Affiliate Site As An Expert Resource

Writen by Karen Kari

Why would site visitors sift through generalities when they can get specifics that focus on people like them? You know they won't, so you started a web site for a niche market – on a subject near and dear to your heart, as focus and enthusiasm show. Say, do-it-yourself furniture caning.

Then what?

Go to conferences, read books and articles and do some interviews in order to find out just what a do yourself caner wants to know.

Put up your content with a twist specifically toward your niche. No need to skip the more general or related articles or information, such as the history of caning, or art museums that have exquisite caned chair examples, but provide them by using links to broader, more general sites, and complementary sites that target offshoots of your core subject Pull together the best instructional materials you can on every aspect of caning, organized the way you've found your visitors think and proceed. videos, charts, how-to articles on techniques of caning, minor repairs to a chair before caning, how and when to stain, oil or paint, common materials used for caning, etc.

Now, ask novice caners to go through your site, and see where they got lost. Terminology? Maybe you need a glossary. Instructions too difficult or assume things? Maybe you need more steps or drawings. Perhaps a help line in the future, sponsored by advertisers?

Do the same with experts – and see what they want to learn, or even better, share. Ask them to author articles or write a column on the site. Ask visitors about caning events in their local areas, and start compiling the great caning event calendar. Host a contest or competition. Write articles and send them to your local and national press, especially if you've found that there's an annual caned chair day. If there isn't one, start one, by putting reminders on your site, stationery, press releases. Have everything refer back to your site.

Now you are ready to add highly focused affiliates that your visitors are likely to buy from – from specialty paint stores, to artisan caning reed sellers (how else would anyone outside of their locale find them?), book and video sellers, handicraft schools. You have the market they've been looking for.

Karen Kari's articles and more information on the affiliate business can be found at:
http://www.affiliatebandit.com
http://www.advertisingcellar.com
http://www.billionfreeads.com