Not getting anywhere fast.

**aaclapham** · 04-09-06

I have been on the AF scene since December 2005 and have built up a number of web sites.

Presently I am earning enough to run the sites plus running costs such as broadband etc, with a bit to spare

All of my sales are through search engines or newsletters and so far I have kept well away from Google Adwords. I had a brief go at the very start and lost a bit of money with no sales.

Having read the forum I know I should just target a few keywords as a trial and give it another go, however I just wondered what other peoples opinions were?

Short term Adwords does get you the hits at a cost, but will it get the returning traffic and the sales? I guess its down to the content on the web site.

As I have a small budget I do not want to lose the hard earned money on a wing and a pray.

**UB Aff Manager** · 04-09-06

Hi Andrew, I got burned by adwords in the early days - classic case of jumping in with both feet thinking i was about to rule world! A couple of wasted hundred pounds later, i realised i would have to rethink!!!

My advice would be to start with low traffic but high converting terms - i.e if you're promoting ipods, go for "buy ipod online now" for example! ( well you get my drift ) and slowly build up your traffic by adding more terms.

If you monitor it closely, you'll soon start to see what terms work well and what ones don't. As your ROI improves, you can start to afford to try more risky, higher traffic terms.

Having said all that, i wished i'd spent the time i used on trying to become a PPC expert on basic SEO, adding content and quality back links to my sites - in the long term thats the winner!

**smn2** · 05-09-06

My best advice is to follow all the advice you find on this
forum and come up with something different from everyone
else.

Most people doing well are doing something different.

How can your sites be different?

By the way, I feel like I've been treading water for
several years now. Probably because I got to a point
of 'this is fine' and did't bother trying to go any further.

The people that make £ridiculous per month are the people
that wanted to make £ridiculous per month in the first place.

I never did, hence I never did. If you see what I mean.

So, do you *really* want to make lots of money?

Steve

**aaclapham** · 05-09-06

So, do you *really* want to make lots of money?

I really, really do

**zinc** · 05-09-06

Originally Posted by aaclapham

I really, really do

Then keep at it and don't get dis-heartened. I know I am not one to comment as I am also new to the scene but there is definitely plently of wonga here for everyone.

What sectors you in?

-Ben

**aaclapham** · 05-09-06

Insurance, Travel, Flowers, Fashion, Banking, Weddings.............

Each web site targets a different sector.

**accelerator** · 05-09-06

I don't think AdWords is the best option for a struggling newbie. After all, the beauty of affiliate marketing is that you can keep costs very low whilst making sales. Google AdWords is for the more established really, especially in some of the areas you mention. You should focus on making sales through natural traffic, and that means good content, novel marketing strategies and SEO. For general ideas, start reading some of the blogs on affiliate marketing and SEO here:

http://www.webref.eu/interesting-blogs.php

Think also how you can leverage the new social networking sites like YouTube, Myspace and del.icio.us etc.

The other bit of advice I have is focus on one (or maybe two) sites first. Put all your efforts into these sites first, and create a template that can be easily replicated. Once you have made a success of these first sites, that is the time to branch out.

The below site also comes highly recommended for marketing ideas:

http://www.site-reference.com/

All the best

Accelerator

**preventx** · 05-09-06

You need to ask yourself what percetage of organic search traffic converts to a sale first, and what is the average order value.

So I work to a 1 in 10 marketing spend, so for every one pound I spend I need to get £10 back. So if I sell a product for £15 I will spend £1.50 on ppc activity.

I might have a 5% covertion rate of if I sponsor a keyword which will cost me £0.20p per click I will have to have 20 clicks before I get a sale. which will be slightly less then the 1 in 10 but not to far away.

I also manage the PPC activty for DFDS Seaways and each sale (ferry booking) costs £7.65 now for my home health products which rrp at £15 that would be a disaster, but for a average ferry sea crossing with car and 4 people at £400 we still get our 1 in 10 marketing goal.

With affiliates it's twice as hard, I have found the affiliates that are doing well with www.preventx.co.uk have built very specific sites, so they get the conversions etc

good luck, dip ur toe in and see how u get on, easy's way to learn.

cheers Tom

20% Commission
www.preventx.co.uk

**Shine** · 05-09-06

I'd say keep at it, but start niche with something you know about. One of my first profitable merchants was one that, when it announced it's launch on this forum, everyone said "Nah, you'll never buy that online". I knew differently as I was already a customer, knew a few terms that I could see might work that even the merchant wasn't bidding on, and off I went.

After a while, and a lot of sifting through the numbers and webstats, I started to spot patterns that now help me identify other programmes with potential, or ways of marketing the same sites.

Also, starting with something you know helps keep it more interesting than trying to flog broadband connections, however much money there might be in it.

**aaclapham** · 08-09-06

Thanks for all your advice.

I have created a MYspace account if anyone wants to be my friend

My Space

**KirstyM** · 08-09-06

Hi Andrew,

I've added you as a friend on Myspace. I've always found PPC very easy to make money from as I was fortunate enough to be trained to run campaigns commercially before turning the power of PPC to my own benefit!

I'm also a former SEO type, so might be able to give you the odd pointer about general strategies to help your sites improve.

Give me a shout, I've also written an article for a site I am planning that offers advice to PPC newbies and gives a few decent tips. I'll let you read it if you promise not to use it anywhere before I do!!