I’m 60 years old, so quarantine takes on a much more serious note for me and my partner than for others. So with all this time on our hands, we’ve had to be creative on how to use it wisely.
I run several sites, but the two main ones are a travel site (Cowboy Concierge) and a cooking/baking site that shares recipes (Baking Naturally). Fortunately, as the one has tumbled in traffic, the other has exploded. People like to bake when they are stuck at home, so I’ve been focusing my attention there.
My site favors quality over quantity. All of my recipes have been baked here at home so that I can be sure they work right. I do a lot of my own photography. And I enjoy writing about each recipe – many of which I picked up on my travels around the world.
Currently, I’ve been updating each post to get it into the Gutenberg format on WordPress (See my article on How I Learned to Love Gutenberg). I know I don’t have to, but it’s forced me to look at each post with a much more critical eye. I’ve updated and revised every post to be more aligned to best practices. I’ve tweaked my site’s overall appearance to be more functional and pleasing, as well as to improve speed.
But the biggest change I’m making is to revamp my sales strategy. I’ve been an Amazon Affiliate for many years. I’ve never sold much through them, but I provided links to my readers as more of a benefit to them, helping them find good products that can make baking easier.
But as I watched my Amazon clicks skyrocket, I wasn’t seeing much happening in terms of revenue. I found that odd – there should be a direct relationship between the two. And then Amazon decided to pull the rug out from under all their affiliates by drastically reducing the commissions – and that was it for me. I needed a dramatic change in strategy.
I’d been accepted to Share-a-Sale, Rakuten, AWIN, and Pepperjam for quite a while, and I’m taking a fresh look at them and liking what I see. I’m reading up on individual vendors and their products and actually getting excited about promoting them!
I found myself writing a stand-alone article about Etsy, the small-business marketplace. I took an afternoon and scoured through the kitchen section and found 4 items to highlight. These were clever little inventions, hand-made by local craftspeople, made to order with many possible modifications or personalizations. They’re lovely, and each sale benefits a small businessperson like me. I’m thrilled to promote them to my readers.
And the more I look, the more I find. I’ve applied for an affiliateship with a natural cleaning supply service that provides you with refillable bottles, reducing plastic waste. Another bakery supply warehouse fills orders for home use, with professional-grade products at half the cost of Amazon! Alibris, the bookseller, sells every title under the sun, including a huge collection of cookbooks, many you can get used for a fraction of the cost of Amazon.
I can promote any or all of these vendors to my readers with stand-alone posts. These are products my readers will appreciate and respond to. Further, with 30 and 45-day cookies, I don’t feel taken advantage of by these vendors. We’re working in partnership, and I appreciate that opportunity.
I’m having fun again – even if I’m cooped up here! The opportunities are endless, and the satisfaction I feel is greatly enhanced. Onward!