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“When the walls came tumbling down
When the walls came tumbling down
When the walls came tumbling down
Everybody ran as they screamed at the sound’… Def Leppard

More titillating tidbits on my WAHM Affiliate Marketing experience!

Today I resigned from all but maybe two, of the small WAHM companies I belonged to as an Independent Consultant for Affiliate Marketing.

That’s it, I’m done, I’ve heard, seen and had enough of it.

I got an e-mail today from a company I was a rep for ~ Beautiful Diva.

The email indicated that affiliate links would no longer take a customer directly to your shopping cart, but rather a “landing/splash” page.  The customer would then have the option to search for a representative by entering their zip code, name or other methods.

WTH?  I’m going to put up a banner link to a site ~ have a potential customer click through to it ~ and then have that potential customer enter their zip code to find a different rep?

Who are they going to search for under “name” ~ Moomettesgram?  My full name used to be displayed before they did a U-Turn on their marketing tactics.

I don’t think so.  Down came that banner and ~ exit, stage left.  No more rep for that company.

My advice to anyone who’s thinking of becoming an Affiliate Rep, is this:

Before you sign up with a new WAHM company, check to see where your customer is going to land.  Otherwise – all you’re going to be doing is putting up a banner for the company gratis, and you won’t see any sales.

How many of my readers know what my zip code is?  I speak often of living in New England ~ Connecticut specifically ~ but I don’t think anyone is going to find me through that method.

If you blog and use banners, do all your readers know what state you live in?  Do you use your real name, or a by-line?

Really, young ones, think this one through.  Don’t just blindly do everything these companies ask you to do.  You are going to be taken for a ride if you do.

Another reason I’ve left several companies is that many are signed up with JROX.  One particular company made their reps sign up at least 3 times for a new JROX affiliate ID.  Talk about confusion.  No sales there ~ the website was down ~ the affiliate IDs didn’t work~ excuses, excuses.  I’m outta there.

Nope.  The only companies I’m with now are basically through big-name affiliate sites.  I’ll stick with those for awhile, and see how it goes.

No more small potatoes.

If anyone has any other experiences and you find you’re rolling in dough, speak up, and add yourself as a subscriber if you’d like to hear my continuing saga!

The Walls Came Tumbling Down ~ No More Small Potato Affiliate Marketing Companies is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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2. Online Marketing Strategies for Home Based Businesses
3. 6 Reasons Why You Should Sell Your Ebook on Clickbank

If you sell on eBay and have an eBay Store, you may or may not be aware that there have been some recent changes to the advertising policy toward About Me pages.

From the current talk about town, on forums and other sites, live links to outside sites are no longer allowed.

For example, I can no longer have a clickable banner pointing to this blog on my eBay About Me page. Nor can I have live links to my Shoppes site, or my direct sales affiliate links, such as Auction Sniper or Sellers Source Book (which, by the way, is a great source for beautiful templates for your auctions!)

So last night I spent quite a bit of time “killing” the live links to my sites, while still keeping the banners up. I had to figure out a way to point my customers to my other sites, and hope that most of them are computer savy enough to know how to find me from the dot com breadcrumbs I’ve left for them! Being a creative WAHM with an ebiz is hard enough already!

My “new” About Me page is here.

If you still have live links on your site, you might want to re-think doing your own About Me page so you’ll be in compliance with eBay’s new policy.

The Walls Came Tumbling Down ~ No More Small Potato Affiliate Marketing Companies is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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1. Recession-Proof Your Small Biz: Guest Post
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3. 6 Reasons Why You Should Sell Your Ebook on Clickbank

Well, after my diatribe the other night about Yahoo Group Swap, Trade, Barter and Shopping groups, I feel it’s necessary to bring to the forefront my experiences so far in Affiliate Marketing. Read on. This is important stuff I’m going to tell all you WAHMs.

Back in February I posted a very good article concerning the advantages of signing up to be an Affiliate Marketer ~ here. The article made some excellent points. While I still believe there are benefits to being an Affiliate Rep, I am now adding a proviso to my previous comments.

I’m specifically referring to the section concerning..

Remember that not all affiliate programs are good. Many of them only offer products that you would not want to give away for free to your mother-in-law. Furthermore, the support program and training offered is not always top quality.

As you can see from my blog header, yes, I am an affiliate for a number of companies. However, not all the companies I started out with have their banners on my site any more. Let me explain why.

I thought I carefully researched each company I wanted to represent. If you’re considering joining as an affiliate for supplemental income, just don’t make your decision based on the the fact that the company has a “pretty banner” (I didn’t). The point in the article is to believe in the product you will be representing.

What the article doesn’t say…and mark my words…is ~ here I go again, pay attention to what’s going on in the Yahoo Membership Groups that you’re required to join. Pay attention to the chit-chat and bantering between the reps. It’s almost like being in a room at a party – you have to be in tune with the “body language” of people ~ or in this case, “virtual body language” ~ the nuances of the conversations going on.

Case in point. One of the affiliate companies I belonged to, I noticed that reps were constantly asking “I ordered, but my product hasn’t been sent out yet.” Red flag. I hadn’t had an order (yet), so not to worry for me. As time went on, I noticed the owner kept making excuses (not exactly exaggerating here) ~ there were: floods; tornadoes; ice storms; the electricity was out; family emergency out-of-state; doesn’t work on Sundays; someone broke into her house ~ you get the picture. And this was when she did bother to show up and answer any rep questions on her own site. Sometimes she had a friend post on her behalf. Click, “delete the banner” ~ I’m outta there.

Two recent examples ~ I was an affiliate rep for a company where the Yahoo Group posts from the company owner included “Please donate to my 18-year old daughter who’s in a family way, and make a virtual shower purchase from Walmart (here we go again) and have it sent to Walmart Store # xxx.” Nice photo of the kiddo.

Yahoo Group chit chat included details of the birth, blah blah. Then the posts started showing that the owner was having financial troubles, and conducting all her business from the local library, because her electricity was shut off. Reps wanted to know why their customer orders were taking so long. The final straw for me again ~ some “friendly, loyal reps were starting a “fund” to help the owner with her financial troubles. Click, “delete,” banner gone from my site.

In the second example, the owner of the company posted on her Yahoo Group board, whining that no one was contributing to her “fund” to send her two kiddos to Girl Scout Camp. Apparently they didn’t qualify for a scholarship this year. She had a fund set up with some internet-based group called “Chipin” where you get to donate money to whoever the whiner of the day is. My take on this was, which I posted before I hit the “delete my banner & remove me from this group” key (again), was ~my DH & I worked hard at our own FT jobs to send our own two DDs to summer camp when they were younger without asking the extended fam, much less strangers to contribute. Should you be in a philanthropic mood you might rather consider contributing to (and at least get a legitimate tax deduction)  the Paul Newman’s Whole In the Wall Gang Camp, or to the Petit Family Charity Fund. Get a life.

My point with this blog is, if you sign up to be an affiliate rep, try to make informed decisions. Do your research. And just don’t sign up for Yahoo Group notifications from the site administrator. Pay attention to what the posts are saying. You may not need daily emails, but check in at least once or twice a week on your own ~ read the posts, see what’s going on.

Again, most of it’s not pretty. There are some excellent companies out there, but then again, not.

If the banner’s still up on my site ~ so far, so good. Believe me, my eyes are watching.

The Walls Came Tumbling Down ~ No More Small Potato Affiliate Marketing Companies is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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1. Recession-Proof Your Small Biz: Guest Post
2. Online Marketing Strategies for Home Based Businesses
3. 6 Reasons Why You Should Sell Your Ebook on Clickbank

All Ladies love Lavender ~

Scents are so sensual and bring back so many memories…

Lavender is best known and loved for its fragrance. The herb has been used since ancient times in perfumery. As an aromatic plant, lavender lifts the spirits and chases melancholy. Taking just a few whiffs of this sweet-smelling herb is said to dispel dizziness. Traditionally, women in labor clutched sprigs of lavender to bring added courage and strength to the task of childbearing. …. The dried blossoms, sewn into sachets, may be used to repel moths and to scent clothing, or may be lit like incense to scent a room. Because of its fumigant properties, the herb was hung in the home to repel flies and mosquitoes, and strewn about to sanitize the floors. Lavender essential oil was a component of smelling salts in Victorian times. Answers.com

This Mother’s Day, give someone special a gift of Lavender from Lavender Love! Independent Consultant Affiliate Opportunities also available.

Use Code Word “Showers” in the voucher area of the shopping cart and receive 10% off when you place your order before April 30th for Mother’s Day at Lavender Love.

The Walls Came Tumbling Down ~ No More Small Potato Affiliate Marketing Companies is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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1. Recession-Proof Your Small Biz: Guest Post
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Mother’s Day is May 11th this year!

Time to think about honoring your Mom, Grandmother, Mother-in-Law, favorite Aunt, Shut-Ins, Seniors or anyone else in your life who’s influenced you in a positive way.

My girls are grown ~ the oldest married with a daughter of her own and a son on the way. My youngest is away at college. We’ve become much closer now that they’re older, and we keep in touch daily ~ sometimes several times a day!

Oftentimes the most precious gift is that of your own company. Spring is here, the Robins are back, flowers are starting to bloom and the weather is definitely getting nicer….throw a garden Tea Party! Here’s a great recipe to re-connect, and share special memories or moments. Compliments of Teaporia ~ check them out, sample a new flavor of Tea ~ or find a unique Tea Pot or set for that special person in your life! They also offer excellent WAHM affiliate rep eBiz opportunities!

Cranberry Orange Tea Bread

2 cups flour
¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup Mott’s Cinnamon Apple Sauce
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
2 tsp grated orange peel

Combine flour, dried cranberries, sugar and baking powder in large mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.
Blend apple sauce mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Spoon batter into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350F 45-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing.

The Walls Came Tumbling Down ~ No More Small Potato Affiliate Marketing Companies is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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1. Recession-Proof Your Small Biz: Guest Post
2. Online Marketing Strategies for Home Based Businesses
3. 6 Reasons Why You Should Sell Your Ebook on Clickbank

Here’s a great tip. Do you purchase & use products often, such as
Fragrance? Say you have a whole group of friends who are about to have babies – need a special
Baby Shower Gift you’re looking for at Toys R Us? Maybe you’re into cooking and like Stonewall Kitchen products from Maine? Need to generate some additional income for yourself or the household? Becoming an Affiliate for a company such as Share A Sale is an excellent way to save yourself some money on the products you normally use, or even find some great boutique sites run by WAHMs that are so unique compared to the typical chain mall sites.Another advantage of being an affiliate is you can cross promote your businesses. For example, if you sell on eBay, if the company allows, you can become your own dropshipper by listing the products on eBay, order & dropship to your customers with your discount! You’re allowed to put up banners only on your About Me Page on eBay.

For More good affiliate information check out my WAHM and Blog Resources page. Read on!

Affiliate Programs – The Advantages of Being An Affiliate

by: Francois du Toit

Affiliate programs are becoming more and more popular as a fast-track way to start an internet business. These programs can offer huge advantages for affiliates, especially when they offer online training, support and marketing tools. There is a lot of money to be made if you join the right program. I am a strong believer in the value of affiliate programs and believe that the best way to start an internet business is to become an affiliate of another program or to join a network marketing company. Why? To learn as much as possible from your sponsor(s) and make use of all the free advice and tips you will receive from them.

When you are eventually ready to start your own business you will already have a lot of experience and knowledge (that you obtained for free!) that will give you a huge advantage and save you a lot of money and time.

By the way, there are many very successful internet marketers that earn all of their money through affiliate programs and network marketing programs.

If you find a great affiliate program where you can make a lot of money and you decide to stay with the company instead of starting your own new business then good for you! If on the other hand you want to start a new business of your own then you would have at least learned a lot from the affiliate program, and hopefully made some money as well in the process.

The biggest mistake people make is to jump all the time from the one affiliate program to the other without taking the time to learn and understand the program and system. There are many programs on the internet. If you are going to leave what you are busy with every time you think you have discovered a better program then you will never learn anything.

Take your time to learn and be patient. I can assure you that you will not become an overnight millionaire following any affiliate program. Like any other business it takes time to build a successful affiliate business, even with the support and training you may receive.

I tend to look at things very logically. If something does not make sense to me I rather avoid it.

Consider the following:

You develop a great product that you want to sell for $10 on your website. It might have costed you thousands of dollars to develop and many many months of hard work with no income while you were developing your product. You are finally ready to launch your product. Since you are only one person with one website you realize the need to establish an affiliate program where you can have hundreds of affiliates promote your company and get thousands of people to buy from you. In order to get affiliates interested you must pay them between 20% and 50% of your sales price or gross profit.

I don’t know about you but the above scenario looks like a lot of very hard work without any guarantee of success. The thought of it certainly does not get me excited.

Now consider the following – You join the above company as an affiliate and earn say 50% commission on all sales. You do not need to buy the product and have no investment in the company. You can start to sell the product from the 1st day you become an affiliate and make a lot of money. In fact, the company will make 50% and you will make 50%. You have no risk and can walk away from the program anytime you wish. What a pleasure! This is what I like the most from affiliate programs.

Remember that not all affiliate programs are good. Many of them only offer products that you would not want to give away for free to your mother-in-law. Furthermore, the support program and training offered is not always top quality.

I do not know about you but I cannot promote any product or service that I do not understand or do not believe in. You should always be able to sell the product to yourself. If you would not buy the product because you do not believe in it then please do not promote it to other people as the best product out there. You will sleep a lot better at night!

Remember that ultimately it is up to you to make a success of the program.

To your success !

About The Author

Francois du Toit is the owner of http://www.money-maker-advice.com, a website designed to help new entrepreneurs succeed by evaluating various online and offline business opportunities, affiliate programs and network marketing options. The website also offers free articles and tools that will assist webmasters in building profitable websites.

The Walls Came Tumbling Down ~ No More Small Potato Affiliate Marketing Companies is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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1. Recession-Proof Your Small Biz: Guest Post
2. Online Marketing Strategies for Home Based Businesses
3. 6 Reasons Why You Should Sell Your Ebook on Clickbank