SitePoint.com

UKoffer · Feb 10, 2006, 07:21

Following on from Mook-Jon's excellent thread I thought I'd post something similar but with a different slant.

Above is a picture taken of 1 of the 5 pages from my business bank statement that relates to late December 2005, early January 2006. Obviously I've used Photoshop to key out some banking reference codes. I've only posted a picture of 1 page instead of all 5 as I don't want to disclose exactly how much I earn in a month. (BTW the currency of my bank statement is £UK Pounds Sterling). As you can see the rough total on that 1 page alone is roughly £82,000 which works out at approx. $144,000.

For those of you in the US who aren't familiar with the UK affiliate networks or merchants here is a brief breakdown of the ones listed in my bank statement.

Tradedoubler: Affiliate Network
ADS Europe: Merchant
Affiliate Window: Affiliate Network
Tiscali Network: Merchant
Webgains: Affiliate Network

The purpose of this post is to hopefully inspire people that they too can earn money online through Affiliate Marketing. I am not bragging but merely illustrating the type of money that can be earned. For example I have 1 particular merchant who regular earns me over £100k per month. But don't get me wrong, my business hasn't been instant. Back in 2001 when I started I almost gave up after about 6 months as I hadn't earned a penny. It's only with lots of hard work and research that you can fully realise the potential that is out there. I do remember though that back when I first started out I used to read posts about affiliates earning big money and that really did motivate me. After all I think everyone longs for financial freedom.

About me: I've been an affiliate since late 2001 and my main site is at www.ukoffer.com. I run maybe another 20 or so sites, some of which are bookmarked in my blog (see signature). As well as that I run many short term ppc campaigns via custom landing pages. These can be live for only a number of weeks then taken down.

My main focus is about 80% PPC and 20% SEO. I'm not very good at SEO but still do alright for some key terms. My Monthly ppc budget is around US $300,000 which equates to roughly UK £170,000. Although when I first started out my budget was approx. $50 a month :-)

I'm happy to answer any kind of questions anyone may have as long as you don't ask me what my best converting keywords are etc.

Almost forgot - sure the image above could be a big fat fake but what would be the point? I've been around long enough now that I'm well known in the AM community in the UK so am sure I can be "vouched" for.

marcel · Feb 10, 2006, 07:34

inspiring... what is your average profit percentage when using ppc ?

MySpaceGoods · Feb 10, 2006, 07:35

Wow man, that's crazy! In one month you earn, what i make in almost 14 years! That's just astonishing my friend! Keep it up, good luck man, allthough, I really dont think you need anymore luck, you've hit the "luck limit"

UKoffer · Feb 10, 2006, 07:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcel

inspiring... what is your average profit percentage when using ppc ?

It is very hard to say. I operate so many ppc programs that finding an average across all industries is impossible. Some may only earn me 10% whereas some may be up to 1000%. Sorry, I know that doesn't help.

nwingate · Feb 10, 2006, 07:47

I'm new to affiliate marketing but want to give it a try. How does your site work? Is it all custom code that you use feeds to populate from different affiliate programs?

Also, could you give us an idea of your traffic? Pageviews, uniques, etc...

GeorgeB. · Feb 10, 2006, 08:03

UKoffer, what's the best comparison shopping software you'd recommend?

UKoffer · Feb 10, 2006, 08:23

To be honest guys I don't use any comparison shopping software or datafeeds. UKOffer.com is hard coded lovingly by hand! Mostly because I don't have the technical expertise to do otherwise!

nwingate · Feb 10, 2006, 08:39

Really? That seems like a large site to be hand coding every page.
Good job then... you must be a busy guy.

marod0er · Feb 10, 2006, 08:41

WOW UKoffer... that is simply incredible. Kudos to you

Stefan55 · Feb 10, 2006, 08:53

hey everone!
i just discovered this nice forum. i already read some posts and it's very interesting!

congratulation ukoffer!! your earnings are amazing. i'm very interested in promoting affiliate programs by using PPC. but i've read in other forums that it got too competitive (clickprices very high) nowadays and it's really hard to earn a profit with it. so would you mind telling which sectors work for you and how you find profitable niches?

5StarAffiliates · Feb 10, 2006, 08:57

Hats off for sharing your success. I blogged about Jon, so may need to blog about you too.

Really appreciate you taking the time out of your busy revgen schedule to inspire others and show them whats possible!

Chromate222 · Feb 10, 2006, 09:30

I can see this thread going on for ages - I hope you know what you've let yourself in for!

Do you have special direct relationships with certain merchants that pay you greater commission levels than publicly advertised?

If so, what proportion of the programs you promote have put you on a "hidden tier" of commission? In the majority of cases, do you think you would still be able to successfully promote these programs via PPC if it were not for the higher commissions, or are they simply like a performance bonus to you?

JP Sauve · Feb 10, 2006, 09:44

Those are awesome results. Surprised you would share such info, good for you for doing so.

Do you earn exclusively from UK networks/merchants, or do you work with any on this side of the world?

UKoffer · Feb 10, 2006, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chromate222

I can see this thread going on for ages - I hope you know what you've let yourself in for!

Do you have special direct relationships with certain merchants that pay you greater commission levels than publicly advertised?

If so, what proportion of the programs you promote have put you on a "hidden tier" of commission? In the majority of cases, do you think you would still be able to successfully promote these programs via PPC if it were not for the higher commissions, or are they simply like a performance bonus to you?

Being honest, in the sectors which I am most active in I am on hidden tiers and performance bonuses for every merchant I promote. And yes some of these are direct relationships and some are through affiliate networks, about a 50/50 split.

Of course the higher commission rates do help me to be more aggressive with ppc ads. However, when a new merchant comes into play I have to promote them on the same CPA rate as everyone else. Only after I get a few sales under my belt does the negotiating begin and the possibility of increased commissions for increased CPA levels come into play.

UKoffer · Feb 10, 2006, 10:07

Stefan 55: I'm afraid I don't want to divulge what sectors work for me best, for obvious reasons. And as for finding profitable niches I find that "first mover advantage" plays a big part in my experience. In other words when a new merchant launches an affiliate program I quickly research the sector, see of there is a revenue opportunity and if there is I get a landing page up ASAP and get some Google ads live. By doing this I often find I can get high conversion rates for my ads (as less competition) which helps me when all the other affiliates pile on board. By having a good conversion rate then my ads keep at the top of Google and are profitable.

Linda: Thanks for your comments, I read your blog daily and am a big fan!

JP Sauve: No, I don't promote any American/Canadian merchants. The reason for this is that none of my sites get any traffic from your part of the world. Plus I don't really have any experience or knowledge of your markets/sectors. Well certainly not enough to launch some successful sites/campaigns.

FighterSpirit · Feb 10, 2006, 10:19

We Have New Legend over here on SitePoint Forum

scottyparks · Feb 10, 2006, 10:25

Congrats on your success.

One question if you have a second: In Adwords, do you stick with Google search /Search Network, or also run your campaigns on the content network? Which converts better?

Thanks!

FighterSpirit · Feb 10, 2006, 10:29

Mook-Jon where are you

You must see this

Chromate222 · Feb 10, 2006, 10:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by UKoffer

Being honest, in the sectors which I am most active in I am on hidden tiers and performance bonuses for every merchant I promote. And yes some of these are direct relationships and some are through affiliate networks, about a 50/50 split.

Do you have any tips as to how you should go about negotiating with merchants to get to these hidden tiers? Is it basically a case of saying something along the lines of, "If I had 10% more commission, I could make 20% more sales for you" ... for example?

UKoffer · Feb 10, 2006, 10:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottyparks

Congrats on your success.

One question if you have a second: In Adwords, do you stick with Google search /Search Network, or also run your campaigns on the content network? Which converts better?

Thanks!

Hi, I always stick with the Google Search / Search Network option and never use their content network. I find conversions almost non-existant on the content network, in my experience.

UKoffer · Feb 10, 2006, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chromate222

Do you have any tips as to how you should go about negotiating with merchants to get to these hidden tiers? Is it basically a case of saying something along the lines of, "If I had 10% more commission, I could make 20% more sales for you" ... for example?

Well as I mentioned earlier I always push programs on the same rate as other affiliates at first. This proves to the merchant that you are serious and can generate sales. I then send them an email or call them and say that their program is working well cut it could work better. I have a couple of ideas that can generate some more sales for you, in return for a higher CPA.

What's better is when you own a site that really dominates a particular niche. That's when you get merchants approaching you asking how much they need to pay to be given greater exposure.

sknydave · Feb 10, 2006, 10:58

Very happy to have more successful members contributing!

BeenThere · Feb 10, 2006, 11:12

How much of your revenue comes from the poker sites you are promoting? You don't have to give us an exact number, but just wondering if it is a large percentage.

UKoffer · Feb 10, 2006, 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeenThere

How much of your revenue comes from the poker sites you are promoting? You don't have to give us an exact number, but just wondering if it is a large percentage.

Not a lot is the honest answer, probably less than 10%. Poker is a new market to me and I haven't really had the time to give it a big push as yet. Also, competition is fierce and the Google ppc ban on gambling sites doesn't help.

tylercruz · Feb 10, 2006, 12:17

Very nice UKoffer,

A couple questions:

I noticed you had a little legal run in with Sony - seeing as you make millions a year, do you hire outside help, such as have a regularly-hired lawyer for such events, a team of programmers and designers, etc.? From the sounds of it, it doesn't sound like you do, and I was wondering why.

Cheers

Feb 10, 2006, 07:21	#1
UKoffer SitePoint Zealot Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 147	My Bank Statement - Monthly Earnings from AM Following on from Mook-Jon's excellent thread I thought I'd post something similar but with a different slant. Above is a picture taken of 1 of the 5 pages from my business bank statement that relates to late December 2005, early January 2006. Obviously I've used Photoshop to key out some banking reference codes. I've only posted a picture of 1 page instead of all 5 as I don't want to disclose exactly how much I earn in a month. (BTW the currency of my bank statement is £UK Pounds Sterling). As you can see the rough total on that 1 page alone is roughly £82,000 which works out at approx. $144,000. For those of you in the US who aren't familiar with the UK affiliate networks or merchants here is a brief breakdown of the ones listed in my bank statement. Tradedoubler: Affiliate Network ADS Europe: Merchant Affiliate Window: Affiliate Network Tiscali Network: Merchant Webgains: Affiliate Network The purpose of this post is to hopefully inspire people that they too can earn money online through Affiliate Marketing. I am not bragging but merely illustrating the type of money that can be earned. For example I have 1 particular merchant who regular earns me over £100k per month. But don't get me wrong, my business hasn't been instant. Back in 2001 when I started I almost gave up after about 6 months as I hadn't earned a penny. It's only with lots of hard work and research that you can fully realise the potential that is out there. I do remember though that back when I first started out I used to read posts about affiliates earning big money and that really did motivate me. After all I think everyone longs for financial freedom. About me: I've been an affiliate since late 2001 and my main site is at www.ukoffer.com. I run maybe another 20 or so sites, some of which are bookmarked in my blog (see signature). As well as that I run many short term ppc campaigns via custom landing pages. These can be live for only a number of weeks then taken down. My main focus is about 80% PPC and 20% SEO. I'm not very good at SEO but still do alright for some key terms. My Monthly ppc budget is around US $300,000 which equates to roughly UK £170,000. Although when I first started out my budget was approx. $50 a month :-) I'm happy to answer any kind of questions anyone may have as long as you don't ask me what my best converting keywords are etc. Almost forgot - sure the image above could be a big fat fake but what would be the point? I've been around long enough now that I'm well known in the AM community in the UK so am sure I can be "vouched" for.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Feb 10, 2006, 07:34	#2
marcel SitePoint Wizard Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 1,404	inspiring... what is your average profit percentage when using ppc ?

Feb 10, 2006, 07:35	#3
MySpaceGoods Non-Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 179	Wow man, that's crazy! In one month you earn, what i make in almost 14 years! That's just astonishing my friend! Keep it up, good luck man, allthough, I really dont think you need anymore luck, you've hit the "luck limit"

Feb 10, 2006, 07:47	#5
nwingate SitePoint Evangelist Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 496	I'm new to affiliate marketing but want to give it a try. How does your site work? Is it all custom code that you use feeds to populate from different affiliate programs? Also, could you give us an idea of your traffic? Pageviews, uniques, etc...

Feb 10, 2006, 08:03	#6
GeorgeB. Social Media Marketer Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: United States Posts: 2,554	UKoffer, what's the best comparison shopping software you'd recommend?

Feb 10, 2006, 08:23	#7
UKoffer SitePoint Zealot Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 147	To be honest guys I don't use any comparison shopping software or datafeeds. UKOffer.com is hard coded lovingly by hand! Mostly because I don't have the technical expertise to do otherwise!

Feb 10, 2006, 08:39	#8
nwingate SitePoint Evangelist Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 496	Really? That seems like a large site to be hand coding every page. Good job then... you must be a busy guy.

Feb 10, 2006, 08:41	#9
marod0er SitePoint Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 19	WOW UKoffer... that is simply incredible. Kudos to you

Feb 10, 2006, 08:53	#10
Stefan55 SitePoint Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 6	hey everone! i just discovered this nice forum. i already read some posts and it's very interesting! congratulation ukoffer!! your earnings are amazing. i'm very interested in promoting affiliate programs by using PPC. but i've read in other forums that it got too competitive (clickprices very high) nowadays and it's really hard to earn a profit with it. so would you mind telling which sectors work for you and how you find profitable niches?

Feb 10, 2006, 08:57	#11
5StarAffiliates SitePoint Guru Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: SoCAL Posts: 622	Hats off for sharing your success. I blogged about Jon, so may need to blog about you too. Really appreciate you taking the time out of your busy revgen schedule to inspire others and show them whats possible!

Feb 10, 2006, 09:30	#12
Chromate222 SitePoint Evangelist Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 428	I can see this thread going on for ages - I hope you know what you've let yourself in for! Do you have special direct relationships with certain merchants that pay you greater commission levels than publicly advertised? If so, what proportion of the programs you promote have put you on a "hidden tier" of commission? In the majority of cases, do you think you would still be able to successfully promote these programs via PPC if it were not for the higher commissions, or are they simply like a performance bonus to you?

Feb 10, 2006, 09:44	#13
JP Sauve SitePoint Zealot Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 113	Those are awesome results. Surprised you would share such info, good for you for doing so. Do you earn exclusively from UK networks/merchants, or do you work with any on this side of the world?

Feb 10, 2006, 10:07	#15
UKoffer SitePoint Zealot Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 147	Stefan 55: I'm afraid I don't want to divulge what sectors work for me best, for obvious reasons. And as for finding profitable niches I find that "first mover advantage" plays a big part in my experience. In other words when a new merchant launches an affiliate program I quickly research the sector, see of there is a revenue opportunity and if there is I get a landing page up ASAP and get some Google ads live. By doing this I often find I can get high conversion rates for my ads (as less competition) which helps me when all the other affiliates pile on board. By having a good conversion rate then my ads keep at the top of Google and are profitable. Linda: Thanks for your comments, I read your blog daily and am a big fan! JP Sauve: No, I don't promote any American/Canadian merchants. The reason for this is that none of my sites get any traffic from your part of the world. Plus I don't really have any experience or knowledge of your markets/sectors. Well certainly not enough to launch some successful sites/campaigns.

Feb 10, 2006, 10:19	#16
FighterSpirit Non-Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: West Europe or Bosnia Posts: 781	We Have New Legend over here on SitePoint Forum

Feb 10, 2006, 10:25	#17
scottyparks SitePoint Enthusiast Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 77	Congrats on your success. One question if you have a second: In Adwords, do you stick with Google search /Search Network, or also run your campaigns on the content network? Which converts better? Thanks!

Feb 10, 2006, 10:29	#18
FighterSpirit Non-Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: West Europe or Bosnia Posts: 781	Mook-Jon where are you You must see this

Feb 10, 2006, 10:58	#22
sknydave SitePoint Zealot Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 138	Very happy to have more successful members contributing!

Feb 10, 2006, 11:12	#23
BeenThere SitePoint Zealot Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 199	How much of your revenue comes from the poker sites you are promoting? You don't have to give us an exact number, but just wondering if it is a large percentage.

Feb 10, 2006, 12:17	#25
tylercruz SitePoint Guru Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Nanaimo, BC Posts: 947	Very nice UKoffer, A couple questions: I noticed you had a little legal run in with Sony - seeing as you make millions a year, do you hire outside help, such as have a regularly-hired lawyer for such events, a team of programmers and designers, etc.? From the sounds of it, it doesn't sound like you do, and I was wondering why. Cheers