One of the most important discoveries in economic science is the “division of labor”: the idea that we should each focus on what what we do best. We then trade the fruits of our productivity for the goods and services offered by others.
So if, for instance, my strongest ability is in baking bread, I should spend all of my working day baking bread. If, on the other hand, your strongest ability is in growing apples, then you would spend all of your working day growing apples.
If I want apples and you want bread, I would simply offer to exchange some of my bread for your apples. Each of us would then end up with the amount of bread and apples we want.
But because we are each focused on perfecting what we do best, total productivity is far much greater than it would be if we each tried to bake bread and grow apples separately.
If I am comparatively hopeless at growing apples, then trying to do so would waste part of my day as I cannot spend that time baking more bread, which is what I am good at. The total amount of bread produced would decline.
If you, on the other hand, are comparatively hopeless at baking bread, then you would be wasting part of your day if you tried to bake bread when, during all that time, you could be growing more apples. The total amount of apples will also, therefore, decline.
But by choosing to specialize, we can both end up enjoying a total stock of more bread and more apples than we otherwise would.
This way of dividing our labor is one reason for all of the material prosperity we enjoy today.
Now, bear with me – I’m not about to bore you with an extended economics lesson. But what you do need to realize is that the division of labor applies also to online marketers – specifically in the area of creating and bringing a product to market.
You see, there isn’t only one talent involved in this process.
First, a product has to be created. It must be designed and produced in such a way that it actually meets the needs of its intended audience.
Second – and, perhaps, more critically – the product has to be marketed. And this can be an entirely different kettle of fish.
Now, some product creators happen to be great marketers also. Not only do they create brilliant products but they also know how to entice people to buy them.
Others, however, may be better at one task or the other. A talented product creator may be hopeless when it comes to trying to market that product – and, indeed, if that creator is smart, then they will outsource the marketing to better salespeople.
Similarly, a great marketer may not be so good at creating a product in the first place. They may be able to find the words and techniques that will succeed in triggering the desire to buy. But they have not the faintest idea about how to create the article on sale. So that marketer should be outsourcing product creation.
This way, everyone’s talents are used to their full potential.
The point in all this is that you, as an affiliate, cannot assume that a great product will equal great marketing. You must examine both aspects of a promotional opportunity before you decide that it has potential. Failing to do so is one of the biggest mistakes in affiliate marketing.
So before you start promoting any particular product, read the sales page carefully:
• Do the graphics look professional?
• Did the copy reel you in for the catch?
• Do you feel compelled to buy?
If not, then it doesn’t matter how good the product is – the leads whom you send to that page are unlikely to buy it.
Good product vendors should also tell you how well their sales pages are converting (and affiliate marketplaces such as Clickbank, JVZoo and WarriorPlus should provide the conversion rates).
5% and over is decent. But anything under that is probably best avoided.
Other warning signs you need to look out for on a sales page:
• Too many colors.
• Over-animated displays.
• Excessive highlighting, emboldening or underlining of text.
• Non-linear copy, with too much information presented side-by-side.
• Distractions such as other links or offers on the page.
• Poor spelling, grammar and typographical errors (even top marketers can get the latter wrong!)
Of course, a poor sales page needn’t lead you to abandon a product entirely. After all, it might still be a good product!
If you are convinced that the product could be an absolute best seller, then may be just send a quick email to the vendor highlighting the problems with their sales page.
You may find that they are not only grateful for the feedback but manage to then create a first class sales page you are proud to endorse.
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