Interview with oneNetworkDirect
Friday, Aug 22, 2008
We at AffiliateTips.com meet many interesting people, and companies, working in the world of affiliates. Everyone has their own story about, for example, how they got started and what it was that made them think about working as an affiliate in the beginning. We think it's in everyone's interest to share these stories, to get tips and tricks, or simply to get inspired. This time we called up George Hansen, Sr. Business Manager at oneNetworkDirect, to ask him some questions about oneNetworkDirect, and what he thinks about the future for affiliates.
“Software is essentially one of the highest margin products that is being sold on the Internet today, which in the end makes them very profitable for affiliates as the commissions will be higher than in most other segments.”
Hello, First of all, can you tell us a bit about oneNetworkDirect?
Well, we are a software and computing affiliate network with the goal set on being the best in the world. Our merchants are some of the most recognized in the world and they're offering our clients world-class products.
We are headquartered in Minneapolis, MN but you'll also find us working in cities all over the world and in countries such as Germany, England and Japan - just to mention a few. We are currently about 1,500 people working at Digital River, oneNetworkDirect's parent company.
How much does your average affiliate earn per month?
Everyone is different, but we always tell our affiliates that software can generate a substantial amount of revenue for affiliates when promoted well. Many of our affiliates earn into the 6 figures every month with oneNetworkDirect.
Do you know if there are many of your affiliates that make their living solely working as affiliates?
I would say that most do. Affiliate marketing has become more main-stream and we are seeing agencies and corporations embrace affiliate marketing as a serious income producer for them.
How is the software segment different from other affiliate segments?
Software is essentially one of the highest margin products that is being sold on the Internet today, which in the end makes them very profitable for affiliates as the commissions will be higher than in most other segments. This "relationship" gives our affiliates greater opportunities for making money.
Do you have any tips on how to become successful as an affiliate?
Yes, there are many things one should think about to be successful affiliate. Some of my pointers are:
Work hard:
We all work hard every day - but this is a must. Take your work seriously as this is the cost of success.
Chose a topic that you know:
Focus on what you know - not what you think you can sell. Expand cautiously and use your judgment. Focus on areas you can add value, and use it to gain competitive advantage wherever possible.
Select several merchants in your area of focus:
Spread your efforts across multiple categories and/or merchants. This will help you diversify and reduce dependency upon any single merchant. Expand into peripheral areas that compliment your current business.
Think like a Merchant:
What do merchants want? Merchants want Value Added Affiliates. Quality Search partners that play by the rules. Use unique content that compliments their products. Affiliates that can help break into new verticals - such as blogs and social media networks. Merchants want solid performers that are committed to supporting their products and brands.
Develop unique content:
Content is at a premium today and you need to be investing in it. Plan for the future by building out your sites around unique content that you can leverage as part of your value add. In my world - banners are dead. Blogs are alive and flourishing. Use web 2.0 techniques to distinguish your site and give yourself the competitive advantage of rich, dynamic, content.
Think like a buyer:
Step out of the role of marketer/webmaster for a moment, and think like a customer. One easy way to increase sales quickly is to embed buy links in descriptive text within your site. If you are not including links within the descriptions of your products, then simply adding these can increase sales significantly. We have seen sites where up to 69% of the total purchases came from the links embedded within the text/body of the ad copy.
In what way do you stand out from other affiliate networks?
We would like to think that we stand out in many ways, but if I was to mention one thing, it would have to be our team. The biggest, and best, part of our added value is our team. Many of our team members have been with oneNetworkDirect since the beginning. Our knowledge and expertise distinguish our team as one of the best in the industry. Reach out to our team - we are here to help.
And last but not least... What do you think about the future for affiliates?
As a network, we are in a unique position within the Affiliate Marketing Industry - we see all sides of the business...Affiliate, Merchant, and Network. It is from this unique position that I have developed the idea of Value Added Affiliate, and why it is an idea that I think is here to stay.
Thank you very much and we hope to see many good things from you in the future!
It was my pleasure and I am sure that you'll be impressed by the future of oneNetworkDirect!
George Hansen
Sr. Business Manager
Digital River - oneNetworkDirect
ghansen@DigitalRiver.com
For more information read our review of oneNetworkDirect or sign-up directly at www.oneNetworkDirect.com
