7 Shopping Tips For Smart Affiliate Marketing ROI

For affiliate Marketers (AMs) success is all about investing in effective advertising. That sounds simple enough. Except that, for every successful AM, there are dozens who never get past the "first base" of making an income (no matter how small) from their efforts.

Why not?

Because, no matter what the elements of any advertising campaign,one vital factor is knowing how to choose the best, most cost-effective products (advertising tools), for the investment dollar. In short, they need to learn how to shop smart.

While "smart shopping" is a term usually reserved for back-to-school moms or the choice of a ripe melon (in which case, the ladies definitely have it all over the guys in this segment of the business), for an AM to break out and start showing a profit, they must adopt the same, basic principles. They must find good, cost-effective, yet quality products and services.

Here, then, are the basics of smart Shopping, Affiliate Marketer-style:

1. THE WORLD (WIDE WEB) IS YOUR OYSTER No matter the service -- whether it's lead generators, auto-responders, links, ad trackers, you-name-it -- when looking for a product or service, enjoy the advantages of the competitive marketplace. In other words, shop around. The time is past of being blindly led, either by recommendations, past experience or, worst of all, habit. Realize the potential and look around because every day, just as in any other aspect of the internet, new advertising competitors are joining the ranks, with fresh ideas, competitive pricing, new or better offerings. For example, while many still swear by such lead generators as Lead Factory and Cutting Edge Media, SimplerLeads.com has stepped in to offer true high-quality, double opt-in leads, plus offer their own auto-responding system and auto-mail system for true auto-pilot access-- all at rates lower than the competition.

2. INVEST NOW, IT PAYS LATER Invest the time now to research and study the various companies and it will pay off richly later. Pick a few different companies, research them, get familiar with the various features of all of them. Or, even more importantly, features that some companies have while others don't.

In doing all this -- and, yes, it often takes a week or two -- a marketer not only benefits from the education, but can can also gain a clear perspective of what's available and a product versus pricing comparison.

3. ASK AWAY-- EMAILS TO CUST SVC Never be afraid to ask questions. Even stupid ones. It's all part of the educational process. And that's what Customer Service -- bless their CS little hearts! -- are there for. And, too, CS gives a marketer a good idea of the quality of the company. It a good idea to note their turn around time. By and large, companies go out of their way for their newest and/or prospective customers. So if their response is anything less than stellar, keep looking. After all, if they treat new customers shabbily, how will they treat existing customers. Note, however, two things about CS: 1) They MAY have a good reason for a poor response rate (such giving preference to existing customers); 2) Never bother a company with truly silly questions. Don't, for instance, ask their cost, when it is clearly visible. Find questions that are relevent and genuinely add to your information. Then wait for the response.

4. NOTES, NOTES, NOTES While it sometimes happens that one company stands out among the rest, it's more common for the differences to be slight or the offers varied enough to leave a marketer dizzy. So note-taking becomes essential in the research process. For anyone who never kept good notes in school, the marketing version is simply a matter of deciding on the key factors in the proposed business, then keeping track of those factors from prospective business to business.

5. COMPARE COST VS. SERVICE This is when those notes become elemental in the process. Once several different companies have been explored and notes compiled, it simply becomes a matter of choosing which company offers the best product/service for the money.

6. TRIAL PERIOD Once chosen, the process is far from complete, however. As the old saying goes, "the proof is in the pudding," meaning that a marketer will see how a company/service performs only once they begin using it.

The next step is to follow a company closely for the first 1-3 weeks, making a note of any problems, delays, etc., that might arise. This doesn't necessarily kill a company's possible success, but a bad experience at this point does not bode well.

If there is a continued or repeated problem, the company should be re-evaluated, based on the new information.

7. REGULAR REVIEW Okay, so the AM has all the marketing they need, the business is well-established and the advertising has performed well. The AM's smart shopping has been successful and the job is done, right? Wrong.

As mentioned in Tip #1, above, the market is constantly changing and so are the advertising options available. Plus, while a company may perform well initially, their performance could change. Sometimes those changes are sudden and dramatic. But more often they experience a gradual decline that only becomes discernable when analyzed overa period of time.

So, unless a marketer decides to *opt-out* themselves, it is essential to continuously monitor and regularly review their advertiser's performance. And, when necessary, begin the process of smart-shopping all over again.

5 Tips to Better Clothes Shopping

Shopping can be a pleasure or a chore. However you look at it, use these five tips to save money and look
your best.

1. Dress well. In order to spend less and buy wisely, dress up in comfortable clothes. It's the same concept as going to the grocery store on a full stomach.

2. Shop with a plan. Know exactly what you need and how much you can spend. Write it down. Create a budget.

3. Keep an ongoing list of needs in your closet. As you dress each morning, note items needed to better complete outfits.

4. Before you make a purchase ask yourself, "Does this match my wardrobe in terms of color, style and price?
Is this on my needs list? How many ways can I wear this item?"

5. Shop first at high-end mass merchants, outlet malls, and off-priced stores for basics such as tees, shirts and pants. You'll then have more money for seasonal updates like jackets or accessories.

De-Mystifying Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping is a long time and very easy to understand concept. In this very competitive age customer service is paramount to retailers. These retailers hire mystery shoppers, also known as secret shoppers to evaluate staff performance, check on customer service and evaluate front line cashier staff. Retail managers use mystery shopping for efficient evaluation of their business practices, their goods delivery and their employees' company and product knowledge as well as customer service practices and skills.

Those hired for mystery shopping visit retailers in the pose of a customer and then write up the details of their experience shopping there. Typically they are responded to a questionnaire. Retailers are not the only ones using mystery shoppers, however. Banks and other financial institutions hired mystery shoppers, as well as convenience stores, restaurants, manufacturers, entertainment firms and even service firms.

While in theory anyone can mystery shop, you do need to be professional and responsible, with a good level of observation and memory skills, and the ability to succinctly and clearly put into written words the details about your experience.

You should never have to pay upfront for the opportunity to do mystery shopping. If a mystery-shopping firm is asking you to do so they are not making you a legitimate job offer. This is a scam. They may call it a registration fee or say that you are purchasing a list of firms that offer mystery shopping. But, whatever they call it you shouldn't pay the fee.

Legitimate mystery shopping companies will train you, give you tips for improving your mystery shopping skills and sometimes let you keep what you shop - for free. There are several ways of reimbursing you for your services. You will either get a fee for each shopping experience that is agreed upon before you shop, or you'll be reimbursed for your purchase, or you may get both. The worse that will happen is that you get to dine for free, buy clothes and other goods that you choose, at no charge, or avail yourself of services that you don't have to pay for.

Most mystery shopping companies have a very short online registration to apply for the mystery shopper position. They'll ask for your e-mail address and phone number. You have to show a lot of flexibility, though - at least at first. Many assignments could be last minute, and this is no nine to five job. You may need a digital camera for some shopping evaluations, and you should have Internet access, email and fax availability.

Mystery shopping is not a regular job. You could wait months for your first work, with no set schedule guarantee. You might get an assignment that requires an hour or two of work, or one that sends you off on a two week cruise. You just never know. You should plan on registering with several mystery-shopping firms. You might do well to look at online message boards and forums for mystery shopping to find firms that are looking for new mystery shoppers.

Companies that offer legitimate mystery shopping work include Mystery Diners Inc., which specializes in sending mystery shoppers to evaluate employees and services of the restaurant and bar industries; Bare associates, a global firm that offers online mystery shopping training; Certified Reports Inc. that specializes in the entertainment industry such as theatres; and a Closer Look that provides mystery shopping evaluations for the hospitality (hotel and restaurant) industry.

Another mystery shopping firm is Intelli Shop which not only offers on-site mystery shopping evaluations but call centers that can evaluate your telephone sales and customer service team and online evaluations of your site's services. The mystery shopping company Employee Evaluator specializes in evaluation of real estate agencies and services, but can also offer mystery-shopping evaluations of just about any type of firm; and Amusement Advantage. This firm specializes in the amusement industry, offering mystery shopping evaluations of arcades, amusement parks, theatres, golf courses, aquariums, zoos and even convention and visitors bureaus and tourist information centers. Alex Ruban is the owner of Paid Surveys since March, 2003. His site provides information about hundreds of free legitimate paid online surveys, polls, and focus group providers along with detailed reviews, descriptions of each program, paid survey guidelines and useful tips.

Benefits of shopping jewelry online

Time has changed completely, gone are the days when you spend hours locating your kind of jewelries in different malls and stores that costs you more than you actually spend on the jewel. Now, the same quality and varieties are available in just a click of the mouse i.e. internet that has revolutionized the way of shopping.

Nowadays, the wholesale internet shopping market has widen and reached to its heights. It provides a hassle free and enjoyable experience for shoppers who get their kinds of goods at rather economical range. So, internet has becoming a great source of fine and beautiful jewels to serve the purpose of buyers ultimately.

The benefits of shopping from internet is not only limited to cost saving and time saving factors but it is also a convenient mode that carries different attractive offers and discounts that is quite important while shopping for a jewelry. Moreover, some sites on internet are selling jewelries for general public and for dealers that increases the choice for buyers to look out for best deal. Not only this, you may also get some of the rare gems and jewelries on the sites that are generally difficult in stores.

Having reach to the world wide gem stores and manufacturers, internet shopping brings you different kinds and types of jewels and gems at one place. It is only place, where you can get glorious from different shades of Indian rubies to brilliant emeralds of Brazil thus it is a whole world in itself. These sites also have a team of experienced gemologists and experts, who value the jewel at the correct prices on the basis of their actual worth. They also undertake the work of providing useful and necessary information related to jewels and their precautions to buyers that enhance the confidence and trust of buyers towards the sites. Therefore, shopping from internet is becoming really popular.

If, you are planning to gift someone, internet provides you really cool gift items that are not only classy but economical too. You can everything from an inexpensive pair of earrings to a costly set in diamond, internet features something for everyone. Even if you don't like the gift, order your preferred gift with your ideas that will surely find it somehow and deliver it you shortly as they have got a wide access. Besides, it also has the facility to deliver the goods anywhere no matter where you are so; it has connectivity from one corner of the world to another corner.