According to statistics, it takes between five and seven impressions before an online visitor buys a particular product or service. So, as long as you are attracting visitors with the subject matter and content of your affiliate site, the trick is to keep them coming back on a regular basis, to increase the likelihood that they will become buyers. This is a situation where developing a newsletter makes sense.

Think of information these site visitors want or need to know. Trends, news, updates on the big players, whatever it is real information, not a re-hash or a copycat site. Is there already a truly authoritarian source for this information, or could you become this source? Even if there is one (or a few), study them to understand their focus. There still may be room for you to become the source of information or news for a well-defined segment of your market.

Perhaps you have a site focusing on boating on the Long Island Sound, the body of water bordering parts of Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York. You may already affiliate relationships with boatyards and yacht clubs with transient moorings, and food and equipment sellers. Would a newsletter focusing upon the new water-accessible restaurants, food and liquor delivery services and recipes for the local catches and tips for the on-board cook be welcomed by your market?

Ask them, and test with some related articles, to see how well theyre received. With the newsletter, you can begin to create a sense of community, you can ask for subscriber opt-in, and keep your site before the interested and engaged people who will buy your affiliate merchants products and services.