The following is a guest post by Mike Omar from The Make Money from Home Lions Club
Sometimes people get so caught up with their ONLINE marketing efforts that they completely forget about OFFLINE marketing.
Want a simple example?
Most people realize that some of the highest paying affiliate commissions you can receive are from hosting companies. Here are some of the more well-known hosting company affiliate structures:
DreamHost:
$110 / signup
HostGator:
1-5 sales = $50 / signup
6-10 sales = $75 / signup
11-20 sales = $100 / signup
21+ sales = $125 / signup
HostRocket:
1-10 sales = $75 / signup
11-20 sales = $95 / signup
21-30 sales = $115 / signup
31+ sales = $150 / signup
As you can see, there is a lot of money to be made, especially if you can sell several hosting packages per month. So of course, everyone is trying to promote these products online and the landscape is extremely competitive.
HOWEVER, selling these hosting packages offline is very easy if done cleverly.
Who needs hosting packages?
People who need a website.
Who needs websites these days?
Just about everybody and their mother.
Who offers websites?
Just about everybody and their mother.
How much do these companies charge for a website?
A LOT!
So what did I start doing?
OFFERING FREE WEBSITE DESIGN CLASSES.
I printed up simple paper fliers at home and posted them all over town…at university campuses, in libraries, and other public areas. They looked something like this:
Learn how to make a website or blog for FREE!
I am offering FREE website design classes on Sundays from 6-9 pm at the public library. Make sure to bring your laptop and a credit card (to buy a domain and hosting account) and you will be walking out of there with a website – GUARANTEED! If you need a blog or website for any reason, you don’t want to miss this opportunity.
Please call or email if you are attending so I can get an idea of how many people are showing up. I look forward to teaching you!
Mike Omar
555-555-5555
email@gmail.com
That’s it. Obviously you will switch up the time and location, but that’s all you need to put on your flier.
Now, as everybody should know, nothing in the world is ever free. And even though I’m technically offering “free” classes, every person that shows up to that class is paying. Yes, you already figured it out…they are signing up through my affiliate link.
And guess what? I’ve found that by simply telling the people that show up at my class why I am doing “free” classes, they are happy to sign up for a domain registrar AND hosting account through my affiliate links:
“Hi everyone and welcome to my free class. You might be wondering why I am offering a class for FREE on how to make a website. Well, to make a website, you have to buy a domain and a hosting account – you can’t make a website without those things (don’t worry, it costs less than $10 / year for a domain and less than $10 / month for hosting). If you purchase those products through me, I will make a commission, but the price won’t change at all for you. Let’s start and I’ll walk you through the process of buying a domain. Please go my website and click on the Go Daddy link…”
So as you can guess, I’m actually making more than $2,000 per month by doing this – the numbers I’m giving are extremely conservative. 20 customers (5 per class) * $100 per referral = $2,000.
I usually have more than 20 customers per month and I get commissions for domain registrars AND hosting (and I make more than $100 per sale for hosting).
And guess what else? At the end of my class I tell everyone about my website and ask them to sign up for my mailing list. I get to promote my website and get 20 extra subscribers to my newsletter per month.
Needless to say, I am happy to teach every person in that class how to make a website when I’ve made at least $100 off of each person that showed up. I show them how to install WordPress and teach them all how to use it. And I’m glad to help people make whatever kind of website that they want.
People leave extremely happy from my classes because they got a website for exactly what it costs and no more (plus the knowledge of how to update it themselves), and I’m happy because I just made several hundreds of dollars. It’s a win-win-win-win-win.
So start thinking of ways to make money from your affiliate links OFFLINE and you’ll be surprised at how many opportunities there really are.
For more great methods to make money through online entrepreneurship, please visit the Make Money from Home LIONS CLUB.
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FANTASTIC post!
This has the gears turning in my head faster than I can think! You could do the same thing to the site that you may already have for offline clients – I menan, that you could add your affiliate link to their sites on a “resources” page or just in the side bar saying something like “Want a website like this with FREE training on how to use it? Click Here!”…something like that.
Wow. Thanks for the reminder and the ideas! Again, great post.
LOL, I know what you mean about the ‘gears turning’. I was thinking the same thing when I first read Mike’s post.
Thank you for the compliment Chris!
Mike, I did have another question for you – how are the commissions from the different companies paid? Do you get paid monthly from the hosting companies (HostGator, Dreamhost, etc.)? Do you get paid yearly from the domain registrars?
Thanks again!
Chris
Hi Chris,
The two companies I work with are GoDaddy and HostGator and they both pay once a month (but about 2 months after you make a sale).
Mike
Wow now this is extremely simple to do! :) I’ve already created wordpress training online so I can easily see how I can go offline with this, sell the hosting and domains plus if they want to take my training home with them they can purchase my online training :)
You just got my gears turning also. You can maybe even have a few professional themes that you pitch at the end of the training.
Lot’s of ways this can turn more profitable while still keeping the value. Thanks for getting my creative juices flowing
Glad you enjoyed the post Joshua!
At the end of every class I always point out my resources page and tell them about the different resources on there (premium themes and Aweber for mailing lists are big ones!).
I’m wondering how much web design does Mike teach his students in the class. I can’t imagine he would have time for much of that.
Does he give them a theme or a list of free themes? Does he teach them how to use wordpress during the class? (I’m assuming it’s wordpress)
Hi Cathy,
I teach them how to make a website using WordPress. Once the default installation is on their website, I walk them through all the functions within WordPress (how to add posts, pages, links, images, switching themes (free ones), widgets, plugins, etc.).
The truth is, WordPress is incredibly intuitive – most people just aren’t aware that it exists. Once they have it in front of them and start playing with it, they start to figure out a lot of stuff on their own. Three hours isn’t enough to show them everything there is to know about WordPress, but it’s enough to get them where they can take over on their own.
Hope this answers your question!
Mike Omar
Hi, Omar:
What do you do with clients who begin asking the following:
Design – such as logo, headers, etc (they will assume all this included free of charge, which of course it is not)
Customization – when they come to you with theme design changes, upgrades, customizations
Newbieness – when they bombard your email inbox with a million, gazillion questions post sale (such as how to add an image, how to add in Goole Analytics, how do Menus work, can you add in Amazon and Adsense banners for them, how to add in email marketing and on and on)
I do this also, but have learned to add in post sale support at an hourly rate, and charge for everything. Otherwise they eat you alive. Lol.
Missy
Hi Missy,
I don’t really offer any support after that initial class. People sometimes ask for paid private lessons, but it’s something I’m not interested in doing (too lazy haha!). That’s a fantastic way to develop a lucrative business though, since private teachers charge a lot.
I just recommend that people look things up on Google or YouTube when they run into problems – that’s how I learned.
Mike Omar
Thanks Mike, that does answer my question. One more if you don’t mind.
Do you have to pay the library for a room to meet? Or at least book it ahead of time?
The public libraries I’ve done this at have never charged me, but I’m not sure that would be the case at all of them. Whenever I’ve told someone at the library about what I want to do beforehand, they’ve always been supportive and helped set me up.
Yes, hosting companies pay good bucks. But how much you’ll make depends on the amount of quality of traffic that your blog gets. Of course, you won’t discover what works unless you try it.
Thanks.
Excellent!
Simple but powerful technique to earn affiliate commission.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article.
God Bless
Jude C
I’m glad you enjoyed it Jude!
Hello Omar,
I tried to use this idea online 6 months ago by giving away free classes on internet marketing through online auto responder series in return for buying domain and hosting through my link.
But I read a lot of horror stories of hostgator not paying affiliate commissions to marketers even though sale was legit.
I guess there are some rules like people need to continue to renew their domain every month or so for affiliates to get paid. So I backed out of the idea.
But I’m glad it worked in your case
Hi Shekhar,
Even though I’ve also read similar horror stories about HostGator not paying commissions on legitimate sales, I’ve personally not had any *BIG* issues.
Sometimes I’ll notice that some of my affiliate sales are marked as “invalid” and so I’ll email their affiliate support team, and they will either validate it as a payable sale, or explain why it was invalidated. And it IS true that they have some strict rules in place about what is considered an official sale they pay commission on. Aside from that though, I’ve been happy with them.
Mike Omar
Last winter I had this very same idea, except I couldn’t get the numbers to work for me using Bluehost. I had no idea Hostagator paid so much for multiple referrals. And the other thing that bothered me was I had the exact same questions as Missy.
Thank you Mike for writing this article. It’s re-lit my spark. But I have 1 question:
Why make people register their domain at Godaddy? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just register it at Hostgator while they’re setting up their site?
Hi Joe,
There’s two reasons I have people sign up at GoDaddy instead of directly at HostGator:
1. I’ve repeatedly heard that it’s a good idea to make sure you buy your domains and your hosting account from separate companies (although I’m not entirely sure why haha!).
2. You’ll make more commission if you sign them up to both companies (the price will be the same for them).
Mike Omar
I´m very impressive with what you can achieve by SEO $2000… I wish I could do the same.
You can Pressa!
This business rewards consistency and hard work more than anything, and it is certainly doable.
Free is always good and using it in marketing as you have pointed out so eloquently is good practice. I love the concept of free classes that are also building a list. I have not been an affiliate of a hosting company yet and may actually look into it since reading your sample above.
Thanks for the outstanding post.
Glad you enjoyed the post Laura!
And definitely look into promoting a hosting company to make yourself some extra income…most of them pay really well.
I thought of doing the same thing but only offering the free website from my website for any potential visitors (provided they signed up through your link for hosting). If you had a make money blog aimed at newbies for instance, you might get a few takers. But your method is better as you are pre-qualifying your audience. Plus, since it is being offered in a library the participants will see it as a trustworthy and authoritative setting. My library offers free IT or computer literacy courses so adding this type of teaching to it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch. For the sake of transparency, would you tell them that they could get free hosted blogs at blogger and wordpress and explain why not to go down this route ?
Hi Ade,
I never mention wordpress or blogger as a place to build a website since those websites won’t be hosted on a person’s own domain.
If someone were to ask about those websites, I’d tell them that they could use them if they wish, but a website on their own domain is only $10 / year for the domain and $6 / month for hosting – very cheap. Not only that, a website on it’s own domain looks much more professional.
It’s up to you whether you want to mention it or not, but I’d imagine most people would opt for a paid website on their own domain anyway (considering how cheap it is).
Mike Omar
Hey,
You have shared simple but great ways to earn money.
Regards,
Mohammad
hosting companies provide some of the top affiliate programs
any one can utilize with a little knowledge
many blogger offers free setups to their affiliates to get clients
Nice article
WOW.
Excellent idea and post thanks for sharing this awesome advice.
I would assume the students show up with their own laptops right?
Have you ever had to worry bout paying fees for the room to the library?
Hi Jacko,
You’re very welcome!
Yes, I ask everyone to show up with their own laptops.
I’ve never paid to use a room at a library, but if I came across a place that tried to charge me, I’d probably just find somewhere else to teach (there are a lot of free options).
Mike Omar
Brilliant idea. However, it’s sad that in my country, people are not familiar with credit card. That’s why I can’t use this method to make passive income :(
I’m sorry to hear that Robert. What country are you in?
It was the 12 hours of work a month that caught my attention more than anything. Great ways to earn affiliate commission here,helpfulfor those times when writers block kicks in eh!
i really surprise you got $2000+ from seo it’s good news for me. keep it up and share more articles with us.
Clever idea Mike. It’s also a good place to be positioned in the customer ‘journey’ – right at the start of them getting online, which means you’re almost a ‘field of 1’ so long as people like you. Congrats for thinking laterally!
Yes exactly! You’re the first “make money from home” website / person they’re exposed to, so it gives you a huge advantage to gaining a loyal follower.
I am constantly being asked to recommend solution providers. I don’t think teaching a class is for me, but I definitely am up for offering affiliate links on my resources page. Why didn’t I think of that? Thanks, Suzanne
YES! If your business is one where you are constantly being asked to recommend products, you may as well make some commission out of it!
A simple but very powerful technique! Thanks so much for sharing Mike! I have a question… Do your students get the hosting right in your classes? In my experience with Hostgator, it takes quite a few hours before you get your hosting account ready.
Yes they do. The hosting usually kicks in during the lessons so the students can do everything while I teach them, but sometimes it doesn’t and those students just watch and learn from what I’m showing them.
If affiliate marketing was that easy I would be making a lot of money right now off my affiliate website but I’m not.
So you’ve must have tried this method. Can you let us know why it didn’t it work for you? It might be helpful for others.
Did you read the article Manny? He’s not making it directly from his website. He’s holding local classes and his students are signing up for a domain name and hosting through his affiliate links. I think it’s genius!
Hi Manny,
It might help if you think of yourself as a salesperson instead of an affiliate marketer. I promote my website in person a lot, in addition to traditional SEO and other purely online tactics (I even have business cards). Treating my business this way has helped tremendously.
I hope this helps.
Mike Omar
Mike,
This sounds like a great idea! I have a few questions I like to ask you if it’s OK.
1. The time factor seems so short. Do you ever find yourself going well over three hours for the training session?
2. What’s the biggest turnout that you ever got?
3. Have you ever utilized a projector to make things flow more smoothly with the students?
4. Is there a certain amount of time that a customer has to keep the hosting service before you get your commission?
5. I know the possible issues with students flooding your email box was addressed earlier, but what about your cell phone? Do you ever have people constantly calling your cell with questions?
6. If somebody was willing to pay for extra lessons what do you think would be a fair hourly rate to charge?
7. Could you give me some basic examples of what kind of products/services you might promote to the customers after you get them on your list? The reason I’m asking is because they didn’t opt in to your blog because of a search or through because they were already interested in what you have. Just don’t want to look spammy.
OK….more than a few questions but I would really appreciate it if you could look the, over:)
Thanks
Will
Hi Will,
No worries, I’m glad to answer your questions!
1. No way, it’s always been much shorter to be honest. People get tired too.
2. Never more than 15.
3. Nope. I have used a dry erase board.
4. Yeah – 3 months (and yes, cancellations are fairly common).
5. No, I don’t take phone calls for this. You have to draw the line somewhere.
6. That’s up to you. I’ve never done it, but maybe $20 or $30? Some tutors charge way more per hour, but I personally wouldn’t.
7. Products related to internet marketing or running an online business.
Hope this helps!
Mike
Hi, that’s is a very ingenious way of making affiliate income.I also promote hosting as an affiliate and i have found the industry to be very competitive. I will definitely try offering this service in my country in see it it can be a success.Thanks for the tips.