some trial/error to see what works best for you in regards to writing reviews and SEO promotion, and you’ll definitely have a fluctuation of performers, but just imagine the power of being a “sales interceptor” for hundreds of different products.

  And perhaps hundreds of different markets, also.

  Wash, rinse, repeat.

  This stuff is so powerful BECAUSE of its simplicity.

  And of course, what I strongly recommend is of course that you scale up your presence in niches where your initial test(s) have had major successes.

  -Chris

  P.S. Everything I just mentioned can be outsourced.

  P.P.S. Regarding your clickbank issue, you need to obtain more sales from different card types so that your account is seen as an active affiliate rather than someone who’s just getting product discounts.

• 50 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 5:00 pm

  Brian Hill,

  One thing I think a lot of people don’t realize about building a newsletter list is that you have to SELL the opt-in.

  Pretend that instead of an opt-in form at the bottom or side of the page – it’s a payment button for a $1 sale.

  And then make an appealing offer – based on exactly why they clicked to your page – that would be irresistible even if they had to spend money, let alone just subscribe to a list.

  “Why Would They?”

  That’s a question you need to ask yourself when you find that your visitors aren’t doing what you’d like them to.

  You’ve got to make it easy and appealing for them to join your list. Give them something they WANT, and explain what it will do once they have it.

  Here’s a very effective squeeze page:

  http://www.doubleyourdating.com/

  This is the initial funnel-entrance to a $20 Million info-product business. My guess is that we can all learn from this approach

  -Chris

  P.S. Visitor source has as much to do with conversion as your offer. If your visitors aren’t coming from SEO, PPC, articles, affiliates or direct advertising, then they’re likely not targeted.

  Social bookmarks, “news” sites and stumbleupon, etc. basically provide crap for traffic quality.

• 51 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 5:23 pm

  Neo,

  I’ve never dabbled in the adult industry, but from what I would guess, SEO isn’t really the strategy so much as is traffic trading and other creative arrangements – right?

  I do have some experience with the humor/joke niche, and that’s where all your traffic comes from in general – exchanging links and trading traffic with the major sites until you actually establish somewhat of a brand, where people bookmark your site or just go to it to see “what’s new”.

  The problem is generally that visitor value is incredibly low and it takes a LOT of traffic to make any real money with it.

  Anyway…

  Affiliate marketing is all about product sales.

  You don’t necessarily need a ton of traffic, but you DO need buyers.

  A quick glance at your site tells me that you’re relying on GENERIC terms for your traffic, because that’s what you’re targeting in your title tags.

  Also, you only have ONE information page that focuses on the products, and there’s 2 products featured.

  In order for this to be successful for you on a consistent basis, you need to take, say THIRTY different weight-loss pill products and write descriptive reviews on each one, with each product having its own dedicated info page.

  This way, you’re targeting serious searchers.

  Someone searching for “Does Proactol really work?” is going to be a lot more valuable to you then someone searching for “best diet pills”.

  -Chris

• 52 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 5:41 pm

  Jimmy B,

  Well, you’re “write” about the fact that the internet is a writers game..

  (Ha ha ha, that was a real knee-slapper)

  Sorry about the horrible pun.

  Anyway… You’re right. Communication is essential. If you can’t write, then you’ll need to find someone who can.

  This issue actually goes a little deeper than you might have originally thought.

  In fact, there’s 2 key elements to your question that need to be addressed, and they’re incredibly crucial to your success.

  Here they are:

  1) If you can’t feasibly, profitably outsource articles (or any activity) to a capable freelancer, then why are YOU doing it?

  2) This is a business. Like ANY business, to get things going, it takes determination, hard work – and – money.

  There’s no way around it.

  One of the best ways to choke your business is to starve it financially (or neglecting reinvestment).

  What a lot of people don’t tell you about their “$250,000 Clickbank Screenshot” is that half of that was spent on PPC and another big chunk was probably spent on a copywriter.

  Yes, you can make “money” by using the scraper strategies (bum marketing, PPC direct to affiliate links, etc), but you’re not building anything of real VALUE unless you’re building your own assets, brand, list, affiliate force, etc.

  Bottom line: Never forget that this is a business. If you were selling a “real” product locally, you’d have to pay for inventory, shop space, advertising, etc. etc.

  If you can’t write effectively, then don’t just settle for mediocre articles or web copy – it’s a chain-reaction that negatively effects your results, exponentially. Get someone else to do it for you.

  Besides – even if your 20-page product review site only bring in a couple hundred dollars a month once they have consistent SE rankings – isn’t that WELL WORTH the $15 per article/review you paid ONCE to build it?

  I mean come on…

  Think about how long you have to wait in real estate or “real business” until you make your money back on an initial investment.

  Online, you can recoup your seed money in as little as a matter of days, weeks or a few months depending on the circumstances.

  If you really can’t scrape up the cash – even to start out small – then I suggest finding a creative way to partner with someone (a writer), or otherwise finding some kind of alternate arrangement.

  Effective communication is the lifeblood of ANY marketing effort.

  Without that, you might as well pack up shop.

  Not to be negative, but that’s the honest truth.

  However, this can be easily overcome by finding the right people to work with you.

  Remember that famous quote: “Stop working in your business and work ON your business”

  -Chris

• 53 Nicketas // Jun 9, 2008 at 5:42 pm

  Hey Chris,

  My biggest challenge is getting lots traffic to my website via geo-targeting (local to my state only), on a shoe-string budget.

  Most traffic strategies do not help with geo-targeted free (or cheap) traffic.

  How Do I Do This virally without spending lots of money?

• 54 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 5:49 pm

  Hi Des,

  Blogs are sort of like an interactive “loose communication” tool.

  It’s certainly not direct communication, and it’s not a forum or community either (almost) – but rather it’s a style of “transparent” business.

  People can actually respond to your teachings, etc.

  HOWEVER –

  Blogs should not replace sales copy, information sites, ecommerce product-pages or otherwise static content.

  Blogs CAN work for product reviews and articles, but I’d strongly suggest that you make them a PART of your existing site, rather than your sole content platform.

  The reason for this is that blogs are generally not optimized for conversion…

  Rather – they’re optimized for conversATion – and there’s a difference.

  What I’d suggest is that you use your blog as an involvement tool once you build up an opt-in list. This will help your site take shape, and it’s a great way to show new visitors (and subscribers) that you’re a person who sincerely gives a damn about others, evidenced by comments that they’ll see, etc.

  Blogs can also be a great way to build lots of content quickly.

  Essentially, it’s the most basic form of Web 2.0, where your users are building a large portion of your actual content FOR you.

  So to answer your question directly:
  ———————————————

  Use your blog as a BACKEND relationship-builder tool.

  On the FRONT-END, focus on list-building and product sales.

  Cheers,

  -Chris

• 55 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 5:51 pm

  Cara,

  I think you missed it

  The 2nd autoresponder message for the customer list points to this page:

  http://www.thelazymarketer.com/flash/registry.html

  I used Macromedia Dreamweaver to build it.

  I also show the actual sales results from the registry site in my subsequent case-study video (on another site – I mention the reg site results as an aside in the first part of the vid), at:

  http://www.thelazymarketer.com/flash/700in2weeks.html

  Enjoy,

  -Chris

• 56 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 5:58 pm

  Cheryline Lawson,

  There’s a few factors here that I can extract from what you’re telling me:

  1) You are directing visitors to a blog:

  This is okay, but it takes great persuasional skill AND keyword targeting to make blogs as profitable as a regular HTML site. See my above comment for the reasons why

  2) You’re targeting long-tail keywords, but – which ones?

  Not every keyword produces profitable visitors. Generally, brand names and product names will inevitably convert FAR higher than other keywords, but the long-tail phrases you’re targeting need to be proven winners.

  This is why I stick to focusing on product names (or product creator/author names). It works. It converts.

  3. You’re a writer – not a marketer.

  Having passion is great, but it’s when you combine that passion with a knowledge of sales “psycology” (ie. why people buy) that you can create powerful results.

  I would strongly suggest seeing how other sites that you’re competing against are promoting products.

  Essentially, just copy their METHOD (not content) and over time, you’ll develop a natural instinct for how to incorporate your OWN style into these proven methods and frameworks.

  There’s an endless amount of books and resources on writing copy, but really, I strongly feel that for beginners – the best thing you can do is copy someone else’s style (in your own, original words and style) and see how it works.

  Eventually, do this enough and your results will show you what works and what doesn’t.

  -Chris

• 57 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 6:14 pm

  Hi Elizabeth Ashe,

  Marketing an info-product of your own is much different than marketing other people’s products as an affiliate.

  The “CONDUIT” strategy (mentioned a few posts above) doesn’t really work for this, as it’s little overall traffic. Although it may produce some sales.

  The effectiveness of article marketing, SEO, PPC and other traffic generation methods varies greatly from one niche to the next.

  However, as a product owner, what your #1 goal should be to do is establish partnerships and leveraged traffic with an AFFILIATE PROGRAM.

  However, before that happens, you need to have an offer that’s selling consistently.

  What I strongly suggest is that you find a way to obtain targeted, quantifiable traffic (from PPC, for example) so that you can test your sales page and establish what your conversion rate is.

  You should send at least 1000 targeted visitors to your sales page using keywords that your direct competitors are bidding on (consistently – use tools like SpyFu.com to determine this)

  Out of 1000 visitors, simply add up your sales and figure out how many visitors it took to generate a given sale.

  If it was 200, then you have a conversion rate of 0.5%. If it was 100, then 1%, and so on.

  This isn’t always “that easy”, but it’s a very good indication.

  From there, you’ll need to split-test your sales page to see if you can increase sales. I strongly suggest using the methods and sales-processes that your competitors are using.

  Send another 1000 targeted visitors and record the results.

  It’s very important to have an effective sales process prior to recruiting affiliates because you want them to be REWARDED for promoting you.

  Make no mistake – affiliates go CRAZY over promoting high-converting offers because it’s like leverage for them. They know that they can simply drive traffic and make “guaranteed” money as a result.

  For the merchant, this becomes an explosive form of leverage.

  Popular, hot-selling products will get an insane amount of traffic from affiliates – beyond what they could ever generate on their own, short of a Fortune-500 ad budget…

  And in markets that cater to a long-term, high-value client, this is the best way to quickly build a substantial business cash-flow.

  Yes, it takes work initially, but this is how it’s done.

  Get the offer selling, and THEN get others to sell it for you.

  -Chris

• 58 Wes // Jun 9, 2008 at 6:44 pm

  Chris,

  Thank you for teaching me how to actually make money in affiliate marketing. I’ve had some success using the concepts you teach in “confessions,” as I have shared with you via support tickets and email.

  I’m beginning to see the importance of LinkVana, even though I have not purchased a membership yet. As a general rule on a “confessions mini-site,” how many one-way links do you build using LinkVana before you start seeing the results (ranking and sales) that you detailed in the registryremedies.com report?

• 59 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 7:11 pm

  Hi Bill Kurt,

  As I mentioned in one of the previous comments, effective list-building is like a “mini sales” process.

  People need a very compelling reason to sign up. “Join My Newsletter” just doesn’t have the persuasion power that, say, giving away free stock trading tutorial or case-study on a successful portfolio strategy, etc.

  However, a quick glance at your site reveals that you are more than aware of this and have proper offer in place.

  Since I’m not your target audience, I can’t really comment on your site constructively, but what I can say is that you’ll want to test other formats and copy and then measure the results.

  As for building a list, there’s a number of ways. PPC is one, SEO is another, articles, viral, video, etc. the list goes on.

  It’s the same as driving traffic to any other sort of offer.

  (Hint: Something I’ve found to be quite effective is using Aweber’s built-in pop-overs to bypass pop-up filters and present my visitors with an opt-in offer when they land on a content page. You can have these set up so that it only displays once per visitor, etc…)

  This is a huge topic in and of itself.

  I’d strongly recommend checking out Jimmy Brown’s ListAndTraffic.com

  Great site, stellar content.

  This site helped me out alot when I was starting.

  -Chris

• 60 Mark Hanson // Jun 9, 2008 at 7:41 pm

  Hi Chris,

  I’ve been in internet marketing for a few years now. Or should I say that internet marketing has been in me, as in, in my wallet.

  I’ve spent thousands of dollars on e-books and e-courses that promise step by step instructions. They ALWAYS leave you wanting more…NEEDING more. What a joke.

  I’ve spent hundreds of hours cramming my head full of internet knowledge and learning new software programs to match.

  I continuously study: keywords, html, css, Photoshop, XSitePro, SubmitEaze, SmartFTP, Camtasia, SnagIT, Audacity, WebCEO, spread sheets, and internet marketing jargon like “latent semantic indexing”. And that’s my short list!

  And what’s scary is I know squat about Squidoo or Digg or any of the other so-called social networking garbage I’m probably supposed to master. What a drag.

  My brain is starting to act a lot like the Iowa farm land that surrounds me. It’s totally saturated. Pour any new knowledge into it and it just runs off.

  To make matters worse I’ve only been averaging about one sale every six months. I’m making about minus $300 per week. Thank God I have a patient wife.

  Can’t last much longer at this rate.

  I guess everything you asked about in the beginning of this thread applies to me.

  Niches
  Traffic
  Conversions
  Ranking
  PROFITS!!!

  Regards,

  Mark

• 61 Wilson A // Jun 9, 2008 at 8:01 pm

  Hi Chris,

  I have just started to build some mini sites and have not really started seeing the results yet so my questions are

  - How quickly should I expect to see results based on your experience so I can know whether I need to make changes to my site.

  - Also how many people would you advise I keep for each task supposing I was going to build around 20 of this sites this year. what I mean do you use different article writers and link builders or do you just find someone you like and stick with him.

  - I am very comfortable with a few niches but some I really have no idea do you advise building more than one site for a niche like say learn spanish or registry products

  Thanks again Chris

• 62 Ivan // Jun 9, 2008 at 9:41 pm

  Hi Chris.

  Thank you in advance for your assistance.

  I read your e-book, and willing to do it. Prior to reading your book, I already have a website regarding luxury resorts. It is using WordPress as platform. I have difficulties on attracting traffic. Well, my site is pretty new, about 1.5 months approximately.

  I use 3waylinks to build the traffic, but until today, not seeing any significant traffic or increase in page rank.

  My website has been index by Google but have not seen any increase from that point

  My question would be:
  1. Can i develop affiliate product review, based on your e-book, using one of my page. Means, i will create a page maybe titled Parters Product Review, then create a review for top product at clickbank.

  2. Is there any way to attract traffic which proves sustainable. I am trying from blog submission, search engine submission to 3waylinks. But until today, seems not producing too much result.Is there any mistake in my way of attracting traffic

  3. I do appreciate if you could review a bit mywebsite and suggest several things to improve it.

• 63 admin // Jun 9, 2008 at 10:19 pm

  Vijay,

  Regarding focus – distraction is the silent killer.

  It’s easy to convince ourselves that we have time. “Tomorrow’s” are in limited supply.

  You have NO idea what tomorrow holds.

  We absolutely screw ourselves by not taking action TODAY.

  This is exactly how people can spend 10 years and “get nowhere”.

  Answering emails, talking on forums, buying one ebook after the next and wasting time can easily consume your days.

  Weeks turn into months, and months can easily turn into wasted years.

  At the end of this – what do you have to show for it?

  A low-traffic site that’s half-finished?

  A neglected list?

  A bunch of incomplete projects?

  KEEP IT SIMPLE

  Make one project profitable, then move on to the next.

  In time, you’ll have a sysem that can be replicated by freelancers or staff.

  THAT’s how it’s done.

  -Chris

• 64 Noobee // Jun 10, 2008 at 12:25 am

  Hi Chris,

  I’ve finally found my niche, which does have lots of competition.

  I purchased “Confessions” last year and really have enjoyed reading and learning from it.

  I will be taking your advice and start out by building a few content / keyword rich minisites in this particular niche. Then connecting them to an authoritative site in the end.

  My original plan was not to do any review sites but to build informational sites surrounding maybe one or two affiliate products.

  But after re-reading your book, I do believe that’s what I’ll be doing with the minisites as you suggest in your book.

  Questions:

  When I’m driving traffic to my sites, through whatever means, do I direct them to a squeeze page or something like that to try and get them to sign up for something free? I mean, I don’t have a newsletter or free course to offer at this time. Should I create one before building my sites?

  Or should I just direct them to my site? If so, should it be the home page?

  I will have my own bi-weekly or monthly newsletter anyway.

  And you suggest putting a “call to action” button right in their faces upfront.

  For example, in your registry site, you have a “get a free scan” button.

  For this particular niche that I’ll be building on, I’ve been trying to come up with a similar idea, but haven’t been able to. By the way, this is the health and fitness industry I’m referring to.

  So is it okay to just give reviews without the “call to action” button? Would this be just as effective?

  Really appreciate your help!!

  Sincerely

• 65 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:26 am

  Hi Riti,

  Selling 8 to 12 products a month is definitely a start (that’s 8 to 13 more than most “affiliates” who don’t even try), but it’s not going to make you rich any time soon.

  Unless CB is now into real estate and I just didn’t know it

  Anyway…

  Your question was about keywords.

  The only way to truly test which keywords are profitable or not is to either run your own PPC campaigns or use some of the “adwords spy” programs (like SpyFu.com) to monitor other people’s PPC campaigns to look for consistent ads, which likely infers profitability.

  Beyond that, the only keywords I know of that are basically always going to be profitable are product names, brand names, author/creator names (in connection with “review” or “product name”, etc.) and so on.

  This is actually part of why becoming an authoritative figure in a market is more profitable. Aside from having more assets and more traffic – you’ll be more experienced and have your own test data.

  Over time, what this means is that you’ll begin to spot consumer patterns and trends (which you can profit from) that others would simply not see.

  You’ll also have a much better handle on what products, keywords and generally what types of offers will convert highly in your niche.

  Time and focus might be the generic answer here, in addition to the fundamentals of building an actual business with assets, client lists, etc.

  Thanks,

  -Chris

• 66 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:35 am

  Hi Chris W,

  I start by looking at products and markets first, and THEN figuring out how much traffic there appears to be by using keyword tools and so on.

  This way I’m guaranteed to be in a market where there’s money flowing.

  So instead of choosing a “niche”, choose a product that’s obviously selling well. Then investigate further – looking at its competition, the niche dynamics, the client profile, etc.

  THEN – run a small test to see how it goes.

  And you gage it from there.

  This is sort of like surfing.

  Every time I go to a new surf spot I always try to find some obscure take-off spot where I can catch the odd set, rather than joining the crowds at the popular take-off spots.

  SOMETIMES – if I’m lucky, I’ll have a spot to myself for a wave or two. But if it’s a good wave and I get a good ride – then it’s a matter of minutes before I’m “joined” by my own little crowd.

  And that’s just if I’m lucky. Usually what ends up happening is I either find out that the spot is a dud, or that the wave shape is fickle and doesn’t provide enough power for taking off – or some other reason that EXPLAINS why nobody else is camping out there

  So there’s really no way around it. And what usually always ends up happening is I just suck it up and paddle over to the “popular” place, deal with the crowds and in the process – catch some really nice waves.

  Summary: Sometimes the most obvious thing to do is the best thing to do.

  Finding “hidden”, “untapped” and “new” niches is risky stuff.

  It’s better to develop an EDGE or an ANGLE within an already well-developed market.

  Cheers,

  -Chris

• 67 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:46 am

  Hi Alex Miller,

  I may be wrong, but I see the registry repair and spyware “niche” as being more of a utility (or “fix”) that’s not really targeted to any specific group – aside from PC owners.

  While it’s definitely a desperate problem to some extent for the potential customer, as soon as it’s fixed (or out of their mind) – they become instantly untargeted.

  To be an affiliate and do well promoting these products, you’d need a TON of front-end traffic to turn a consistent, reliable income – at least with traditional methods…

  One thing to consider is what the merchant sites are doing in regards to list-building.

  They seem to do this right before the customer purchases. My guess would be that this is an involvement/continuity tool mixed with a “hammer list” followup approach if they abandon the cart and don’t buy.

  If you want to go the list-building route, I’d honestly suggest choosing a niche where your visitors will be targeted to the offer(s) for years to come.

  Cheers,

  -Chris

• 68 primuskannan // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:56 am

  Hi Chris,

  Awfully decent of you to offer your precious time.

  Apart from the obvious how to generate traffic
  do I have to leverage social websites(web 2.0 et al) or is it all right if I ignore them completely ?

  Is it ok if I use pen-names for my online
  activities?

  Thanks in advance,
  Cheers.

• 69 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:09 am

  Hi Jason,

  Regarding the currency issue and free traffic:

  Well, first of all, it’s a two-way street in terms of currency differences. It might be a higher overall expense to get started, but once you get some cash-flow, you have a major advantage time-wise over many competitors because your living and operating costs are far lower.

  Therefore you have more resources to reinvest. It’s a double-edged sword, where the entrance may be difficult but once you get going – you’ll have it good.

  Anyway…

  Article marketing works great in some niches and NOT great in many others.

  This may also be partly due to the article quality or subject matter (or headlines). Just because you get ranked well doesn’t mean you’ll get as much traffic.

  Your article headlines are crucial, as is your content.

  People will never make it to your author byline (let alone click on it) if your article sucks, or even if it’s average. And similarly, no actual niche site will use it as a reprint article, either.

  So the first thing here is to ensure quality and “compelling-ness”.

  Secondly, if you’re solely relying on free methods, then you want to pick the low-hanging fruit to begin with by creating ultra-quality content around long-tail phrases, and then obtaining backlinks via articles, manual directory submissions, offering to write for authority sites, doing “deals” with other webmasters, and so on.

  To gain more traffic organically, you might also consider producing compelling videos (worth watching and targeted to your niche) and then posting them on YouTube, etc.

  Another “free traffic” strategy that’s very effective is actually getting involved in popular forums and helping people, asking questions, posing surveys and overall becoming a known “helper” in the niche.

  And finally – if you stay on top of the local bloggers and subscribe to their RSS feeds, you can be one of the first commenters to posts that you think will get a lot of traffic and interest.

  Don’t go overboard – but this tactic can drive you a ton of traffic.

  A lot of publishers will often email their opt-in lists announcing new blog posts, etc. If you’re comment #1 on say, a popular blog such as the proverbial “ShoeMoney” blog in whatever niche, just think about how many people will see that in coming months, along with your sig line (if allowed).

  If you were to have a daily system where you:
  ———————————————————

  1) Responded to one blog post with a very compelling comment (and signature line/URL)

  2) Offered helpful advice or otherwise participated in a local forum (with your sig line advertised), or perhaps Yahoo Answers

  3) Wrote a great article and submitted it to the major sites

  4) Sent 5 new webmasters a linking proposal or offered to provide them with free, unique content in exchange for a link

  And

  5) Added a new page of content to your site, interlinking it properly and optimizing for SEO

  In very short order you’d be getting lots of referral traffic, list signups, a few sales and some initial SE footing.

  Over a period of time, you’d see your site slowly start to solidy itself among the top ranking sites, and you’d get a ton of free, targeted traffic this way for a very long time – possibly indefinitely.

  Yes, it takes work.

  But that’s the trade off when you don’t have the initial capital, and it’s where basically all of us started, including me.

  All the best,

  -Chris

• 70 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:19 am

  Hi Herb Lee,

  Nice paintings – had quick look at your site.

  I’m not much of a painter but I can sketch half-decently. It’s been a while though. I hope to take up the hobby again after I reach some business goals…

  Anyway – you’d asked about selling art on the internet.

  I’ve got to be totally honest with you and say that I have no idea how you should go about doing this.

  I can tell you all about press releases, strategic relationships, SEO, Ebay, Affiliate programs and list-building until the day is long but…

  …selling art is just way out of my league.

  Same with music, mainstream books, etc.

  It seems like this is more about becoming “known” and building a “legend” around yourself, or a reputation.

  I’m definitely not an expert in that field – I’m very sorry to say.

  In fact the only thing that comes to mind is that if you want to demand a high price, then you go to where the money IS.

  And that would be rich people who like art.

  Find out where they “are” online, and get them to see your gallery, learn about you, etc.

  Beyond that, though – I am completely clueless.

  I’m sorry I couldn’t be of further help, Herb.

  Sincerely,

  Chris Rempel

• 71 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:30 am

  Petronille,

  Regarding the de-ranking, then “re-ranking” and in general the roller-coaster ride that organic SE traffic is…

  The only thing we can really do is look at sites that DON’T bounce around.

  Usually, these are sites that are:

  1) Old

  2) Have a natural variety of backlinks, some of which come from very high-profile sites

  3) Targeted and relevant to the query

  4) Are informational or functional in nature – rather than a pitch or “thin affiliate” structure. They might also sell something directly as a merchant. (Google doesn’t seem to lessen the value of product sites vs. info sites)

  5) They don’t engage in linking schemes or gray-hat tricks

  And so on.

  They’re usually “all natural”, and they probably earned their rankings slowly, over time.

  Anyway, there’s an important lesson here.

  And it’s two-fold:
  ———————

  1) In order to “Google Proof” your business, you need to diversify your exposure methods

  2) By diversifying your traffic, you’ll actually be developing a NATURAL “link profile” which will gradually establish long-standing rankings with Google.

  ———————————————-

  Search engines really do want relevance, but you have to “earn it” as well.

  My suggestion is to focus on strategies like product creation, list-building and using a variety of traffic sources if you’re intent on building a Google-Proof business.

  Do this in addition to SEO, and you’ll be laughing.

  -Chris

• 72 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:37 am

  Hi Billy W,

  You compete in high-competition niches by building your list one customer/prospect at a time, recruiting one affiliate at a time and then making the most of the backend.

  In addition, having that backend process drastically increases your overall visitor and client value, meaning that you can spend MORE on advertising and attract MORE affiliates with a higher commission payout.

  From an SEO standpoint, it might seem very difficult to break in, but there’s always the long tail – and this can be used to initially build your list and so on.

  You can basically create a typical site with product reviews or product info for as many products as you can find in the niche (your competitors), and then focus on LIST BUILDING with the visitors that land on your site.

  The idea here is to literally collect serious searchers who are researching a purchase decision with one of your competitors.

  Not only will you occasionally intercept your sales – you’ll literally be leveraging their exposure efforts to build your own client base.

  But this is just one strategy of many.

  Again – in competitive markets with high-margin products, he who controls the affiliates at large controls the TRAFFIC at large.

  Affiliates will always go to where the most money is.

  That doesn’t necessarily always mean price, but it does usually mean visitor value.

  -Chris

• 73 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:38 am

  Hi Ludzen,

  Your question is actually answered in complete detail in my answer to Jason, in comment #69

  Thanks,

  -Chris

• 74 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:52 am

  Hi Kwame,

  You asked about how to build a great relationship with your list…

  First of all, this will only work with markets where people actually want to hear from you – or anyone, for that matter.

  A good way to gage this is to look for forums, communities or “hangouts” in the niche to begin with.

  If there are, then that’s a sign that the client-base at large is “addicted” to the topic, and will continually want news, updates, hints, tips, solutions, etc.

  If there aren’t – then it might potentially be impossible to to build a relationship with that list.

  Just something to consider…

  So let’s assume that you’re in a niche like real estate investment, for example – which is obviously a major passion, interest and career path for people in that niche.

  How do you build a relationship with them?

  There’s three parts to this:
  ——————————–

  1) You establish yourself as someone who’s got something THEY want (“wow” them)

  2) You establish trust, sincerity and transparency about what they’ll get from you

  3) You deliver what you promise, as well as find really cool stuff that they’d actually want to hear about, and tell them about that too.

  ————————————————

  It’s that simple, really.

  Don’t use any “tricks”, don’t play marketing games, and don’t pretend to be anything you’re not. If you do – it will show.

  If not right away – it will later on. And that can ruin everything you’ve built in one fell sweep….

  It’s OKAY to sell them stuff.

  Just be up-front about it, and explain why.

  Always ask yourself this question before sending out a mailing:

  “Would I actually be excited about this?”

  “Does this INSPIRE me, make me THINK, or show me something really AWESOME?”

  or

  “Would I send this regardless if I could stand to make some money from it?”

  If the answer is “no” to any of the above, then you’ll be seen as a mediocre list publisher, and your subscribers will shortly come to see you as “noise”, rather than someone who has something they want.

  To get the results you desire, BE desirable to your market.

  -Chris

• 75 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:58 am

  Hi John C,

  Burn all of your ebooks and “educational” material on to a CD and get it off your computer.

  Label the disk “to be opened after I make my first _______ in profits”. Enter a reasonable, realistic number in the blank, and file it away.

  Why?

  Because you already know too much, and anything “new” that you would learn from this point forward will just be laid on a foundation of sand because you have no real experience or results to base anything on.

  So here’s what you need to do:

  Pick a popular product and sell it.

  Build a site, build a list – whatever – just apply some of that knowledge to ONE thing and actually friggin’ DO something.

  Your results will probably suck, at which point you simply take a look at your most prominent competitors and copy their approach (making it unique, of course, but in their style and with their methods).

  And then you keep on doing this until you get good, or until you at least learn your own strengths and weaknesses.

  And then, once you know a thing or two and have a clue – THEN you pull out that old CD of yours, stick it in the computer and read the material with a set of fresh eyes.

  You’ll be amazed at how much you’ll discover on the second time through.

  You’ll also be amazed at how simple this really is, and you’ll be kicking yourself for not “getting it” earlier.

  Start today.

  -Chris

• 76 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:04 am

  Hi Jason W,

  If you know WHAT to do but just need to get it done, what I’d strongly suggest is spending about $30 or so and having someone on GetAFreelancer.com to do it for you over the course of some idle afternoon.

  If you truly want to learn and master this by yourself, what I’d do is use XSitePro, as it contains all of these features that you speak of (minus the autoresponder – for that use Aweber.com or GetResponse.com or something like them), and XSitePRo is designed for people who are afraid of the techie stuff.

  Cheers,

  -Chris

  P.S. There’s also about 15 million web-dev geeks on forums like Digital Point, SitePoint, WebmasterWorld and a slew of others that will be more than happy to give you numerous opinionated answers (for free), which will no doubt lead to several anxst-filled arguments between themselves and their fellow geek-peers.

  

• 77 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:07 am

  Hi Andrew Witherspoon,

  I use very simple templates (tables, inserting columns or rows) that I “design” in Macromedia dreamweaver.

  Some of my sites feel like they should be part of the internet museum or something.

  Seriously – many of them would probably be classed as a jurassic-era “homo site-ean” or something

  I sincerely do need to catch up to the rest of the marketing world, as web 2.0 stuff can be useful and effective in the right context, but that’s my method for building my sites currently.

  Straight HTML and really simple templates.

  Thanks,

  -Chris

• 78 Abel // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:13 am

  Hi Chris,

  I am thinking of trying to outsource forum posting and blog comment for back links. Any great place to outsource this and how to make sure the freelancers don’t spam?

  Thanks.

• 79 cheetu // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:18 am

  Hi Chris,

  This is really a good news, a 6 month in depth course will be good for serious marketers. and a range of reports. I will be waiting for launch.

  I am seriously involved with viral software marketing, 907$ at CB in first month. its a cool start for me.

  I have sent you my software’s download report and conversion stats.

  This is really a cool strategy, I love it.

  Cheetu

• 80 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:22 am

  Hi Paul,

  Your questions were kind of all over the map. You’d asked about traffic, conversion, finding profitable niches and mainly how to sell a website-template product and what my plan of attack would be.

  I’ve addressed your first three questions in great detail in many of the previous comments, so I’ll focus entirely on the “product launch” question.

  What I would do to launch your product:
  —————————————————

  This will be in the webmaster/internet marketing niche, I assume.

  If that’s the case, then SEO will be one of the least-effective strategies. There’s WAY more traffic to be gained through an affiliate program, through “self evangelism” on forums, through cross-promotions and other similar strategies.

  My strongest suggestion is to have a backend offer lined up (or a few offers) in very close proximity after the first initial sale.

  For example, a “graphics” pack, or exclusive PLR content might make a good upsell for a template-creation tool.

  What this allows you to do is to give away a SWEET commission when you launch in order to attract lots of affiliates.

  Keep in mind that this is really more of a list-builder than it is a “money-making” operation for you, unless you’ve got a major list already.

  You’d need to decide if you wanted to do a “countdown” product-launch, or if you’d rather do a more methodical, gradual roll-out instead.

  Affiliate and JV partner recruitment would be your primary focus. Get ready to send LOTS of brief, informative emails.

  Give everyone you contact the product for free.

  Ask if they’re in or not.

  Follow-up on dead end leads until you get a “no” or a “yes”.

  You should contact at least 200 people if you can prior to your “live” date.

  Maybe you could even hold some sort of prize/contest for the top performer, along with a “draw” entry for anyone who produces even 3 sales, etc.

  This will get the ball rolling, since the “long tail” with small affiliates can also add up to a lot.

  And to kick things off initially – there’s always the “WSO” section of the warrior forum, which is probably the very best way to make some initial sales, find some promotional partners and launch your product into the marketplace with a nice little splash to begin with.

  That should give you some ideas to chew on

  -Chris

  P.S. Oh yeah – have lots of resources for your affiliates. Make it easy for them.

• 81 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:26 am

  Hi Len R,

  Please see comments #76 and #77 for the answer to your question.

  Thanks,

  -Chris

• 82 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:37 am

  Hi Mark P,

  How’s the weather in Kelowna

  (Hopefully better than it’s been here… ugh…)

  I can relate to what that feels like because I’ve been there. I remember being fascinated by the concept of building a mailing list, and everyone was talking about “squeeze pages”, “lead-generation products” and stuff like that, which was greek to me.

  So I researched it for WEEKS. Literally.

  I asked on message boards, forums – and I was given straight answers.

  I just didn’t “get it”.

  Over time, that changed.

  There’s been several examples of this, and more often than not – my realizations have “clicked” as a result of me trying to do something, seeing how it works, and then asking others to critique it.

  But above everything else, it’s just trial and error.

  It’s easy for someone to say “Oh, just spend some money on PPC and split-test it”, or “Oh, just target a bunch of long-tail terms and build some one-way deep links”, etc.

  But the fact is that even for the “experts”, I’m willing to bet that THEY also struggled – as I did – to figure out just what the hell that meant exactly.

  Because you always get the general idea, but it’s just the exact deployment that can sometimes be tricky, or a little foggy.

  (Hint: This is why I’ll be using screen-capture videos as a large part of my upcoming reports and for the 6-month course, so that I’m doing the “filler” stuff on-screen that I might’ve overlooked, where to some viewers, THAT seemingly insignificant thing was the “key”)

  In this case, the best thing you could possibly do is just go ahead and TRY ANYWAY and see what happens.

  Even if it flops, or if it wastes a few minutes.

  It’s a learning process, and eventually, it all sort of just starts to “click”.

  Thanks Mark – great question

  -Chris

  P.S. Also keep in mind that many gurus lie. Bold-facedly, especially about results.

  A lot of people use rogue “traffic surges” as documented proof of some alleged discovery when really – it’s really nothing more than a stroke of luck.

  Just something to be aware of…

• 83 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:40 am

  Hi Robert Hodgson,

  You asked about a blue print for setting up landing pages (for PPC?) and obtaining traffic.

  This really depends on what you’re selling. I can’t really answer this because it’s too vague.

  Please see some of my other responses for a wide variety of traffic tips and site-creation resources.

  However – I truly appreciate your post, because this is something I will definitely be turning into a report.

  A lot of people have the same question

  -Chris

• 84 The Mad Webmaster // Jun 10, 2008 at 3:57 am

  Wow Chris!

  I thought you went into retirement.

  Outstanding questions and answers and I knew that you would probably have the courage to put your butt on the line in this Q & A.

  I have 8 websites and about 5 of them produce pretty good income the other 3 break even but I look at them like rental houses. If they break even or make $20 per month give me 1,000 of them.

  I wish more marketers would get a grip on the internet in 2008… there just are not anymore profitable niches with secret key words that will skyrocket you to first place in the engines.

  This is a business! Treat it like one.

  Please comment on why building a web business can cost you time or money and why there are many people building sites that have no business owning a web business.

  Paul
  The Mad Webmaster

• 85 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 4:12 am

  Hi JanPaul,

  My sincere advice is to sell your art as one business, and sell other stuff as part of another business.

  Many ebooks sell hundreds of copies daily.

  This happens because there’s enough demand online to support this.

  Demand directly relates to available traffic.

  The reason why it’s hard to drive traffic for you is because there’s hardly any to begin with.

  I’d strongly suggest using the free keyword tools such as:

  http://www.keyworddiscovery.com

  http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook/

  and

  https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

  to determine the amount of relative demand in any given market or niche.

  I didn’t look, but I’d be willing to place bets that keywords like “how to remove acne” or “how to get your ex back” might receive a few more monthly searches than “how to paint with oils”

  To sell in volumes, you have to sell TO volume…

  -Chris

• 86 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 4:33 am

  >>> CALLING IT A NIGHT <<<

  Alright folks, I’m off to bed.

  I’ll address the rest of the remaining unanaswered questions tomorrow, and I’ll answer FIVE more questions that get posted after this comment.

  Cheers!

  -Chris

• 87 Rich Peck // Jun 10, 2008 at 4:37 am

  Hey Chris

  Saw your $700 in 2 weeks site and got to say congrats on that.

  However, I would really love to know how exactly you went after the “profit” keywords – I.E how did you know which keywords to look at?

  For example, I’m doing a site geared to those fat burning products and have found keywords including;

  “burn fat rapidly diet”
  “fast weight loss”
  “rapid weight loss program”
  etc, etc

  I’d love to know how you gravitate your research towards the keywords which you think will sell product. What do you look for? How do you gauge the “worth” of the keyword in terms of going after it in the SE’s?

  I know product keywords are pretty strong but what about the others?

  Thanks in advance

  Rich

  P.S Is your “6 month course” by any chance based on the “Membernaire” ideas of Jimmy Brown?

• 88 Mirko // Jun 10, 2008 at 9:49 am

  Hi Chris,

  my site is online since about 1 1/2 month and the traffic is appr. 6-10/day. I had about 300 hops and only 1 sales.Very poor but I think the content is just not that great because english is not my language. What I would find useful is a step by step seo guide with a plan for each LM Website.Maybe like overall 10 squidoo post, 10 digg post,100 linkvana and so on.Maybe a plan with description how to something and then a 1 month plan or something to keep the track. Maybe this could be help for part time marketers or newbies like me. Maybe that would worth a report.
  Thanks for the great blog
  Mirko

• 89 Mike M. // Jun 10, 2008 at 11:30 am

  Chris,

  Thanks so much for this blog post.

  My situation:

  I created my first niche product and it is currently trending to do roughly $650/month. I have an advertising agreement (banner) with a very large authority forum related to my niche, which drives traffic to my squeeze ‘value’ page that gets the opt-in, and starts the content/sales pitch email follow ups. I have another agreement in the works with another large forum site to try to scale this up. However, its tremendous work getting a product together, and I am looking into affiliate marketing and focusing just on list building. This will also make it easy to enter the vast markets such as fitness/health/etc without having to create a product.

  My question:
  What are the most effective ways of driving traffic to a squeeze ‘value’ page for collecting opt-ins? Here are the options I see:

  PPC search & content
  Article Marketing (dont’ want any parts of it)
  Video/YouTube

  I’m still trying to figure out the YouTube thing. I would just like it if I had more options besides PPC to get traffic to the squeeze.

  Have you ever used banners or other paid advertising on forums etc. to drive traffic to a sales page or squeeze page?

  Thanks! Sorry this is so long!

• 90 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 12:43 pm

  Hi Ron Stone,

  You asked about creating content in niches where you don’t know anything.

  There’s basically two options – either buy PLR articles and have them rewritten or research stuff and basically just copy the themes of other people’s articles.

  For writing product reviews, search for actual customer feedback on Forums, blog comments, Yahoo Answers, etc. and summarize their responses as a reporter.

  All you really need to do is organize and summarize existing information (profitably)

  -Chris

• 91 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 12:48 pm

  Hi Shaan Yuhas,

  That application looks cool.

  That’s not really a “bum marketing” tool in the sense of the word, either.

  It’s more of like an instant landing-page generator.

  Looks interesting, and I hope lots of people use it to get started with list-building.

  -Chris

• 92 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 12:51 pm

  Hi Jason M,

  In almost every case, your conversions will soar if you point out a few negatives of a product.

  This, and a sincere “it’s your decision” kind of tone will work as a much more effective pre-sell than trying to “convince” somebody to buy something.

  This, also, is why so many affiliates make next to nothing.

  They’re selling too hard.

  And nobody trusts a salesman.

  -Chris

• 93 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 12:53 pm

  Jason M again (I should’ve answered both your comments in one reply – whoops…)

  Regarding product reviews and pre-selling, yes, it is.

  But you’re not doing this to try and convert “regular” traffic into sales. The only REAL reason why you review products is so that you catch some of the existing “research traffic” that exists for those products, because those people are on the verge of buying anyway.

  -Chris

• 94 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 12:57 pm

  Hi Pedro,

  You asked about how to build professional sites quickly.

  Honestly, I would outsource the graphical work (headers, footers) to a freelancer for a few measly bucks. They know exactly what they’re doing and they’re professionals.

  If it takes you hours to make a professional-looking header and template, it probably takes them about 5 minutes. Not kidding.

  My friend is a pro designer and you wouldn’t believe how easily he can do stuff like that…

  Anyway – the other half of this is that there’s no sense in being a perfectionist until you’ve actually got RESULTS.

  The crappiest site in the world will make more money than a HALF-FINISHED site that looks nice.

  Read this article for a full explanation. It’s titled “How ‘Crap’ Can Dramatically Boost Your Profits!”

  http://www.im4newbies.com/traffic-secrets/john-reese-articles/article7.htm

  Enjoy,

  -Chris

• 95 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:05 pm

  Cynthia Alexander,

  If you’ve already built sites (against your will, seemingly) about unprofitable topics, then just change your direction and do something that IS profitable.

  I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been burned by “coaching” programs in the past. But the fact is, a lot of people know a lot more than they give themselves credit for.

  My suggestion is that you simply follow the very logical plan in Part 1 of confessions and then simply repeat the process until you’ve found a hot niche.

  From there, it’s the same old mantra – build a business.

  Forget about what other people think, say, whatever – this is YOUR business and YOUR life.

  I also have a never-ending supply of time-leeches, thankless ‘users’ and wannabe mentors that try and weasel their way into my life.

  Ignore them.

  They’re only thinking of themselves or their own pride.

  You’ve been at this long enough. It’s time to finally “get some”, wouldn’t you say?

  -Chris

• 96 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:15 pm

  Hi Ant,

  One thing you didn’t mention about your minisites was how many pages of unique content they contained.

  This is a major factor in the diversity of the traffic you’ll receive as a result.

  I’d have to say that the issue here is likely conversion – and this could have to do with keyword selection as well.

  You’ve got your one site getting about 3000 visitors a month, translating to 11 sales in one month. That’s quite a low conversion figure, especially if we’re talking about “product review” keywords (if that’s the case)

  Here are some questions to consider:
  ———————————————-

  * Are you using an autoresponder to recycle traffic and promote offers (if the niche caters to this)?

  * Are you making it easy to get to the merchant on every page – above the fold and prominently in the visitor’s “click range”?

  * Is your tone one of authority and believability? Remember – nobody trusts a salesman.

  * Have you researched your niche well-enough to accurately write content/reviews from THEIR mindset? With a sincere appreciation for their issues/problems/desires?

  * Are you promoting products that are proven winners?

  Etc.

  Read Part 2 of Confessions and see if it brings to light any further possibilities.

  As for staying ranked in Google, see my response in comment # 71

  Thanks,

  -Chris

• 97 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:17 pm

  Hi Floyd Fisher,

  Any chance you could email me a summary of the problem via my support desk?

  This will ensure a more timely answer given the current state of my inbox currently…

  -Chris

• 98 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:23 pm

  Hi Steve,

  You’d asked about what to do in regards to pricing your current product, deploying an effective backend and so on…

  While I’d suggest doing price tests to see what’s most profitable, one thing I’d also encourage you to do is (in ADDITION to having a high-margin backend offer, or offers), roll out additional, similar “feeder products” such as low-priced ebooks that feed the customers into your other offers.

  If you could produce, say, 5 low-priced products that would sell in volume and each cover a different sub-topic or angle within the same niche – and they all upsold your main flagship product (as well as other backend offers), then you’d eventually have an entire network of these things out there.

  I don’t know if the niche can support that, but in large niches, replication is HUGE.

  Having a series of products that all cross-promote eachother in some way, all the while being promoted individually by affiliates, etc is incredible leverage.

  -Chris

• 99 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:28 pm

  Hi Jennifer Jones,

  I’m assuming this is a datafeed being imported into a blog, correct?

  In that case, it’s all duplicate content and you’ll be competing with other affiliates for the scraper search engine traffic.

  It’s still totally viable and can work well, but you’ll need backlinks pointing back to your site in order to get your deeper pages indexed and ranked for their long-tail keyword targets.

  You can use article submissions, directory submission, tools like LinkVana, even reciprocal links and so on in order to gain search engine visibility.

  It’s important to realize that this is a volume strategy. One site isn’t going to make you very much with the datafeed method.

  You need hundreds or perhpas thousands of sites or blogs like this to see any kind of real results from this.

  -Chris

• 100 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:32 pm

  Hi Nicketas,

  You asked about how to generate local traffic for free, organically and virally.

  I don’t really know how to answer this because I have no idea what your site is about or what you’re doing.

  So I’ll just say this:

  If there’s any search engine traffic available for this, then use the usual keyword tools to see if there is, and what to target (see comment # 85 for kw tools)

  In addition, since this is local, you can likely strike up some cross-promo deals with other local community sites. You can also likely do some press-worthy stuff and get in the local papers, etc.

  And there’s always flyer/poster advertising, doing deals with related stores or businesses, etc.

  Local sites are almost more flexible in the way that they can get marketed.

  It feels more like a “real” business.

  -Chris

• 101 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:35 pm

  Hi Wes,

  You asked how long it typically takes to see results from building one-way links using LinkVana.

  This entirely depends on your niche, your keyword targets and how much traffic is available to start with.

  It ranges from days to months.

  My suggestion is to direct about 40% of your links to your home page, and spread out the other 60% to some of your more profitable inner-pages, particularly the product review pages.

  Cheers,

  -Chris

  P.S. I’ve seen results in a matter of days, but to get long-term consistent results, it can take months.

• 102 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:42 pm

  Hi Mark Hanson,

  What you need to do is stop doing whatever it is you ARE doing (it’s not working), and re-start with something simple.

  Please carefully read my responses in comments # 63, #75, and # 82.

  You should not be losing money at this – that doesn’t make any sense.

  The only way you can justify losing money temporarily is if you’re buying assets that you KNOW how to optimize or if you’re building a client base initially via ad spend.

  But I would never suggest doing that until you’ve already had success from high-leverage activities like affiliate marketing, info-product publishing and so on.

  Anyway – read those previous comments and really think about it.

  You’re doing something wrong.

  It’s time to start doing something RIGHT, and it’s easier than you might think.

  -Chris

• 103 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:48 pm

  Hi Wilson A,

  You asked about when you can start to see results from building mini-sites, as well as whether to retain freelancers, and whether or not to stay in comfortable niches.

  Generally, I see results from mini-sites in about a range of one week to 2 months.

  If it’s not getting at least some initial traffic after 2 months, something’s up.

  As for hiring freelancers – you want to find and KEEP reliable, talented workers. You’ll have to weed through a lot of idiots usually before you find someone worth keeping around, but it’s worth it.

  And when you DO find an excellent worker – try and do whatever you can to “keep” them. Pay them more, whatever – if it’s worth it, do it.

  There’s no sense in hiring new people all the time. It’s a hassle, a risk and there’s always the training/learning curve aspect.

  My suggestion is that if you’re in a niche that’s profitable and you like it – then go as big as you can.

  Build big, informative websites, introduce your OWN products to the marketplace, build email lists if the client-values is long-term, and so on.

  Your mini-sites are just tests.

  But only scale up once you’ve seen good conversions and ample traffic to work with.

  -Chris

• 104 David K // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:48 pm

  Big Problem To Consider

  I don’t think you can go anywhere with Affiliate Marketing “NOW” without answering this question first: “Does Google hate thin affiliate sites?” Unfortunately, the answer is YES.

  Abi’s post is a classic example of what happens … getting 100 – 200 uniques / day … making a sweet $1200 / mo and BOOM! … out of the index and the money disappears.

  Jeremy Palmer is one of the world’s top affiliates and a CJ Award Winner … makes about $1,500,000 a year. He is changing his business model … from 200+ sites down to less than 10. What does that tell you? This puts affiliates into the dreaded SEO game and forces them to build content or authority sites.

  The question becomes: “How do we ‘Future Proff’ our business? Who wants their house and car payments to disappear? The only viable alternative I can see for small sites is to consider free SE traffic as a bonus … and learn how to advertise.

  Times are changing … Chris, what do you think about the future?

  David K

• 105 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:52 pm

  Hi Ivan,

  That’s a huge question, even though it might not seem like it to you at the moment.

  This has more to do with content targeting and keyword selection than how to “get search engine traffic”.

  If you’re targeting MAJOR keyword phrases, you’ll never even make a blip on the radar using 3 Way Links, LinkVana, articles, social stuff, etc. It’s not gonna happen.

  This is why we focus on targeting SPECIFIC things that are geared towards affiliate sales – more specifically – product reviews.

  Your travel blog is probably a good way to segway some adsense clicks or travel-related affiliate programs, but if you want the easy sales from little overall traffic, you’ve got to be laser-focusing on BUYERS.

  Please read several of the above comments posted for information on how to do this.

  Also see Part 1 of “Confessions”

  Thanks,

  -Chris

• 106 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:56 pm

  Hi Noobee,

  You asked about list-building techniques and top-fold adverts in your upcoming health/fitness minisites.

  Very simply, what you could do is have a concise offer for a free ____ as your opt-in offer at the top of every page (instead of a “call to action” for the merchant)

  While still making it very easy for people researching product purchases to click through to the merchant they are investigating.

  In fact on your product review pages, you may actually want to have your list offer at the side or bottom of the page – up to you.

  Test.

  -Chris

• 107 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:00 pm

  Hi Primuskannan,

  You asked about the importance of web 2.0 activities for marketing and also about pen-names.

  I’ll deal with pen-names first.

  Yes. If you go into several different niches, use pen-names to avoid confusion and to make it easier to sell if you want to liquidate the asset.

  (The existing owner can simply “take the reigns” that way)

  As for web 2.0 marketing – this would be better worded as “conversational marketing”, and includes things like becoming active in different communities, blogs, forums, “news” sites, bookmarking sites and so on as it relates to your niche.

  This ONLY makes sense to do in passionate niches where there’s no end of conversation about the topic.

  Usually, this won’t apply to the more “desparate” niches, but *definitely* the hobby/sport/profession niches.

  Is it worth doing?

  Maybe.

  The niches I deal with don’t really apply to web 2.0 tactics.

  -Chris

• 108 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:02 pm

  Hi Abel,

  (Re: Non-spam forum link-building)

  Yes there is. But I can’t give out my source on my blog publicly.

  Email me through my support desk if you want to know a reliable provider.

  -Chris

• 109 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:02 pm

  Hi Cheetu,

  Congrats on your results with the software tactic!

  Right on dude.

  I’ll check for your support message…

  -Chris

• 110 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:05 pm

  Hi Paul (aka ‘The Mad Webmaster’)

  You commented on how building a web business requires the use of either time or money.

  I agree, except I’d go further and say that when you’re starting out, the LEARNING CURVE involved is going to consume both forms of payment rather effectively – time and money.

  It’s just the way it is.

  Treat this like a proper business and you’ll eventually “get it”, things will click and you’ll see that this is more like contracting then it is like being a webmaster.

  OR

  Treat this like some half-cocked pipe dream and I can guarantee you that all you’ll have to show for it is a bunch of marketing courses, how-to overload and weak results at best (and an angry spouse).

  It’s all or nothing.

  -Chris

• 111 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:12 pm

  Hi Rich Peck,

  Nice to hear from you again – how’s it going?

  You asked about which keywords generated those impressive results ($700 in 2 weeks)

  100% product keywords.

  As for how to determine the desparation-factor of other keyword phrases, aside from testing and PPC, it’s just a crap-shoot based on common sense.

  We know that words like “free” and so on are disqualifiers, and we also know that broad-keyword searches are generally untargeted, so it’s really more or less a guessing game at first, which we then optimize through testing and experience.

  Again, this is why sticking with a niche that’s profitable for you will result in an edge on other affiliates and newcomers to the market – because you’ll have more data.

  Take care,

  -Chris

  P.S. Damn straight, it’s a membernaire model all the way

• 112 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:16 pm

  Hi Mirko,

  With small amounts of traffic like that (6 to 10 visitors a day), it’s truly going to be hard to quantify results accurately, if at all.

  You need to be getting a daily flow of traffic if you want to get anywhere with this, and that takes producing EFFECTIVE content, and a variety of it – in niches and topics where that traffic exists to begin with.

  My strongest suggestion would be to hire an english writer.

  Your conversions will shoot way, way up because your visitors won’t find it awkward or difficult to understand you.

  Remember, communication and INFLUENCE is everything.

  Excellent idea about the step-by-step process, by the way. I’ll take that and implement it, for sure.

  -Chris

• 113 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:19 pm

  Hi Mike M,

  Honestly the best list-building strategy ever is getting affiliates to send you traffic (with articles, youtube, ppc, their sites, squidoo, forums, ads, email plugs, etc) and then collecting those leads and converting them to sales.

  If you’re solely the affiliate, then I’d honestly suggest the full-on, mult-tiered traffic generation approaches.

  Your list is only worth something if it’s targeted, so I’d get out there with SEO, videos, PPC, articles, forum involvement, blog comments, viral marketing and the whole nine yards.

  -Chris

• 114 Rich // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:20 pm

  Hey Chris thanks for the reply

  Doing okay – http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2djp6di&s=3

  Not earned anything today which is pretty disturbing!

  I guess that product focused keywords are the way foreward I’ve really just blanketed what I thought to be desperate or buyer key terms before today.

  Any sign of an updated CB screenshot from your good self??

  Thanks again

  Rich

• 115 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:27 pm

  Hi David K,

  Your question is the most important issue posted yet.

  You’re absolutely right in regards to the NECESSITY of establishing pre-eminence and authority in a marketplace.

  That’s my strategy as well – the “campfire” strategy, so to speak, where mini-sites are the kindling, which will flare up for a bit, but to get any kind of sustainability, you need “logs”.

  Google (and more relevantly, visitors) want quality content. There’s only so much long-tail stuff that’s left to “dominate”.

  The future will be all about business-building and leverage.

  That’s why you need to Google-Proof your income, even if you USE Google to help with the process initially.

  This involves building email lists, recruiting and training affiliates (after creating products), spreading your web of content via your main site and blog, and in general becoming an actual “somebody” in the marketplace.

  As I said a few comments above – it’s all or nothing.

  -Chris

• 116 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:30 pm

  Hi Rich,

  Screenshots will be coming soon -when the 6 month course goes live.

  I’ve diversified things a lot. It’s not just CB anymore, in fact that’s become one of many.

  I can recognize one of the things you’re promoting judging by your screenshot. It’s a hot-seller, but you’ll always be held hostage by one general keyword phrase, and you don’t want that.

  Anyway… keep on going dude

  Build it right

  -Chris

• 117 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:34 pm

  >>> ONE QUESTION SLOT LEFT < <<

  I have room to answer one last question, as it will be the 5th question posted after last night’s announcement (in comment # 86)

  Fire away – and thanks everyone for your participation.

  This really helps me a lot, and I hope it’s been reciprocal.

  By the way – feel free to LINK to this thread

  -Chris

• 118 Mike M. // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:34 pm

  Chris,

  Will affiliate actually send traffic to your squeeze page rather then the sales page. If the opt-in makes a purchase somewhere along the line through the email follow ups, will the affiliate still get credit for the sale?

  Thanks again,
  Mike

• 119 Rich // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:36 pm

  Thanks – do you think I could get a “sneak preview”? lol

  I’ve kind of got my finger on the keyword but my sites have been zapped from Google and are all depending on software, video & answers traffic.

  Rich

• 120 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:37 pm

  Hi Mike,

  Yes and yes.

  -Chris

• 121 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:37 pm

  Rich,

  Patience…

  -Chris

• 122 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 2:37 pm

  Okay – one last question from someone who hasn’t posted yet…

• 123 Trevor R. // Jun 10, 2008 at 5:24 pm

  Chris,

  One of the things that I have been researching lately is the correlation between color and design layout in terms of conversion.

  In your video on the registry repair site you briefly mention the navigation bar and why it’s on the right side instead of on the left as with most websites, but did not explain further.

  My question is if you have any resources on layout and color testing and or what has been your experience with certain layouts vs others in terms of conversion.

  Thank you

  I hope I posted this in time…

• 124 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 5:35 pm

  Hi Trevor – *just* in time…

  I haven’t really noticed a difference between one layout to the next (with mini-sites, at least), and I’m not split-testing because it’s not PPC traffic or my own product.

  I’d say the only way to really know is if you test yourself – and I’d be willing to bet that this will differ from one general market to the next.

  In the case of the Registry site, I had the nav bar on the right hand side purely because from what I’ve seen with heat maps, etc – generally the eyes stay left rather than right.

  BUT – that’s more relevant I think when we’re talking about thousands of visitors a day, or an hour.

  When we’re talking a few hundred (or less) visitors daily, I really don’t see how color or layout specifics will make that much difference – so long as it’s EASY to use, read, and the colors/text are high contrast.

  -Chris

• 125 admin // Jun 10, 2008 at 5:37 pm

  Alright folks…

  This gives me a REALLY good idea as to where I need to focus for my upcoming content.

  Thanks again to everyone who participated.

  And if anyone still has some input, feel free to post, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll answer (being as I need to get busy making the content you all requested )

  Cheers – and thank you

  -Chris Rempel

• 126 Chris Answers Your Questions | Stop Scamming Us! // Jun 10, 2008 at 6:55 pm

  [...] a really good question and answer session over at Chris Rempel’s blog – really gives you a feel for where he’s coming from if you’re thinking about picking [...]

• 127 Affiliate named LaPrentiss // Jun 10, 2008 at 11:26 pm

  Hey Chris

  I was looking into allowing affiliates to place the program that they are a part of on my website and allow them to earn tier 2 commsisions for submitting.

  Do you think this would be a good idea?

  Thanks

  LaPrentiss

• 128 Morgan // Jun 12, 2008 at 10:02 am

  Hi Chris

  How do you go about creating good , catchy and captivating subject lines, headers , product names etc?

  Thanks a bunch and look forward to your reply

  Morgan

• 129 Article Spinning Arthur // Jun 12, 2008 at 11:06 am

  Hi, Chris,

  Love the clarity with which you present information. Hope I can do as well some day.

  For purposes of writing my own articles for getting backlinks, I wrote an article spinner online application that’s especially easy to use.

  Figuring that others might find it useful, I’ve put it up publicly on a site called ‘simply-free-article-spinner.com’

  Now I’ve started promoting the free article spinner website itself, and want to use the free software method. I have an application worked out to give away.

  Now here’s my puzzle:

  I’ve read Lazy Super Affiliate twice, and parts three times and more, and most is clear. However, my ignorance about download software is hurting me, and there is a little gap in your book (part three: instant free traffic).

  * It’s clear enough how to get/build a software application that can be given away. * It’s clear enough how to get it onto the free-download sites. * It’s clear enough that you state that you experience increase in traffic after people unload your free software.

  But … why?

  Is there a big red link in your software application that says “GO TO CHRIS’s SITE”? Have you found a way to funnel them through some registration process, and your autoresponder emails say “GO TO CHRIS’s SITE”?

  How does the fact that they’re now running a piece of software on their computer cause them to become traffic on your site?

  It’s not actually mentioned.

  Probably the answer is a ‘Doh’ for me when I find it or you tell me, but so far I’ve delved around in the software sites, but haven’t actually found this answer, and it’s not actually discussed in your book.

  (Unless in my ignorance and stumbling around I’ve just missed it … three times.)

  I would be very grateful for any guidance or discussion about this. (And I’ll bet some other folks would like to have this missing information as well.) This is one of those things, probably, that’s so obvious to you, that it didn’t bear mentioning. (Unless you did, and I missed it.)

  Thanks.

• 130 admin // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:17 pm

  Hi Morgan,

  That’s where the fundamentals of copywriting come into effect.

  Here’s a few resources that I’ve learned alot from, followed by a very effective “trick”…

  1) The first book I read on how to make a website sell was “Web Copy That Sells” by Maria Veloso. I still recommend it. It costs like $20 or something at Amazon

  2) I recommend the following sites:

  http://www.michelfortin.com/

  http://www.copyblogger.com/

  http://www.copywritersboard.com/

  There’s a lot to learn, but I need to remind you that before you get in over your head with “discovery”, it’s a simple process.

  All you’re doing, really, is helping someone justify doing what they already want to do.

  You present the offer that’s targeted to them (commanding attention by making a bold statement), you back it up with actual proof, then you engage their imagination with all of the possibilities that they’ll have when ___________, you assume the risk with a strong guarantee – and then you make it as easy as possible for them to take action on it.

  That’s very abbreviated and I haven’t addressed things like NLP commands, leading words, pressing the pain before unveiling a solution, etc. – but those are just the details, not the backbone.

  Anyway – those resources I mentioned will fill in the blanks for you on top of what I just explained.

  Just remember that the crappiest sales letter in the world will get more results than something that’s been “in progress” for months on end.

  Alright – now for my little trick:
  —————————————

  You’re going to use yourself as a guinea pig here.

  Go and open up a dedicated email account (gmail is recommended) and with it, subscribe to every single newsletter list in your market.

  Every time you need an idea on what kinds of headlines are the most effective, simply open that account, paruse the email titles and “star” the ones that grabbed YOUR attention and made you curious, excited, appalled, etc.

  Then just copy their idea.

  

  -Chris

• 131 admin // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:28 pm

  Hi Arthur,

  Actually, you’re right.

  This wasn’t addressed as fully as it could’ve been, although I did explain how to use it to drive traffic (ie. the “Registry Diagnostic Tool”).

  I’ve also used them to build lists, etc.

  I can definitely address this in more detail, but here’s a real quick way to get started.

  Create toolbars.

  You can even do this for free with Conduit.com. What you do is make something useful, with “jump links” to resources and other stuff that your visitor would actually want.

  Not only will your download traffic add up – you’ll get lots of residual “user traffic” from people who actually LIKE their toolbar and use its functions occasionally.

  Here’s a great example – if you’re part of the Ebay affiliate program, you can create an Ebay-related toolbar and call it like the “deal detective” or something and have it point to all of the web’s auction sites and classifieds markets so that people can quickly, methodically search every possible marketplace to find a product for the lowest price.

  Obviously, this will be an elaborate way to link to most of the commercial sites through your aff link.

  This can be applied to anything, especially where the niche has official news sites, tickers, etc.

  Anyway – when you set up your toolbar, you can have it land on an “initial load” page.

  THIS IS WHERE YOU MAKE YOUR OFFER.

  Either you build a list, promote a product, whatever – this is when it’s done.

  I’m not sure of Conduit.com does this as well, but if you use BestToolBars.net (pricey, but worth it), you can also specify “uninstall” pages so that when a user removes the toolbar – they’re taken to a “sorry to see you go” page….

  …and a last-chance offer or OTO, or whatever you want.

  Heck throw some pay-per-click ads in there just to extract at least some kind of value from the downloader

  That’s an easy way to get started and it works very, very well.

  -Chris

• 132 Jeremy Hier // Jun 20, 2008 at 3:20 pm

  Hey Chris,

  Surfs up dude. I’m waiting for your power reports,
  and your linking report for Confessions buyers.

  Also looking forward to your templates.

  I know I gotta be patient, its a lot of info to put together.

  But I’m looking forward to it, Because I think your the only marketer online who is teaching combining mini-sites and authority sites.

  Targeted direct-response mini-sites with good copy with bigger authority sites.

  Others are teaching one or the other. I am familiar with most other marketers products.

  All the Best,

  Jeremy

• 133 Andres // Jun 21, 2008 at 2:42 am

  Hi Cris

  You are totally correct about building authority web sites, since the one I created 2 years ago don’t fluctuate in traffic too much, doesn’t earn too much, but it increases doing nothing.

  My 2 minisites created recently using your strategies where reaching the top of the SERPS and suddenly “dissapeared”. I was doing article marketing, directory submission,Web 2.0 Marketing instead of Linkvana I used Traffickahuna (the sales letter convinced me much more than LV) I was for 2 months and I left the membership.

  Feeling a little fear about SEO, because don’t know what to expect.

  These 2 sites don’t even rank for their domain names, they aren’t greybarred, so aren’t banned, but the review page and the index page dissapeared from the index.

  Don’t know if they are Sandboxed or it is link aging a penalty or what else, I’m afraid to continue investing in them because of this.
  My first site (the one that is stable now) began with 800 slow directory submissions and article marketing, pretty much the same as the minisites (for the minisites I purchased 1200 slow submission and for the other 1800 submissions, maybe too much and looked unnatural to Google).

  Also, Google isn’t indexing those sites anymore, although they both have a blog (3 months now). Should I wait and build more links to them or dump them?

• 134 Fernando // Jun 25, 2008 at 5:05 pm

  Chris,

  Quick note of appreciation for your willingness to help. That in itself will increase your income as I have been following your blog for a couple of days and have gotten over my skepticism enough to purchase your book.

  It’s refreshing to see someone come out from behind the curtain here in the land of Oz.

  Much Respect,
  Fernando

  “The Twilight Warrior”

  P.S. Looking to release ebook product very soon, are you open to offering constructive criticism?

  Thanks again.

• 135 John Timberlake // Jun 30, 2008 at 4:25 pm

  Hey Chris,

  Just a short not to say Hi and that I appreciate your products and how you promote them. I especially like you slightly aggressive but soft copy writing style, very effective.

  I’ve started out in IM back in Sept. and it’s taken me until now to work out a model that I like.

  My biggest challenges to date….

  1) Staying motivated while my site is moving through the google shuffle and getting some decent traffic….and profits ; )

  2) Letting go of a new site and moving on to the next project, the ol stats addiction..

  3) Writing good copy that informs, inspires action and converts.

  That’s plenty for now.

  See ya at the Bank…. : )

  JohnT

• 136 Jeff // Jul 7, 2008 at 12:16 am

  Chris:

  I think my biggest obstacle is just finding what works.

  I have done virtually everything you suggested in COALSA, except for buying links and Linkvana, though I just purchased it last week.

  I know you have criticized Bum Marketing in the past, though when I started writing one article per day for a couple of weeks, I made $350, which is about half of the total I’ve made since February when I started my online marketing. But I’ve basically run out of keywords in my niches to write articles on.

  If I could just find a method that would let me sell one product per day per niche, I would just do that over and over, and keep getting into new niches

• 137 Nick // Jul 7, 2008 at 7:43 am

  Hey Chris,

  I found your registry site. It has no backlinks, according to Yahoo. And no rankings. How did it make money? Or get any visitors in teh first place? Since you said, inside your video, that you DID use all backlink tactics. So why can it not be traced in any way?

  I think it’s a bit weird. I like the way you build up a website. And I see that google likes it too. But how can it make money if it’s not ranking well in any way.

  Hope you can clarify it.

  Thanks,

  Nick

• 138 admin // Jul 9, 2008 at 3:56 pm

  Hi Nick,

  Then you didn’t find my site.

  That site currently has 2,900 backlinks according to Yahoo and gets a decent amount of traffic and monthly sales.

  What you more than likely found was one of the many idiots who copied my site outright in a desperate attempt to make money by ripping off someone else’s work.

  -Chris

• 139 Ton Perez // Jul 13, 2008 at 6:33 am

  Hi Chris,
  This is where I am at: Nowhere….
  I started off way back having got involved in the biggest internet con ever, MLM. I bought everything offered and ended up with nothing to show for except a lot of frustration and some financial loss.
  Ever since, and rather skeptically,I have been trying to crawl back in after filling my hard disk with literally hundreds of ebooks, programs, methods, you name it, that have been and still are promoted by the so called”gurus” of the internet market, but all to no avail.
  I need to get started from scratch and this info. does not teach you the basic foundation of it all. I need someone to grab me by the hand and point me to A to B through to Z.
  The information I have purchased and downloaded might, some of it, be of help when one is up and running, with some kind of established market/business and even then, it is all probably “dead meat” well past its sell by time anyway.
  So here I am, with no blog, website, business, list, nothing. I may be a “newbie” by I really am not a beginner and I do know how to get my computer to work, it is just the material I am feeding to it that is the problem.
  So Chris, what A to Z kind of strategy/coaching can you offer me and at what price?
  Thanks for your time.
  Regards
  Tony

  P.S.-I did not quite tell the truth about having “nothing”. I have for the last five years or so been Ebaying. I do buy and sell succesfully in a niche market of my own but life is tough and getting tougher on Ebay and it does not provide me with anything but a modest income. This is why I need to diversify and find other options.

• 140 S. Bailey // Jul 16, 2008 at 1:54 pm

  Hey Chris,
  Just got your two awesome reports on Niches and The Conduit Method. Very impressed. I just heard about you and I’ll be buying your ebook right after I finish this post! I want to start all over, from the start, with a plan that actually works. Imagine that! I’ve been casually studying online marketing for about two years. I’ve got a couple of sites up, selling quality resale rights products in the internet marketing niche (not a great idea, I know) I think I’ve passed the point of info overload (for the most part), all the hypey b.s. marketers, and what doesn’t really work that well. I found your two reports unbelievably refreshing and motivating, just as I was about to throw in the towel on the whole “how to make money on line” thing!

  I’ve tried a few things in the past with not much success and after spending 2 or 3 thousand dollars I’m really no better off than when I started. I’ve made lots of mistakes. I don’t really see it as money wasted, because I always learn something, but I bought a bunch of shit that I didn’t need at the beginning stage and it totally distracted me so many times and caused me to follow countless “rabbit trails” and wasted a shit-load of my time. I needed a focused step by step WORKABLE plan (with examples) but pretty much all I got was pieces to the puzzle and promises of “living the dream”… but I’m still broke!

  So, right now, I guess my main obstacle is that I’m not sure which direction to go, next. I’ve started and tried dozens of things and I’m totally burned out. I just want to make some progress instead of spinning my wheels on unworkable crap. So, maybe your my answer. I don’t need 5 million dollars, I just need to make a living. I’m pretty familiar with most of the stuff out there that is being sold by the internet marketing big wigs. I remember big inet marketing guru saying once, in an email to his list, after a survey that he took, that over 80 percent of his list do not make money and are newbies! He said that really surprised him. That is pathetic to me. If I were him, and internet marketing was my main niche, I would say that my efforts to help people make money were largely a failure. What a friggin irony! Some of these gurus justify making millions while their customers go broke, and the gurus have the gall to put the blame on their customers laziness or whatever. Maybe these gurus are good guys, but I might have a hard time sleeping at night knowing I got rich of off naive newbies who got sucked into my “marketing funnel” of getting rich online when none of my customers actually are making any real money! There is a temptation here for me to become jaded, but I’ll resist.

  Enough whining on my part! I think really need to just stay focused on one thing that works and get that going, and then build on and tweak that, so maybe your Lazy Internet Marketer ebook will help a lot. I don’t know how to build sites ( I outsourced the two that I have up but I will probably need to learn how, eventually) and would like to get serious about this and make this a full time income. I like the idea of your 6 month course and it sounds like something I need. I hope you are including videos as well. I’m really tired of the ultra-hypey sales letters and “big launches”. You are different and that’s why I’m listening. Thanks for TRULY wanting to help us to learn and become successful online. Your efforts are much appreciated! Is it that hard to present a win-win scenario to people where we all can have a piece of the mutiple billion dollar pie instead of just the top 1-2 percent?
  I like your style, Chris! Keep it up.

  -Scott

  P.S.
  This comment below is not for posting, but if you have a need for a 40 year old honest, dependable, free-lancer, let me know. I need some work while I get my online efforts off the ground. I don’t have any tech skills, to speak of, but I do a good job editing, proof-reading, doing research, some writing etc., and/or customer service and am willing to learn whatever you need. I’m a fast learner and can probably handle anything you throw at me. I’m between jobs right now and can work full time if need be. The immediate cash would come in handy. Just email me if you could use my help.

• 141 Chuck Staff // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:12 am

  Hi Chris:

  Just purchased VIP Essentials Package and the OTO ‘Competitive Intel Report’. I don’t THINK there’s anything you’ve put out that I haven’t purchased… Decided to quit buying ‘secrets’ and stay focused — I’ve put horse blinders on — on the Conduit Method.

  I truly enjoy your ‘No BS’, ‘tell-it-like-is’ style. I’m both a listener and a reader… I have one MP3 with you being interviewed by a ‘bloke’ from PLRPRO.

  Are there other MP3′s of you floating around out there that you know of? I do a bit of ‘windshield time’ on my daily commute and I’d love to find
  another MP3 or two.

  Thanks for all you do!

  Chuck Staff
  Palmyra, Virginia

  PS: Why do you give away ALL of the profit on your VIP reports? Just a way of over-delivering or is it a ‘strategy’ to sell the occasional OTO?

• 142 Mike A // Aug 28, 2008 at 12:13 am

  So I’d like to start at square 1. Could you recomend what to look for in a web hosting company, and who do you use?
  Thanks Man!

• 143 Max // Oct 10, 2008 at 9:59 am

  Hi Chris

  I’ve purchased 3 or 4 of your guides and rate them really highly. I don’t recall you touching on the following in any of them, but I might have read too fast and missed something.

  Should affiliates use link cloaking software? If so, can you recommend one that’s good? Also, should affiliates use ‘scripts’ that bi-pass a Merchant’s Sales Page and send visitors direct to the order page?

  Best Wishes
  Max
  (Excellent Blog by the way!)

• 144 Louise // Oct 19, 2008 at 2:47 pm

  What’s the best way to use Linkvana? Are there a certain number of articles I should submit?

  I’m trying to develop a plan so I submit regularly but I’m unsure what a good target is.

  What do you do?

• 145 marketshare // Nov 11, 2008 at 4:45 am

  Hi Chris,

  I’m interested in puchasing your new ultimate search engine loophole ebook.

  It’s been suggested to me that I will need other software to make this work. I don’t have a problem with this but can you tell me exactly what I will need to have to derive maximum benefit from your ebook.

  Thanks

  Glenn

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