What’s It Take To Be Successful On The Internet?

This is a tough question no matter which way you look at it but here is my attempt at making an outline.

I do know how to watch trends and analyze them though and I have noticed a few things from what I see throughout the infinitesimally SMALL section of the Internet that I browse and surf everyday. 

1. Successful websites set up their own associate program and recruit people like you and me to sell their products for them. They allow us to join for free and tell us we can make money promoting their product. They give us some sales materials and some promotion tips and tell us to go to it. WHY? Because everyone wants to make money on the internet and successful entrepreneurs know this. SO they give people the chance to make some money. And if the people work at it they CAN make a reasonable amount of money. In fact, some people make SUBSTANTIAL sums of money from affiliate marketing alone.

2. Successful websites have partners and associates. Just look at Amazon.com. It always takes more than one person to maintain a successful business. So they build a workforce comprised of thousands of webmasters who advertise their products and give testimonials and reviews in order to “pre-sell” the products. Some affiliate programs offer multiple tiers or downline levels which means you can build your own downline of people to help sell for YOU. Just putting up products on your website isn’t enough. You have to build downlines.

3. Successful websites offer downloadable Products like MP3’s, Games, Software, Books and even internet or online services like advertising, directory submission services, email, picture and file storage, web site tools and programs etc…. You get the idea. You can give people “instant gratification” with these products. As soon as their credit card is approved they are sent an activation code and download link via email and they can get it right now. That’s powerful.

4. Successful websites offer impeccable support. Some of them will bend over backwards for you. You might not have experienced this yet but give it time. You will see.

5. Successful websites have their own domain name. Some have MANY domain names! 

6. Successful websites offer brand new and unique products that are in demand. 

7. Successful websites offer dynamic content and lots of stuff to do. 

8. They ALL have multiple mailing lists. 

9. They ALL get LOTS of Traffic.

10. They ALL have some type of automated sales system.

So to sum it up, to be successful on the internet you need:

- A website with your own domain name.
- A great product or service that provides instant
gratification.
- Impeccable Support
- An automated sales system.
- To offer an associate program or affiliate program.
- Lots of Traffic.
- An Opt-In List.
- To recruit webmasters and build a large downline of
advertisers.

A successful Webmaster’s two most important activities are: Building Opt-In Mailing Lists and Building Affiliate Downlines. If you don’t do these two things you are shooting yourself in the foot.

Even if you don’t have a product or website you still have some options.

You can join Linkshare or Commission Junction and browse their directories to find companies to partner with.

If you haven’t heard of Linkshare or Commission Junction they both are sites dedicated to helping website owners find good affiliate programs to promote.

Actually you don’t even have to be a website owner for most affiliate programs. Alot of them clone a website for you and give you the links to promote. The good ones will provide banners, ad copy, example emails and newsletter ads
etc…

While you are browsing Linkshare or Commission Junction be sure to check to see if the affiliate programs you are thinking about joining adhere to the following criteria:

- It should be a multi tiered affiliate program. Which means you should be able to get sub-affiliates to sign up under you and contribute to your commissions. 

- They should offer lifetime commissions if possible. You can find programs like that here.

- The product or service should provide “instant gratification” or “instant results”.

- They should have a reasonable pay out structure.

Some of my favorite affiliate programs aren’t even really considered affiliate programs. Some people call them downline builders. They are modeled after affiliate programs but with a very powerful component added: The ability to promote multiple offers and services and build
multiple downlines with only one website. VERY Powerful!