In 2020, conferences moved online, and so did the WordPress conversations Brian Messenlehner, our founder, had been having at Affiliate Summit for years. On October 6, 2020, at 11 am Central, Affiliate Summit hosted a free webinar sponsored by WP Engine called 12 Fresh Strategies Super Affiliates Use to Optimize Their WordPress Sites. The panel was David Vogelpohl, Shelly Fagin and Brian.
The question behind it
Affiliate Summit's invitation asked a direct question: are you looking for ways to scale the revenue and commissions you get from your WordPress based affiliate sites? The webinar promised tactical strategies that the most successful affiliates use. It was a natural continuation of the sessions Brian and David had presented together in person, from Affiliate Summit West 2017 in Las Vegas to the Ask the WordPress Experts closing keynote at Affiliate Summit East 2018 and the content automation session at Affiliate Summit West 2019.
Where affiliate sites win or lose
We will not reconstruct the panel slide by slide, but the areas that decide whether an affiliate site on WordPress performs are well known, and they are the same areas we work on with publishing clients:
- Speed. Fast pages rank better and convert better. Caching, image optimization, lean themes and good hosting matter more than any single plugin.
- Content structure. Reviews, comparisons and product data belong in custom post types and fields, so they stay consistent and easy to update.
- Link management. Affiliate links change constantly. Centralized link management keeps them current and properly marked.
- Automation. Feeds and imports keep prices and offers fresh without hours of manual edits, with an editor reviewing what goes live.
- Security and stability. High value sites attract attacks, so updates, backups and login hardening are not optional.
- Measurement. You cannot optimize what you do not track, from page speed to clicks to conversions.
Why it made sense online
A webinar reached affiliates who could never fly to Las Vegas or New York for a session. It also fit the moment. In 2020, many businesses leaned harder on their websites than ever before, and affiliate publishers were looking for any edge they could get from the platform they already ran on.
How AlphaWeb helps affiliate and content publishers
Affiliate and content businesses are a strong fit for what we do:
- Performance audits and fixes for slow, plugin heavy WordPress sites.
- Custom post types, templates and comparison tables for product content.
- Feed importers and automation with logging and editorial review.
- Managed WordPress hosting built to handle traffic spikes.
- Mobile apps with AppPresser for publishers who want push notifications and repeat readers.
At a glance
- Event: Affiliate Summit webinar, sponsored by WP Engine
- Date: October 6, 2020, 11 am Central
- Title: 12 Fresh Strategies Super Affiliates Use to Optimize Their WordPress Sites
- Panel: David Vogelpohl, Shelly Fagin and Brian Messenlehner
Related: Affiliate Summit West 2019: Clever Ways to Automate Content Creation with WordPress, Affiliate Summit West 2017: DIY Tips for Building Big Things with WordPress and Affiliate Summit East 2018: The Ask the WordPress Experts Closing Keynote.
If your affiliate or content site has stalled, AlphaWeb can help you find out why and fix it. Reach out and Brian will be glad to talk it through.
