Just like every other hard working website, unless they are tax payer funded or an organization supported by membership fees and donations, this site depends on visitors donating or purchasing through sponsors and advertisers to help keep this boat afloat.
Three methods are currently used to promote sponsor links at this site.
One of them is Keyword Linking managed on site. Where specific text throughout the site is linked to sponsors or a Sponsor Shop search page for that item. Anywhere that term appears, it will be linked to a specified url. If you have a keyword you would like information for, contact the admin here.
Another method is the Sponsor Shop itself. Where visitors can search all of our sponsors in one place.
Last but not least is Simple Urls and banners used at different locations throughout this site. All of which require an actual purchase to be made before the merchant is charged. Browser intrusive Pay Per Click and Pay Per Impression ads like Google will never be used here.
To keep it simpler for everyone, our sponsors are all managed very nicely through affiliate marketing. Our very favorite, firearms and ammunition friendly affiliate marketing program is Avantlink.com. Over the past ten years and a multitude of trying different programs, Avantlink has served us well and still does today. I now use them exclusively at all of our sites.
How does affiliate marketing work? How much does it cost?
Affiliate marketing programs are kind of like social networking for affiliates and merchants to be able to easily connect online.
Affiliates like myself, who often have numerous websites, and merchants who sell products online join a program like Avantlink. They then have the ability to affiliate through that program. Once the merchant has built their marketing links, banners and products, the affiliate then shares their links and banners at their websites.
Affiliate marketing programs keep things organized for both parties. There is normally a setup fee for merchants and then a 3-5% commission or even a flat rate paid to affiliates PER SALE, rather than a simple impression or click on their link like Google, Facebook and many other pay-per click and pay per impression programs.
I’ve used these programs in the past and yes, made money with them. The problem I personally have with these types of programs is that they are too easily fooled, meaning a merchant pays for garbage clicks and they are very browser intrusive.
Affiliate marketing programs have helped solve this problem because a merchant only pays when a sale is made. A much more ethical form of charging for advertising in my humble opinion. Feel free to leave your comments about affiliate marketing programs below. 🙂
If you are unable to get approved by Avantlink yet, another gun friendly program to consider is Link Connector. Click Here to Sign up now!