| http://www.refer-it.com |
November 8, 2001
internet.com's
REFER-IT.COM INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER
"Affiliate Resources, Revenue and Tips"
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Sponsored by FreeMoneyMakingMagazine.com and ClickZ
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[refer-it top ten]
#1 Program - OneShare.com
[welcome new sponsors]
Norwich Union Wealth Management
Clari.net
[affiliate of the month]
CouponMerchant.com
[featured article]
The ABCs of P3P
Christopher Saunders
[industry/program news]
[webmaster tips]
Lessons From Affiliate University: Minipages 101
[3 star programs]
[contact us]
[refer-it sponsors]
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[refer-it top ten affiliate programs] November 2001
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Special congratulations to OneShare.com, the #1 Refer-it program
for the 3rd consecutive month!
1. OneShare.com
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=7291
2. eHealthInsurance.com:
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=6429
3. Match.com
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=4669
4. Juniper Bank:
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=6137
5. Qwest Dex
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=5561
6. Dreammates.com:
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=4303
7. DVD Express
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=2792
8. ConsumerInfo.com
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=2921
9. HotelQuest:
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=3398
10. uSubscribe:
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=5976
* Refer-it Top Ten programs are calculated by the absolute number of
clickthroughs each program received on Refer-it.com, exclusive of
Adult sites.
********************** s * p * o * n * s * o * r ********************
Increase traffic to your web site and get paid. Earn $1 for every FREE
magazine you give away for us. Use the free magazine offer to tease
people to your site - people love the "something for nothing". This is
a solid affiliate program, run by Cutting Edge Media, an established,
11-year-old company. Get paid, every month, accurately and on time. We
provide all of the marketing tools you’ll need to start making money!
Don’t miss out on this lucrative opportunity!
https://www.freemoneymakingmagazine.com/Affiliate/SignUp.asp?ac=1
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[welcome new sponsor] Norwich Union Wealth Management
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Please join us in welcoming Norwich Union Wealth Management, our
newest Refer-it.com sponsor.
Got lots of professional UK visitors? They are worth £2 to you for
each easy, free registration. Join up to high earning potential with
norwichunion.com. £2 can be yours for each British based visitor
registering successfully for their free book - worth £16.99. Cookies
last for a year in this professionally managed and well supported
program.
[join program link]
http://referit.com/countprograms.cfm?id=7973&type=2
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[welcome new sponsor] Clari.net
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Please join us in welcoming Clari.net, our newest Refer-it.com sponsor.
ClariNet offers high quality news for Web sites at an extremely
competitive price. ClariNet TopNews--The day's top stories continuously
updated. News from the worlds of business, US and international events,
sports, living, entertainment, technology, and more. The ClariNews
affiliate program pays you a $40 commission.
[join program link]
http://referit.com/countprograms.cfm?id=7999&type=2
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[affiliate of the month] CouponMerchant.com
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[Name of site(s):] www.CouponMerchant.com
[General description:]
CouponMerchant.com is an online coupon provider. Our goal is to offer
shoppers a true online shopping experience while saving money with the
use of electronic coupons. That's right, no more clipping coupons! We
have partnered with numerous merchants that have authorized us to offer
you coupons, discounts, savings, and more! Our site is offered as a
free service to anyone that is interested in saving money. We encourage
people to take full advantage of our site, which includes a forum
section for keeping in touch with other CouponMerchant.com participants
and a daily news section. We are always looking for new and creative
ways to improve your shopping experience. If you have any questions
regarding the use of our site or have any suggestions, please send us an
email at: info@couponmerchant.com
[Please tell us a little about yourself and how you came with the
idea for your affiliate site(s)?]
My name is Michael Ferreira. I am a 29-year-old, single male. I
graduated from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. with a degree in
Business Management. Since graduating in 1994, I've held several
positions. Recently, I developed Graphical User Interfaces for a property
and casualty insurance software company.
I've always been interested in owning and operating my own business.
While
browsing the web, I read my first articles about people that owned
affiliate based sites offering coupons. My reaction was, 'How are they
making money?' As I researched the whole affiliate business, I soon
learned that these sites were getting a commission on every sale that they
referred. I thought, "I can do that!" At that moment, CouponMerchant.com
was born!
[What is unique about your site?]
CouponMerchant.com offers shoppers a unique opportunity to save money and
our service is free. We also have a Savings Newsletter with the option to
unsubscribe anytime (Although, we'd prefer you stayed onboard with us!).
The ease of navigation has proved to be a favorite among our visitors.
This feature has proved to be beneficial because I wanted shoppers to be
able find their way around without needing a degree in 'How to navigate a
website'. Navigation, definitely key!
[Do you have any competitors?]
Competitors? I don't believe any business exists that doesn't have some
form of competition. The accumulation of different techniques and methods
found on sites with a similar target audience are some of the ideas that
are incorporated within my site. Imagine being the only one in your line
of business - you'd probably be successful, however you wouldn't
constantly be creating and developing new and fun ways to present your
products or services. I think competition is a necessity.
[How many people on your affiliate team?]
Currently, I am solely responsible for developing CouponMerchant.com.
[Is this is FT or PT commitment?]
At this time, CouponMerchant.com is a full time commitment.
[How many hours/week do you spend in the site?]
On average, I spend approximately 60-70 hours a week working on
CouponMerchant.com. I'm presently adding more merchants that offer
quality
affiliate programs. Seeing that my site is new, most of my time is spent
doing advertising, marketing and search engine optimization. Basically,
just getting the word out that we are alive and have some great money
saving coupons for everyone to use and that it's free.
[What has been the single most effective method for driving
traffic to your site?]
The best way that I've found for generating traffic to my site is by word
of mouth. You tell one person, they tell two and it just multiplies. It's
incredibly simple, but still one of the most powerful ways to market a
website.
[How many affiliate programs have you joined?]
Currently, I have joined about 124 affiliate programs and keep adding new
ones everyday. My goal is to get as many merchants on board that offer my
shoppers the best deals.
[Which ones are your top 5 revenue-generating programs?]
That's hard to say simply because we are so new. I'd have to say that
Buy.com has been our best performer. They offer great products at great
prices, plus they always have fantastic coupons throughout their site.
[What is your average monthly commission revenue?]
Again, in this early stage, our revenue has been minimal but we hope to
change that over time.
[Have you been able to negotiate higher rates from merchants?]
Yes. If you offer a great product or service and present it on your
website in a professional and easy to use way, people will always be
willing to negotiate better terms with you. Of course, having many
visitors also gives you better leverage in negotiating higher rates.
[What are the most important factors for you when choosing an
affiliate program to join?]
I prefer to join affiliate programs that have high commission rates and
offer great products to my customers. You don't want to pick any and all
programs that are available. I look for merchants that have
professionally-looking banners, offer great coupons and in the end, offer
my shoppers something of great value.
[Do you prefer 3rd party hosted programs (i.e. CJ, linkshare) or
in-house programs?]
I actually use both Commission Junction and Linkshare. They each have
different ways of presenting their affiliate programs and most
importantly, they each have aggregated reporting on commissions, total
sales, and what links were most effective and those that aren't. I
believe that they both have valuable tools and a wealth of information
for someone looking to get into the affiliate market.
[Is your site profitable? If so, How long did it take for your
site to become profitable?]
I've yet to turn a profit, but with time and a lot of hard work, I know I
will someday. If not, it was a great learning experience. But we're not
giving up just yet. In fact, we're just starting and hope to be able to
report this time next year that we have turned a profit.
[What is your projected revenue for 2001?]
Hosting costs $49.99 a month on an NT Server. Right now, if I can make
that back at the end of each month, I'd be happy. Again, we're fairly new
on the dotcom playing field, and hope to do well in the future.
[Do you have any final comments for people looking to start
their own website?]
Research, research, and research some more. It takes a lot of time and
effort to make a profitable website. It's certainly not going to happen
overnight. Not only do I know that from personal experience, but also
from
others who have gone before me. I seriously believe in taking action on
one's dreams and not going half-speed to get there. If you persevere,
work
hard, dedicate yourself and drink lots of coffee, I honestly believe that
the pieces will fall into place and that the end result will be a good
one.
[Plans for the future?]
In the future, I want to be able to offer my customers hundreds of coupons
from a variety of merchants offering the greatest money saving deals.
Someday, I also hope to take a vacation!!!
********************** s * p * o * n * s * o * r ********************
Affiliate marketing experts Declan Dunn and Jason Ciment share their
insights on doing affiliate marketing right - and profitably - every
Friday on (http://www.clickz.com) ClickZ.com. Read their columns online
(http://www.clickz.com/aff_mkt/aff_mkt/), or sign up for a free
subscription (http://www.clickz.com/subscribe/) to ClickZ's Affiliate
Marketing newsletter. While you're there, check out ClickZ's other free
newsletters on marketing advice - written by practitioners, for
professionals like you.
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[featured article] Christopher Saunders
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The ABCs of P3P
P3P might seem an obscure acronym, but it's likely to be on the tongues
of Web marketers and publishers before long -- and what you know now
might save your business down the road.
[full story]
http://www.referit.com/main.cfm?screen=articles&id=167
[submit an article]
mailto:csaunders@internet.com
Refer-it.com is now delivered to more than 11,000 subscribers.
Submit an article on an affiliate marketing topic and we'd be
happy to promote your site or service.
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[industry news]
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AltaVista is now offering enhanced listings.
[full story]
http://www.altavista.com/sites/search/listing_enhancements
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[program news]
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Fannie May Candies is offering a 6% commission rate through Christmas
and is offering a free one pound box of chocolate ($16.95 value) with
the purchase of $39.95 dollars worth of candy.
[join program]
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=7677
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Every product purchased at Szul will result in a commission of up to
19% of the product selling price. New commission schedule:
Monthly Sales:
Up to $1000: 15% commission
$1001 to $2500: 17% commission
Over $2501: 19% commission
[join program]
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=3736
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BirthdayExpress.com wants you to hop aboard the Hogwarts Express for
your next Harry Potter party! Offer your viewers our exclusive Harry
Potter Partyware for the months of November and December by featuring
their promotional Harry Potter banner. You'll receive 20% commission
for all sales referrals.
[join program]
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=3277
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ValueMags magazines make great gifts. To encourage your visitors to
purchase magazines this holiday season, they have created a coupon code
that will give 10% off every purchase. Enter code 'giftmags' at checkout
and save 10% instantly. Coupon expires 12/25/01.
[join program]
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=5928
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The first 25 Sephora.com affiliates to put up a text link or banner,
generate a sale, and email the url showing the link on their website
will receive a $25 bonus.
[join program]
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=6635
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WWFShopzone.com has rebuilt and it is better than ever. To kick off
the holidays, they have a free shipping offer and a bunch of new banners
for you to put on your sites. The free shipping offer lasts until
December 31, 2001.
[join program]
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=4030
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Buy.com Coupons
$25 OFF the purchase of $250 or more:
http://www.buy.com/retail/coupon.asp?prid=81566564
$10 OFF the purchase of $100 or more:
http://www.buy.com/retail/coupon.asp?prid=81566562
[join program]
http://www.refer-it.com/Main.cfm?screen=displayProfile&id=3959
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[webmaster tips] Declan Dunn, ClickZ
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Lessons From Affiliate University: Minipages 101
Affiliate programs are developing new partnership models in their quest
for profits and performance. One new model is the minipage. Think of it
as a direct response email postcard.
[full story]
http://www.clickz.com/aff_mkt/aff_mkt/article.php/911091
Talk to Us - Have a comment? Got a great tip?
Email us! mailto:refer-it@internet.com
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[3 star programs]
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New three star programs include DataDate.com, GolfSpeed.com, The Vermont
Country Store and more ...
Check out the latest 3 star rated programs at:
http://www.refer-it.com/main.cfm?screen=latest&header=directory
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* ATTENTION MERCHANTS:
Running an affiliate promotion? Increasing commissions?
Creating new coupons or discounts? Let us know about it!
Contact refer-it@internet.com
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[contact us]
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As always, contact the Refer-it team with any questions or comments.
Advertising Questions, Webmaster Inquiries, Merchant News
Contact: Brian Farrell, Sales Manager
mailto:bfarrell@internet.com
Editorial Inquiries
Contact: Christopher Saunders, Sr. Editor
mailto:csaunders@internet.com
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[refer-it sponsors]
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eHealthInsurance.com (Insurance)
http://www.ehealthinsurance.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
QwestDex (Search Engine)
http://www.qwestdex.com
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Match.com (Matchmaking)
http://affiliates.match.com
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DreamMates.com (Matchmaking)
http://www.dreammates.com
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Clari.net (General)
http://www.clari.net
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Kowabunga Technologies (Solution Providers)
http://www.myaffiliateprogram.com
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