Affiliate Marketing vs. Software Development

Anybody with a thought on this? It would be really appreciated

You must go ahead as software developer since selling own products is the best way possible to find great successes as internet marketer.

I've experience in both of these fields. Here's my story in brief.

I started my online career as software developer. At the beginning, I created some software and tried to selling it online. But I was failed in my first attempt because lack of marketing experience. Then, I begun learning internet marketing, and while the process, I was trended into affiliate marketing. Yes, I was able to find success as an affiliate marketer. But, one day, I was realized that I'm not making enough profits due to the effort and that was the last day of my affiliate marketing life. Fortunately, at the moment, I had gotten enough experience about internet marketing and related things. So, easily I was able to getting fix on the internet as software developer + internet marketer.

What you can suck through my experience?

Go forward as software developer while developing internet marketing skills also via other marketing method(s) (Like I was able to develop own marketing skills through affiliate marketing) next, implement those experience into own software business.

Do Something Own..... Best of luck,

First, I would create a system to build a list. Develop your own products and capitalize on the back end.

Then, as I had money coming in, I would hire a programmer and work a deal to create software. I wouldn't try and learn how to develop software, unless that is your background, because it will take too much time, and time is money. You will probably end up with more ideas by getting into the process yourself, and needing solutions to problems. That's usually what happens. If you listen to most out there that sell software, they initially developed it for themselves to automate or solve an issue they had, then they packaged it, and sold it.

Just my 2 cents..

Valerie

Thanks for all the helpful replies.

The reason I was thinking about becoming a software developer over an affiliate marketer was that I though it would raise the maximum income by a fair bit. From what I've seen there are indeed a few internet marketers making millions, but there are a lot more software developers that developed their own product and sell it / put it online that make way more.

Am I wrong on this one, or is my though process not that unreasonable?

Btw, I'm only 16 years old so there is still a lot of time to learn.

Bart

you have to ask yourself, do you want to provide customer support... or not?

that is going to be the key. affiliates could "theoretically" cut themselves off from the outside world and make good money in nothing more than PJ's in their bed. Driving traffic to good offers is all that is really "required" while having your own products will require updates/support/etc.

Just have to figure out what fits with you.

If the affiliate marketer were to start their own email list, they would significantly increase their income. But I think in the long run, having your own products is the way to go.

Basically, this way you can have other affiliates promoting them for you, which can make a big difference.

Also, you can offer immediate upsells after they buy the original piece of software, which can be hugely profitable. I've heard some marketers say they get 35% conversions on their instant upsell offers.

The bottom line is, having your own products in the long run is the way to go. But in the beginning, affiliate marketing can be a great way to help you learn online marketing before you take the plunge. That's the route I'm taking--we'll see how it works.

@Josh - Do you think that the time invested in learning how to program useful applications is worth it?

You are making a few big assumptions in your statement, Bartoss. I don't want to spoil the party and fun but IMHO you need to take this on board to avoid falling down too many holes along the way. (I've developed quite an expertise climbing out of them ... )

In both scenarios, you assume a straight forward path to success, as in "pick a hot niche and make money." It's not a straight line but a two-stage process. To be successful you have to know how to pick a hot niche that is profitable and how to be successful in it as it will most likely be very competitive.

The same holds for programming. Learning programming to produce a really useful tool and then make a lot of money with it sounds great. First you have to know what the market wants, then you have to figure out a way to do it that others haven't thought of. Generally, this means that you have to become a pretty expert player in the market before you understand what it really needs. I mean, shovels are useful for gold rush times but may be less so for underwater polo.

Too often people get caught up in early stage enthusiasm stoked by hype mongers who profit from newbie inexperience. It's probably one of the reasons why the vast majority of starting IMers never make any money. For long term success, solid foundations are indispensible.

I hope this helps.

Max

It doesn't take a mathematical genius to work out you can make more with developing software.

There's zero value factor in affiliate marketing. It's more like a freelance job, all you're doing is moving traffic from one location and driving it to another you have zero assets and most people have nothing. The smarter ones built a list at the very least.

Thanks both of you!

I'm really starting to lean toward software development, this thread has certainly been a help.

Affiliate marketing might sound easy at first, but you do need to go beyond what most people are doing in order to stand out, precisely because the barrier to entry is lower, and everyone's into it. Developing and selling software can be lucrative if you know what you are doing and what sort of software you are looking into - is it desktop app, web app or mobile app? Whatever it is, it should be something that solves one problem. And you can outsource the development on odesk if you don't have the skills or the time. It is true that software is easier to sell because it has built-in proof - it either works or it doesn't. Compare this to info products, which provide you the promise that if you apply it, you might reap the benefits.