GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 24 - April 2013

How long did it take for you to start earning money? One month. Any plans to make your site available in other languages? My mother tongue is German. I often write very flowery and ambiguous prose. Readers should be made to think. In German I feel comfortable as a writer and can fully express what I think. A translation is therefore not planned. In your opinion, which scheme is bet- ter – CPA or revenue share? CPA brings nothing but trouble. Both sides lose. If the player loses a lot, thousands, then the webmaster gets too little. If the player los- es a little, then the casino loses money. No one is happy in the long run. How important is good content to the success of your site, and in your opin- ion, what constitutes good content? Good content is the measure of all things. Good content can be seen immediately. If it is unique, well written and interesting, readers will come back for new articles to read. Content that is only for SEO is worthless to readers. This can be seen im- mediately, and I think Google sees it also. Unfortunately, there are many sites with stolen, rewritten or cheap content and only a few with good content. What traits do you look for in an affili- ate manager? How about in an affiliate program? An affiliate manager should remember that affiliates are humans and not toys to be played with. It is clear to me that the manager’s job is stressful, but a job at an animal shelter is also exhaust- ing, and the animals should not be made to suffer because of that. Money is nice, but if it’s only about the money, then the atmosphere and partner- ship are sterile. I personally do not like that. Generally I would say that female managers are more empathetic. How are things between you and 888 these days? 888 is known in Germany, and not in a good way. For many years, there have been substantial problems. As a roulette player I’m always on the side of other players. If an online casino player’s account is locked because the player wants to make a profit, then that is in my opinion very poor. Why should a player be playing? If in addition the roulette or poker software proves to be defective, we’re in the realm of the criminal. These are things that are unacceptable. Arrogant silence about the abuses completes the picture. My rule of thumb is clear: Where players are treated badly, webmasters will fare no better. If you had to pick five keys to success as an affiliate, what would they be? 1. Have the mental toughness to live for months with little income, because oth- erwise you’ll make unnecessary changes. 2. Always be alert and question everything, because you never know what’s coming. 3. Do not copy from other sites, because that’s pathetic. 4. Do not invest your income in cigarettes, alcohol or loose women. 5. Do not trust in the goodwill of other affiliates, because unfortunately this is a rarity. What prompted you to join the GPWA? How has it helped you? Actually, it was pure coincidence. My wife was the trigger. But it is like with a delicious soup. Once tasted, you cannot stop. The GPWA forum is just something special. People write what they think, in their own words. What do you like about the industry? If I’m honest, the money. And the few nice people behind the phone, whom I’ve got- ten to know. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be, and why? All affiliate programs must have a phone, and affiliate managers must be contractually obliged to answer the phone when it rings. Why? Because issues are resolved faster and more honestly over the phone. What surprised you most about the industry? The huge sums of money that travel through the world. What do your family and friends think of your work as an affiliate? Not all of them know. Gambling in Germany is re- garded as wicked. How long do you give yourself for an- swering e-mail? What e-mail tips can you offer? If I’m not sick or on the road, one day. My advice is simple: Do not write e-mail back when you can call back. The personal voice is the crown of commu- nication. The Facebook generation has forgotten this. Many people write a text message, even if the recipient is only 10 meters away. How do you manage your “to-do” lists? Do you use any special software to help you out? No, absolutely no software! I’m very conservative. An adhesive label is all I need. Perhaps you’re familiar with the term “digital dementia.” Computers have not only a good side. How much time does it take to keep your site updated? I write an article ev- ery two to three weeks. For that I need 30 to 45 minutes. How much time do you devote to SEO and/or social networking in or- der to drive more traffic to your site? Three hours a week, maybe. That must be enough. I do not want to end up like a lot of people, checking out the Google keyword positions every five minutes and making myself crazy. No, thank you! If someone were visiting you, what’s the one place you’d definitely take them to see? A vast and lonely forest. Without humans or road noise! The visitor will see and feel that life without human progress is wonderful. What’s your favorite vacation spot? Caithness in Scotland. The people are wonderful, and the nature is uniquely di- verse. You can smell the history. If you could have one “superpower,” what would it be? Telekinesis – let’s move the roulette ball just a little bit. . . . What’s your all-time favorite movie? Citizen Kane , because it shows how only one word can change everything. If you could invite any five people, living or dead, to dinner, who would they be? My grandmother, to dip biscuits in tea with her. Henry Fonda, because he’s my favor- ite actor. Stephen Hawking, to ask him if he believes that aliens are on their way to attack us. Lee Harvey Oswald, to ask him if he knew that Carlos Marcello was behind everything. Uri Geller, to bend spoons together and then eat mushroom soup without making a mess. What are three things that nobody knows about you? If I tell you now, ev- eryone will know. A man needs his little secrets. This distinguishes us from shiny stones on the floor. 61 GPWA Affiliate Interview Series