As part of our ‘publisher stories’ campaign, we’re asking publishers to share their affiliate marketing journeys, to help highlight the benefits that being part of our industry can bring to budding entrepreneurs.
After being constantly on the lookout for new places to visit on a budget whilst managing a chain of childcare settings, Liz Walsh had an idea to start up Topdogdays, a website dedicated to sourcing the latest deals for top attractions and providing top tips. After two years of trading, Liz chose to use affiliate marketing as an additional revenue stream, allowing her to quickly reach and partner with more retailers.
How long have you worked in affiliate marketing and how did you get started?
Prior to Topdogdays, I owner/managed a chain of childcare settings in Staffordshire where our holiday club quickly became renowned for inspiring days out. Whilst our numbers continued to grow, I needed to find new places to visit on a budget and this gave me the idea behind Topdogdays.
Having sold on the day care business in 2009, I was able to concentrate my time on setting up Topdogdays which provides information on days out on a budget. Topdogdays now receives over 1.2 million visitors a year and has achieved a year on year upward growth of over 30%.
What was your first venture and how did it work?
Whilst Topdogdays was my first affiliate venture, I previously owner/managed a chain of childcare settings in Staffordshire from 2004-2011. Prior to this I trained as a social worker and subsequently worked in a number of social work fields.
How long did it take to start making sales?
As Topdogdays had been trading for a couple of years before I ventured into affiliate sales, this meant my website was already ranking highly within Google for particular key terms. Once I took the plunge & joined affiliate marketing sites, I began to see sales coming in practically overnight.
When did you decide to make affiliate marketing a career?
Initially at Topdogdays, I had relied upon building relationships with individual businesses around the UK. Affiliate marketing allowed me to reach a wider number of businesses in a quicker space of time. With a loyal following and a range of web pages primed for key terms, it was an easy move to include affiliate marketing within the business mix.
Was it first time success, or were there some tricky times along the way?
Topdogdays is a seasonal business that concentrates on days out in the UK. As with all affiliate marketing sites, there is a delay between achieving actual sales and receiving payment that can cause cash flow problems. However, I found that having achieved two distinct revenue strands, affiliate marketing programmes and working directly with a select number of visitor attractions, I was able to balance the books.
Did you ever employ staff as part of your affiliate business?
Topdogdays is a family business although, as we expand this may be an option for the future.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to budding entrepreneurs in our industry?
As is the case with most new businesses, it is often the early days that can cause the most strain. With businesses looking to build affiliate sales, you will require an engaging and effective website that ranks well on Google and other search-based sites. This takes time and effort to achieve so keep plugging on, believe in yourself, and ideally have another source of income to help you through the tough times.
Do you have your own publisher story? We want to hear it! Please email to ‘pr@affiliatewindow.com’