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Do you focus on OPT-in or affiliate promotion?

by zannix
17 replies
Hi fellow marketers

This is my 1st website - www.joggingbenefits.net

It is 3 months old and I have managed to SEO it to #1 of google for the term "jogging benefits".

My focus has been mainly targeted on providing quality content, enjoyable articles and eye-soothing design, in other words - I have primarily focused on making the visitors feel comfortable and satisfied. According to my google analytics, I have succedeed at this, as the average time spent on the landing page is well over the time needed to read through the entire article.

But I should also be focusing on my own goals (that is of course, making some money by providing value), and here's what I had in mind:

- Visitors who use search engines to search for term "jogging benefits" are clearly interested in either starting jogging (which is why I have put my opt-in form)

- Or they simply need further motivation to continue jogging (which is why I now promote a "jogging motivation" self-hypnosis CD, as an affiliate)

My original plan was to focus people on reading through the entire article, and kindly offering the free jogging guide at the end (although a couple of links within the article lead directly to the opt-in as well), and then use e-mail marketing techniques to sell the main product - jogging motivation CD pack.

But these aren't my only options... I could also be selling all sort of jogging equipment, even iTunes jogging music... but I would have this as a 2nd plan.

So... I guess my question is - should I make a separate "squeeze page" for the promotion of self-hypnosis motivation CDs, or would that draw too much attention away from the freebie e-mail opt in? This is my primary concern...

When you visit my website, have a look at the top right sidebar, you will see the promotion I'm talking about. Right now it's just a click-through directly to the affiliate page. But I could also make an article on it and THEN link the more "targeted" traffic to the promotion.

What do you think?

P.S. - There's been a thought running through my head lately: What if people typing in "jogging benefits" have heard about the most famous jogging benefit already (which is weight loss), and they're mostly interested in how jogging could help them? This would involve a huge opportunity to market weight-loss products which have a very high conversion rate...


Kind regards,
Zannix
#affiliate #focus #optin #promotion
  • Profile picture of the author TGOA
    Why not use that real estate for another squeeze? You can always follow up and sell it via autoresponder ...basically letting you build 2 lists at once.

    Plus you get the chance at a recurring revenue stream from future follow ups, you get to sell higher ticket stuff eventually and it opens you up to cross promotion.

    If you need ideas for the follow-up sequence why not just publish a 3-7 day tips sequence on the benefits of self hypnosis, then go for the close on the product your promoting
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  • Profile picture of the author WorkAtHomeDream18
    If your goal is to go for optins, it is much more effective to have a main site designed for optins only and nothing else. It is more focusing.
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    • Profile picture of the author TGOA
      Originally Posted by WorkAtHomeDream18 View Post

      If your goal is to go for optins, it is much more effective to have a main site designed for optins only and nothing else. It is more focusing.

      I can't say I whole heartedly agree with that. I use my one blog to build optins a a decent rate, but it isn't my sole focus for that site.

      • And what about traffic bleed-over you get from your main content site?
      • What about people interested in topically related subjects?

      He's already ranking for the keyword jogging benefits which should attract fitness enthusiasts and a small bit of the self-help crowd.

      If your analytics goal site goals are already showing traffic clicking through on the image, I think just adding a squeeze that talks to that market will be easy and equally effective.

      No need to start over when you can build on what you already have
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by WorkAtHomeDream18 View Post

      If your goal is to go for optins, it is much more effective to have a main site designed for optins only and nothing else. It is more focusing.
      I split-tested that theory thoroughly, in 4 of my own unrelated niches, and found that for me the opposite was the case (in all 4 of them).

      It's not nearly as straightforward as it looks, but depends on all sorts of factors, of which perhaps the most significant is traffic demographics. "Just saying" ...

      Originally Posted by zannix View Post

      my question is - should I make a separate "squeeze page" for the promotion of self-hypnosis motivation CDs, or would that draw too much attention away from the freebie e-mail opt in? This is my primary concern...

      When you visit my website, have a look at the top right sidebar, you will see the promotion I'm talking about. Right now it's just a click-through directly to the affiliate page. But I could also make an article on it and THEN link the more "targeted" traffic to the promotion.

      What do you think?
      It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

      All that matters it what works best in the long term for your business and your income.

      Other people's experiences over similar issues may not be very relevant.

      And in any case, what normally happens in such conversations is that the majority of people replying tend to say "what they think is right" without actually having done any meaningful split-testing themselves. And that way, you just end up with the blind leading the partially sighted.

      Personally, I don't use squeeze pages in any of my niches. Because in all the niches I've seriously and meaningfully tested (which was half of them), although I built bigger lists with a squeeze page, I made less money from those lists, over the long term, than I did from my "normal sort of landing pages". My "normal sort of landing pages" have a prominently incentivised opt-in at the top, and a smaller version of the opt-in itself appears on every page of the site, but I do better when my visitors see a content-rich site before/while opting in, rather than only after, because those people make better long-term customers. For me.

      But almost for sure, your current "afterthought opt-in", at the very end of the page, is doing you no favours at all.
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      • Profile picture of the author TGOA
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        I split-tested that theory thoroughly, in 4 of my own unrelated niches, and found that for me the opposite was the case (in all 4 of them).

        It's not nearly as straightforward as it looks, but depends on all sorts of factors, of which perhaps the most significant is traffic demographics. "Just saying" ...
        Thank you very much.

        Your site is 3 months old. From my professional opinion, I wouldn't worry to much about making to much money right now. I don't know if you are branding your "name" or the site or your business, but since its only 3 months old, I would focus on building a "brand" or a "Reputation" first. If you are new the interent, nobody knows you and the better your site is and the more informational your site is, the more of a reputation you will get. This means loyal viewers and a constant flow of traffic.
        Can't he do both, he wouldn't have to change the site at all to get optins and follow-up to convert to sales. And there's always an avenue of approach in almost any market if you want to use Guest posting as an entry strategy.

        Myblogguest & bloggerlinkup provide opportunity to tap an audience and even if this is a marketing focused crowd you can always give tips from a niche business owner perspective.
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  • Profile picture of the author matthewhell
    Your site is 3 months old. From my professional opinion, I wouldn't worry to much about making to much money right now. I don't know if you are branding your "name" or the site or your business, but since its only 3 months old, I would focus on building a "brand" or a "Reputation" first. If you are new the interent, nobody knows you and the better your site is and the more informational your site is, the more of a reputation you will get. This means loyal viewers and a constant flow of traffic.

    Good job on getting on top of google. How many hits does that keyword get?

    I would first focus on getting the word out about your site and over delivering your info content quality. This will establish you as an expert in the field and as a expert you can recommend any product and your loyal vistors will be glad to check it out and buy. So over deliver your content and satisfy your prospects when they come to your site. They must know that when they come to your site they will get answers.

    Your site looks good. When I come to it through my eyes don't see a expact plan what you want me to do. I see the side bar with a cd cover but nothing to do with it. It asks me a question, but doesn't tell me what to do like "click here". And at the bottom I see the optin and that looks good. Good job!

    Hope this helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author webmarke
    In my opinion your set up is pretty good. A few changes might help.

    Like....
    Putting your opt in form above the fold.
    Promoting a product on each page of your site.
    Putting the opt in form on each page of your site.
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  • Profile picture of the author tokaje
    I think you should try to catch the visitor, and change the affiliate offer, to a good quality free E book on the subject, the get when they sign-in. Then, you can afterwards try selling them (over and over).
    And you could consider to use a pop-under, to present them to the affiliate offer straight away also.
    But building the list should be your primary goal.
    Tom
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  • Profile picture of the author tokaje
    Forgot to say I really like your site... nice clean and interesting :-)

    Tom
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    • Profile picture of the author zannix
      Thank you for your kind replies, I enjoy reading through your opinions in order to formulate my decision more considerably

      There's been a war going on inside my head about why the opt-in form is so far below - a part of me desperately wants visitors to get on the list, and a moral part of me says : "Make an interesting story and make them want to sign up for the book after".

      I'll be honest with you, the keyword I'm targeting isn't the "traffic king of the year", it only gets around 1300 searches a month, and currently I'm receiving about 30 visitors daily - out of which 3 sign up for the free e-book, which is 10% conversion rate.

      Since I don't have much experience, I can't tell whether that's good or not. I'm grateful for those 3/day but I'm always seeking for ways to improve it.

      A several times, I have thought about putting the opt-in as a "20 second delayed pop-up", but then again... as I absolutely hate pop ups, I guess I'll just have to go on and test it...

      I agree with people saying that I should brand myself, I will do that. All the articles I have written are good quality articles and I have enjoyed writing and editing them personally. I have a deep interest in this niche and it's not a problem for me at all, and I see a lot more interesting articles on the way!

      About the affiliate order, I have decided to first make a squeeze page called "Jogging Motivation", or something like that, which promotes the affiliate product. Then, I would add just certain lines to various articles with a link back to that squeeze page. I would also add it in the top main navigation bar, and of course in the top right sidebar (whereas now only points directly to the vendor's site).

      What do you think about this? (I'm not asking this to be blindly directed by your opinions, but in order to expand my own perspective)
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by zannix View Post

        several times, I have thought about putting the opt-in as a "20 second delayed pop-up"
        Noooooooooo ... or at least not without split-testing it properly, in a way which reliably monitors and counts all the "otherwise returning visitors" who'll never come back to your site again, if you do that ...

        Not that I'm trying to pre-empt the results of split-testing, of course, but don't forget that a lot of people don't take any of the actions you want them to take at their first visit to a page, but return later. Some of those will be lost by a pop-up. You need to allow for this with your testing, otherwise you don't learn what you need to know.

        Originally Posted by zannix View Post

        I have decided to first make a squeeze page called "Jogging Motivation", or something like that, which promotes the affiliate product.
        You're talking somewhat at cross-purposes with yourself, here ...

        A squeeze page doesn't promote an affiliate product. A squeeze page is a page which promotes a prominently incentivised opt-in and has no other content.

        Originally Posted by zannix View Post

        What do you think about this?
        Seriously, am trying to be helpful and not argumentative here, but I suspect you may be using the words "squeeze page" with a different meaning from everyone else in the thread. And (even if I'm mistaken about that) in a conversation like this, it's well worth clarifying that, otherwise there's no real communication ...
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        • Profile picture of the author zannix
          Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

          Seriously, am trying to be helpful and not argumentative here, but I suspect you may be using the words "squeeze page" with a different meaning from everyone else in the thread. And (even if I'm mistaken about that) in a conversation like this, it's well worth clarifying that, otherwise there's no real communication ...
          You're absolutely right. I had no clue the term "squeeze page" is used only to describe a page intended to get visitors on the email list.

          I thought of it as a page that has a strict call-to-action (whether it be opt-in or affiliate link clickthrough) and focuses solely on that and nothing else.

          Thanks for pointing this out, confusion was the last thing I was trying to accomplish.
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          • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
            Banned
            Originally Posted by zannix View Post

            You're absolutely right. I had no clue the term "squeeze page" is used only to describe a page intended to get visitors on the email list.

            I thought of it as a page that has a strict call-to-action (whether it be opt-in or affiliate link clickthrough) and focuses solely on that and nothing else.

            Thanks for pointing this out, confusion was the last thing I was trying to accomplish.
            Got it ...

            The connotation of a "squeeze" page is that you're "squeezing" someone's email address out of them ... basically an opt-in but on its own, without other content on the page (i.e. apart from text/video "selling the opt-in" itself).
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            • Profile picture of the author zannix
              Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

              Got it ...

              The connotiation of a "squeeze" page is that you're "squeezing" someone's email address out of them ... basically an opt-in but on its own, without other content on the page (i.e. apart from text/video "selling the opt-in" itself).
              Too bad we can't squeeze everything out
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          • Profile picture of the author DireStraits
            Originally Posted by zannix View Post

            You're absolutely right. I had no clue the term "squeeze page" is used only to describe a page intended to get visitors on the email list.

            I thought of it as a page that has a strict call-to-action (whether it be opt-in or affiliate link clickthrough) and focuses solely on that and nothing else.

            Thanks for pointing this out, confusion was the last thing I was trying to accomplish.
            Actually, just to be a pain in the arse ...

            The other day I said to someone else more or less exacty what Alexa just said to you, and Caliban Darklock "pulled me up" to inform me that squeeze-pages, traditionally, weren't strictly about opt-ins, but were as you just described. Which I went away and confirmed.

            It makes sense, I suppose: the aim of the page is to "squeeze" the visitor in a specific direction, or to take a specific action, and what that action is, so long as they have only one choice, shouldn't really matter.

            So you're correct, in a sense, but your definition might be somewhat outdated: look up the term on Wikipedia or most marketing-related sites and you'll see the more "modern", widely-adopted definition being as Alexa's described. So although you're technically not wrong, she's correct to surmise that you may be talking at cross-purposes.

            Just saying. Not that I suppose anyone really gives a crap.
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            • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
              Banned
              Originally Posted by DireStraits View Post

              Just saying. Not that I suppose anyone really gives a crap.
              I do, because it's part of my job to be pedantic: that's inherent in being a skepchick ...
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        • Profile picture of the author Tyson Faulkner
          I'd focus on creating 1 really good free giveaway that helps solve a problem your market has, or gives a big benefit for them.

          Then give that to as many people as possible to build your list. Then once they are on your list you can market any number of programs and build a better relationship with them.
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