When choosing the best approach to affiliate marketing there are several things to consider. First of all you need to know what your goal is and what resources are available to you. Next you will need to understand the three common approaches in use today. In this article I will give you some insight into those approaches which are as follows linking directly to an affiliate link, using a capture/landing page, and finally creating an actual sales funnel. Understand that each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages. I will cover those in more detail as we go but remember the important thing is to choose one that will align with your specific goal and your available resources.

I will go in order beginning with the least complex which is linking directly to an affiliate link. This approach involves involves sending traffic directly to the affiliate offer without any intermediate steps. This approach is very straightforward and simple to implement which tends to make it an ideal choice if you are just getting started or want some fast results. Among the advantages are potentially easy conversions especially with low ticket items, the simplicity of implementation, lower cost of implementation, and minimum use of resources. On the down side the conversion rate may be lower especially if you are selling low ticket items and your return on investment (ROI) will also be low. This is partly due to not providing the potential customer enough context to make an informed decision since you are dealing with cold traffic and there is a ton of competition since many new marketers choose this approach due to it's simplicity. Next up in complexity is using a capture/landing page.

In this next approach we step up our game a little by adding a capture/landing page which is simply a page that typically has and optin section some context which could be text or a short video. The optin form is meant to capture your prospects information which allows you to continue to communicate with them, This is done through an autoresponder such as Getresponse, Aweber or several others. The text or video should be designed to pre-frame your prospect before you send them to your affiliate link. This can significantly improve your conversion rates because it helps pre-sell the product and build trust with your audience. A well designed capture/landing page can highlight benefits of the product you are selling. It can include bonuses, discounts, or testimonials meant to enhance the user experience and encourage purchases. However, creating effective landing pages requires more effort on your part as well as additional resources such as copy-writing skills, an autoresponder, and even some web design.

Last but not least we have the sales funnel approach which kicks it up a notch. This is by far the most complex of the three approaches but also potentially the most rewarding. This method will typically include multiple steps: It builds on the capture page option by adding a series of follow-up emails via autoresponder to reinforces the sales message. By nurturing leads over time you can build a relationship with your prospects and perhaps quell any objections before making your final pitch. Due to the increased contact with your prospects these type of funnels can command a higher conversion rate and better ROI. On the down side this approach will require a descent understanding of some marketing automation tools and a strategic approach to your content creation for your email marketing.

In summary direct linking to an affiliate link is simple and can be set-up quickly and may be used for simple promotions or perhaps linking to an Amazon product. You can expect a low conversion rate and poor ROI. With the capture page/landing page approach the set-up is a little more complex but will work with more detailed product promotions. It will give you a better conversion rate and increased ROI. Last but not least is the sales funnel approach which is the most complex to set-up and requires the most resources to implement. This strategy will work great for long term strategies and higher ticket products. It affords you higher conversion rates and the better ROI if done correctly. Choosing the right approach will depend on your specific situation and goals as well as your available resources. For example if you are just getting started in affiliate marketing the direct linking approach may be a good place to get your feet wet. If you are in it for the long haul you will want to transition to landing pages approach as you gain confidence and experience. Finally you can set your sights on maximizing your conversions and increasing your ROI with the sales funnel approach. There is another approach I did not talk about and that is a done for you approach. If you want to skip all the hard work you can check that out here.