First, you’ll want to consider your budget. If you are just starting out, I recommend WP Affiliate, which is a one-time cost of around $49 and is made by a company called Tips and Tricks HQ. This is the affiliate plugin I use. It is reliable, and is a good option if you already have an autoresponder like AWeber, Constant Contact, or MailChimp with a list over 100 already in your database.
If you have the budget for it and have a mid-size to large business, I would recommend 1ShoppingCart (1SC), which costs around $99/month and is a three-in-one solution: autoresponder, shopping cart, and affiliate center. If you have a small list and started out with WP Affiliate and an autoresponder, it is possible to transfer your list to 1SC or hire a VA to import the list for you. Please note that transferring your list may require asking your list to “double opt-in,” which essentially sends each existing contact a confirmation link confirming he/she still wants to receive email from you and your company. You may lose a considerable portion of your list this way during the transfer, which may or may not be in your best interest, so when choosing an autoresponder, you’ll want to take into account potential business growth.
One final option I’ll mention is popular with million-dollar businesses: Infusionsoft. I would only recommend Infusionsoft if you already have a six-figure business because it is very difficult to set up and requires your VA to be fluent in CSS (and other programming languages). There is a reason why some have dubbed Infusionsoft “Confusionsoft” –it has all the bells and whistles an advanced online marketing system requires, but it will cost you considerable monthly fees, on top of the amount that would require a specialist to set up the system for you. I would not recommend hiring a VA who is not already trained in Infusionsoft to set up your campaigns, because the learning curve is steep. However, it is not unheard of for new marketers to strike a golden niche and make six figures in a short amount of time, so if you expect your business to grow rapidly and have the start-up funds to support it, Infusionsoft may be right for you.
For links to my recommended products, please visit http://writingandeditingtoday.com/resources/
Have a wonderful day,
Gina Noel Decker
Tech Done For You
P.S. In the next lesson, I will share with you How to Link Your Freebie to Your Signature Product so Your Affiliate Commissions Can Start Rolling In Fast.[/text_block]
