Website Tips and Recommendations
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I visit the Associate Programs Forums quite frequently. One of the forums they have discusses site reviews for affiliate marketing websites. You can post your website, and get people to critique it for you.
I notice a lot of the same problems over and over again. Here are a list of the common problems with affiliate marketing websites, and in many cases, websites in general.
1) No Theme
If you have an affiliate marketing website, you need a single niche or theme.
2) Poor or Confusing Layout
You need a good template for your site. If you don’t have the skills or time to create one, then I suggest you purchase a template.
3) Poor X\HTML and JavaScript
This ranks right up at the top. If your website is not visible in IE (Mac and PC), Firefox, Opera and Safari (Mac) then your website isn’t finished. A good template can make this step easier for you.
4) Spelling Errors
Credibility is everything. If you have spelling and grammar errors on your site, you lose credibility. And without credibility, you lose visitors… lost visitors = no sales = no income.
5) No knowledge of the Niche
If you don’t know about the niche, then hire writers to write the content for you One of the worst things is when I go to a website and find information that is blatantly incorrect.
6) Light text on dark backgrounds.
In very rare cases, this works. Except in those rare cases, stick with what works. Dark text on a light background. This doesn’t mean you can’t have a dark logo, or a dark menu…. but your core content should be dark text on a light background.
7) Broken Links
Broken links are bad. If you don’t have your links working correctly, you a) lose credibility and b) lose visitors when they can’t get to the location.
8) Banners and Flash Ads
Oh, and popups too. One banner or flash ad per page is usually ok. Do NOT do more than that. One popup (or fly-in or popunder) per visit (yes, per visit, not per page) is ok. More than that is just annoying.
For more advice, I recommend reading Allan Gardyne’s 18 Steps to Affiliate Program Tutorial
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