The Amazonian Profit Plan On Second Thought

OK, look, that title was a teaser: my second thoughts aren’t the type of second thoughts you might have thought just a second ago. (I’m trying to rank for the word, “second” using various longtails…OK. Not really. Just being a dork.)

Kelly asked a question and I started to answer it…then realized that I should just make it a post. Here’s Kelly’s question, and this is Kelly from http://www.kjfleming.com -

James,
I have totally changed my business model-there is no way I could put up a bunch of sites. It makes so much more sense to have a small number of sites making the same amount of money.

Do you like the Amazonian Profit Plan? I have been considering it for about a week now, and it is kind of expensive, but my conversion rate is 2% which is horrible and I do need help with my Amazon sites!

First thing’s first: I just wanted to say, Kelly: good on ya! And, I think it will work out for the best when you believe in what you’re doing.

I also want to be up-front about this – I have just started adding content based on this book recently to one of my sites, the most profitable. I haven’t seen anything yet, but it’s much too early to say.

So far I’ve backlinked these entries with 2 preliminary EzineArticles, which I was able to do pretty quickly with their tips on researching products that have a greater likelihood to convert. Their tips on writing a review that converts is worth the price of admission – and Ruth has already mentioned that it’s a bit “pricey” at $97.

The potential earnings, though, the ROI, is astounding with the Christmas season coming up.

A side-note here, an anecdote about their product review or copywriting tips: YES, they nail it on the head in The Amazonian Profit Plan, and when I read it…

…well, to be honest, this was what I have seen success with already on my most “winningest” site - so I know it works!

It seems that after I built that site (my first) I listened to someone who told me I was putting “too much time” into the review…

Stupid me, I took his advice and have been doing everything wrong since. Why was that stupid? Not because I don’t like the guy, but because he never sold anything as an affiliate marketer. Taking money advice from someone who’s broke will end you up the creek with no pennies.

This fella hadn’t made a wooden nickel online, and here I was thinking Bozo the Clown was the bee’s knees. More like the Bee-Hind, it was a lame mistake on my part. BTW, the person in question is excellent in business offline, which is why I thought he “knew it all.”

No, he didn’t and doesn’t – but if you get around the fella, you’d think he did and does know it all. It’s just a personality trait, and he IS successful in most things business.

Anyhow, getting business advice from someone who has no business giving it (like a banker telling you how to sell more cars) is far too common, and frankly: stupid.

Which brings me to the Amazon ebook in question: the review-writing part was what I was doing to a large extent with a Commission Junction affiliate program.

In fact, it is the only sales page in all my “arsenal,” or was up until a few days ago. What I’ve done is I took a bit of Aaron Wall’s advice to me in the second interview here:

11. Leave us with some tips to succeed online, since we’re all a bit in the same bag: what would you say are the keys to succeed online?

Build on great domain names. Focus intensely and push push push when you are entering a new market. Anytime you find a marketing technique that is profitable keep pushing on it harder until it no longer produces profits.

See, I had already discovered how to write a review on my own, just combining my strength of closing a sale (I’m not the “best” closer, but I do know a few tricks more than a One-Trick Pony), and what I know of writing and people in general…and realized I just hadn’t “milked that cow” enough. Aaron’s advice was to push, push, push, especially when you find a profit center – keep pushing until that cow’s udders come up dry.

(ain’t that what he said?)

So going back to that site that I set up first, which has produced a steady income ever since, and adding pages of content using what I’ve learned in The Amazonian Profit Plan should see some conversions coming up.

Kelly asked about the conversion ratio – I can’t personally say as I’ve just begun – but the ebook does state their conversions shot up after using their methods. By “their methods” I mean their analysis of finding the low-hanging fruit – what’s going to sell? How do you find it?

Combining that with the copywriting tips they give, AND throw in the gold mine of Amazon, and you’re set for a good Christmas shopping season, back to school season, Halloween…

This ebook has helped me to pick the products in a targeted fashion, then to craft the review in a way that has been proven to work (and has worked for me, insofar as “style” of writing goes).

At the moment I have a file of keywords, products and product links that are just waiting for me to do the writing, posting, and then backlinking, and I’m sure I’ll see some conversions.

Here’s another discovery – feel free to shoot me a “You’re the village idiot!” email – I went to Google Webmaster tools and noticed that a few of my sites had been getting ranked for keywords I didn’t mean to rank for – you know how that goes.

So, genius that I be, I decided I’d take a few of those that were product based, wrote up a couple of reviews, and now will be using those discoveries to factor into what I’m writing reviews for.

If Google’s going to rank me up at #4, #5, #9, #12, etc. – but I don’t have a review that is targeted to that term – shame on me! I’m now handling that, hoping to capitalize on it with the tips in the Amazonian Profit Plan book.

Even at $97 you can re-coop the investment easily. In closing, I do want to say that I don’t think this is the “only” book that will be profitable. I’m sure many will work, but after seeing the XFactor method work (and what it takes and calls for) – I realize that it’s more a matter of what will work given your personality.

I highly respect Mike Iser, Sara, and John “XFactor” – but I don’t want 100′s of sites if I don’t need to. More with less? That’s more how I roll. What I like is having a blueprint written by someone who knows what they’re doing.

You can use these methods on other affiliate programs, but the strength of Amazon is simply the amazing variety. If someone clicks your link and doesn’t buy the plasma screen TV from you, but they do buy a stereo…you get the point.

I don’t think it’s just me (until I read Yolanda’s blogs, Michelle’s, Sara’s, Anton’s…etc.!) but what slows me down is having too many choices, going too many directions, working too many sites...I need a blueprint that will work with my strengths.

BTW, what I mean by the “until I read [other blogs]” comment, is that they are all focused on what they’re doing, so I do get the feeling “it’s just me” that doesn’t actually stay focused (on the passive income building).

I’m pumped about it, since Halloween and Christmas are right around the corner.

And go for the evergreen products, BTW, you can’t go wrong in the health niche (especially weight loss with New Year’s resolutions). Just some thoughts. That is not going to be the last word on the APP, I’ll definitely update as I see sales. In the meantime, I’ve got some clients to see to…(**cough, cough!** Matthew ** Selena ** Vic **don’t**cough**kill me**ahem!)