W3i is now recommending that its affiliates use the new Ad Sitelink feature in Google Adwords to improve return on ad spends.

Ad Sitelinks allow you to include relevant links to content on your site which is not featured on your main landing page. You can also change the sitelinks whenever appropriate, for example for new marketing campaigns or seasonal products. We found that Ad Sitelinks created a lot of value for our users since they can now quickly find what they’re searching for using the relevant links that we added to our search ads. And let’s not forget the added benefit for you–using Ad Sitelinks gives you more real estate in your search ads.  A surefire way to improve your site’s click-through-rate and improve your quality score! It did for us!

Here is an example of Google’s search results with Ad Sitelinks,

Users Find Content Quicker with Google Ad Sitelinks

What are you waiting for?  Create a new campaign using Ad Sitelinks today!  What results did you get from Ad Sitelinks  Let me know in the comment section.

http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=164778

Joan Jones, Account Executive, W3i, LLC
Joan is the guardian of Affiliate relationships at W3i, providing resources and solutions to strategic accounts.

According to Online Marketing Trends’ “Twitter Statistics on its 5^th Anniversary,”[1] Twitter users are sending 55 million tweets per day. And, Facebook states their average user has 130 friends. With facts such as these, any astute app marketer can clearly see the vast potential of diving head first into the social scene.

But, here’s the rub…not every app developer or distributor has an in-house social guru to lead the way. Still, there are steps you can take to at least get your feet wet.  Here are a three easy ways to step into the shallow waters without needing to be an expert in all things social:

Momma always said, “It is nice to share!”

Tip 1: Encourage your users to share your app with their networks.

Facebook® Share and Twitter® Tweet buttons are simple to implement and quite effective.  You can even use a pre-populated message of your own design to build brand identity, encourage specific action, and incorporate the links and hashtags that will help your app go viral. Additionally, tweeted links and Facebook shares directly influence Google’s crawling and can thus result in better organic search results placement.

Have I got the answers for you!

Tip 2: Answer a question and solve a problem.

Your app provides some kind of solution to a user’s wants or needs. Put your feelers out on niche forums or sites like Quora and Yahoo Answers. Keep your eyes open for conversations or questions where suggesting your app is not only relevant in context, but adds real value.  You give the user the answer to their problem, look like a hero, and get your app noticed all at the same time.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Tip 3: Create a YouTube® Channel.

Do a demo video that highlights how to use your product and showcases all its many amazing features. Post the video on your channel and make sure to include download links, image tags, titles and other content rich in strong keywords to help your video get noticed in YouTube search results.

These are only a few of the quick, easy, and relatively maintenance free ways you can start swimming in the social sea. So what are you waiting for? Dive right in…your audience of millions awaits!

Randi Kucala, Account Development Manager, W3i, LLC
A proponent for business partner and user satisfaction, Randi endeavors to make every interaction with W3i a positive one. She specializes in copy writing and on-page SEO.

Your landing page is the first impression visitors have when they hit your site.  It’s here you get the chance to market your product or service quickly and efficiently.   The general goal of the landing page is conversion.  Making sure your page is in tip-top shape matters to your bottom line.

The following are a few tips to make sure you’re doing all you can to increase conversions.  Some may not be new to you, but illustrate why it may be worthwhile for you to revisit your landing page to see if there’s room for improvement. You can read tips 1- 11 here.

12.) Testimonials. Share reviews of your products from your users.

13.) Terms & Conditions.  Make them understandable and easy to read.

14.) Always, always, always tell the truth! Remember good and bad experiences will be shared with friends.

15.) Don’t hide the price. They found you because they’re looking for a specific product or service.  Tell them how much your product costs and don’t make them dig for it.

16.) Use word of mouth, the social media way: add social media sharing buttons so they can tell others about your cool product!

17.) Subscription or Lead Forms – Get them right!

18.) Make them clear and concise – keep your visitors happy by asking only the info you truly need.  Too many questions are a sure-fire turnoff.

19.) Keep your form “above the fold”. They need to see it without scrolling.

20.) Use large enough fonts and action buttons that are easy to read and identify.

21.) Tell users why they’re filling the form out.

22.) Say “thanks” after the form is filled out.

23.) Testing – Assume Nothing.  Test Often.

Consider building two identical landing pages and vary the features slightly.  Test them both to determine the better conversion rates.  Then build another to test again.  Test again and again to make sure your landing page is easy to use and meets your users’ needs.

Use analytics reporting to gather information about your users.  Know where they came from, how long they stayed and adjust accordingly.

Consider utilizing heat maps to provide insight into visitor behavior.  You can see where people are clicking or being drawn toward.  You’ll quickly see non-hyperlinked images where users are expecting action and can correct.  High traffic spots may be a great place for an ad to be placed.

These are just a few important tips but you can see why landing pages are crucial to the success of your app.  For additional tips on optimizing your landing page, contact W3i at info@w3i.com.

Sue Ann Heck, Account Development Manager, W3i, LLC

Sue Ann has extensive experience in account management and prides herself in building quality, long-term relationships with W3i’s valued partners.

Your landing page is the first impression visitors have when they hit your site.  It’s here you get the chance to market your product or service quickly and efficiently.   The general goal of the landing page is conversion.  Making sure your page is in tip-top shape matters to your bottom line.

The following are a few tips to make sure you’re doing all you can to increase conversions.  Some may not be new to you, but illustrate why it may be worthwhile for you to revisit your landing page to see if there’s room for improvement.

1.) Know Your Audience – Very important step.  Who will hit your landing page?  What questions may they have?  Design it to fit their likes.  Speak their language.

2.) Keep it Simple – Now more than ever, your target audience is busy and wants things fast.  Help them get what you’re offering quickly and easily.

3.) Pay attention to basic grammar rules:

4.) Speak in second person, not first or third.  It makes users feel that you know exactly what they need.

5.) Write in bullets with clear call to action.

6.) Keep messaging consistent

7.) Make buttons and calls-to-action stand out.

8.) Carefully choose graphics that enhance the page design.

9.) Build Trust & Offer Security – Building trust on your landing page shouldn’t be overlooked.  Keep the following in mind as you’re building trust:

10.) Show a phone #. This tells people you are legitimate and there are real people associated with your product.

11.) Show Endorsements. If well-known people or businesses love your product, brag about it.  Show logos for brand recognition.

Sue Ann Heck, Account Development Manager, W3i, LLC

Sue Ann has extensive experience in account management and prides herself in building quality, long-term relationships with W3i’s valued partners.

St. Cloud, MN, August 12, 2010 – The W3i Content API is launching at Affiliate Summit East 2010 for all W3i affiliates.  The W3i Content API simplifies the display of W3i content on affiliate web sites providing access to the full W3i content catalog of over 500 free downloads, creating new content experiences for users –driving affiliate revenue growth.

Through the new W3i Content API affiliates display W3i content with total ease eliminating labor costs.  Affiliate sites are integrated with the W3i Content API so W3i content can be pulled dynamically.  Free downloads are available in popular download categories:  video, music, games, social networking, utilities and desktop entertainment.    

The W3i Content API allows affiliates to create new content experiences by requesting the type of content to be displayed on a themed web site.  Web sites can be built quickly for various market segments.

By using the W3i Content API affiliates can also capture the long tail of consumer interests to drive earnings.  As new download content is added to the catalog, it will automatically populate to the web site using the Content API.

The W3i Content API is easy to implement.   Each W3i content, category and content type have associated information. For example, content has associated information such as content name, description, images, etc. Content is assigned to both categories (such as Holidays) and a content type (such as Games). Make a query to request all content or the content belonging to a category or content type that you want to display on your site and the API responds with what is requested. Display only the information wanted on the site. The W3i Content API is a RESTful API and returns information requested in the form of XML.

“W3i’s Content API is a powerful tool that gives W3i affiliates easy access to W3i’s expansive catalog of free downloads.  Now affiliates can easily build sites that drive incremental revenue during peak seasons by creating a download portal that showcases all of W3i’s free downloads.  The W3i Content API is our commitment to partner growth, speed to market and ease of use.” comments Eric Montag, W3i Product Manager. 

Current W3i Affiliates can access the W3i Content API by going to the W3i Associate Portal: associate.w3i.com. To become a W3i affiliate, visit W3i.com and click on Affiliate Sign-Up in the Make Money menu drop-down.

About W3i:
W3i increases revenue, distribution, and engagement for consumer desktop applications, browser add-ons, and mobile applications.  On the desktop app side, app publishers get paid for recommending relevant applications giving advertisers a mass, performance-driven distribution channel.  On the mobile side, W3i Mobile Solutions offers low-cost, targeted advertising campaigns for iPhone apps on a pay-per-install basis.  W3i’s solutions use the company’s InstallIQ, intelligent installation technology, for recommending PC and mobile applications that users value.  InstallIQ was optimized on more than 400 million app installs–including more than 100 million in 2009.  W3i will prove to be a valued partner in growing your application business.  To learn more, visit www.W3i.com.

Press Contact:
Deborah Manthei
Director of Marketing Communications
320-257-7571
deborah.manthei@W3i.com

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Often times, marketers focus solely on getting their product installed by as many users as possible. Although high numbers of product installs are important, retaining users may be more valuable in the long run. W3i understands the importance of user retention and has a few different ways of finding the right user for your product using InstallIQ℠, the installation manager for smart software distribution.

One way W3i assists their clients with finding valuable users is through the Affiliate Feedback System (AFS). AFS is an optimization tool that gathers information on users’ computers compatibility that would show preponderance for an advertiser’s application. To implement AFS, W3i provides the advertiser with a unique ID for each install. The advertiser then relays performance data back to W3i for each ID. W3i uses this data to find common characteristics (similar traffic sources, browser versions, operating systems, etc.) among users and then recommends users for the advertiser’s application based on where the application performs the best.  Now that’s smart software distribution.

Another source that W3i uses to gain insight on users is the InstallIQ Updater (IQU). IQU is a resident application that provides users with an enhanced download and software usage experience. The benefit of IQU is that it tracks statistics for both installs and uninstalls, which can then be used to understand attrition, create a better user experience, and add insight into issues with installs/uninstalls.

W3i also allows full customization with the thank you page. The thank you page is the first experience users have with your product and W3i sees the value in giving clients the ability to customize it so as to see the most impact. A few ways a thank you page can be used is for remarketing, additional product information, or confirmation that the product has been installed.

How great would it be to make more money from each install? W3i has spent considerable time finding solutions to help clients make the most out of each install using InstallIQ.  When are you going to start capitalizing on smart software distribution by becoming part of the W3i Application Network?

Jessie Golombiecki, Marketing Specialist, W3i, LLC
Jessie uses her experience in internet marketing, graphic design, and testing to lead the charge in marketing management optimizing all touch points with consumers.

This article was written for app developers seeking distribution, however, if you have a website and would like to promote W3i’s applications, go to W3i’s affiliate sign-up form.

Pay Per Install Programs for All Platforms

Every market leading platform, including iPhone, Facebook, Windows, and even Internet Explorer toolbars, has at least one vendor who will sell a consumer app developer installs on a pay per install or pay per download basis.

Cross Promotion Typically the Method Powering Pay Per Install Programs

Most of the pay per install networks utilize some method of cross promotion to drive additional installs while users are installing or interacting with another app.

What Other Distribution Channels Don’t Want You to Know About Pay Per Install Programs

So, how do these pay per install networks, like W3i’s Application Network for Windows apps, iOS apps and browser add-ons, compare in cost to other channels for app distribution such as search, display, affiliate, and OEM?

To answer this question, I had W3i’s Media Buyers examine past campaign performance across these difference channels and tallied up our effective cost per install by channel. The following bar graph is based upon the actual campaign performance which was achieved.

Pay Per Install Programs the Lowest Cost Alternative

As you can see from W3i’s campaign results, pay per install programs can create a meaningful distribution channel while lowering an app developers costs by often as much as one third the cost of other alternatives!

Many app developers have tried search and affiliate programs to promote their app because they are more widely recognized tactics, but have failed to launch and optimize their apps for low cost pay per install networks.

Ask About Compliance & Review the User Experience

Make sure you ask your pay per install program how they adhere to industry best practices, and what care they take in establishing a valued user experience. The engine that powers W3i’s Application Network, InstallIQ, has received the Truste Trusted Download certification and is white listed by Truste.

Get your App on a Pay Per Install Program

Whether you have an iPhone app, a Facebook game, a Windows application, or a browser toolbar, contact W3i to learn how you can launch and optimize your app using W3i’s pay per install network.

Rob Weber, Vice President of Business Development and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Rob is an Internet marketing pioneer with over ten, profitable years evolving W3i in the consumer application industry.

Affiliates that drive a lot of traffic always expect better rates.  However, quality traffic trumps quantity every time.  It is essential to understand the demographics of your current traffic and how to attract more of the users that actually value the offer.  Advertisers search for traffic that generates high quality leads.

It sounds simple enough, right? Wrong.  The most difficult hurdle I have, as an affiliate manager, is the old school way of thinking, the belief that the higher the lead quantity, the higher the rates.  In reality, it is higher lead quality that garners better rates.

Some of the factors that influence quality are:

1. Know your audience – Niche audiences can perform much better in generating quality leads than mass audiences.  Understanding what drives a niche audience makes it easier to find affiliate offers that match their interests.  If you have mass traffic, try to determine if you can segment the traffic to gain a better understanding of specific target audiences.
2.  Original Content with Specific Key Words - To attract a “niche” audience, it is imperative you have quality content that can be found by search spiders.  Identify what your target audience is looking for and include it on your web site. 
3. Update Content Regularly – Letting a web site with great content go dormant will not grow your business.  Share your passion and update your content continuously to keep the search spiders working to your advantage.

The trick to success is to attract a specific audience with enough scale to be meaningful.  As AOL mentioned in their earnings call, “We have a content plan which is based on hitting very important audiences with content that matters to them,” comments Tim Armstrong, CEO of AOL.  You may never get to the scale of AOL, but build your site on solid marketing principles and you will be on your way to maximizing revenue with affiliate lead quality.

 If fun, downloadable consumer apps interest your audience, be sure to check out the W3i Affiliate Program.  Top performing offers include downloads for music, video, games, social, and desktop entertainment.

 Joan Jones, Account Executive, W3i, LLC
Joan is the guardian of Affiliate relationships at W3i, providing resources and solutions to strategic accounts. 

   Improved Business Monitoring with W3i’s New Associate Reporting Site 

St. Cloud, Minnesota, February 4, 2010 – W3i, provider of marketing solutions that increase distribution, revenue, and engagement for consumer applications, announced today that its advertisers, publishers and affiliates can now access more data for better decision making.

“Our associates are essential to the success of our business.  By providing more robust reporting they can make educated business decisions to optimize performance,” said Rob Weber, VP of Business Development at W3i. 

The W3i Associate Reporting Dashboard offers close to real-time business intelligence data including graphs for visual monitoring.  Publisher and Affiliate stats include:  revenue, conversion, conversion rate, EPC, and entry hits by product and country.  Advertisers can see their acceptance rates by operating systems and countries. Many improvements were also made to the user interface.

W3i built the new interface from the ground up offering many useful features:

• Quick Stat Dashboard:  The dashboard includes a quick snapshot of associates’ performance, including pie charts, bar charts, and trend line analysis for convenience. 
• Customized Reporting:  Associates can use a pivot table format to see different views of their data and export to excel or PDF.
• Data Insights:  Enhanced metrics allow associates to slice data down to a granular level.  
• Dashboard Message Center:  The message center improves communication, including messages on the latest promotional opportunities, technology roadmap releases, and other significant tips on how to increase consumer app distribution, revenue and engagement.

For example:

This advertiser can see how his conversion rates are trending.

W3i will be completing the roll out to additional Associates over the next several days.  For more information, contact W3i.

About W3: 

W3i increases revenue, distribution and engagement for consumer applications and browser add-ons. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free applications monetized by the distribution of relevant applications when the consumer is in the installation mindset.  The W3i Application Network uses InstallIQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installation manager, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program.  Tested and optimized on over 350 million installs–currently 9.6 million installs monthly, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your consumer application business. To learn more, visit] the W3i Application Network.

Press Contact:

Deborah Manthei
Director of Marketing Communications
320-257-7571
deborah.manthei@W3i.com

 The names of companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

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Are you an Affiliate?  In working with affiliates for several years, I’ve put together a list of the top three ways to improve your payout with Affiliate Networks.

1. Communication. It’s obvious, it’s a daily function of our business, but it is not always used by affiliates to properly convey their key measurements of value. For example, if the users on your site skew female, and the marketing materials you receive from publishers are targeted at males, let your publisher manager know so he can get more targeted materials for you that will increase your epc, and help drive up your rates.
2. As our industry continues to find more ways to optimize campaigns through AFS-type systems, the open flow of information pertaining to the way an affiliate drives traffic is a crucial ingredient. When shared properly with publishers, it creates opportunities to identify poor traffic sources and helps steer an affiliate toward better-performing traffic sources. Working with your publisher manager to accomplish this will create value for you and the publisher that can get you to the next rate level.
3. What is the user experience when they go through your download process? Have you actually run through it? If not, objectively go through the download to actually experience what you are asking your users to go through. By doing this, you can find numerous tweaks that will enhance the user experience, increase your epc, and help you reach your targeted ROI.

There are numerous publisher managers who will work with you on these improvements, as well as many others. For further details on ways to improve your current payouts, or if you are interested in more information on W3i’s Affiliate Program, please feel free to contact Chris Brama at chris.brama@w3i.com.

Chris Brama, Account Executive, W3i Holdings, LLC
Chris uses a consultative approach to growing W3i’s affiliate partners’ business.