Looking for help

[Psleestak]

Hey gang,

It's been quite a while since I perused these pages. Recently I found a new job and have taken a role in this start up company helping them to market our product. Having little prior experience dealing with affiliate marketers I don't really know where to begin.

On the advice of one of your fellow members, I have contacted both Commission Junction and Share-A-Sale about their affiliate marketing programs. The owner has shown some interest in getting signed up with one or both of them, however I thought it might be good to get some input from those of you who actually do this for a living.

We are almost done creating a new web presence which will include a shopping cart and other ways for us to sell directly online. What we need is help getting people to our site, and once there to actually purchase our tracking device directly.

The sales manager here has already set up many "dealer" accounts for those who wish to re-sale our product as their own. That is all well and good, but I myself would prefer that our company get the recognition for putting a superior product out on the market.

This coming Thursday night the show Street Customs on TLC will be featuring our product on the new episode with West Coast Customs. Once again they are repackaging our product and selling it as their own. The added exposure for us this could create is almost totally negated by the way they are marketing.

So... I hope at least some of you will understand my dilemna and offer some helpful solutions. If it seems like you don't understand what I am asking for that is most likely due to the fact that I barely understand it myself!:Yahoo_29:

 

[Psleestak]

... anyone, anyone... Bueller?

 

[stroz]

not really understanding what you are asking for...so your product is getting featured on a tv program yet your not getting any exposure from this? doesn't seem right

if you are looking to drive traffic to your site like you said then you should be looking to develop an SEO & PPC plan for your website, both of which you can find plenty of info on this board...get your budget & goals in order and then work backwards from there

So... I hope at least some of you will understand my dilemna and offer some helpful solutions. If it seems like you don't understand what I am asking for that is most likely due to the fact that I barely understand it myself!:Yahoo_29:

 

[Psleestak]

not really understanding what you are asking for...so your product is getting featured on a tv program yet your not getting any exposure from this? doesn't seem right

Actually, I learned yesterday after posting this that they did not decide to repackage our product and sell it as their own until after the first couple of episodes were already in the can. Therefore, it looks like we will be getting some great exposure and our name put out there with the airing of the new Street Customs show tomorrow night.

I can't help but be excited about this.

As far as SEO and PPC is concerned, we have used PPC in the past when the site first went live. At that time it was not cost effective, but we are willing and able to begin a new PPC campaign once we roll out the revamped site. We have done a lot in regards to SEO as well and have utilized a great deal of key words throughout our content, including tags on pics and headers. I am not saying that we have done this in the most effective manner, but for the most relevent keywords to our specific product we are showing in the top three in the google search listings.

I thank you stroz for the reply, any further input (even if it's to tell me I am an ass hat) is appreciated from this internet marketing noob.

 

[springer]

Yeah, you need to make it clear to your boss that by repackaging the product under someone elses name he's limiting the sales potential to THEIR marketing efforts. By establishing your own brand, you can not only sell to the existing base of resellers but establish the product in the marketplace and get people looking for it.

If it's packaged and marketed as Joe Schmucks product, you'll never get the brand recognition the product needs to make it.

Let me guess, your sales manager has a MBA, right? HAH!

 

[RuDeDoGg]

tell us what the product is? I don't have time to watch west coast customs (and the show is gay)

I'm just curious..

I would suggest you hire a professional firm or someone who knows the SEO/AM industry to develop your website. If you do allow re-branding of the product then there's no reason one of us here can't take your idea and kill you on the search results. I'd get a tight hold on the #1 spot for your keywords ASAP

I took a look at the west coast customs website, they are going to rape you guys

 

[springer]

Is this it? West Coast Customs™ Shop

If it is, rudedogg's right. Unless your boss gets on the bus, I'd start looking for a new job. You're supposed to compete in SEM against private label stuff for your own product? HAH!

Oh, you'll probably have a job as long as places like WCC keep selling a few of your gizmos but, I wouldn't be looking for any huge bonuses anytime soon. As long as your sales manager believes private label is the way to go, he's cutting your legs out from under you.

 

[Psleestak]

Busted

Is this it? West Coast Customs™ Shop

If it is, rudedogg's right. Unless your boss gets on the bus, I'd start looking for a new job. You're supposed to compete in SEM against private label stuff for your own product? HAH!

Oh, you'll probably have a job as long as places like WCC keep selling a few of your gizmos but, I wouldn't be looking for any huge bonuses anytime soon. As long as your sales manager believes private label is the way to go, he's cutting your legs out from under you.

Wow nice call, not even gonna ask how you found the right product, I am sure I gave away a bit too much info.

Agreed, the sales manager's laziness and inability to create DIRECT customers is going to hurt us in the long run. The profit margins would be so much greater if we could have our main focus on direct sells from one of our own web sites or other advertisments.

I would give you guys the link to our site but the old face is still up and you would all have a great laugh (as I did when I first saw it.) We have actually (despite the owners inability to build a decent web presence) had a buzz over our product but unfortunately it's been mostly on a local level and some time ago.

I do realize the position they have put this company in. Relying on re-sellers or affiliate programs alone to move product is an effective way to make sales... but, when you pay out commisions and give "partners" the wholesale rate you limit your potential profits. The main reason we are not overly concerned is that what we lose on initial sales is more than made up for eventually with the residual monthly charges for the service that we also provide for these tracking units. Yadda yadda yadda... :repuke:

Bottom line is I am trying to find better ways for us to market directly and generate our own sales instead of relying so much on the partner programs our marketing director has worked so hard to establish.

As for wether or not I will have a job here soon, well I am not too worried as I do much more around here than sales. I just figured that if I can get the web traffic where it needs to be that I will make myself indispensable.

 

[Psleestak]

Here is a link to a local news story that aired here in OKC tonight! They did a great job portraying our company!