Casino
Affiliate Programs - Step By Step Guide
Let
our step-by-step guide to casino webmaster affiliate programs
show you how to earn THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS every month from your
own web site! Discover the tools and resources you need to succeed.
Build
It! ... Publish It! ... Promote It! ... Profit!
Explore
our step-by-step guidelines to building, publishing and promoting
your casino webmaster affiliate web site. We've got the tools and
resources you need to start making money on the internet today!
Software
Requirements
Building a new
web site requires a basic set of tools. Much of the software you'll
need is available as either freeware or shareware and can be found
virtually anywhere on the Web.
Shareware is
typically a trial version of a given application and can be used
for a period of up to 30 days. Thereafter the application will expire
and is no longer functional - unless you purchase the full version.
Freeware is made available to Internet users by developers looking
to test new software. Freeware has become a very convenient resource
for users who don't have the money to purchase expensive software.
If you've got
a budget, some of the higher-end software applications offer more
robust features than freeware and shareware. These applications
make web site development extremely simple and easy and most of
these programs can be purchased on the web and, in some cases, working
demos can be downloaded immediately.
Here's the basic
software you'll need to get started:
HTML
Editors
An HTML editor is the program you'll use to assemble your web site.
Webmasters experienced in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) can code
an entire web site using a simple text editor such as Windows Notepad,
although most developers choose more robust WYSIWYG (What You See
Is What You Get) applications.
Our Recommendations:
HTML Basics:
HTML Goodies - an excellent free resource
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/primers/basics.html
Freeware/Shareware:
Tucows - huge library of freeware and shareware titles
http://www.tucows.com
Best HTML
Editor:
Macromedia Dreamweaver 4 - everything you need to develop
a professional Web site
http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/
Web
Browsers
A web browser allows you to view HTML documents. If you're reading
this page online, you probably already have a browser installed
on your computer. The most popular browsers are Microsoft Internet
Explorer and Netscape. Examples of alternate browsers include Opera,
Lynx and Mosaic. We suggest having both Internet Explorer and Netscape
installed on your PC - this will give you the option of viewing
your HTML documents in both browsers. There are certain differences
in the way these browsers display HTML documents and it's always
good to check that you've made allowances to accommodate them.
You can
download the most current web browsers at:
Internet
Explorer
Available in the download section at http://www.microsoft.com
Netscape
Available in the download section at http://www.netscape.com
Graphics
Editors
At some point, you'll need to edit a photograph or create original
graphics for your new site. You can purchase most popular graphics
programs online or choose to download freeware or shareware versions
on the Internet.
Graphic programs
are generally expensive to buy. We recommend you download Paint
Shop Pro from www.jasc.com. Although Paint Shop doesn't feature
all the 'bells and whistles' of a standard industry graphics package,
it does have enough basic tools to help you produce professional-looking
images.
Recommendations:
Web Graphics
Basics:
HTML Goodies - excellent free tutorials
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/tutors/img.html
Freeware/Shareware:
Paint Shop Pro - 30-day, fully functional evaluation
copy
http://www.jasc.com/
Best Graphics
Editors:
Adobe
Photoshop - the broadest and most productive graphics
tool set available
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.html
Macromedia
Fireworks - Create, edit, and animate web graphics
using a complete set of tools.
http://www.macromedia.com/software/fireworks/
FTP
Software
In order to publish your new site live on the World Wide Web, you'll
need File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software. FTP enables the duplication
of your documents from one location to another, for instance, duplication
of your web site files from your computer to your web-hosting server.
Once this occurs, your site will "go live" and be available
to the public.
Most popular
FTP software has two display windows. The left window displays the
files and directories on your computer while the right window displays
the files and directories on the hosting server. Note that some
high-end web design applications, such as Macromedia Dreamweaver,
have FTP capabilities built in.
Recommendations:
FTP Basics:
FTP Planet - step-by-step instructions on how
to connect, transfer or do just about anything FTP-related
http://www.ftpplanet.com/tutorial/index.html
Freeware/Shareware:
WS_FTP LE - limited edition shareware version
http://www.ftpplanet.com/download.htm
Best FTP
Software:
WS FTP Pro - the most powerful Windows file transfer
client available.
http://www.ftpplanet.com/download.htm
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Web
Site Hosting
Web site hosting
describes the server that stores and delivers your site to the World
Wide Web. There are a variety of different hosting solutions available,
ranging from Free Hosting to Virtual Server solutions, to Dedicated
Servers.
As is this case
with most services, web hosting services should be met with the
caveat, "You Get What You Pay For." While free hosting
seems attractive on the surface and the price is definitely right,
beware! The companies that provide free web site hosting generally
do so under the agreement that they have the right to place advertising
on your site. While this may be an acceptable practice for some,
as a casino webmaster affiliate, you don't want to be serving up
ads for a merchant that won't be paying you. After all, you're in
this to make money, right?
In many instances,
your current Internet Service Provider (ISP) can include web site
hosting as part of your sign up agreement. Typically, they'll provide
up to 5 MB of disk storage. Contact your present ISP to determine
if this is a viable option.
If you're looking
for more control over your domain name and web site, and you're
willing to spend a few bucs for hosting, a "virtual server"
is the best solution. Many ISPs provide virtual web hosting and
may handle the registration and technical aspects of your proposed
domain name as well.
Recommended
Web Hosts:
Catalog.com
Inexpensive (less than $3 per month); includes optional, graphical
site-development tool; first-rate traffic statistics; toll-free
support.
http://www.catalog.com
DirectNIC
Low cost (under $4 per month); fast and generally reliable servers;
option to add more data transfer and e-mailboxes as needed.
http://www.directnic.com/
DellHost
Easy-to-use site design software makes it possible for even novice
users to create and post a site, and at only $14.95 per month,
DellHost makes it affordable.
http://www.dellhost.com
Aplus.NET
Includes FREE Domain Name Registration, 500 MB webspace, unlimited
traffic, CGI, online stats and support.
http://www.aplus.net
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Domain
Name Registration
In simplest
terms, a domain name is the address of your web site on the Internet
- for example, www.BetGameDay.com
or www.Bet19.com. Having
your own domain name is a necessity in order to appear professional
and gain the trust and respect of your visitors. You also stand
a better chance of getting listed in the major search engines and
directories with your own domain name.
So,
how do I register a domain name and how much does it cost?
All domain names ending with .com, .net or .org must
be registered through one of the many ICANN-approved domain name
registrars. Prices vary greatly among the different registrars -
some charge as much as $70 US for a two-year registration while
others (such as BulkRegister.com) charge as little as $10 US per
year.
The easiest
way to manage domain name registration is to register your domain
name with the web hosting service you intend to use. If you decide
to register a domain name yourself, you will need to provide the
IP addresses and hostnames of two DNS servers. This is information
that your hosting company will provide to you. Some domain name
registrars will also provide web hosting and other related services
for an additional fee.
Recommended
Domain Registrars:
BulkRegister.com
One-time membership fee allows top-level domain name registrations
as low as $10 per year - ICANN approved
http://www.bulkregister.com
Network
Solutions
ICANN-approved domain registrations as low as $29 - superior tools
and resources for finding quality domain names.
http://www.netsol.com
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Casino
Webmaster Programs
Don't take chances
when it comes to choosing the correct casino and sportsbook with
which to partner. After all, you're in this to make a profit, right?
There are hundreds of online gaming establishments offering a variety
of webmaster programs, but only a select few that are worth your
time and effort. Here are two of the very best:
BetGameDay
Casino & Sportsbook
Earn up to 50% of the gross profits generated as a
result of players referred to BetGameDay via your site. This means
anyone playing at BetGameDay Casino & Sportsbook, who has been
referred via your site, has the potential for generating money
for you - even if you decide to withdraw from the program at a
later date! Best of all, BetGameDay's Partnership Program is offered
at NO COST - that means no development cost or no gaming license
fee.
Learn
More >
Bet19
Sportsbook & Casino
Earn 20-40% on all referrals at The Nineteenth Hole,
the premier provider of online gaming entertainment today. Along
with their generous revenue sharing program, they also provide
the only Rebate prgram in the industry. All players at Bet19 receive
9% of their losses back evey month! This is a huge retention tool
for your players. These factors help to make The Nineteenth Hole
the most attractive gaming experience available. With a well designed
marketing strategy, you will be able to attract and convert a
very large percentage of your visitors into long term gaming enthusiasts.
Learn
More >
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The
Importance of Keywords
Consider this:
More than 95% of all internet users find what they are looking for
by visiting one of the major search engines or directories. And,
because most search engines base their results based on keyword-related
algorithms, the proper use and placement of keywords and keyword
phrases is critical to the success of your site.
While the ranking
criteria varies from one search engine to the next, most evaluate
and rank your web pages based on the following:
Keyword
Prominence - How early in a page a search term appears.
Keyword
Frequency - The number of times a given keyword appears.
(Caution: Simply repeating a keyword over and over will most
likely result in your site being kicked out by most search engines.)
Keyword
Weight - The ratio of keywords to all other words on
your page. (Each search engine has a threshold. If your page
crosses that threshold, the engine labels it as spam and ignores
it.)
Keyword
Proximity - How close together the keywords are to
each other, especially when the item searched for is a phrase.
Keyword
Placement - The locations where an engine will look
for the keyword, e.g. in the body, title, META tags, etc.
At bare minimum,
one must pay particular attention to the last of these criteria
- Keyword Placement. Following are the most important locations
that search engines look for keywords and phrases:
- <TITLE>
tag
- <META
NAME="DESCRIPTION"> tag
- <META
NAME="KEYWORDS"> tag
- <H1>
tags
- <A HREF>
link tags
- Keywords
in the body copy
- <ALT>
tags
- <!-comments>
comment tags
- <INPUT
TYPE="HIDDEN" > hidden tags
- Keywords
in the URL or domain name
Again, the proper
use and placement of keywords is critical to your success as the
major search engines will most likely be your single largest source
of traffic!
Recommended
Keyword Tools & Resources
WebPositionGold
An excellent tool for developing keyword-rich pages that fit within
the ever-changing Search Engine landscape. Highly recommended!
http://www.webpositiongold.com
WordTracker
Excellent tool for finding the real keywords and search terms
critical to search engine optimization.
http://www.wordtracker.com/
Overture
Search Term Suggestion Tool
Free resource for researching real search terms and keywords used
in actual web searches.
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
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Content
Development
The key to designing
a successful web site begins with careful planning … identify
the exact copy and graphics you wish to include and be certain that
this content meets the primary goal of your site. As a casino and
sportsbook affiliate, your goals should include attracting relevant
visitors and converting this traffic into actual casino and sportsbook
players, right?
Following are
a few things to consider when developing your content:
Keep
it simple
Text should be written in a black, legible font on a white or
light-colored background. Avoid fancy fonts and complex backgrounds
that interfere with the "readability" of your copy.
And, avoid large blocks of text … break your copy into small
paragraphs with plenty of "white space" in between.
Avoid
horizontal scrolling
Make certain that the elements of your pages do not exceed 100%
of the page width. Internet users are uncomfortable with having
to scroll "sideways" to read an article or view a graphic.
Be
consistent
Use the same design elements on all your pages and maintain consistent
navigation elements throughout your site.
Stay
focused
Determine the primary purpose for each page and remain focused
on that subject matter. Keep things to uncluttered and to the
point to avoid distracting your visitors.
Build a professional
looking web site with effective content and you will already be
one step ahead of the majority of sites on the Internet. But remember
this important rule: Good copy converts visitors into cash, not
fancy graphics and code … the goal of any good casino affiliate
site is to transform traffic into actual casino players!
Content
Resources
BetGameDay
Promotional Copy
Sample copy promoting BetGameDay Sportsbook and Casino to your web
site visitors
Click
Here
Bet19
Promotional Copy
Sample copy promoting Bet19 Sportsbook and Casino to your web
site visitors
Click
Here
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Web
Site Layout & Design
One of the first
questions you must answer before building your web site is this:
What
is the purpose of my site?
As a casino
and sportsbook affiliate, the answer should be to attract visitors
interested in online gambling and convert those visitors into active
gamblers on the sites you're promoting. Your answer will help you
to focus your site's content and design.
Next, determine
who your audience is. If you are promoting BetGameDay Sportsbook's
fabulous football betting menu, then your audience is most likely
made up of sports enthusiasts interested in betting on NFL and college
football games. If you're promoting Bet19 Casino's outstanding variety
of online slot machines, your audience will be different than those
wanting action on a football game. The answers to these questions
help to further the focus of your content and design.
Now, you must
deal with a few technological issues. How will your audience view
your site? Will your content appeal to a business crowd accessing
the Internet on high-speed T1 lines, or is it for the folks at home
with 14.4 modems? Our experience has shown that, regardless of the
answer to this question, the simplest approach is often the best.
Design your pages to load fast on the slowest possible connection
and you'll avoid losing visitors.
In addition
to connection speed, specific browsers and desktop settings should
be considered. Individual user configurations are like snowflakes
… no two are identical. Because monitors, settings and browsers
vary from user to user, you should always design for the lowest
common denominator. In other words, make sure your page loads and
reads properly in Explorer and Netscape browsers, as well as with
all desktop settings (i.e. 640x480, 800x600, etc.)
Always ensure
that the most important elements of your page can be seen without
scrolling. Think of your web pages as the front page of a newspaper.
The important items go on the front page, and the really important
stuff goes on the top.
Also remember
that most people read left to right and top to bottom. They almost
always look at the upper-left corner first, which is a good place
to put something really important. Always be aware of how your audience's
eyes will travel across the page.
When deciding
which colors to use on your site, consider these questions:
Do the colors
you pick work well with the goals of your site?
Do the colors
exist on the 216 universal-color palette?
In an old
browser, will you be able to read black type on the background
color you picked?
Again, keep
it simple and use a limited number of colors. A few colors can go
a really long way. Be smart about the colors you pick. Don't think
in terms of your favorite or least favorite colors. Just make sure
they support your message and tell your story.
The other big
question with color is readability. The type should sit comfortably
on the background color. It's more than an issue of high contrast.
White type on a black background is readable, but if you try light
grey type on black, the end result is more comfortable to the eye.
If you go for a lot of contrast and then back off a bit, you'll
probably end up with something subtle that's a little more complex
and interesting. Of course, you can never go wrong with black type
on a white background. It might not be the flashiest way to go,
but it's bulletproof.
Recommended
Web Design Resources
Yale
Style Manual
The single-most important guide to designing on the Internet.
A must for web designers of all skill levels.
http://www.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/index.html
HTML
Goodies
One of the best and most comprehensive web design tutorial and
resource sites.
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/
WebMonkey
Web developer's resource offering a variety of how-to articles
and quick reference guides
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/index.html
Usable
Web
No nonsense collection of links related to web design and usability
issues.
http://usableweb.com/
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Web
Site Publishing
Okay, you've
got your web site built. You've spell checked every page. You've
tested it on all browsers and at all screen sizes and everything
looks great. Now it's time to "go live" with your site.
As mentioned
in the earlier Software Requirements section,
you'll need File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software in order to publish
your new site live on the World Wide Web. FTP enables the duplication
of your documents from one location to another, for instance, duplication
of your web site files from your computer to your web-hosting server.
Once this occurs, your site will "go live" and be available
to the public.
Most popular
FTP software has two display windows. The left window displays the
files and directories on your computer while the right window displays
the files and directories on the hosting server. Note that some
high-end web design applications, such as Macromedia Dreamweaver,
have FTP capabilities built in.
Recommendations:
FTP Basics:
FTP Planet - step-by-step instructions on how
to connect, transfer or do just about anything FTP-related
http://www.ftpplanet.com/tutorial/index.html
Freeware/Shareware:
WS_FTP LE - limited edition shareware version
http://www.ftpplanet.com/download.htm
Best FTP
Software:
WS FTP Pro - the most powerful Windows file transfer
client available.
http://www.ftpplanet.com/download.htm
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Search
Engine Marketing
Search engine
marketing refers to the process of promoting your site on search
engines. It's important to understand that search engine marketing
is not just about submitting your site or achieving good rankings
for some obscure search term. It's about the overall process of
developing your site so that it "works" well with the
various search engines, allowing your audience to find you.
Directories
and Search Engines
Two distinct entities exist in the world of internet
search - Directories and Search Engines. Directories are search
engines that are typically reviewed and edited by real people. Whereas
the term "Search Engine" usually refers to crawler-based
search engines that automatically visit web pages to compile their
listings via software known as robots or spiders.
Directory
Submissions
Before submitting to the major directories, you should
prepare a 25-word or less description of your entire web site. That
description should include the two or three most important keywords
or phrases that your site is focused on.
It is important
to avoid "hyped up" marketing language in your 25-word
description and just stick to the facts. The human editors who review
directory submissions will typically alter any description that
contains too much marketing hype.
The Important
Directories:
Yahoo
The web's oldest and most important major directory - getting
listed with Yahoo is absolutely essential to any site's success.
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/suggest/
LookSmart
LookSmart provides the main listings used by the popular MSN Search
service as well asmany other search engines. As with Yahoo, getting
listed with LookSmart is essential for any site.
http://listings.looksmart.com/
The
Open Directory
The Open Directory is a volunteer-built guide to the web. It provides
primary results to Netscape Search and powers the Google Directory
as well as results for a variety of other services. Again, being
listed with the Open Directory is essential.
http://dmoz.org/add.html
Search Engine Submissions
Crawler-based search engines automatically visit web
pages to index for their databases. This means that, unlike a directory,
you may have several if not all pages listed with a given search
engine. This also means that by taking care in how you build your
pages and paying attention to the use and placement of keywords
in your web design, you may rank well in crawler-produced results.
The Important
Search Engines:
Google
The most important of all search engines, Google also provides
results for Yahoo and Netscape.
http://www.google.com/addurl.html
Inktomi
Inktomi provides some of the results used by major search sites
such as MSN Search, AOL Search and HotBot. Submit via HotBot.
http://hotbot.lycos.com/addurl.asp
FAST
Search
FAST Search powers some of the results for Lycos as well as its
own search engine called AllTheWeb.
http://www.alltheweb.com/add_url.php
AltaVista
While Alta Vista's popularity has waned over the past year, significant
numbers of people still use it to search the web.
http://addurl.altavista.com/sites/addurl/newurl
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Tracking
Your Affiliate Profits
Here comes the
fun part! Now that your site has been built, published and promoted,
it's time to find out how much money you're making.
With our recommended
casino webmaster affiliate programs it's simple to track your daily
profit and discover which games your visitors are playing!
BetGameDay
Casino & Sportsbook
Earn up to 50% of the gross profits generated as a result
of players referred to BetGameDay via your site. This means anyone
playing at BetGameDay Casino & Sportsbook, who has been referred
via your site, has the potential for generating money for you -
even if you decide to withdraw from the program at a later date!
Best of all, BetGameDay's Partnership Program is offered at NO COST
- that means no development cost or no gaming license fee.
Join
Now >
BetGameDay
Webmaster Reports
https://www.BetGameDaycasino.com/secure_wmlogon.asp
Bet19
Sportsbook & Casino
Earn 20-40% on all referrals at The Nineteenth Hole,
the premier provider of online gaming entertainment today. Along
with their generous revenue sharing program, they also provide the
only Rebate prgram in the industry. All players at Bet19 receive
9% of their losses back evey month! This is a huge retention tool
for your players. These factors help to make The Nineteenth Hole
the most attractive gaming experience available. With a well designed
marketing strategy, you will be able to attract and convert a very
large percentage of your visitors into long term gaming enthusiasts.
Join
Now >
Bet19
Webmaster Reports
https://www.betBet19.com/secure_wmlogon.asp?action=logon
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|
Software
Requirements