A variety of sites lend themselves to affiliate advertisements

A variety of sites lend themselves to affiliate advertisements, and those advertisements can transform a profitless content site into a revenue-producing site, or they can add a second revenue stream to an already successful commercial site. I list just a few for you, but the possibilities are endless.

Hobbies and Interests

Plenty of web sites are devoted to a single hobby or activity that attracts a devoted audience of collectors or individuals who share your own interests. The Web is full of sites that attract people who feel strongly about something it may be a political cause, a social issue, a favorite movie or actor, or a series of collectible objects.

The moment you attract visitors with the same interest, you stand a good chance of having them visit you regularly, because the Web appeals to anyone with a passion that needs to be shared.

Repeat traffic is usually free traffic, as the users now know your name and can come to your site directly. Repeat visitors help offset the costs often associated with attracting new customers, thus giving you additional opportunities to sell your products and services and/or those of the affiliate programs you promote on your site.

Institutional Web Sites

Many web sites function as an online “front door” or welcome page to a business or large corporation. They give the president a place to communicate to employees and to the public through a “Letter from the President,” “Message from the CEO,” or some similar Web page. They typically include pages that describe the background of the organization as well as its mission or services.

The site also provides a point of contact for the visitors from the general public, who usually get a page they can fill out or an e-mail link they can click on to send a message to someone in the organization.

Even though you don’t have a large corporation or even a large business, your site can perform the same functions as that of a big institution. You can have a page in which you describe yourself and your experience or the aims of your company; you can have another page that describes your services; and you should definitely give visitors a way to contact you through your web site as well.

Informational Web Sites

On the Internet, information sells. If you are able to present information that people want and make it well organized and easy to find, you’ll become a widely used resource. If you are looking for a relatively easy way to make your site a go-to location that people will want to revisit, collect a set of links to locations on the Internet. Try to focus on some subject that you know well and that is related to the advertisements you plan to run. If you run affiliate ads for institutions of higher learning, for example, you can collect a set of links that will help people take entrance exams or fill out applications. You can gather news headlines that relate to college prices or trends in education. Not all of the links you gather will have affiliate programs you can join, and some of those links may take visitors away from your web site without giving you any click revenue. But if those links are relevant, up-to-date, and helpful to your customers, you’ll give them a reason to return to you on a regular basis, and regular visits are the key to long-term income on the Internet.

E-commerce

Many Web sites are online storefronts such as a shopping mall, a store, a service, or other merchandise the owners have to sell. Making the move from advertising other web sites’ products and services to selling your own is a substantial undertaking. However, if you already own a store or sell through another venue such as an antique mall, flea market, or marketplace such as eBay, an e-commerce web site gives you another way to reach consumers and diversify your business offerings. In order to make an e-commerce site work, you need a marketable product line, clear photos and descriptions, and a way for customers to make purchases easily and securely.

That last item isn’t as easy as it sounds, unless you sign up with an online shopping mall or your Internet service provider gives you access to a shopping cart (a utility that lets consumers make purchases, total them up, and hold them until checkout time) and a secure server (a Web server that encrypts information such as credit card numbers to prevent unauthorized access).

Publishing Creative Work

If you are an aspiring writer, artist, or other creative person, you can use your Web presence to promote yourself. If you just have something to say and lots of time in which to say it, you can create an online diary or blog.

Fans who visit your web site regularly may occasionally decide to check out one or more of the affiliate programs you promote, giving you a chance to earn back some of the money you may be using to promote your work. In each of these cases, the web site types just listed can be complemented by affiliate ads. As long as you develop an audience of faithful visitors, you can use your site to gain ad revenue. The next step is to discuss the options available to you as a web site owner looking to generate advertising revenue.