Affiliates Do you have a Plan B

[jess1]

From where I sit, I am seeing google slowly and systematically bringing some affiliates to their knees, some whom I have worked with over many years. It is in my interest to keep taps on what is happening out there. I must assume therefore that the networks must be thinking about this too. It could be argued that with google changing its algos , google gets a better quality of affiliate. But I think we are all not naive not to know what google’s bigger picture is, to be the ultimate super affiliate. Fair dues, they are a profit making body. Its not just about goal posts being shifted re their algorithms, but there also seems to be little internal consistency within their ad words department making things progressively even more difficult. My question then is what are affiliates are doing about it? My immediate response would be to start promoting MSN and Yahoo to my visitors, or at least make them aware of the alternatives. Whilst I see all this as the tip of an iceberg that has yet to surface, I am hoping that affiliates have a plan B. What measures have you taken to ensure if you get wiped out of google for one thing you have a back up plan.

[nicksthename]

Years ago, when I was more active in SEO & aff marketing I was doing very nicely on ringtones, but really didn't look at the bigger picture. My SEO at the time was based on link-buying from only a couple of sites, rather than going 'organic.' Google caught on to this and totally wiped me out causing me to leave the industry for a while , I'm only just coming back to it now.

I think affiliates would do well to get in anywhere they can obtain recurring / lifetime commissions. Multiple organic website in different areas would also be a good way of lowering risk I think.

Of course, if you have the money, you can always think of investment in other areas such a foreign property, other businesses etc.

I did put up another post along these lines, for a partner in our new business, for anyone looking to spread their risk. I think that's what it's all about, having interests in different areas.

[drivetowin]

Build sites with good content, a unique offering and build communities/brand - so you're not dependent on the search engines for your traffic

Oh - and dont rely on one hosting company - B***host I love you - NOT!! - and have a disaster recovery strategy that isnt reliant on your hosting company holding your backups (and then finding that the hosting company doesn't answer your emails for 96 hours and counting!!)

[loquax]

Plan B? Erm... 'Get a Plan A'??

Jason

[John Jupp]

Or is it really Plan A as this is what I planned all along?

Throw together a few affiliate sites to test the water.
Move on to niche marketing.
Diversify as much as possible.
Move into drop ship.
Move into wholesale.
Move into manufacturing.
Set up your own affiliate schemes with companies like AF and ClixGalore.
Leave it all to the kids and retire.

I'm now approaching point seven.

Plan B includes finding other ventures and right now I'm cooking a very nice property deal extra long term, converting a large car park into apartments with off road parking as the commercial centre of the town in question is slowly moving.

[Shane]

Personally I'm looking for something offline too that can probably be run by someone else whilst I Monitor closely but don't get tied up in the logistics of running it, a franchise looks the most likely candidate at this point although I've not had time to seriously get into it yet.

multiple streams are always good and from diverse sources is a bonus, so online AND offline is probably better than all just online.

Regarding online, I'm looking more and more to community based sites with a user base, after all if you have a user base you don't have to keep going out to find new users to market to as you do with one off items or services , and you can use your userbase to introduce new members thus further reducing dependence on Google.

oh and if the worst happens I still have a class 1 HGV licence and a penchant for bikini clad swedish hitchikers so.. driving big bendy trucks again is an option

[Itchy]

Originally Posted by loquax Plan B? Erm... 'Get a Plan A'?? Jason

erm whats a plan

[Another Media]

My immediate response would be to start promoting MSN and Yahoo to my visitors, or at least make them aware of the alternatives.

This is fair comment and a reasonable alternative at the moment but slowly and surely Yahoo and MSN are going to do the same as Google and unless you shell out for PPC and compete with the thousands of other affiliates to try and snatch some quality traffic (as all the engines change their algos enough to phase out affiliate sites) it's going to get extremely difficult to establish some kind of foothold and consistent income.

At the moment it seems to be only Google that are sending good quality traffic that converts my way. I'm receiving ten times the amount of traffic from MSN that Google sends and Google still converts at a ratio of around 5:1 against - and thats for the same key phrases.

To shift the paying majority away from Google it's going to take some convincing that using Google isn't cool, isn't always the most accurate and doesn't always have the user's (searchers and affiliates included) best interests at the forefront of it's business model.

It's going to be a mixture of community, brand, offline advertising, word of mouth and offering something that little bit extra to your customers that will give you any chance of starting and surviving in the affiliate game.

I agree completely with Nick, Keith, John (I would add offline interests into your 8 point plan John, just incase of internet meltdown) and Shane. Affiliate marketing is good start into setting you up for the future and can be your only source of income with luck and the right approach but as soon as you get a sniff of success - reinvest and diversify. Just incase.

I'm always looking for joint ventures, profit shares and other things which might be of interest so if anyone has anything of interest please feel free to send a PM my way.

[madeinbritain]

I think duplicate content and link partnership schemes are the reason my sites and affiliate sites in general have been hit.

If you build good quality original content I am sure there is income to be made. There are still many sites full of ads ranking well.

[Lea]

Well - if I can be BRUTAL here

I'm not suprised that the search engines are going their own stuff. The ammount of affiliates that make REALLY ****E sites that spam the web and flood it with total garbage - then its no wonder they have taken it upon themselves to both clean up the web and make money from it. I personally had a dream of doing that once (lol - dont laugh - it would not be backed up so I would loose it with the first hacker / virus)

Backup plan - well, I'm living mine now - lucky for me I have me, and am a pretty good consultant that cant be hacked / stolen / lost or have my experience taken away from me ... yey

[monkeyman]

Originally Posted by Shane oh and if the worst happens I still have a class 1 HGV licence and a penchant for bikini clad swedish hitchikers so.. driving big bendy trucks again is an option

That's my plan B too. I just need the HGV licence!