What makes your site special? Do you have enough deep content that the search engines serve you up first? Or do you have little conventional content, but the word of mouth of your target audience who finds value in the community you have created? Perhaps you advertise in offline venues that are well-targeted. Whatever the reason, you’re cleared the first hurdle. Now you just have to get your visitors to come back on a regular basis.

Obviously repeat visits are good – you have the chance to showcase your own newest products, or the newest content you have developed. But repeat visits are critical if you are to be a success as a publisher or affiliate site.

Because people buy after five or six impressions, it is important that you not only attract new users to your site, but that you get repeat visits from the same site visitors. People need to find your site either useful or fun, or, ideally, both.

There are ways you can do this, and not be just a “utility” type of site. Take, for instance, the maker of a prescription drug, who has set up a website. If someone is prescribed the drug by their doctor, they might visit the drug maker’s site to learn about the drug. This would be a one-time visit, and unless the drug is in the news or particularly controversial, they wouldn’t be likely to visit again. But add a blog where users of the drug can discuss symptoms and tips and side effects, and you have automatic repeat visitors. They are also likely to mention other helpful products by name and brand, Add merchants who sell vitamins, spa treatments, and see how the affiliate sales ratchet up.

Karen Kari's articles and more information on the affiliate business can be found at:

http://www.affiliatebandit.com
http://www.advertisingcellar.com
http://www.billionfreeads.com

• Affiliate Business 101


• Making Your Affiliate Site Attractive to Merchants


• Are Larger Affiliate Commissions Always Best?


• Where Are Those Affiliate Commissions I Earned?


• Affiliate Product Reviews: How To Use Them To Increase Your Affiliate Sales


• Affiliate Site Focus


• Affililate Newsletters Can Increase Profits


• Affiliate Site Research


• Affiliate Program Managers Expectations


• Affiliates Can Negotiate A Higher Commission