subject: How Affiliate Marketing Can Make You Rich - Part 1. [print this page] Affiliate marketing on the Internet is not Rocket Science, you do not need a Degree or Doctorate, in fact if you can use Google as well as send an email, you already have the two skills you will use the most. Don't worry about learning web code (HTML) just yet, you will not need it to start your online business, especially in the beginning. Right now we only need to concentrate on the things you need to set up your office and use your computer efficiently.
1. Basic Equipment and Software.
To start your online business part time (most people start part time), you need some basic equipment as well as your connection to the internet:
Dedicate one Computer to your business:
Having a computer totally dedicated to your business, and not used for anything else, is an absolute must, kids especially can cause damage if infected software is downloaded, which can cost your business both in time and money.
Get the fastest Internet Connection possible:
Again this is imperative, the longer it takes to upload/download information the more time you waste, when you could be getting on with some other stuff. So make sure you research the options available in your area thoroughly.
Organise your Affiliate data:
Whether you have one site or fifty you need to keep track of your affiliate info and have easily accessible. To ensure you keep your sanity, as well as saving vast amounts of time stay organised by establishing categories and files within your email programme containing documents relevant to your business, for example you might open up some categories for the following:-
"Accounts
"Advertising
"Codes & passwords
"Financial
"Joint Ventures
Store all of your website data in folders named for their domains, all files pertaining to the domains can then be stored in the appropriate folders. Just one quick tip here, for every website folder make sure you create a folder called "admin" where you can store site and affiliate programme info.
Track your Affiliate Data:
Keeping track of programmes you are affiliated to is very important, because as you build your business and become affiliated to more and more networks, you will probably have a whole host of user names and passwords to cope with as well as your affiliate links. However there is an easy solution to this provided you start at day 1, you simply need to produce an excel spreadsheet to handle all of your affiliate info. The following are typical examples of the sort of data I am talking about:-
"Programme/Company Name
"Login/username
"Passwords
"Affiliate Links
"Commission Info
"Additional Remarks
By the way, the above list is not exhausted, and can be added to, the point is once you have your spreadsheet set-up it can quite easily be modified.
2. Create a positive Work Environment
If you have a full time job when you start your online home business, your time will obviously be limited in the beginning, this makes it even more important that you organise your home office efficiently. So take a step back, and using all of your senses, notice the following:-
"Colours
"Smells
"Sounds
"Lighting
"Views ( if you are lucky enough to have one)
Now, what did you notice? Does your home office/workspace motivate you? Is it comfortable? Or does it make you feel uncomfortable and distracted? Is it set up so that everything is at hand, or is it cluttered and disorganised? There are many scientific studies that prove that colours can significantly affect your mood, how do the colours around you make you feel? Calm and focussed or nervous and stressed, make sure everything is just as you want it, let's face it in the beginning you will be spending a lot of time here.
Finally, try to work in an area where there is lots of natural light, with the light behind your computer not directly onto the screen. Take a break at least once an hour. Get up and walk around, drink plenty of water, and above all don't sit at your computer for long periods, as this is bad for your posture which will have a negative impact on your production.
So that's it for Part 1, in Part 2 I will be giving you some Brainstorming tips.
