If you have an ecommerce site and want more exposure, this is your page.  A complete guide to affiliate marketing, the wave of the future.  How to get an online income happening - from small pat-time ventures through to large scale website development; learn about affiliate marketing, what it is, how it works and whether it is for you or not - it is all here.  Heimdallnet.com   Heimdall Net dot Com is a site dedicated to new and experienced internet users.  Visitors will find advice on security & safety issues; online auctions guide, money and how to move it on the web, advice on antivirus, firewall, Spyware and malware killers, how not to be spammed and how to set your systems up for maximum usability in years to come. Links and resources for all levels of experience to products and solutions to keep your computer secure and safe, at home or at work.   Bargains, best buys and product information, it is all here at Heimdallnet.com!
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Welcome to Heimdall Net's

Affiliate Merchant's page

  Because you are on this page, I will assume you either have something to sell or want to see how it works from the merchant's point of view.  In either case, I will talk to you as a business owner who already has an internet "eCommerce" site up and active.

What's in it for you?

  • You control completely the incentive and bonus rates of your program.
  • You deal only with one company who then deals with the 'downline' affiliate partners who promote your site.
     
  • The Management company's Affiliate Partners promote visitors to your site as traffic you would not ordinarily get.  Typically, this traffic has already read a review of your product or service and is closer to buying than a 'cold' search engine 'click'.
     
  • Only when you have received the sale are any fees payable.  Unlike normal advertising which requires payment regardless of performance, affiliate marketing is truly a, "no risk" promotion method as it is totally performance based.
     
  • You have control over what level of participation you want in management.  You can automatically approve applicants right through to you needing to browse an applicant's site and approve or disapprove on an individual basis.
     
  • You can broaden your demographic and catchment markets instantly.  Being clever and organising world-wide delivery or limited international delivery focussing on Oceania, North America and Europe/UK will open your business to promotion and custom from many, many sources.

 

Ok, Now you have to decide how you want to reward your sales force.  The options are typically:
  1. Pay per click - a small payout per unique visitor referred from a partner to your site.
  2. Pay per lead - a one-off payment for a referee signing up for membership (or similar).
  3. Percentage of one time sale - Commission based upon the referred sale.
  4. Residual commission - Commission based upon all sales made to that customer referred by the affiliate partner.
  5. Two-Tier commission - paid to affiliate partners who refer other affiliate partners.  This often works as a small percentage of the 'downline' partner's commissions.
 Some things to keep in mind:
  • Affiliate Marketing is totally performance based.
     
  • You are not committed to one affiliate management program.  Join one - join the lot!  The wider your sales force, the better.
     
  • Make your incentives real, you are employing commission only salespeople - you have to give them a good reason to work for you.
     
  • A two tier commission structure is great and will have many more affiliate partners joining in the promotion of your business.
     
  • Be prepared for fast expansion.  If you launch your affiliate program just before Christmas when your suppliers are closed, you may not be able to meet the demand when your site gets 'slammed'.
     
  • Make sure your site is up to scratch.  If you get ten friends to sit at your computer and without instruction, navigate your sales system; you will get an idea of how well your site is designed for the person trying to buy something from you.

For more marketing ideas, please visit the Marketing Strategies page.

  Right,.. let's 'talk turkey' for a moment.  If you have read this far, you are probably considering placing your online business with one or more affiliate marketing companies.  Now let's look at it from the other end; the best affiliate partners run huge businesses with major site traffic and have to be very selective about the programs they promote. 

Don't be cheap with your commissions - you should know what each sold dollar is worth to you (see your accountant if you do not understand this point please, it is critical!).  If your Gross revenue is costing you 20% (you invest $20 in advertising, stocking etc. to generate a $100 sale), you should think about a 15% commission for the first tier and 5% for the second tier. 

  If you run a free trial, think about a small 'pay per lead' reward and follow that up with an ongoing commission structured as above.

  As a business owner, the time you DO NOT spend administering the traditional physical advertising etc. will be your cream.  We all know that that is rarely factored into the 'cost of sale' figure discussed two paragraphs above. 

  Widening your client base, adding several thousand sales people (all on performance based pay only!) and making sure that each sale is profitable to you and your sales force can only grow a business.  That is why the huge players like Amazon, eBay and even the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp. use affiliate marketing. 

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Some of the best affiliate managers are listed below in no particular order of preference.

An Australian firm dealing with a HUGE range of companies and products, started in Melbourne, Commission Monster utilises post click technology to track sales and ensure excellent record keeping and tracking for all.  Excellent, clear statements.  
Based in the U.S., AffiliateBot stocks a wide range of primarily US based products.

One of the neatest code generators I have seen.		  
Based in the U.S., Leading Edge Cash is an affiliate specialising in health and lifestyle based products.

Excellent communication for all concerned - very easy to deal with.		  
Share A Sale is a U.S. based manager with over 2000 merchants and is still growing fast.  Excellent size and opportunity for all.  
LinkShare is a HUGE organisation with a great reputation and U.S., Canadian and U.K. bases.  Excellent for targeted marketing.  LinkShare Referral Prg
Fusion Quest is another amazing Affiliate Manager with a great track record and excellent merchants.  

 

 

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There is nowhere on this site for you to give me money!  If you find my information useful and feel motivated to purchase a recommended product, please use the links on the pages as the vendors offer a small commission for referrals and this is how I can afford to spend the time building this site.  The products will always be the same price whether you use these links or "Google" to the vendors directly - please support this site and use the links provided.
Who or What is Heimdall:

Reproduced here from the Encyclopedia Mythica™ is a summary by Micha F. Lindemans

I chose Heimdall as the identity of this site as it is my desire to see the advice herein protecting all from harm on the net as much as is possible.

The idea of a naming my site after a protector encompasses this desire.

 

Heimdall © Encyclopedia Mythica™ (Norse)

Heimdall is the god of light, the son of nine mothers (variously given as the daughters of Geirrendour the Giant or of Aegir). He was born at the end of the world and raised by the force of the earth, seawater and the blood of a boar. Because of his shining, golden teeth he is also called Gullintani ("gold tooth"). His hall is Himinbjorg, The Cliffs of Heaven, and his horse is Gulltop. Heimdall carries the horn Gjallar.

He is the watchman of the gods and guards Bifrost, the only entrance to Asgard, the realm of the gods. It is Heimdall's duty to prevent the giants from forcing their way into Asgard. He requires less sleep than a bird and can see a hundred miles around him, by night as well as by day. His hearing is so accurate that no sound escapes him: he can even hear the grass grow or the wool on a sheep's back. At the final conflict of Ragnarok he will kill his age-old enemy, the evil god Loki, but will die himself from his wounds.

As the god Rig ("ruler"), Heimdall created the three races of mankind: the serfs, the peasants, and the warriors. It is interesting to note why Heimdall fathered them, and not Odin as might be expected. Furthermore, Heimdall is in many attributes identical with Tyr.