Step 4. Push Merchandising

Converting your visitors to customers is the most important part of your affiliate network. For all of this to work, you need to develop the sales process that quickly lets them know what you offer, who you are, why to trust you, and where to go to buy now.

Build your guarantee of satisfaction behind everything you do and make sure you focus visitors on one specific sale if possible. While shopping carts may sound like a great idea, statistics prove that Internet shoppers rarely buy more than one item per visit. At your price range, it is unlikely that majority will buy more than one product.

While you will use your shopping cart, focus on the following elements to drive your conversions of visitors to customers:

• Your Personal Shopper/Customer Loyalty Program

  Getting people to give you their email address is what every Web page should focus on. Get them to fill in their name and email, then automate a follow-up of 5 email messages. The following schedule is recommended: immediate/autoresponse, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days. Use your email like an infomercial; give part content, and part sales message. Remind them of your brand name and what you deliver with the following:

  A. Email Personalization: Put their name in the subject line of every email and in the body of the message. Be wary of sending out questionnaires; it may sound like a good idea to you, but ask as few questions as possible via email. You want them to feel they can open up your email and gain value, not add another job.

  B. Email Reminder Services: Send them emails on the specific holidays and events that they will give gifts.

  C. Personal Shopper: Give them an automated Web Page that they can monitor, with boxes to fill in to indicate preferences. Invite them back to answer the questions you want online and reward them for each visit with a discount or gift certificate. Let this be a database they can fill in for their own needs. Be wary of asking too many questions, but let them feel like they are in control of your database. Invite them to share information slowly.

• Online Content and Community, If Applicable

  The community element of your site is an excellent place to get them to visit. Turn it into an edited, recommended Web Site section. Have your editor find the best sites and just recommend those that give the most value. Your content can be used as a primary generator of links and affiliates; contact sites you would like to link to (i.e., target affiliates), and offer to link to them in exchange for a return link. Then let them know how they can earn money by returning your link. Also integrate a Personal Shopper/Member email form to drive email from there as well.

• Travel Discounts, Gift Certificates, and Click Rewards

  Have a special page for people to register for various discounts, gift certificates, and click rewards. Integrate this into your Personal Shopper/Member Program. As they apply to earn the rights to these rewards, give them an immediate benefit, i.e. gift certificate, just for applying.

• Ad Copy

  Be sure to use your ad copy well, in your affiliate programs and at your site. Emphasize the words "New, you, how, special, price, and discount" in your headlines and promotions. People respond to a good headline that introduces them and guides them through the sales process. It may sound simple, but most sites ignore ad copy completely; be sure that your copy guides them to the sale, and most importantly, to call you.

• Click to Call Banner Ads

  Include your phone contact and if possible, click to call banners (http://www.activebanner.com). The ability to immediately call your ordering desk can be essential with items like you are offering. No matter how well you automate, people need guidance, the human touch. Use your banner ads to initiate an immediate phone call, to catch the person when they are most likely to buy.