I have mentioned in these two articles some of the ways I beat bloggers block, Wagging The Long Tail For Blogging Ideas and 5 Ways To Beat Bloggers Block.

Another great research tool one which looks at historic orders is the Paid On Results Basket Data Report, here is a quick overview.

Log onto your POR account and click Basket Data in the reports menu and you get a report something like this.

Hovering over the title of the product gives a thumbnail pic and some product data.

Clicking the product title reveals a sub-menu:

• View monthly performance for this product
• Visit the Merchants website
• Create Product Links

Options 2 & 3 are self explanatory click option 1 reveals yet another useful report:

Suffice to say all this data is excellent, it reveals the type of product that is selling, this in turn poses several questions:

• do I promote the best sellers more?
• should I try and increase the exposure I give to other products?
• are the best sellers products I have written most about?
• why is x product not selling even though I spent a lot of time and effort pushing it?

etc etc, hopefully you get the picture and I’m sure you will come up with many questions and ideas of your own that can be generated from this extremely useful tool.

While the POR Basket Data Report is a powerful tool not enough merchants are using it, so far you can get reports for:

• Dead Good Undies
• Ducti
• Everything But The Music
• Freemans
• Grattan
• HQhair
• Kaleidoscope
• Magscriber
• Miller Brothers
• Millet Sports
• Pressies 4 Princesses
• Prezzy Box
• QED-uk
• RedSave
• The Funky Hair Group

I hope a few more merchants realise its worth in the near future.

Following on from my previous post Reasons Not To Go To a4uexpo, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to introduce you to some of the people who will be in attendance, luckily for me Affiliates4u TV have made my task easier by releasing some video interviews from this summers a4uexpo roadshows.

Allow me to introduce to you a selection of industry professionals from across the spectrum of UK Affiliate Marketing.

The Merchant … Naomi Brown of Firebox.com

Affiliates4u.tv - Naomi Brown from Firebox.com from Peter on Vimeo.

The Affiliate Network - James (J Lil) Little of Affiliate Future

affiliates4u.tv at ASE Boston, Affiliate Future from Peter on Vimeo.

The Affiliate Marketing Agency - Bruce Clayton of Existem AM

Affiliates4u.tv - Bruce Clayton from Existem-am from Peter on Vimeo.

The Affiliate - John Lammerton of Big Idea Media

Affiliates4u.tv - John Lamerton, Big Idea Media from Peter on Vimeo.

Well there you are I hope this gives you an insight into the type of people you are likely to bump into at a4uexpo.

a4uexpo 2008 is on the 14th and 15th of October at Excel London click here for more details.

This was going to be a post about reasons not to go to this years, a4uexpo Affiliate Marketing Conference and Exhibition, however I couldn’t help seeing the positive side of every excuse so consequently we are left with absolutely no reasons for not attending.

1. Too many people, we all know that most affiliates are essentially hermits so this number of people all together at the same event may be a bit daunting, however just think of the massive potential there will be to advance your online business simply by networking with so many industry experts and internet entrepreneurs, not to mention all the valuable sessions you will have access to.
   
2. I won’t know anyone, hmm not attending will not change that one bit, whereas attending may just change your life, strong friendships and successful business relationships have been formed at affiliate events such as a4uexpo.
3. I am new to the industry and don’t want to show myself up, you wont a4uexpo is designed to meet the needs of all levels from the total newbie to the very experienced, and you are under no obligation to divulge what your sites are or anything about revenue and traffic.
   
4. I can’t afford a ticket, get a loan, beg for a ticket, enter competitions for free tickets such as here on Kirsty’s site Dying To Know The Sunshine.co.uk Secret? Win A Ticket to the Expo & Find Out! and John’s blog has this Go to a4uexpo - for FREE! do your utmost to get a ticket, you will reap the rewards 10 fold, look at the ticket price not as a cost but as an investment.

a4uexpo 2008 is on the 14th and 15th of October at Excel London click here for more details.