Most people underestestimate the value of testing different stuffs. I mean most don’t even know they should test things. Testing plays a key role not only in online business but also in every aspects of life. Sometimes, it can be risky and most of the times it will help us learn and gain knowledge based on what we have observed. With affiliate marketing, I really love to test stuffs out. I mean when I was doing Adwords early this year I was very receptive on committing mistakes and learning from them. I put up different landing pages and different color schemes and see how they flop! On that way, you know you could do better the next time.
There are tons of ways wherein you can test something and do a case study. Like for instance in this blog, when I was promoting Pepperjam Network here. I think I made over $100 with an affiliate banner at the sidebar (when there are few advertisers yet). Why is that so? Basically I just rotated every type of ad that Pepperjam gives. I give my users different views of the ads which I think have helped both of us. What you are needing to do is make your users avoid banner blindness wherein they just go w/your site and say “these banners again”. That’s why as much as possible I ask for different types of ads from advertisers so that they can maximize their exposure from this blog.
Now someone can say “It’s risky to test things and I don’t think I can afford it”. Well its true but most of the times it is not really as risky as what you might ever think of. What you have to do is always look and observe what you’re visitors are doing. How they respond to it. It’s easy sometimes to say, “oh what I did doesn’t really make much sense” but you will benefit a lot from it on a long term basis. How if it doesn’t work? Then it doesn’t work, leave it! If you believe you have exerted a better effort with stuffs that flops then you can always drop it and start again. I know many are afraid but it’s just business and life I think. You will succeed and you will fail
I know some of you also do testing and some “under the microscope” experiments. Maybe you can share yours and what you have learned from it.