Hi Walter,
Lynn, if I may could I jump in here and recommend that Walter start by researchimg what type of products he wants to promote. In other words-his niche.
I remember when I first started online and wanted the same thing-to make money with affiliate programs. I would browse around and join whatever affiliate program caught my attention, and never made a cent.
Oh the programs were good, they were great. But
I didn't have a focus. So I sat down and drew up a list of what topics interested me that I could build a content based website and/or newsletter around.
This is when I really started to focus. I started by setting two very important goals, building a loyal subscriber base for my newsletter and writing and promoting an e-course.
With these goals in mind I finally started to make some money. It starts slow, and the learning curve can take a while, but there are many people to help you out and it just builds if you stay focused.
It's easy to hear of the latest and greatest product and think "if only my niche was about that, I'd be making a killing".
But staying with what you start will pay off more than all the other opportunities you'll be presented with.
Contrary to what you may have heard it isn't easy to make a quick living on the internet. It takes persistance, dedication, and building an honest reputation. Oh and maintaining relationships.
Soulds alot like business in the real world doesn't it?
It is in many ways, but the overhead is alot smaller and there are some great tools to test, track and automate your business that would be virtually impossible to use in the real world. So many times the ROI is greater.
So to anyone who wants to get started, but is totally confused about WHERE to start, I say find your niche, find something that you can truly focus on, enjoy, and know something about.
From there you can find products to promote or sell your own. And from there learn to get traffic and build a list of contacts with your newsletter. Oh, and subscribe to Lynn's newsletter, it's one of the most comprehensive I've found and leaves out the hype.
Oh, and by the way Lynn, If I wasn't already a subscriber I'd subscribe again, I like it THAT much
.
I did find a great free ebook about what Niches are, how to find yours, and how to find out if it is profitable. You can download it for free at:
http://www.TheFreeTrafficReport.com/nicheEbook.pdf
Right click and select "save file as" or "save target as"
With your permission Lynn I'll leave the link
:
If not you can delete it.
I am sure Lynn can help you with some niche ideas as well.
I have also really relied on my membership to the Affiliate Classroom, and I believe Lynn has a membership site that helps with mentoring (I've been taking a look around).
I recommend finding a great mentoring program that you can afford after you've got a focus and squeezing it for all it's worth. This can really help get you on the right track alot more than buying an ebook or product simply because it takes YOU by the hand and helps you reach your goals.
This type of mentoring is what helps keep me focused and on track each day.
Lynn, where is your mentoring site, can't remember the domain off the top of my head. Maybe you can explain it a little.
Well now that this post has gotten EXTREMELY long I'll let Lynn at you again
Leah