Note: This list is from all my sites combined.

—————-

1. Domain and Web Hosting Reselling

This program is a great example of why you should look for affiliate or reseller programs in your niche that pay residual commissions.

If my site got wiped out today, I would still be able to live off the residual income I’ve generated since joining this program in 2002. If you have a site that targets Webmasters, reselling domains and web hosting is a great way to build a long-term income that continues to grow and grow.

As a reseller, you receive your own customizable website that allows you to set your prices and determine your profit.  The parent company handles all the customer and technical support, so all you do is promote your own reseller store.

It would be hard for any other affiliate program to bump this from the #1 spot.

2. SiteSell

I’ve been receiving checks from SiteSell’s affiliate program since 1999, but nothing like the ones I started getting when I bought Site Build It! and displayed my own success story.

(See the post about my February 2008 check)

This was my biggest lesson in the importance of knowing and actually using products you refer from your site.

SiteSell’s affiliate program pays a generous $75 per Site Build It! sale, plus residuals on all yearly renewals.  I really wish more affiliate programs would put the same amount of time and energy SiteSell does into helping affiliates.

I’ve never known another company to offer so many tools to help their affiliates make sales. From videos with your affiliate links embedded in them to over 60 audience-relevant landing pages, this program has it all.

3. Affiliate Networks (CJ.com, ShareASale.com, etc.)

I promote a variety of products that I find on some of the larger affiliate networks. From web software, web hosting, HTML editors, to anything I can find that’s useful and related to my audience.

Belonging to an affiliate network has its advantages…

1) If you’re looking for a specific product to promote, you can do a search to see if there are any relevant affiliate programs that offer the product.

2) You can join multiple programs with a few mouse clicks.

3) All of your earnings are tracked in one place, so you have one-stop reporting instead of multiple affiliate account logins.

The downside is that many companies who run their affiliate programs through large networks tend to have sub-par customer support.

There have been many occasions where I’ve sent an email to a company I’m affiliated with through CJ and never received a response. Companies that run their own in-house affiliate programs seem to have better customer support over all.

Nevertheless, large affiliate networks are definitely worth exploring, particularly if you’re looking for a specific product to promote on your site or blog.

4. AdSense

I hate using the term “easy money”, but if you have enough traffic, AdSense has got to be one of the easiest ways to generate an income from your site or blog.

AdSense performs much better on my sites not targeted to Webmasters and Bloggers – which is a big reason why you don’t see many AdSense units on this blog.

Bloggers and Webmasters tend to be immune to Google ads so they ignore them. However on my fitness site, my click-thru ratio has been much higher.

Even though my main site, 2CreateAWebSite.com targets Webmasters, it does OK with AdSense because it gets enough traffic to make displaying the ads worthwhile.

Watch a video about my record Google AdSense Earnings.

5. Thesis (DIYThemes)

This program just bumped Amazon.com off the list and beat out Clickbank and Adbrite.  So in August, 2009 I had to update this post.

I make most of my money from affiliate programs that are tied to products and services I own.  It’s so important to build credibility and trust as an affiliate, and one way to start is to buy and use what you recommend.

As soon as I learned how to use Thesis and realized the sheer power, I added a page here that illustrates how it works.  Since this site gets a lot of traffic from Bloggers, it’s a perfect fit and the earnings started coming in right away.

Thesis has a very generous affiliate program and if a person buys the Developer’s option, you can earn over $50 for one sale.

6. ClickBank

With ClickBank, you really have to feel it out and see what works for you. Even though it’s on my Top 7 list, I must admit there is a lot of garbage on ClickBank.

Many of the eBooks you can sell are a bunch of recycled facts you can find anywhere on the Web.

They are usually promoted by an over-hyped landing page with a loud sales pitch that promises you to either get rich quick, lose weight tomorrow, or get out of debt in seconds.

However, if you really comb through the ClickBank marketplace, you can find some winners. I was able to find a few good e-books to promote that convert very well on my sites.

The great thing about ClickBank is that the commissions are extremely high since product development and delivery costs are low. You could earn up to $75 on certain products in their marketplace.

7. AdBrite

Many people use AdBrite’s cost per click program (similar to AdSense).   However, I use them to manage my own flat-rate ads.

I have various advertising spots on 2CreateAWebSite.com where I charge a flat fee for the week, month, etc. and AdBrite manages the payments, ad rotation, etc.

If you’re looking to offer advertising on your site, but don’t want to deal with collecting the payments and setting up an ad rotation script, you may want to check into AdBrite.

They still have some kinks to work out (support response time, ad rotation options, better targeting for network ads, etc.) but they are getting better with time.

Note: OIO Publisher is a much better ad management program because you keep all your earnings.  However, you cannot install OIO Publisher on static/HTML websites.  It only runs on dynamic websites (blogs, forums, etc.).  I own it and used it on my forum.

————————-

These aren’t the only programs I earn money from, but these are the highest paying by far.  The rest of my income comes from a collection of other affiliate programs.

This post was not created to encourage you to join all these programs.  Quite frankly, if your site does not target the same people and does not have the same kind of traffic, your income will be drastically less.

But hopefully this shows you what is possible if you build a website that allows you to become the “expert” in your niche, and you recommend quality products that you use and are relevant to your audience. You can apply this strategy to any niche.

Many of them are Site Build It! (SBI!) customers looking for suggestions on how to improve their site, make more money, etc.

I was just thinking the other day, “Wow, why so many travel related sites?”

Then it dawned on me…

While researching SBI!, many of these people probably came across and were inspired by anguilla-beaches.com – the heavily trafficked Site Build It! site created by teenager, Nori Evoy.

Site Stats:

PageRank: 6
Alexa Rank: 53,000
Ranks #1 in Google for “anguilla beaches”

Anguilla-Beaches.com is a perfect example of what to do when you create a travel-related affiliate website.

Not only does it help you plan your perfect Anguilla vacation, but there are personal stories and recommendations written by Nori that make the site feel real and definitely worth bookmarking.

This is not just your average travel info website. It’s an inviting site obviously written by someone who is enthusiastic about their favorite vacation spot and visits there often.

What’s even better, is that it doesn’t even look like an affiliate site. You don’t see Google ads before you see the main content. There aren’t annoying banners yelling for you to “click here!” and there’s nothing “pitchy” about her writing tone.

The opening paragraph gives you the impression this site is here to entertain and inform you on the island of Anguilla, nothing more. A good affiliate information website should never appear as if the #1 goal is to sell something.

Where People Go Wrong

Many Webmasters who create travel-oriented websites simply re-write content you can find anywhere.

Unfortunately that’s not enough to keep the average person interested – especially when they know they can go to tripadvisor.com to get similar information.

Airport information, embedded Google maps, basic restaurant and hotel information is all too generic and overdone in my opinion.

Nori includes hotel information on her site, but she does things most people don’t…

1) Her detailed review of the room, food, and landscaping draws you in and makes you feel you’re there.

2) Her writing style is personal and inviting. You feel that she is talking to you instead of at you. I cannot emphasize enough how your writing affects the level of “visitor engagement” on your site.

(Tip: Need a refreshers course? Download Make Your Words Sell. It’s now free. Yippeee!)

3) She adds pictures that she’s personally taken instead of using generic pictures found on the Web. Your audience wants to know that you’ve actually experienced what you’re talking about.

It makes a difference when you can walk the walk.

Be Original

If you’re going to build a site about “things to do in New York”, don’t just put up generic information that people can find on newyork.com.

First of all, narrow your niche enough to give yourself a better chance of being found in the search engines. Plus, the more narrow your niche is, the easier it will be to target content, affiliate programs, etc.

Instead of building a site about New York, why not narrow it down to something like “New York transportation.” Many first-time New York travelers are often anxious about getting around the fast-moving city.

You could ease their minds and provide an “insiders guide” to getting around the city. Using your own experience and useful tips, you can educate travelers how to use the subway, taxi tips and other little known facts that the average traveler may not know or be able to find (easily) online.

Choose destinations where you can add as much personal experience as possible. This is another reason it’s good to pick locations you really know or visit often because you can go above and beyond just the basic information that generic travel info sites provide.

This Doesn’t Just Apply to Travel Sites

Of course you could apply this advice to any topic. You have to learn to set yourself apart from your competition, or you’ll get lost in a see of “already-done” websites.

I felt compelled to discuss the travel niche because I see so many Webmasters making the same mistakes when they create destination websites.

Even though Nori’s site has been around awhile, you can still learn a lot from her technique. In my opinion, it’s a brilliantly done affiliate website. Mainly because it doesn’t look like one.

Remember, being successful with an affiliate site or blog goes beyond just putting up generic information. People bookmark sites because they are useful, fresh and provide unique information that can’t be found everywhere.

Whether your site is on travel or another topic, what can you do today to make it stand out like Nori did? Are you adding enough of your own personal experiences to make your site seem real? Is your writing inviting? Creative?

If not, maybe it’s time to re-work your content, add more personal touches and provide information that can only be found on your website.

“Blog or Website?”

From a business standpoint, the page is brilliant. SiteSell sells websites, not blogs. So of course it makes sense to push the benefits of a website and display blogging in a less favorable light.

Let’s be honest. Blogging threatens SiteSell’s business because so many people are lured into starting a blog over a website. After all, blogging is free, quick and easy to setup.

As a result, SiteSell is making its case for why most Webmasters should start with a website and not a blog.

They offer some very valid points on this page, but I don’t agree with everything written. For example, the statement below was taken from the page…

“Blogs usually have high Bounce Rates no matter what since normal visitor behavior is to read the newest post and then leave.”

This is true for many new blogs with small readerships. Most new blogs only show the recent posts because the authors tend to use standard templates and very little static content. So people read the latest posts and leave without exploring older content.

Blogs often appear as a plethora of disjointed information scattered about with no cohesiveness. And if you write a post that doesn’t fit with everything else, just add a new category and suddenly it fits! Right?

Some readers get lost and have trouble connecting with the content as a whole.

But there is a remedy for the high bounce rates… to a point.

If you learn how to strategically display mature content, you can increase your readership depth and lower your bounce rates. WordPress plugins are a great way to accomplish this.

Before I added the “Related Posts” plugin from WordPress, many of my recent posts received the most traffic while the older posts were buried and ignored.

If you want people to read more of your blog, you should find ways to make the older content visible. Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net does this extremely well on his homepage with his “Best of Blogger” section.

This not only allows his audience to read more of his older content, but the static links have a greater chance of gaining and/or maintaining their search engine rankings because the content won’t fall off the homepage like “recent posts” tend to do.

This also gives him a chance to display his “important” content that shapes his blog’s identity. I find that many bloggers have trouble with this part due to how blog content is published.

In order to give your blog more staying power, you should create static pages that “stay put” and help give your blog direction and focus — rather than relying on the typical blog post that is hot for a few days and then falls off the radar.

So you can work with a blog so it shares some of the content benefits of a website. This is definitely something I know I need to improve upon in the near future.

My point is, some of the disadvantages SiteSell speaks of can be fixed. The question is…. “Will the average new blogger understand how to do this effectively?” Perhaps that’s SiteSell’s point. In their eyes, the average person usually doesn’t.

Stirring The Pot

This article won’t sit well with some bloggers, particularly those who’ve had any kind of success. But that’s not who the article was written for. It’s for those on the fence trying to decide if they want a blog or a website.

And quite honestly, if I was teetering between the two and read that page, I’d have to say SiteSell makes a pretty compelling case for why the average person should start with a website instead of a blog.

They want people to know that creating a blog is not necessarily a shortcut to success. And while they are some benefits to blogging, it’s not an ideal start for most e-businesses.

I also want to point out they are not saying that no one should ever create a blog. There are definitely the exceptions and they are clearly explained in the article.

The point was also made that successful bloggers earn their status because they are exceptional writers and know how to generate traffic. Not necessarily because they chose a blog over a website. Content is always king.

I’ll Continue to Blog Because I Enjoy It

I have a blog now, but I’m glad I started with a website. I now have a traffic base that I can use to help promote this new WordPress blog.

And because I already have a site with steady traffic, I don’t feel that added pressure some bloggers feel when it comes to generating fresh content to keep that traffic coming in.

If this blog never gets to 8,000 visitors a day like my regular website, I’m OK with that. I also have proof this blog is beneficial to my overall goals.

One good thing about owning an established website is you can leave it for months and traffic can continue to build. This is not always true for blogs… especially if they are new.

Of course more established, heavily trafficked blogs can take a content break and still benefit from the traffic and revenue. However, most bloggers never reach that level.

Despite the odds SiteSell declares, I’ll continue to blog. I enjoy it. It allows me to talk about what’s on my mind at the moment.

I can appeal to the people who prefer to hear from me in a blog format and let my website appease the rest. I’m at a place where I can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Could I be one of those exceptions SiteSell speaks about? Maybe. Only time will tell. And while I do think SiteSell made some great points, I also know quite a few people who have successful blogs and no website.

But I wholeheartedly agree that the blog buzz can be misleading. When it’s that easy to setup and launch a blog, it can give newbies false hope that it’s somehow an easier route to success.

Nothing out here is easy, my friend. And every website owner or blogger who is making good money definitely earned their stripes.

So take some time to read SiteSell’s argument about blogs. There are some valid points, but you also have to keep in mind this is written from a company who sells websites, not blogs. So a touch of biasness is to be expected.

Should you create a blog or a website? Do you need both like me? There is never a definitive answer to that question. Educate yourself on the facts, read SiteSell’s article and decide what’s best for your situation.

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?