SiteSell Sent Me $8,268.35 Last Month
Am I flashing my SiteSell affiliate check in your face to brag?
No, not at all.
When it comes to telling other people how to make money online, it’s all about credibility.
And if you can’t prove you’re actually profiting, then you sort of get lumped in with all the other “how-to-make-money” sites that leave people wondering if that Webmaster has the profits to back-up their advice.
So I thought about it and realized I could turn my success into a blog post to help inspire others.
That check meant a lot to me. Not just because it’s the largest check I’ve received from SiteSell, but because it caused me to reflect on what so many people do wrong in affiliate marketing.
So I thought I’d tell you what has worked for me…
I Use Most Products I Promote
I’ll be the first to admit, when I first started telling people to buy Site Build It!, I didn’t own it.
I was extremely wowed by the fact I could earn $75 per sale (and yearly residuals) that I immediately begin blasting banner ads and text links for SBI! all over my site.
Not a single person bought it for months.
And why would they?
I was just another cold, impersonal website asking them to shell out $299 for the possibility of making money with a website. But of course, I couldn’t really prove it worked because I didn’t own it.
As the years went on, I kept reading all the successful case studies about SBI!. It seemed that every month SiteSell was adding a new success story to the batch. My curiosity got the best of me.
So I bought SBI! in 2005 and created flat-stomach-exercises.com. Not only did I make my investment back in 3-4 months with Google ads, but the site rose to the top of the search engines faster than any site I’d ever created.
Of course this made for a great story on 2CreateAWebSite.com – a site that teaches people how to build websites.
Case studies and real-world examples sell like crazy. So if you are trying to get your audience to buy something, why not build a case study that outlines your experiences with the product?
Saying “The product’s great!” is one thing, but being able to show how it’s worked for you takes PREselling to a whole other level.
I Try to Be Brutally Honest
It seems when I started emphasizing that not everyone succeeds with Site Build It!, my affiliate sales went up. Sounds kinda strange at first, but if you think about it, it makes sense.
When you are reviewing a product and only talk about the benefits, people get suspicious – especially when there’s an affiliate link tied to the recommendation.
However, when I started creating videos and explaining that Site Build It! is not a get-rich-quick program, it’s a lot of work and does not promise instant success, that increased my credibility and helped my sales.
People are so used to websites aggressively pushing products, they find it refreshing when someone doesn’t sugarcoat everything – especially when it comes to a product that supposedly helps you make money.
People Often Ask Me For My Affiliate Link
When you PREsell effectively, you’ll find some people want to make sure you get that commission. I get emails all the time from people who want to make sure they are purchasing from the right link.
Long gone are the days when I used to hide the fact I was an affiliate.
I decided that if I’m giving people my honest opinion of something and showing that I use the product, why should I hide the fact I’m getting a commission?
Sure, the affiliate link probably turns a few people off, but for the most part, people don’t mind it if they believe you are being upfront and honest.
So What’s the Point?
I didn’t write this post to tell you to join SiteSell’s affiliate program, because if I may be honest, most people are not going to generate 4-figure checks every month. (Unless your site is geared toward Webmasters.)
SiteSell’s products perform well on my site because I have the traffic and the right audience. And you can do the same with a product or service that fits with your visitors.
The point is, if you are not seeing the type of commissions and sales you’d like to receive from your affiliate programs, think about your model and approach.
- Are the products you market relevant to your audience?
- Are your recommendations filled with all fluff and no facts?
- Do you even use the products you promote?
- Do you make it easy for people to ask questions?
And if you’re spending so much time trying to hide the fact you are affiliated with the company then ask yourself “Why?”
The way I look at it is, if you really do like and use the product, what reason would you have to hide your affiliation?
Years ago I would never admit I was an affiliate because I thought it would turn people off.
And while that is still true to some extent, the majority of the people won’t care as much when they feel you are being honest and giving them valuable information.
Yes, developing case studies can be a lot of work, and that also means you’ll have to invest in some products along the way.
But wouldn’t you agree the credibility and rewards you’ll gain in the long-run are well worth the effort? 
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Hi, My name is Lisa and I'm a full-time affiliate marketer who has been blessed enough to earn a living online since 2006. 
Hi, my name is Lisa Irby and I'm the owner of 
that’s probably the biggest amount of money smb made on the internet I’ve heard of… and that’s really inspiring!!thanks for sharing
WOW, just WOW !!!
I am trying to earn money online for the past 4 years with many disturbs of course, but now i am back, and to tell you the truth i haven’t earn any from it..
I should not give up, should i?
btw, visit my blog
http://buy-kindle-on.blogspot.com/
no, you should never give up. When things get harder, that’s when you should turn up the pressure. Create more content reach out to more people and build meaningful online relationships, so that everyone would know you exist
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if you have any questions about how to make money on the Internet, please don’t hesitate to ask, as I too have struggled just like you to make money online for a very long time. It’s all about being of service to others and helping without expectation
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you are definitely doing an awesome job Lisa with inspiring everyone to be their own boss on the World Wide Web, when it comes to getting that long $ gUaP $. keep the blog posts coming as well as the YouTube videos!
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I had to comment real quick about the site build it website that you said rose to the top of the Google search really fast. You already had the popular websites first didn’t you, so all you had to do was put the new website link on your site. I think site build it is awesome as well although i’ve never tried it. The website stuff isn’t the hard part, or should i say the hardest part is getting your website where you need it to be in the search engines. Some really great info!
agree very much, Pam. Regardless of any site software you choose to use, it’s all about having great compelling content, in getting to page 1 of any search engine result. You are right when you said “the website stuff isn’t the hard part”, but yet, the content strategy at times can become quite challenging. However, if you commit yourself wholeheartedly to making the Internet work for you, the content strategy will come to you automatically, as your creativity will also increase in due time
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I agree with the idea that we should not hide that we are an affiliate of the product we are promoting. We are happy with the product. The product has real value to buyers. Why shouldn’t we tell other buyers that we are happy with the product.
I myself use SBI!, for example. I’m really happy to promote it to others. It makes sense to rave about the quality product.
$8,268.35 is really a great amount to earn. Congratulations on your big earning. I haven’t encounter site sell before. But I am glad that it worked out for you. Thanks for sharing your insights.
/Kristen B.
Onkyo tx-nr808
$8,268.35 !!! is really a great amount to earn) Congratulations ))
I had only been interested with WordPress but when I see that SBI is also a reliable product, I may use it next time.
Just need to get my blog up and ready first
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The Site Sell sites I’ve dont appear visually appealing….but I’m guessing they convert OK because I see alot of praise. I’m curious about the template options or how easy they are to customize?
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Hi Jeff
SBI! is currently beta testing Block Builder 2. In fact, I’m one of the testers. I must say, this is a huge step forward from the older templates and the customization options have improved dramatically. Looking forward to them rolling it out.
I totally agree with you Lisa. “Honesty is the best policy” I personally use this approach simply because I want the same treatment. We should know the products we promote simply because by knowing the products we can talk about them with confidence and honesty.
I agree with the idea that we should not hide that we are an affiliate of the product we are promoting. We are happy with the product. The product has real value to buyers. Why shouldn’t we tell other buyers that we are happy with the product.
Hi Lisa,
Your website has been such an inspiration to me and I watch your YouTube videos consistently to learn new things.
I am seeking to get a start in affiliate marketing and I’m learning a great deal on your site.
My site is directed toward web developers/programmers for now. I have a few questions for you if you don’t mind.
I just signed up for Google Adsense. Is there a limit on how many ads I can put on my site total? I believe they said I can do three per page.
Also I don’t want to seem like a spammer so that’s why I have my site setup to tutor students, new users, etc in computer programming. What is the best way to target ads that don’t appear distracting? The last thing I want people to think is I am a vicious saleperson because I’m not.
I see also that you use Clickbank. I’m starting to realize the success behind Clickbank is to purchase multiple problems (risk of course) and then review the ones that turned out to be worth the buy. So is that a good strategy and is that acceptable according to Clickbank terms?
Thanks for bearing with me on this, but once again your site is amazing. Also I have setup a link of your site in my YouTube channel.
Congratulations on your incredible success! I know that hard work pays off eventually.
Steve
haven’t used sitesell,will definitely give it a try
Wow! I’ve definitely got to check this out because I’ve never heard of it! That’s an impressive amount of money!
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Lisa you are such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing this success with all of us. I currently use SBI! and I love it.
I’ve been a customer for almost three years now and I’m anxiously awaiting the release of BB2. But until then I just keep doing my thing, creating content, article submission, social media, etc.
As a matter of fact, I just finished your Niche Website Success ebook and am looking forward to implementing most, if not all of your recommendations.
That should keep me busy until the release. Thanks again Lisa for all your help.
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