Mini (Niche) Affiliate Site using a Forum – Part 4

So far it has all been about promotion but then that is most of what you have to do with any business. The rest is easy, I find. I have now paid for VisitorHost just to get numbers flowing and have also purchased the DIRSP 1000 directories submission for $69.99 for long term link-building benefits. (I do wonder how many directories actually activate your link, but its worth doing even if I got a 10% ratio)

I have come across someone on Sitepoint who is offering their serivce for $99 USD to hand-submit a Press Release to 57+ PR Sites & Networks. This will be invaluable as it will also do wonders for both SEO and link-building.

Outsourcing these tasks allows me to concentrate on getting content in the forum but to be honest I could just outsource everything. So far I have joined four forums within my niche asking for help and advice, I might even find a user who may even help me build my forum or come on board. The possibilities are endless once you start.

I have had lots of replies in the forums to my questions which is good as I can continue (slowly) to build up ideas and relationships.

I have found a suitable replacement for the BBB Reliability Program or near enough as a lot of high end sites are using this stamp of approval and end users will know they’re in safe hands which I want.

HackerSafe will cost me $TBA (still waiting to hear from them…)

According to HackerSafe:

When you display the HACKER SAFE certification mark, you not only increase sales by increasing shopper confidence, you build your brand with the security seal seen on more top sites than any other.

I’m in good company:

* Used by over 80,000 websites
* Seen on over half of the Internet TOP 500 (as reported in Internet Retailer Magazine)
* Proven in over 800 studies to outperform other seals
* Automatic listings in HACKER SAFE Merchant Directory
* Leader in security- chosen by companies such as Yahoo!, HP and Sony

This is even more important with the users I am targeting whom will not be willing to get involved or trust my forum unless you can show them you’re a bonafide business with good intentions. All of which I am.

Next to do is get some forum posts in but I am still having issues with the SEO plugin I mentioned in my last post so once that is fixed I will be getting a team of people to start posting and finding questions to ask and answer. Should be the weekend when all of this is started.

I’m happy so far and am looking forward to seeing users in my forum in the coming weeks.