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billbenson
08-11-2009, 12:12 AM
This is kind of pointed at Eborg, but if anybody else has suggestions:

What is your process for developing a header for affiliate sites? Say you decide to do a new site to promote X. You find a theme you like, but how long do you spend on developing a header you like and how do you go about it. I'm artistically disabled. I believe you said the artistic side of stuff wasn't one of your best skills either (correct me if I'm wrong). You always have headers that are good and very appropriate for the site.

vangogh
08-11-2009, 12:20 AM
Bill I'm not sure your header file is going to be significantly different for an affiliate site as it would be any other site. Maybe you'd choose different navigation items to show, but I would think for the most part the same basic rules would apply to both.

billbenson
08-11-2009, 01:07 AM
I'm referring to the graphics. I suspect what he does is come up with an idea of what he wants and goes to the various clip art sites and puts stuff together. He's not hiring a graphic artist to put a logo together at $800 a pop. That's the process I'm curious about.

vangogh
08-11-2009, 01:33 AM
Oh gotcha. Again though I don't think there's anything specific about an affiliate site here. I guess it's more finding graphics for those who consider themselves design challenged.

You can check my delicious profile for posts tagged stock (http://delicious.com/vangogh99/stock). Click on some of the other tags I gave to those posts as well. They're probably not all free sites, but some of them are. You'll have to check the sites, but many will let you use any image you want royalty free and at no cost.

An easy thing to do is grab an image and then crop it in some way so it becomes somewhat unique. You can often find one detail in a full sized image that's worthy of becoming its own image.

billbenson
08-11-2009, 03:26 AM
The site in the link below was done for me several years ago. The site is on some script and doesn't render well today across browsers. The intent of the site was to be controversial. I want to put it on wp and use it as a practice affiliate site. If I can figure it out, I have a bunch of political domains and I think that isn't a bad place to start in the affiliate site bus.

I like the boilerplate of the site. I need to build others like it if I go this route. Step one is just being able to build a boilerplate like this on top of wp. After that content, marketing etc. By boilerplate, I mean the same concept, but on a site that is completely different.

the-democratic-party.com - Make a Confession. Shopping, Eating, Family, Love...whatever is bugging you it's time to get it off your chest! (http://www.the-democratic-party.com/)

vangogh
08-11-2009, 03:46 AM
I see what you mean about how it renders. In Safari The Banner Here is sitting on top of the logo and navigation bar. Looks like it just needs to move 20px or so to the right.

You should be able to turn this design into a theme and then be able to alter that theme with different images and colors etc. The easiest thing might be to find an existing 3 column theme and customize it. The layout is usually the hardest to get right so if you start with something that has your same layout it's usually easiest.

billbenson
08-11-2009, 10:55 AM
I found a theme with a similar box style in the sidebars. I don't know how to do the curved corners so I looked for one similar. I know its a css thing, I've just never done it. I also downloaded a similar 3 col design that doesn't have the curved boxes. I'll play around with it this weekend.

Incidentally I asked on a different forum I have participated on for years how to approach starting out in the affiliate game. The reply I got from someone who been doing it for 10 plus years was to put up two new 5 page sites each month for 6 months. Continue adding content, articles etc on the older sites while developing the new sites. In other words month one write two 5 page sites. Month 2 write two more 5 page sites while continuing to build and market the original 2 sites. Don't let a site go more than a month without some new content and marketing. In 6 months, you have 12 sites to work with. He also said to mold the sites around what you can get traffic for. In other words go after niches that are the easiest for you to generate traffic.

When I asked the question, I put a one year time frame on making some money on the sites. I think he suggested the plan taking into consideration a natural site growth in G eyes and doing it for the long term.

I know there are a million ways to approach it, but its always interesting to see what someone who has been successful has to say.

vangogh
08-11-2009, 12:34 PM
With the rounded corners you can use some simple css with one major exception.

The css is the border-radius property. I don't think it's been implemented as is in any browser yet, though I may be mistaken. In Firefox you'd use -moz-border-radius and in Safari and Chrome you'd use -webkit-border-radius. Again it's possible either or both now uses the border-radius by itself, but I don't think so yet.

The major stumbling block is IE doesn't support any of it so you either have to use images or javascript to create the rounded corners. When I've wanted to add it to a site I've used css to create rounded corners as an enhancement and left the corners square on IE. I did use jQuery to create rounded corners for IE on one site and it wasn't too bad.

That makes sense about the affiliate sites. Spend some time building a few and over time see which are working and which aren't and then work to improve some or all. I would also think you would keep building sites in year two as well.

Like most things I doubt there's a one size fits all approach. The method you're describing sounds like one good approach.

billbenson
08-11-2009, 02:56 PM
Sounds like I'll skip the rounded corners in that case. I don't really feel like using images for small stuff if it isn't critical.

The guy that made that recommendation is big enough that he has staff. I think he builds about 15 sites a year. No idea how many sites he has. Obviously you keep building.

I suspect I'll come up with a couple of themes that can be used across multiple sites with some color changes and other simple changes. KISS sort of concept. I also have a goal of making $500 per site when they are a year old. That seems very doable.

Business Attorney
08-11-2009, 03:40 PM
Just curious, do you mean $500 a month per site or $500 during the first year?

If the latter, what you consider to be a reasonable monthly revenue after the first year to justify the effort of keeping the site current? I assume even once a niche site is established, it will require a couple of hours a month to maintain content and do a little SEO work.

vangogh
08-11-2009, 04:56 PM
Bill the rounded corners are very easy for just about everything other than IE. You can always add the code in for those browsers and let the IE users see the squared off corners. The jQuery code I used was also pretty easy to use and it does work for IE (maybe it need tweaks for IE6).

Harold Mansfield
08-11-2009, 07:51 PM
This is kind of pointed at Eborg, but if anybody else has suggestions:

What is your process for developing a header for affiliate sites? Say you decide to do a new site to promote X. You find a theme you like, but how long do you spend on developing a header you like and how do you go about it. I'm artistically disabled. I believe you said the artistic side of stuff wasn't one of your best skills either (correct me if I'm wrong). You always have headers that are good and very appropriate for the site.


I usually make my headers with a $30 banner program I purchased about 2 years ago, and Gimp....mostly because I don't know how to use all the functions in Gimp so I use what I know from each one.


I'm referring to the graphics. I suspect what he does is come up with an idea of what he wants and goes to the various clip art sites and puts stuff together. He's not hiring a graphic artist to put a logo together at $800 a pop. That's the process I'm curious about.

Yeah, it kind of goes like that. I come up with an idea of how I want it to look and it ends up being what I know how to do....2 completely different things.:D

I learned to keep it simple since I don't really have any skills, at least not to do the things that I want to do.

The best thing that I learned how to do is to clear the background away from an image:
Removing Image Backgrounds - Gimp | NZ Photo Info (http://www.photo-info.co.nz/articles/gimp/removing-backgrounds)

That can take you a long way. Normally, if there is no good quality promotional photo available, or if it's a site selling multiple products, I just find, or buy an image from Getty that gives the emotion I am trying to portray...If I use people, it's always happy faces like they are just tickled pink that they just purchased the product...but mostly I try and stay with the product.

A good quality image is key when you have no skills. Trust me.

Usually it's just a combination of images...the product, payment logo's , slogan ( if I have one), and then I take an hour looking for the right font and color combination...(not on purpose).

After I get it done and place it in the template...I usually wake up the next day and make it completely different because what I though looked good, now looks stupid and it's usually the second or third one that I stick with.

Gimp tutorials are a must to learn some of the stuff that I didn't know how to do.
If I have to I'll adjust the height of the header via CSS...I don't like them that tall. I want to get as much product above the fold as possible.
Any functions in the header like a search, log in, or banner is usually a function of the theme or template, I have no idea how to code that stuff.

I wish I had some easy step by step method for you, but I really don't. It's pretty much hit and miss with me too.

If you asked me to look at every site I have and pick the best 5 headers, I wouldn't be able to because I think all of them could use the work of a professional.
It took me a month to figure out how to change the header image in my first blog, and i haven't really learned a whole lot since then.

orion_joel
08-11-2009, 08:10 PM
I tend to work from a similar point of view as eborg. But dont even go that far. The only one of my headers that has had any work in Photoshop is No Fixed Office (link in sig). This was because i wanted to get the images in there and did not want to do it with CSS (would have ended up to messy).

Often what the header looks like in the theme is a major consideration for me, as i have no skills artistically what so ever. I may do small visual changes to get rid of an element, or change a colour, or move something. But that is all. And i spend so much of my time searching for how to do something, because i still do not know so much.

billbenson
08-11-2009, 08:51 PM
Just curious, do you mean $500 a month per site or $500 during the first year?

David,

I mean make $500 per site per month. I'm assuming it will a year to build it up to that level. Realistically, I think some sites will flop and some will make a lot more. I picked $500 per month because I think it is a very doable number. So thats about $5k per month across 12 sites. It could easily be much higher. There will also be a pretty good learning curve as well. I have yet to see a webmaster state what they make on a forum. Those are details that are kept pretty close to the vest.

Web sites aren't things you ever finish. You will need to put a lot more than several hours a month in them to keep them alive. SEO changes, Google always likes fresh content, the technology behind the sites change. Its the type of job where there is always more you could be doing. And that more is directly proportional to profits. Most webmasters seem to work 12 hour days including weekends. The thing is, with the affiliate sites, you can take a day off or a week when you want and work whatever hours you want. That is just time you could be using to make money instead. I doubt you can make money at it only working 8 hours a day weekdays though. Hobby site sort of money, but not more than that.

Harold Mansfield
08-11-2009, 09:55 PM
I forgot to mention that Getty Images sent me an email about their new sizes and rates on both Royalty Free, and Rights Managed images starting at $5 for 170px/ So it is a little more "doable" to purchase a decent image from them, than the normal $50 that I have been paying.
Getty Images (http://www.gettyimages.com/creative/frontdoor/WebAndMobileImages?isource=7346_range_lead_v2_usa)

And also, since my skills are limited, I usually either look for an image with the background color I need (usually black or white), an image with well defined edges around the focal point (to remove the background easily), or make the entire header background what ever the background of the image is. It's like a Bartender that only knows how to pour beer and basic mixed drinks....you can still get by.

Sounds terribly sad when you put it on paper like that, but when you are your only employee and the budget is limited, you do what you can, until you can do better.
But a good image is crucial....if you start there, that's 50% of the professionalism....if the rest of your skills suck, at least you are half way there :)

But worse than my header skills is my total lack of ability to create a logo. None of my sites have them, even the ones that need them. I can't create a logo to save my life.

vangogh
08-12-2009, 01:18 AM
I found a post on 26 Places to Find Free Multimedia for Your Blog (http://mashable.com/2009/08/04/free-blog-media/). Thought this thread might be a good place to link to it, given the discussion.

billbenson
08-12-2009, 08:08 AM
Bookmarked that link VG. I want to come back and read that later!

Eborg, I've used photoshop for years, mostly for resizing, layers, etc. I've gone through a bunch of tutorials on removing backgrounds. Your tutorial in gimp was a little different than any I've seen in photoshop and I liked it.

I've had to convert from photoshop to gimp because I switched to Linux a couple of months ago. Gimp is a bit different. I just need to sit down and go through some basic tutorials to get accustomed to it.

I did some searching for banner software. It seemed just as easy to layer in text and images in gimp (although I need to figure out gimp a little better) than use banner software. Am I missing anything?

vangogh
08-12-2009, 12:20 PM
Bill I think there's a plugin for GIMP that makes it look more like Photoshop. It's something for Photoshop people who switch over to GIMP to make them feel more comfortable.

I found it.

How to make GIMP feel more like Photoshop (http://lifehacker.com/software/featured-download/get-the-feel-of-photoshop-in-gimp-with-gimpshop-272600.php)

and here some

Handy tweaks to make GIMP replace Photoshop (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/04/03/8-handy-tweaks-to-make-gimp-replace-photoshop/)

Harold Mansfield
08-12-2009, 12:47 PM
Bookmarked that link VG. I want to come back and read that later!

Eborg, I've used photoshop for years, mostly for resizing, layers, etc. I've gone through a bunch of tutorials on removing backgrounds. Your tutorial in gimp was a little different than any I've seen in photoshop and I liked it.

I've had to convert from photoshop to gimp because I switched to Linux a couple of months ago. Gimp is a bit different. I just need to sit down and go through some basic tutorials to get accustomed to it.

I did some searching for banner software. It seemed just as easy to layer in text and images in gimp (although I need to figure out gimp a little better) than use banner software. Am I missing anything?

I haven't seen an easy to use banner software out there. The cheap ones don't make professional looking flash or have enough font or other options, and the expensive ones are just as difficult to learn as Photoshop or Gimp.

It's just like anything else...once I stress trying to figure out how to perform a certain task for a day or 2, I never forget where it is, or how it works again.

I'm pretty basic with Gimp..as you said, resizing, removing backgrounds and fonts. I know that you can make flash banners with it as well, I just haven't sat down and studied the tutorial yet.