Trouble monetizing "quick weight loss" blog

by rcav33
18 replies
Hi,

I have a website which gets about 2000(80% American) targeted "quick weight loss" visitors a day and not sure what the best way is to make the most profit out of it. I'm kind of a noob when it comes to IM so I'm asking for your help.

I've tried generic weight loss affiliate programs (like CJ, LinkShare and similar) but it's not converting so far. Also tried adsense but I'm getting 10 cents clicks on average, which I think is low for such a profitable niche and the American market. Or is this normal for weight loss?

Does anyone know some "quick weight loss" IM possibilities that I haven't thought of?

Thanks!
#blog #monetizing #quick weight loss #trouble
  • Profile picture of the author writeaway
    There are so many affiliate programs with products for that niche. Try shareasale. Also try online herbal shops' affiliate programs.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7639833].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author rcav33
      Originally Posted by writeaway View Post

      There are so many affiliate programs with products for that niche. Try shareasale. Also try online herbal shops' affiliate programs.
      I'm aware that there are many affiliate programs. As mentioned in the OP, I'm not looking for generic weight loss but more targeted to "quick weight loss".
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7639849].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author konrud
        2000 a day? That's great. If your visitors are active and trust you, try some CPA offers. Or make your paid product. I can't believe that it is hard to monetize 2000 a day=)
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7639878].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author rcav33
          Originally Posted by konrud View Post

          2000 a day? That's great. If your visitors are active and trust you, try some CPA offers. Or make your paid product. I can't believe that it is hard to monetize 2000 a day=)
          Thanks for placing your first post in my thread! Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the visitors :-) Now only getting the IM part as it should be. What CPA offers do you recommend?
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7639889].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by rcav33 View Post

    I have a website which gets about 2000(80% American) targeted "quick weight loss" visitors a day and not sure what the best way is to make the most profit out of it
    BUILD A LIST

    If you're not opting in your traffic, to retain your visitors, the reality is that it doesn't much matter how you try to monetize, because (a) you'll probably be aiming at 10% of the income you could achieve from the site at the expense of the other 90%, and (b) you don't have a way of keeping visitors returning to the site anyway, and few people buy anything at their first visit, and (c) you have no chance to make repeated sales to the same customers, and that's where most of the money is in affiliate marketing (especially in a niche like yours!). "Just saying".
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7639922].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author drewfioravanti
    Build a list. Create a little autoresponder series where you offer a product as a solution.

    You could be sitting on a nice little income with that traffic.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7639943].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Dan Curtis
      It is hard to imagine that you are getting 10 cent adsense clicks on average on a weight loss site.

      Google pays 68% of revenue to the publisher, meaning you.

      That means that for you to average 10 cents per click the advertisers would have to be paying about 15 cents.

      Try buying some adwords weight loss ads sometime, and see if you can get them for 15 cents. I can't.

      So I think that there must be something wrong with the equation you are using.

      I do agree with the idea of building a list and increasing your revenue that way. You might also consider selling advertising space directly on your site.

      In any event you must not be too much of a noob to be able to get 2000 visitors a day to a weight loss site. Good luck to you.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7640643].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sushiman1111
    I don't know if this is "quick" enough for you, but if I had your blog I would become one of the Truth About Abs affiliates (you can sign up via Clickbank) ASAP. Mike (the guy who owns the program) does everything possible to help his affiliates – which should be just what you need if you're new to IM. And the program sells really well.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7641130].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sweetcheeks12354
    You get even 1% of those visitors a day to sign up to a list, you'll have hundreds every month which could convert to some serious cash.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7641155].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Miguelito203
    Originally Posted by rcav33 View Post

    Hi,

    I have a website which gets about 2000(80% American) targeted "quick weight loss" visitors a day and not sure what the best way is to make the most profit out of it. I'm kind of a noob when it comes to IM so I'm asking for your help.

    I've tried generic weight loss affiliate programs (like CJ, LinkShare and similar) but it's not converting so far. Also tried adsense but I'm getting 10 cents clicks on average, which I think is low for such a profitable niche and the American market. Or is this normal for weight loss?

    Does anyone know some "quick weight loss" IM possibilities that I haven't thought of?

    Thanks!
    Pepperjam Exchange Network has a lot of weight loss stuff on there, including P90X and other products by its creator. There's also a popular product on Clickbank called Six Pack Shortcuts by Mike Chang. It's all over the internet and from what I've read is a quality product.

    Joey
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7641193].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author rcav33
    Thanks all for the replies, really appreciate the help!

    After reading all your advice, I am going to build a list. After reading the forums for a while I've come to the conclusion that this is the best way to go:

    - Get PLR material to offer for free (video, ebook, calculators, etc)
    - Set up a password protected area for the download
    - Get an email capture & auto-responder script (where?)
    - Get a good mass email script (where?)
    - Make a welcome email
    - Make sure all the visitors of my site at least notice the free offer
    - ?????

    Am I correct with this approach? Or am I leaving something out? And where do I find a good free auto-responder and mass email script/solution??

    Thanks!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7641921].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by rcav33 View Post

      I am going to build a list.
      This is a very good idea, and I wish you well with it.

      This thread may help you: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post6123982

      Originally Posted by rcav33 View Post

      - Get PLR material to offer for free (video, ebook, calculators, etc)
      Please excuse the observation that this is normally rather a bad idea!

      What you offer in exchange for your subscribers' email addresses is of crucial importance. It's the biggest single factor that determines whether the open-rate for your subsequent email series (the monetization we're discussing, here!) is 15% or 85%. I mean this literally: people who "get this part right" can easily be earning 5 or 6 times as much from their lists as people who use PLR material. Using PLR is missing out on a huge opportunity and seriously undermining the purpose and benefit of list-building.

      I use the "free report" to offer something I hope will perceived as "information/secrets of great value", and it's really just a little PDF specifically designed and created to be part of my continuity-process and to do all these things ...
      • Brand myself and my site
      • Fulfil the promise of offering information/secrets of great value
      • Set my subscribers' expectations
      • Ensure that the subsequent email series gets the maximum possible open-rate and attention (this is perhaps the one that most determines whether or not you make a living, which is why people "giving away some sort of old PLR/MRR-rights information and hoping for the best" are living on another planet: there's not much point in building a list if four-fifths of your subscribers aren't even willing to open and read your emails!)
      • Continue the process of establishing credibility and trust already commenced on my site
      • Provide content able to interest and impress subscribers enough to grab their attention and make sure they "stay with me" so that out of all the other lists they're also on (let's not pretend they're not!) mine is the link through which they effectively choose to buy
      In other words, just like almost everything else that determines people's success/failure in internet marketing, it's almost all about quality and relevance.

      Originally Posted by rcav33 View Post

      where do I find a good free auto-responder
      You don't. That would be a contradiction in terms, and there are reasons for that. They're not really "free" - they typically have their own monetization methods, which work against their clients in worse ways than monetarily!

      These posts/threads may help you a lot ...
      Here's the reality: nobody actually "needs" a free autoresponder.

      People only imagine that they do, and that there'll be some long-term benefit to starting that way, and that in some meaningful sense it'll be better than not having one at all.

      Aweber charges $1 for the first month and $19 per month thereafter. GetResponse gives a month free (or is it for $1? No, I think it's free) and then charges $15 per month. If you're not covering $15/$20 in two months, the reality is that you don't have a business at all, and that's not something that using a free autoresponder is somehow, magically, going to correct.

      In my opinion, using a free autoresponder is one of the very most ill-advised and misguided things one can do, in internet marketing.

      Few people are more keen on list-building than I am, but I think for most people it's better to start without an autoresponder, temporarily, than it is to use a free one. And (unlike the situation with regard to free hosting), with autoresponders it IS specifically the fact they're free that causes the potential disasters/risks, in my view.

      The question you have to ask yourself is whether it can possibly be wise to entrust the safe-keeping and security of your business's greatest, most important and least replaceable asset (your list) to a company whose business model is that of being a free autoresponder. I think that it's generally right at the start of their internet marketing careers, when people understandably have the least judgement about such situations, and the least awareness of the facts and realities involved, that such mistakes tend to be made.

      I suspect that people imagine something along the lines of "Well, I can always start with a free autoresponder until I've made some money, and then make the switch to a better one". Usually, one can't easily do that. Moving established lists from one autoresponder company to another is typically hugely difficult, and very commonly results in all one's subscribers needing - at best - to opt in all over again. Many Warriors have commented here that they've lost between two-thirds and three-quarters of their lists, this way!

      Some people just shrug and say "Well, you can always back it up regularly, can't you?". Easily said. What are you going to do with it, after you've "backed it up"? How are you going to import it elsewhere? Who's going to allow you to import it elsewhere, and under what conditions? (People don't always think about these problems. But the experience of Warriors who have actually had to try to do this seems to me to point to its being something of a nightmare and a disaster).

      In the case of Mailchimp, obviously enough, the situation's very clear to anyone willing to make the effort to read their Terms of Service. In the case of other "free autoresponders" (of which there are several), it's usually very much less clear, unfortunately. Typically, those recommending one, in my opinion, are only recent list-builders themselves and may not yet be aware of some of the longer-term pitfalls.

      Some of these companies even attach to every email their customers send out to their lists a clickable link advertising their own free service! :p It's literally the autoresponder equivalent of having a little website advising people about <whatever> sitting at Yola, with a big clickable link at the bottom of the page advertising "Get your free website here with Yola".

      You'll find it hard to believe, I know, but some even send their own email, with their own promotional links to some kind of "business opportunity", to your customers/subscribers!!

      How professional does that look?!

      Take care. Take the time to do your research and see how other Warriors are saying it looked to their subscribers/customers and why they'll never use a free autoresponder again.

      Some of these companies also don't yet have a very well established business model. Who really knows if they're still going to be there 3 years later? But if they're not, that can be an absolute disaster to your business!

      On previous occasions when I've made that point, someone with a financial interest in a "free autoresponder" business has replied, mentioning that I don't know that Aweber or GetResponse will still be there in 3 years' time, either. I honestly think this a pretty silly argument, because it should be clear to all of us that the odds are stacked in one's favour if one uses Aweber (for example) and against one if one uses a "free autoresponder".

      If necessary, I'd make a sale or two without having a list, and then start with Aweber or GetResponse.

      The set-up costs even for internet marketing businesses which do everything professionally, right from the start, are absolutely minuscule ...

      My perspective only - there are others who disagree, of course. One or two of them are owners of free autoresponder businesses.

      And some others, I think, are pretty inexperienced and have maybe not yet encountered any problems - in contrast to others here whose warning-posts can readily be found with the search function, by those willing to look.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7642288].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author rcav33
    Thank you for your response Alexa. I'm already convinced by reading other threads to go with Aweber.

    I'm not so sure what's wrong with using PLR material inside a membership site though. Offering a membership site with a personal touch with some videos and decent weight loss tips is probably going to be appreciated more as the standard PDF ebook. People will like and remember the name of the person that's emailing them a lot better as when you offer an ebook. Unless I am missing something here? Am I?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7642374].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author drewfioravanti
    PLR freebies are junk. If you are going to offer something to try to build a list, offer something of value, not junk. If your freebie is junk, why would your list think anything else you have to say or offer has any value?

    Truth About Abs has an affiliate section of their website. On it, you can get a brandable PDF. Now, while it is not the most amazing product, it is certainly better than PLR junk. And, it is written by an authority in the space and not some spun, nonsensical trash that was outsourced for $5.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7642377].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author rcav33
    All right, I see your point Drew and I agree with that. But I can get my hands on ready made PLR membership material that was originally designed for an affiliate site. It's not spun and written by someone who has decent knowledge about weight loss. Also has a few videos and guides.

    Sounds good to me personally, to you?

    P.S. Don't want to use Truth About Abs as that is too saturated material for me.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7642414].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author 2ndopkate
      Rcav33

      I can personally vouch for a couple of PLR providers of health and fitness PLR memberships. I don't have a membership site, but do offer weight loss PLR products. I think you can find plenty of fresh PLR for that market offered in WSOs too. I'm not recommending you go off and spend a $1 on a bunch of old PLR, but seek our fresh stuff to kickstart your blog.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7840945].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author smodha
    2000/day DAYUUUM! That's one hell of a traffic source!

    Like everyone says, add an email opt-in somewhere on your page or monetize with Adsense.
    Signature
    I Sell What People Want. The Money Is A Bonus..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7840977].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author germoney
    Hey mate,

    that is a BIG amount of traffic and I'm pretty sure you could make a minimum of 2k per month off that.

    List building is a good idea. Build in a pop up and offer some kind of valuable thing to your audience... maybe a good nutritional protocol or an ebook. Then write your email sequence and promote good CPA-offers in your sidebar! Contextual affiliate links work very good too!
    Signature

    Learn how to get access to backlinks from over 780,000 domains!
    > Russian Link Secrets exposed <
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[7840978].message }}

Trending Topics