Choosing between Affiliate and Pay-per-click Programs
I would like to
answer a question that Bob Cortez sent me that I feel may be of interest to many sites
that rely on affiliate and pay-per-click programs as a source of income. Earlier, Bob
Cortez wrote:
Ryan,
Thanks for the great info on your
site. I am currently developing my own web site--with my own domain name, mind you J--that
caters to areas of interest in Nashville (for example, scenic and country music
attractions) and I am considering using either affiliate programs or pay-per-click
programs to support the site until I grow it and am able to attract local businesses to
advertise. I am wondering which you think will be most successful, given my sites very
general audience (no specific target accept that they live in or near Nashville)? Any
advice you can provide would be great.
Bob
I always recommend that you match
up the programs you choose to your site's audience and their specific interests. However,
with a very general audience like Bob's site might attract, it can be more difficult to
pinpoint what types of programs would be most successful. As for choosing between
affiliate programs and pay-per-click programs, I would recommend that Bob begins the site
testing both avenues.
Although Bob's site might attract
visitors from all walks of life, they obviously have some interest in their city and
community. For an affiliate program, I would consider joining one of the leading book
programs such as Amazon or 1bookstreet.com. Then,
take a trip down to your local bookstore and take a look at what kinds of books they
display about local interests. If you can find these types of books through one of the
affiliate programs, that would be a good place to start. Other options might be a music
partner highlighting many of the Nashville area's famous musicians. Or videos from a
retailer such as Reel.com or even better, PulseTV which offers commissions for life on many special
interest videos including country music and dance. Other programs may offer similar
synergies, including some of the travel related programs or even stretching to real estate
if they relate to the Nashville area.
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