Xmas is coming....its also my first....

[geordiboyo]

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Well guys and girls,

Xmas is around the corner and I am sure plans are well underway at affiliate headquarters around the UK and the globe.
The reason I make this post and I'm sure I ain't the only one is its my first xmas for affiliate marketing and I am so excited :tup

I still continue to learn and learn loads and will never stop learning, but I do have a couple of sites which are doing okay now and will hopefully be winners at xmas time whilst at the same time I ain't a clue what to expect.

Would be interested to hear a few statements and views from those whom had there first xmas in AM last year or even more so those whom have gone through many xmas periods.

What can I expect?

or

What increase in revenue do you see during the xmas period?

Look forward to hearing from you,

Mark :tup

[gimme4free]

Im adding loads of consoles and xmas banners to my PSP website, hopefully will do some good

[accelerator]

If you get it right you can expect a big uplift in sales in the run up to Christmas.

It is definitely worth targetting Christmas with suitable content, but obviously you would need to have your site in position well in advance, i.e. by now, if you are relying on natural search engine positions for your success.

Rgds

[Markup]

You can certainly expect uplift Mark. I have seen many (too many to count) affiliates completely change strategy after some Christmas BONANZAS. As long as your codes are current and you are pretty well optimized to capture natural search traffic it should be win win all the way – especially as the majority of online shoppers now have an inbuilt pre-requisite that they will go cashback or voucher code hunting before visiting a merchant.

Crimbo is the time of giving isn’t it. If you have plenty of promotional stuff pointing at your gift related products you can’t fail really and as has already been said consoles are king around this time.

It’s worth keeping in regular contact with your merchants too (yes, they really do like you to contact them) and ensure that they are not planning a booby trap (however unintentional) by reducing commissions on certain products because of the increase in demand. A merchants program I managed had to make the decision to do away with commissions on certain products (their most popular ones too) few Christmases ago and although I communicated it on here within minutes of learning it, the textual tongue bashing I got from QJG is still ringing in my ears :-) As a manager I could do nothing but I made a mental note that as an affiliate I would ensure I was never caught in a similar position again if I could help it. It does happen occasionally so be aware.

What can you expect? I’ve seen affiliates in your area experience 3, 4 and 500% uplift from early November to early March over the previous 4 months before the sales fever settles down. They done this consistently year in year out even as they grew, and though it may be optimistic to expect those levels, they are there to be had.

Good luck with your Christmas sales mate, I hope they go well for your first one!

[loquax]

One useful bit of advice is whilst building for Xmas, make sure you build for the sales straight after as well. Getting motivated to work later on in December is tough so try and be organised now for them.

Secondly stick with merchants you know - it's very very tempting to switch to one who suddenly offers the world in order for Xmas promos - try and resist!

Thirdly - don't panic if it doesn't work out - keep building and updating for after Xmas and into the new year. A lot of people are already shopping now and whilst fingers crossed it will be a good commission time for all, sometimes a big rise doesn't happen for many different reasons.

Finally - remember to have an office party. Even if it's you and a mate or the missus or whatever... take one day off, go and do the Christmas party thing other companies do!

Jason

[Markup]

...

Finally - remember to have an office party. Even if it's you and a mate or the missus or whatever... take one day off, go and do the Christmas party thing other companies do!

Jason

Brilliant bit of advice there. I' mgoing to take it myself. Where I'll find the time god only knows, but I will somehow.

[Affi Liate]

M,

Whey aye...

Meest noobs jezt deen't reelise huw MEGGA Oct/Nov/Dec eez...

eet's foookin MASSEEVE, whey aye mun.

It is a totally different Affiliate Animal to the rest of the year. TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

I could sit here all day but sadly I don't have the time today as I am developing my Newcastle Brown flavoured crisps for the Walkers competition.

XMAS:

The most important factor(s) in YOUR favour are this:

[1] Sh*t loads more people buy online (no brainer yes, but just think about that for a second).

[2] They are ready to enter their Credit Card details 10 times faster than any other time of the year so visits to conversions should increase significantly.

Remember people are buying GIFTS (presents, what ever you will) and for many this is seen as a "pain" a "chore". They just want to tick off the list as fast as they can and have done with it. Far less "shopping around"..

[3] With this in mind experimenting with PPC could not be easier than in Nov and December. But monitor it carefully as volumes can be suprising... and go [exact match]/very specific keywords niche.

In my experience, on a SCALE of 1 to 20, conversions from clicks increase from 1in 20 to 6 in 20 if you bid on specific products rather than generic.

Don't quite know what I mean with the scale thing having read it again, but basically the difference in conversions at Xmas is MASSIVE.

Again the free PPC article I did last year covers this with Xmas in mind.

Like my trouser snake, Xmas is MASSIVE.

Affi Klaus.

PS. Affi Xmas Tip of the day...

If you get significant last minute xmas traffic to any sites, plaster Amazon gift vouchers on every page on the last ordering day thru to the 25th December.

I sold over 50 on xmas eve/ xmas day morning last year... paid for the apple sauce

[loquax]

plaster Amazon gift vouchers on every page on the last ordering day thru to the 25th December

Nice one (will try and remember that) - and there was no code to figure out what you're on about either LOL!

Jason

[Markup]

... I could sit here all day but sadly I don't have the time today as I am developing my Newcastle Brown flavoured crisps for the Walkers competition.

Affi Klaus.

PS. Affi Xmas Tip of the day...

If you get significant last minute xmas traffic to any sites, plaster Amazon gift vouchers on every page on the last ordering day thru to the 25th December.

I've gone for bacon 'n' cabbage, it'll walk all over anything else tch tch

[geordiboyo]

Thanks very much for some great information all and Aff your geordie is getting there man, lets hope its ganna be a good un and if not I will plod on afterwards into the new year.
This game is definitely for me and I am enjoying every minute of it, lets hope the excitment continues.

Mark

[thegiftexperience]

I am developing my Newcastle Brown flavoured crisps for the Walkers competition.

That sounds amazing. Get them out! I need some good news after keegans departure, and brown ale crisps is probably as good as it is going to get!

www.thegiftexperience.co.uk will be running some great deals and discounts over our massivly busy xmas.

[Darren M]

It’s worth keeping in regular contact with your merchants too (yes, they really do like you to contact them) and ensure that they are not planning a booby trap (however unintentional) by reducing commissions on certain products because of the increase in demand. A merchants program I managed had to make the decision to do away with commissions on certain products (their most popular ones too) few Christmases ago and although I communicated it on here within minutes of learning it, the textual tongue bashing I got from QJG is still ringing in my ears :-) As a manager I could do nothing but I made a mental note that as an affiliate I would ensure I was never caught in a similar position again if I could help it. It does happen occasionally so be aware.

As you say affiliates should contact their merchants now. What affiliates need is a guarantee from merchants that they're not going to stop commissions on products just before Xmas. If the merchant can't confirm this perhaps affiliates should drop these merchants during the lean periods before and after Xmas.

[Graham@Buyagift]

If you get significant last minute xmas traffic to any sites, plaster Amazon gift vouchers on every page on the last ordering day thru to the 25th December.

I sold over 50 on xmas eve/ xmas day morning last year... paid for the apple sauce

At Buyagift we also offer a "print temporary voucher" button which allows the customer to make the purchase late, but still give a 'voucher' on the big day...works very well.

Graham

[fizzbird]

At Buyagift we also offer a "print temporary voucher" button which allows the customer to make the purchase late, but still give a 'voucher' on the big day...works very well.

Could you do some banners on that theme Graham?

[Graham@Buyagift]

Absolutely, I hope to have most of our Christmas Creative, content units, videos etc up by the end of the month.

I'll keep you posted.

Graham