Creating an affiliate website that promotes a single merchant is slightly different than creating a regular general purpose website or blog. The goal of an affiliate website is to redirect traffic through to the merchant’s website where, ultimately, the sales will be handled.
With the above in mind, here are a couple tips to help you maximize the success of your affiliate website or blog.
Familiarize Your Site
Design your affiliate site to look similar to the merchant’s website. Don’t mistake this for a license to steal the merchant’s design, but you can use a similar color scheme and place your navigational elements in the same location . When the visitor clicks through, the shock from a different site will be minimized.
If you’re promoting a number of different affiliate merchants on your site, each with a different design, it’s best to keep your own design very neutral. Use standard colors, place your navigation prominently on the page, and remove as much clutter as possible.
Add Calls to Action
Inform the visitor that the final website she clicks through to will contain additional product information and explain what she’ll need to do when she gets there; for instance, add the item to her cart or sign up for a program. Pay special attention to your individual product pages. Spell out the call to action because if there is no call to action, then she will not take action .
