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The Pros and Cons of Offering Bonuses to Affiliates
September 28th, 2008 under Attracting Affiliates. [ Comments: none ]

The Pros and Cons of Offering Bonuses to Affiliates

If you run an affiliate program, the effort put forth by your affiliates impacts on your profits. They more they market a website, the more views your links will get. This should lead to increased sales. Although an affiliate has some control over the money they make, not everyone puts forth that extra effort. For that reason, you may consider offering bonuses to your affiliates. It seems like a good idea, but is it? Familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of affiliate bonuses and then make the decision for yourself.

The Pros of Offering Affiliate Bonuses

Your options. Affiliate bonuses come in a number of different formats. You can decide how you want to offer this reward. For example, you can do a onetime commission increase for top performers. Increase their commission from 2%PRCTG% to 3%PRCTG%. You can opt for a short-term commission increase. For example, increase all of your affiliates? commission levels from 2%PRCTG% to 4%PRCTG% in the month of December. There are also year-end bonuses. You can opt for bonuses for all affiliates or just those who made a certain amount of money.

They serve as a good source of motivation. As previously stated, not everyone is motivated when it comes to affiliate programs. Yes, it seems silly. An affiliate is in control over how much they make, but some rarely do any work. In fact, you may have affiliates on your program list that don?t even have your links displayed. These individuals will be motivated when they hear about a bonus. For that reason, announce all bonuses ahead of time. Give your affiliates a goal to work towards. If they meet that goal, they are rewarded. If not, it is their loss.

They impact your profits. Your one concern about offering affiliate bonuses is the extra money it costs. Yes, you will spend more, but consider the end result. Your affiliates are going to put forth extra effort to promote their website and your links, especially if they know there is the chance to get a great year-end bonus! Where to want to be cautious is with under performers or those that do not even have your links displayed. Don?t offer bonuses to these individuals, as you automatically lose money.

The Cons of Offering Affiliate Bonuses

They can be difficult for you to implement. As previously stated, if you want to do a year-end bonus, make sure your top earning affiliates get the most. After all, they did the most work. This means going down through the list of your partners and calculating bonuses. This can take time. It may be better to opt for an increase in everyone?s commission for a month or two. This involves changing a few settings in your affiliate tracking software and nothing more.

Your affiliates may come to expect these bonuses. Yes, bonuses do serve as a source of motivation, but your affiliates may come to expect them. If you cannot afford to give a bonus next year or raise commissions, you may have a disgruntled bunch. If you offer year-end bonuses, tell your affiliates it is a one-time thing. If you can afford and choose to give a bonus the following year, good. If not, there isn?t a big loss or uproar.

Some of your affiliates may get angry if they did not get a bonus. You should have a terms and condition contract that your affiliates agreed to. If not, make one. In that agreement, should be information concerning compensation. If not, update. Your affiliates should not disclose their commission rates or bonuses. Healthy competition is good, but discussing bonuses when not everyone got one often leads to trouble.

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Internet Marketers: When To Outsource
September 27th, 2008 under IM Time Management. [ Comments: none ]

Internet Marketers: When To Outsource

Are you an internet marketer? Whether you sell your service to webmasters or if you market your own website, blog, product, or service, time management is important. When you properly manage your time, you get more work done. Since this work involves marketing and sharing website links throughout the internet, that work can translate into more income.

Yes, internet marketing and time management go hand-in-hand. To increase your earnings, improve your time management skills. With that said, even the most experienced internet marketers need help on occasion. That help usually comes from an outsourced worker.

So, can you benefit from outsourcing some internet marketing tasks? What occasions call for it? Continue reading on to find out.

When there isn?t enough hours in the day. There are hundreds of ways to market a website, product, service, or blog on the internet. Popular approaches include article directories, search engine optimization, and meta tags. Less popular, but still effective approaches include giveaways, advertising on internet forums, and Twitter. You can manage your time and create goals, but you may still find that there just isn?t enough time in the day. That is the time to outsource.

When you need experienced help. As previously stated, there are many ways to advertise online. Keyword optimized content will draw readers from search engines and article directories can generate traffic through back links. But, to implement these two approaches, you need to write content. Do you dislike writing? Does it take you too long to write an article? Are you worried about the quality of your work? If so, hire a professional to work as an outsourcer.

When you want to spend time researching. Internet marketing is an advertising practice that is always on the change. A good example of this was the above mentioned Twitter. When Twitter first started, it was typically used only for social communication. Overtime, internet marketers realized the advertising potential that existed. Since new methods of advertising online are always developing, take time to research those ways. If you lose time or money doing so, outsource.

When you need to take a step back. Do you operate an online retail store? If so, you generate customers by spreading the word about your store online. The more you market, the more sales you will generate. Unfortunately, you cannot market 24 hours a day. If you attempt to, which many new internet marketers do try at least once, you will find yourself overwhelmed. If that time arrives, use an outsourcer. This allows you to get a much needed break, while still advertising online.

When you need to focus on other tasks. As used as an example above, do you operate an online store? If so, there are many tasks you will have to complete. If your operation is small, you may be in charge of processing orders, updating products, and so forth. Internet marketing is not your only job. If you have other, important tasks to attend to, outsource.

When you have a life outside of internet marketing. As previously stated, many internet marketers try to work around the clock. Many think of the money they lose by taking a break. As much as you want, you cannot spend 24 hours a day on the computer, especially if you have a family. For that reason, hire an outsourced worker on occasion. When doing so, neither your family nor your business has to suffer.

When you have a deadline to meet that you can?t. Many online workers double as internet marketers, but some sell their services to generate income. If you are one of those individuals, you may be faced with a deadline that you cannot meet. If so, consider outsourcing. Just be sure to hire a professional and experienced worker, as your company name will be attached to their work. Before opting to outsource, ask for a deadline extension.

As you can see, there are many situations in which you can benefit from outsourcing. Outsourcing is often regarded as a bad thing, but it doesn?t have to be.

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Tips for Running a Successful Affiliate Program
September 21st, 2008 under Attracting Affiliates. [ Comments: none ]

Tips for Running a Successful Affiliate Program

If you want to increase your sales, you may opt for running an affiliate program. When doing so, you allow other webmasters and bloggers to do the promoting for you. Not only that, but you both benefit. When they help to generate sales, you get the sale and they get the commission. Most internet users and business owners see affiliate programs as a win win situation and they are.

Although affiliate programs should benefit everyone involved, some programs take a turn in the wrong direction. Don?t let this happen to yours. Remember, the goal of an affiliate program is to promote your company or the products you sell. To ensure this is what happens, please continue reading on for a few helpful tips.

Do not let just anyone into your affiliate program. You will find a lot of varying information about this very subject online. Some affiliate managers recommend letting anyone interested join the program and other have rules and restrictions. For now, be lax on the rules, but use your best judgment. Do not accept an affiliate that has questionable videos, picture, or content on their website. It is usually best to avoid websites that use excessive bad language or have pornographic videos and pictures.

Do create a detailed application for interested applicants to complete. If you use a third-party affiliate hosting site, you may need to make a special note to the administrator. These websites often have their own standard applications. At the every least, get the name of the website your links, banners, company name, and products will be displayed on. Make sure it is inline with your views and company image.

Do not be afraid to reject some applications. As previously stated, you should not let anyone into your affiliate program. This is very important if your company name or products are linked-to on the website. You have an image to protect. With that said, saying you are going to reject is easier than doing it. You may feel bad for the applicant or think about the money lost. Don?t. If it will make you feel better, offer a brief explanation. If the applicant is on the right track, but not there, provide a few tips. Encourage them to implement these tips and then reapply for the program.

Do not expect to see results right away. If you started selling a product or a service, you already know that you cannot build an empire overnight. For example, if you wrote and eBook that you now sell online, it took you months to write that book, proofread, and edit. Then, you had to design a cover and upload to the web. You likely marketed your website before deciding on an affiliate program. You saw right away that just because a product or website is online, it doesn?t mean people will find it. Remember this about your affiliate program. It may take applicants awhile to learn about the opportunity. It make take even longer for their efforts to generate sales. Never give up on an affiliate program before the two-year mark. If after that point, you are still losing money, terminate.

Finally, be sure to invest time in those who look promising. Whether it be a consistent top performer or a new affiliate who looks promising, invest your time. Always encourage your affiliates to actively promote your company and products, but reward them for jobs well-done. Always be available or hire an affiliate manager to take questions, complaints, and suggestions. A happy affiliate will do the most for your company.

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Prioritizing Your Internet Marketing Tasks
September 21st, 2008 under IM Time Management. [ Comments: none ]

Prioritizing Your Internet Marketing Tasks

Is internet marketing one of the many tasks you complete as a webmaster? If so, you may feel overwhelmed. After all, your to-do list may be two pages or longer! So, how do you manage your time without feeling overwhelmed and worked to the max? You do so by prioritizing your internet marketing tasks.

As nice as it is to hear that you can and should prioritize your internet marketing tasks, you may be wondering why. For starters, prioritizing has its own benefits. It lets you know what you need to do and how. Items are often categorized in order based on importance. In terms of internet marketing, this can make it easier to complete your daily duties, as well as in an effective manner.

What is ideal about prioritizing your internet marketing, aside from improving productivity, is your options. Since it is your to-do list, you can prioritize its contents however you see fit. For tips and suggestions on how to prioritize your tasks for the ultimate results, please continue reading on.

Before focusing on how you can prioritize your internet marketing tasks, make sure you can. If you work as an internet marketer for hire, you work for others. You may be provided with a specific list of duties. This means that you might not have a choice, as these tasks may already be prioritized and in order for you. However, if you do have freedom:

Start with something new. Many internet marketers put off certain tasks, especially those they have yet to try. This is mostly due to a fear of failure. Yes, if an internet marketing campaign falls short, you lose money and time. But, you also lose money by not taking the risk. So, get your to-do list started with a new internet marketing technique you have yet to try.

Start with something you know works. As previously stated, you want to try new internet marketing tactics, but that doesn?t mean you have to start your day with them. If you want to ensure your time will translate into money, start with marketing tactics you know work. For example, have you seen an increase in website traffic due to article directory submissions? If so, start your day producing content to be distributed.

Start with something that is easy. Internet marketing tactics come in all different formats. Some are easier than others. To get the ball rolling, start with a tactic that you know is easy. For example, do you post messages on a related forum with an advisement in your signature? If so, this is easy. Starting with an easy task not only gets the ball rolling, but it can also help you get into your groove.

Start with something that is hard. Do you have a hard marketing method on your to-do list? For example, do you want to write two new pages of copy for your website? If so, you may find this hard, as it is time consuming. For that reason, move this step to the top of your to-do list. When you get the harder tasks out of the way, you can breathe a sigh of relief and stop ferreting about it.

In conclusion, there are many ways to prioritize a to-do list. Your choice should depend on your own personal preferences. With that said, look for an approach that is easy to work with and one that improves productivity.

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Internet Marketing and Monthly To-Do Lists
September 16th, 2008 under IM Time Management. [ Comments: none ]

Internet Marketing and Monthly To-Do Lists

Do you work as an internet marketer? Whether you sell your services to webmasters or if you market a product or service that you personally sell, time management is vital to your success. Interest generated through effective marketing campaigns will translate into income. However, if you have a poor sense of time management, your ability to work will be impacted, as will your income level.

Since time management has such an important role in generating income as an internet marketer, how do you use it to your advantage? You do have a number of options, but some work better than others. To get started, try monthly to do lists.

Monthly to-do lists? Yes, monthly. Unfortunately, this is a point where many new to internet marketing think that monthly lists put a lot on ones plate. Yes, they do, but it vital to your success as an internet marketer to stay focused and on task. A monthly to-do list can help you do this. Plus, to be a successful internet marketer, especially when marketing your own products and service, it is important to have long-term goals.

So, what makes a monthly to-do list better than a daily or even weekly list? It has to do with generating traffic. For example, submitting content to article directories with back links is a great way to generate interest and market a website, but it only works for so long. Article directories keep new articles up higher in their search results. This means you may generate traffic from an article you wrote two days ago, but that traffic will slowly taper off.

In keeping with the above mentioned article directory example, it is important to create a strategy. Since you will see the most traffic generated from content on an article directory in the week following submission, don?t submit 10 articles the first week of the month and stop. Yes, you still do increase traffic, but you need to be strategical about it. Placing articles on directories at various stages throughout the month will result in new, different readers.

When creating a monthly to do list, you have different options. For starters, you can create a handmade chart or list. Another option is to use Microsoft Word or Works or a spreadsheet. Not only is it quicker to compile your information the computer, but it can be saved. With monthly to-do lists, you can use them again. Since you will want to cross each task off as completed, don?t be left having to write another handmade list. Instead, save your monthly to-do list as a spreadsheet on your computer and print a new copy each month.

When creating a spreadsheet with a Microsoft program, use the columns to create four sections. These sections will be week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4. In the rows underneath, highlight internet marketing tasks to do. For example, week one could include creating a monthly newsletter for customers and submitting 2 articles to article directories. Week two could include emailing your newsletter to customers, submitting 2 more articles to directories, and starting a contest on your website.

In short, it is important to stay focused and on task daily while working as an internet marketer, but it is also important to consider the long-term results. To see the best success as an internet marketer or an online retailer, aim for long-term boosts of traffic, not short ones.

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How and Why To Support Good Affiliates
September 15th, 2008 under Attracting Affiliates. [ Comments: none ]

How and Why To Support Good Affiliates

If you operate an affiliate program, you want to provide your affiliates with help and support. The better they do, the more sales you make. With that said, you should focus on some certain individuals. Who are they? Your good affiliates.

First, it is important to look at the standard definition of good. Those that bring in many sales are automatically good. They fall into this category. You want to give them everything, within reason, that they need to keep generating sales. This may include new graphics. With that said, also consider the potentially good affiliates. These individuals need help, but have the potential to become big moneymakers. For example, they may have a well-designed website and good ad placement, but are not actively marketing their website.

For your affiliates that fall into the potentially good category, provide many tips. Most are now just learning the ropes of affiliate programs, internet sales, and internet marketing. They are spending a lot of their own time researching the ins and outs. Make it easier for them. Have information available online for them to read. This information can include how-to guides on your website, links to other websites, or downloadable eBooks. Show your affiliates with potential how to market a website, how to improve ad placement, the importance of both, and so forth.

For your potentially good affiliates, make sure someone is available to answer their questions and provide support. This is needed when dealing with those just learning the ropes. Yes, you need to devote a lot of time into helping, but the payoff should be worth it in the end. If someone has a good website, but needs help marketing that website, ensure they get the help. Whether it be with marketing, ad placement, or uploading coded graphics, ensure your affiliates with potential are never left to fend for themselves. You don?t want them to pack up and leave.

Also for the potentially good affiliates, review their websites. This is someone who you noticed increased his or her sales, but then seemed to hit a roadblock. You have access to their website or sales page. Visit it, look around, and make notes. Contact that affiliate. Tell them you want to help them improve their earnings. Mention you viewed their website and give a few helpful suggestions. Remember, they earn money by generating sales for you, which increases your own personal profits. When taking this approach, don?t focus only on the bad. Give suggestions for improvement, like with banner placement, but compliment them on something good too.

For good affiliates, pick their brains. Ask them for suggestions. Don?t wait for them to come to you, as some won?t. You might assume a top earning affiliate couldn?t do more to increase their sales, but they likely have hundreds of ideas floating around in their head. Ask. They may want you to have more uploadable graphics or links to individual products. They may wish it was easier to search for banners than having to browse through 30 pages. Not only take their suggestions, but try to implement them. Your top earning affiliates generate big sales for you. Ensure they are happy and stay onboard.

The best way to support both good affiliates and those with potential is to offer rewards. Make sure these affiliates are recognized for their hard work. If you can?t afford to raise their commission levels permanently, do a short-term increase, a one-time bonus, or use their name in a company newsletter.

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Benefits of Rewarding Your Affiliates
September 10th, 2008 under Attracting Affiliates. [ Comments: none ]

Benefits of Rewarding Your Affiliates

If you run an affiliate program, do you reward your affiliates for a job well-done? If not, you should start and immediately. These programs rely on the hard work and determination of affiliates to be successful. You may be surprised how much motivation rewards provide.

As great as it is to hear that you can and should reward affiliates for a job well-done, why? It is really worth the time and effort. Of course it is! Remember rewards are motivation. You need to motivate your affiliates. An affiliate is more likely to promote their website with your links and those links when they get an extra incentive for doing so. Don?t make the mistake of believing rewards are only for children. They are not and they can do wonders for your affiliate program.

Not only does rewarding your affiliates improve their drive and determination, but it should lead to more sales for you. An affiliate selling your eBook through an affiliate sales page is more likely to push your product and market it when they get rewarded. This means more sales for you. The same with retail store affiliate programs. Whether you sell one product or one thousand, you should notice an increase in sales after putting a rewards program in place.

Now that you know the benefits of rewarding your affiliates, what type of rewards can you do? Your options are endless. With that said, try to keep it related to your affiliate program. For example, reward top earning affiliates with commission increases. Reward all of your affiliates with a temporary increase in commission percentages during the holidays. Give away the some of your top selling products or electronic devices, like a new laptop.

It is best to reward your affiliate with prizes. This is a given, as people love free stuff. With that said, don?t discount a little bit of recognition. Do you send out monthly newsletters to your affiliates or have an online message forum? If so, highlight top earning affiliates or the most improved. Better yet, turn it into a learning experience. Interview that affiliate or provide links to their website or sales page. Let your underperformers see what it takes to be a successful, well-paid partner.

The simplest way to reward an affiliate for a job well-done is to send them a personal message. Did you notice that an affiliate helped to assist in a large sale, like a %2,000 television set? Send them a quick congratulatory message and thank them for participating in your program. People want to be recognized and congratulated for a job well-done. A boss shakes the hand of a well-performing employee in the traditional workplace, so try to do the same. Showing appreciation is a very simple yet effective way to improve moral and keep good performing affiliates onboard.

As you can see, there are many ways to reward your affiliates for a job well done. If you aren?t doing so now, give it a try. Monetary compensation or prizes always do the trick. As previously stated, people love free stuff and your affiliates feel the same way. As for sending a congratulatory message or featuring a notable affiliate, you open the line of communication. This is important when running a successful affiliate program; you and your affiliates must work together as a team.

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Internet Marketers: Tasks Ideal for Outsourcing
September 10th, 2008 under IM Time Management. [ Comments: none ]

Internet Marketers: Tasks Ideal for Outsourcing

Are you a webmaster who uses your website to generate income? Whether you do so by selling a product, a service, or with the use off affiliate links, page views are important to your success. The more page views your website receives, the more your earnings potential increase. For that reason, you may not classify yourself as an internet marketer, but you need to become one.

As previously stated, the goal is to market a website, product, or service to consumers. This involves taking many steps. There are many common and successful internet marketing methods. In fact, you may be overwhelmed with your options. The more you advertise a website, product, or service, the more interest is generated. So, you may want to implement each internet marketing step you learn. What if you don?t have time to implement them all? Rely on outsourcing.

Before focusing on internet marketing tactics that are ideal for outsourcing, it is important to examine the pros and cons. For starters, hiring an outsourced worker will allow you to get more done. Remember, the more you market a website, the more money you can earn. Aside from increasing your earning potential, outsourcing also gives you freedom. This is ideal if you don?t want to spend 24 hours a day in front of the computer.

As beneficial as outsourcing can be, it too has its cons. For example, you must find a qualified individual to help. If you hire someone who is unfamiliar with internet marketing, the job may be done wrong. This not only wastes time, but money. So remove this as an issue; only hired those who are qualified to do the job and properly.

As for what internet marketing projects you can outsource:

The writing of web content. Web content is important to internet marketing and it can be used multiple ways. Updated websites with fresh content keeps readers coming back. Hire a web content writer to write pages for your website. Whether they write product reviews or keyword articles to drive in organic search engine traffic, they are helping you market your website.

When hiring a web content writer, look for an individual who has experience writing combination keyword and content articles. This means the articles will be interesting to read, but liked by search engines. Always review content before placing it on your website. Ensure it is professional and original.

Submitting to article directories. Do you like to write your own web content? If so, you may not need a web content writer, but someone to help you spread your content. Submitting articles to article directories with the use of back links can improve traffic and sales. The submission process is easy, but tedious. So, hire someone to submit your content for you. This is very affordable, as some will submit for less than %2 an article.

The writing of blog posts. If your main goal is to generate traffic to a website where you sell a product or service, rely on the use of a blog. Since blogs are updated often, they tend to accumulate more readers. So, hire a blog writer. This is cheaper than hiring a content writer, as blog posts are shorter and easier to compose.

When hiring a blog writer, provide clear instructions. Blogs are usually casually in tone. If you want your writer to take a professional approach, state so. Since the goal is to drive traffic to your website, be sure links are included in each post.

In addition to outsourcing small tasks to qualified workers, you have the option of hiring a professional internet marketer. This approach will work, but it can be very costly. It is more cost effective to do your own internet marketing and outsource on occasion.

As an important side note, if you are employed as an internet marketer, you market for other webmasters, not yourself. Yes, you can still outsource tasks, but know the risk. Your internet marketing business name will be responsible for all work submitted. You can suffer serious consequences from using an outsourcer that plagiarizes their work.

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Get More Done as an Internet Marketer: Choose Hours Carefully
September 4th, 2008 under IM Time Management. [ Comments: none ]

Get More Done as an Internet Marketer: Choose Hours Carefully

Do you run a website that sells a product, a service, or generates income through affiliate links? If so, internet marketing is a task you must complete. Unfortunately, internet marketing isn?t something you can do and be done with. To successfully generate income overtime with your website, you need to develop a lasting and long-term internet marketing plan.

When creating an internet marketing plan, there are many questions you need to answer. First, start with the large ones. These include how you want to market your website, products, or services. If you are new to internet marketing, research your options. You will find they are unlimited. Once you have developed a plan of action, such as buying advertisements, using article directories, link exchanges, and so forth, there is another important question you need to answer.

When should you work as an internet marketer? What should your work schedule hours be?

Before outlining ways for you to carefully choose your work hours, know that you may not have a say in the matter. Internet marketing and making money online can be a full-time job, but not everyone uses it as such. If you work part-time, your hands may be tied, in terms of flexibility. However, if you are a full-time home based worker, please continue reading on for helpful tips.

Work when you work the best. We all have grooves that we get into. These are times when we work the best, when we come up with the best ideas, or when we are the most productive. Some are early birds, rising and ready to work before the sun is even up. Others are night owls, working into the early morning hours. What type of person are you? Choose to work when you produce the best results.

Work when you have few interruptions. Are you a parent? Can you work when the kids are not home? If your children attend school, work during the day. If your children are home on vacation, there are benefits to readjusting your hours to late nights or early mornings. When you limit or eliminate your interruptions, you can work continuously.

Work when you have few distractions. Unfortunately, interruptions can?t always be eliminated as a problem, especially if you are a parent. You can, however, eliminate distractions. Do you have a favorite television show that you watch weekly or do you have houseguests every Tuesday night? If so, now is not the time to work. Readjust your schedule, even if just for one day a week, so that you can work without distractions.

When choosing what hours to work on internet marketing, many run into a common problem. That problem is not having enough hours in the day. That is why it is important to create a schedule. You cannot be expected to market your website a hundred different ways in one day, so spread the tasks throughout the week or month. And, in dire times hire a professional to outsource your work to. Freelance web content writers and graphic designers can help you market your website for an affordable fee.

As previously stated, you may not have the luxury of choosing your hours to work on internet marketing. If that the case, take anytime that you can get. Remember, the more you market your product, service, or affiliate links, the more income you will generate.

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Reward Your Affiliates with These Great Bonuses
September 3rd, 2008 under Attracting Affiliates. [ Comments: none ]

Reward Your Affiliates with These Great Bonuses

If you run an affiliate program, you want your affiliates to do well. The more links there are going back to your website and the more clicks those links receive, the more sales you get. You rely on your affiliates to generate interest and sales. Unfortunately, not everyone puts forth the same effort. That is why bonuses are a great idea. When properly implemented, bonuses for affiliates can reward your top performers and motivate your underperformers to improve.

As previously stated, bonuses provide a source of motivation for all affiliates. They also reward your top earnings. This is very important. Just because an affiliate applies to your program and you give them access to coded banners and links, it does not mean they will use them. Many affiliate program members are technically active, but actually inactive. You don?t necessarily want to give up hope on these individuals, as they can make both you and them money, but they need motivation. That motivation can come from additional compensation earned as a bonus.

As for why it is important to reward your top performing affiliates with bonuses, you want them to stay happy. These individuals generate the most sales for you. Overtime, they will expect some type of increase, like permanent commission increases. If you don?t want to take this big step, a year-end bonus may keep your affiliates satisfied. Remember, your top performers are not people you want to lose. If they leave the program, they take the sales they generate right along with them.

Now that you know the importance of rewarding your affiliates with bonuses, what type of bonuses can you offer? This is what is great, anything. You are in control. If you are looking for a few sample ideas, please continue reading on.

A year-end bonus. As previously stated, year-end bonuses can keep top performing affiliates held over. They would likely prefer a set commission increase, but at least they get extra money. If you opt for a year-end bonus, base your decision on performance. Do not give everyone a bonus or the same amount. For example, don?t give your inactive members a bonus if they don?t have any links to your website. Do not give an underperforming a %500 year-end bonus if they haven?t generated more than %200 in sales. Ensure your bonuses are enough to keep your affiliates happy, but that you don?t lose money too.

An increase in commissions. Although most individuals would consider an increase in commission a pay raise, it can fall into the category of bonuses. Once again, you want to use affiliate bonuses to motivate your underperformers and keep your top earners happy. For that reason, set a specific level in which commission will be raised. For example, an affiliate?s commission can increase to 4%PRCTG% once they reach %2,000 in sales. Next, that rate can increase to 5%PRCTG% once they reach %4,000 in sales, and so forth.

A temporary increase in commissions. If your main goal is to motivate your affiliates to try harder, a temporary commission increase is best. This just may get those individuals who have yet to place links to do so. Since these types of bonuses are only temporary, make it worth it. Instead of raising your affiliates? commission only 1%PRCTG% during the month of December opt for a 2 or 3%PRCTG% increase. Yes, you have to payout more, but it is only temporary and only when sales result.

In short, bonuses serve as motivation for underperforming affiliates and a reward for your top performers. If you operate an affiliate program and have yet to dispense bonuses, try it.

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