to know your customers, spend like your customers

There is a disparity between customer and retailer in some industries, and one has to wonder how someone can become a professional at selling something without having first purchased it. I see it all the time. Websites geared towards a certain niche market with a superficial grasp on what that niche market is all about. How can we get into the heads of potential customers and better suit their needs?

Spend like them. Know their same challenges. Experience their same excitement. I watched a roller coaster video once and one of the engineers explained that riding it themselves was the best way to put the finishing tweaks on their design. In the movie titled "The Devil Wears Prada", Ann Hathaway quickly learns that to be successful in the modeling industry (even as a personal assistant), she must immerse herself in the world of modeling. Simply showing up for your shift and collecting a paycheck isn't enough. On one hand, I would say that it is a shame that so many occupations require this amount of time-consuming all-encompassing devotion. But on the other hand, the jobs that don't are the boring jobs that we cannot stand and make us feel inhuman and unappreciated.

The affiliate marketing world is no different. Before signing up with an affiliate program, you must act like a customer. Visit their website. Is it easy to navigate? Does it direct you to a sale or conversion with little to no distractions? Does it provide the information a buyer would need in a concise streamlined fashion, or is a shopper more likely to search for information somewhere else before buying? Test out their shopping cart. What kind of forms of payment do they accept? No credit cards? You're joking, right? Do some market research and check their competitors. What kind of value do they offer above and beyond competing websites? Do those competing sites have an affiliate program? In some cases, it may even make sense to actually buy something. On the bright side, you'll get your commission for the sale (in most cases). Plus you get to evaluate their product quality and shipping response time. Want to go even further? Try calling them and asking some questions before and after you receive your order. Ask about returns or exchanges to see if their stated return/exchange policy (if there is one on their website) is followed judiciously.

In the long run, if you find that you wouldn't buy anything from them, there's a good chance that the traffic you send their way won't convert too well.