Copycat

When I was a child, if you mimicked the behavior of someone else, everybody called you a copycat. It was not meant to be a compliment. I guess fourth graders are not mature enough to realize that imitation is one of the best forms of flattery.

In website design, it is wise to mirror what already works. Site visitor attention spans are extremely short. If a guest to a website gets confused because the layout does not match what is coming to be recognized as pretty universal, they won't stay, let alone click an affiliate link.

This week, I identified some very successful affiliate marketers. Since I am building an affiliate site, I want to see what the best affiliates are already doing. I looked at their site layouts, colors, typography, etc., to see what works for them. Now, I intend to do a little impersonating of my own...without stepping over the boundaries of copyright, of course.

Wish me luck!