|
Article:
Affiliate Marketing is TOO Expensive by: Rosalind Gardner I received an email this week from a gentleman who asserted that affiliate marketing as a business simply wasn't for him. Why? Because it is too expensive! Huh? Too expensive? WHAT's too expensive? Let's assume that because he sent an email, he already has the basic equipment and software that he needs to start an affiliate marketing business - that being a computer, email software and an Internet connection. I'll also assume that he has a desk on which to store that stuff, a chair on which to perch and a telephone line. Nothing extra to buy or lease there. Perhaps it was the huge initial outlay of $8.95 at godaddy.com to register a domain name? He must have overlooked the discount. You can save two bucks a year when you register for ten years in advance. That's got to be it. Then again, there are those ongoing monthly $9.95 web hosting and $17.95 autoresponder charges. That's $27.90 a month. Yup, that's pretty steep. What about all those products to buy and stock? Oh ya, you don't have to buy SONY's TV's or Dell's computers to sell them as an affiliate. Not having to buy them will also save a big chunk of change in storage fees at the warehouse as well. Hmmm.... that ALSO means that as an affiliate, you don't have to ship those heavy items. Actually, those affiliated merchants are pretty good guys all around. Not only don't you have to buy, store or ship the product, you also don't need to deal with those pesky customers. Just send them from your site to the merchant's site, and the company will handle all the sales details. They'll take the customers' money, figure out your share and send you a check. Pretty sweet deal. Maybe it was the cost to build a web site that bothered him. Yes, graphics programs and HTML editor software can get pretty expensive, but there are plenty of low and no-cost options available. If building the site yourself proves too time-consuming, there are also excellent graphic designers who sell beautifully designed web site templates for less than twenty bucks. Oh, I know! It must have been the cost to advertise. Hmmm... the last time I checked one of those national magazines, it cost about $1200 to get a 1/12th of a page ad in black and white. Your ad could be seen by up to three quarters of a million people. But how many of those readers would actually be interested in your message? By contast, that $1200 could buy up to '120
|
