We live in the wondrous age of the internet. Not only are there endless business opportunities, but learning opportunities as well. And there's a good reason why we need to learn and adapt with the times. Times are changing...fast!
More...
One of the biggest and fastest changes online is affiliate marketing. Statistics don't lie. In 2017, online sales in the United States alone amounted to over $409 billion dollars.
As more people have internet access around the globe, the rise in e-commerce is exploding. Businesses have taken notice. They are spending more of their advertising budgets on affiliate marketing to increase their sales.
They've discovered that paying someone a commission to promote and sell their merchandise, is the most expedient way to attract online sales.
For this reason alone, affiliate marketing has become a profitable, often very lucrative, business.
This is why so many people are starting online businesses. That's my reason, LOL. But to be successful, you need the proper education. This is why I'm sharing my 10 obvious reasons why you need free online marketing courses.
This is where I learned everything about affiliate marketing.
Contents
My 10 Obvious Reasons For Online Training
My 10 points are what I consider the basic elements of an online business. These are the areas you will need to understand, in order to build a successful business.
They all work hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. Well maybe not the 10th point, haha. If you'd rather pay for everything, that's up to you!
Understanding How To Make Money
To be successful at affiliate marketing, you have to understand how the process works.
It all starts with you wanting to make money on the internet. And thankfully there are many ways to do this.
One of the easiest ways is by affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is when you, as the affiliate, get paid a commission for sending a paying customer to a merchant.
This is done by promoting their product on your own website. For example, you may choose to promote exercise equipment. Your website is about weight loss and you recommend the best equipment to help people.
For a more detailed explanation, please read what is affiliate marketing.
What Are Niches?
A niche is the topic you choose to talk about. It's that group of people who are looking for information about that topic.
For example, let's use the fitness category. You are a fitness buff yourself and would like to help people get in shape.
But the term "fitness" is way too broad. People who are searching that term in Google are just starting to look into fitness.
In order to reach people who are ready to buy something, you need a much more specific category. Like BOWFLEX SELECT TECH 552 DUMBBELLS.
By the time a person is looking for something this specific, they are ready to buy!
Please read my post on the definition of niches.
How To Choose A Domain Name
A domain name is your address on the web and will represent your website and what it is about. You want something memorable and not too long.
And of course, you should have a few ideas in mind, in case your first choice isn't available.
Domain name prices can vary, but finding one for the average price of $14.95 per year is all you need.
Make sure it includes a privacy policy, SSL, and easy WordPress integration.
My post on domain names explains all these terms for you.
Learning About Websites
Your website is the foundation of your business. It's the "face" you show your viewers, so you want a good first impression.
If it's boring, or confusing, people will just move on. So you want to make sure it grabs their attention.
You also want them to easily navigate your website, with proper categories and menus.
Everything on your website should be about the niche you chose.
For example, you don't want a website about "gardening" to have articles on cryptocurrency or luggage. (Unless you have a very creative way of linking the two together.) And if you do, I want to read it...haha.
Learn all about categories & tags.
And for more information on websites, please click here.
Hosting Services?
A hosting service is where you "park" your website. This service sells or leases you space on their servers so that you can publish your website on the web.
Without this service, your website can't be seen....which defeats the purpose of making money online. Lol.
Your website is made up of files, which are stored on this server. When someone searches out your website or one of your articles, the server sends them the requested file.
To learn about different types of hosting services, please read my article.
Researching Keywords
Consider keywords to be the big, flashing, neon sign, attracting customers to your site.
Keywords are what your potential customer is typing in Google's search bar.
This is why it's so important to find the right keywords to use in your articles.
Once you know who your customers are, and what they're looking for, you'll have a good idea which keywords to use.
Your next step is finding the keywords with a decent amount of monthly searches, yet with very little competition.
In other words, you don't want to compete with a bunch of other websites using the same keywords. And to figure this out, you need to use a keyword research tool.
Easy eh? No, really, it is!!
Here's one of my articles on How to find Keywords.
What The Heck Is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. This is the strategy you use when writing your articles to promote your product.
There are certain "rules" to follow which search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo like to see.
If you follow this strategy, you have a very good chance of ranking on the first page of the search results. We all aim for position #1.
This is also the best, FREE, method to drive traffic to your site...
Want to know more about SEO? Click here.
Writing Content
Your content is everything you contribute online. All the articles, posts, or blogs (which are basically all the same thing) you write to promote your product, is content.
And this content is published on your website.
WordPress, which is the most commonly used website platform, allows you to write and publish your articles directly on your website.
I highly recommend "WordPress, as it also allow you to upload optimized images and videos, properly structure your post for SEO.
Most importantly, it's easily exported from host to host.
Just like SEO, there are techniques to properly write your article to attract the attention you are looking for.
These techniques can make the difference between someone clicking on your article, or passing on to your competition.
To read about these techniques, please read about content creation.
Needing Support? Yes Please!
Have you ever tried to learn something new, all by yourself? What if you don't understand something?
What if you have a question that needs an immediate answer before you can move on to the next step?
We all need help from time to time. And what better place to get help, than from a group of people all running their own online businesses.
A community of like-minded people. There's nothing quite like it.
The experienced, already successful people are willing to help the beginners. And the beginners are encouraged to ask anything. It feels like family!
If you want more information about a community, read here.
It's FREE!!
OK, this isn't necessary to build a successful business, but wouldn't it be nice!
It was important for me to check things out before spending even $1.
And that meant not having to submit my credit card information.
I've heard of too many programs that say you can cancel, but then it becomes a hassle if they still start to charge your credit card anyway. I didn't like taking that chance.
"Online learning is not the next big thing, it is the now big thing.” - Donna J. Abernathy
My Honest Recommendation
Can you imagine trying to learn all about affiliate marketing by hopping from site to site online? It would take you forever. I know, I've already done that. It's crazy!
Writing this article reminds me of how overwhelmed I was trying to figure it all out piece by piece. I wasted a couple of years doing just that!
When you summarize everything on one page, as I have above, it sounds confusing and downright daunting.
How could I possibly learn this and not fall on my face? It was a lot for someone with absolutely no experience.
And then I found a platform that had everything in one place. What a relief!
It's called Wealthy Affiliate
Here's a quick video showing you what you get with your free membership.
To my relief, they made learning fun. The training was interactive, step by step, and beginner-friendly.
My website was up and running while I learned, so you're able to "Earn While You Learn"!
If you click on the image below, you can read all about it. And when you join, I'll be there to greet you and coach you as long as you want me to. See you soon!
Why not start today? This could be a life-changing decision for you. You can earn additional income, and soon become financially free. Think of the freedom you could have!
I'll meet you on the inside and be there for you every step of the way. See you soon!
Your friend,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I think you hit on the most important topic which is the need for training. There is so much to learn about making money on the internet and WA puts it in one easy to access place. Plus you get the technology you need to build and maintain your online presence.
Thanks for this information.
Hi Steve, and thanks for your comment.
I think too many people feel they can learn it on their own, but it’s pretty difficult to access everything in the steps you need. The difference between success and failure is usually the lack of training. With Wealthy Affiliate, all the training is designed for beginners with no previous experience. And its step by step, easy to follow and interactive. There’s nothing like it anywhere online today.
Cheers,
Suzanne
You know I looked into Wealthy Affiliate about 5 years ago, signed up with them, and then did nothing. At the time, I had been scammed so many times and just didn’t give this a try. Now I am looking into joining again, and I see nothing but positive reviews. I believe I am ready to take the plunge. How long have you been with them and how has it been for you so far?
Hi Leahrae, and I’m glad you’re back. I’ve been with them for many years now. I was the same at first. Joined but ended up not doing anything for a couple years. I kick myself now though, haha. Just think how much farther I’d be now, making even more money! You’re in the right place to learn all about online marketing. And if you have any questions along the way, please contact me. I’d love to help.
Wishing you great success,
Suzanne