GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 27 - February 2014

What traits do you look for in an affiliate manager? How about in an affiliate pro- gram? I like for affiliate managers to re- spond in a timely manner in the event that I send a rare e-mail request. I appreciate those affiliate managers who don’t send generic e-mail and who give attention to my particular websites. In an affiliate programmy most important concern is communication of changes in terms of service. I like programs that offer no negative rollover in commissions. And obviously I like the brands of the affili- ate programs to have constant offers and promotions for new players, which makes converting money players a little easier. What’s your preferred method of com- munication with affiliate managers? Do you like to talk on the phone, by e-mail or via Skype? I prefer e-mail or Skype. I’m not much of a telephone person. What prompted you to join the GPWA? How has it helped you? From what I vaguely remember, I was researching a particular affiliate program to ensure that they were legit and that they paid on time. Although I’m not active on the forum ev- ery day, I do visit consistently to check on the industry changes, SEO tips and con- ference news. It is an invaluable resource that no affiliate should take for granted. What do you like about the industry? I love that the industry is forever evolving. It has taught me to stay onmy toes in other aspects of my business. I also like to study industry websites and SEO techniques be- cause everything constantly changes. The gaming industry is definitely on top of the changes and knows how to adapt quickly. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? I would change the legality and bureaucracy sur- rounding the industry. I think people should have the right to gamble no mat- ter their location. Of course, I would also eliminate all of the rogue gaming web- sites. They care nothing about the players and even less about the affiliates. What do your family and friends think of your work as an affiliate? Back when I first became an affiliate marketer in 2003 my mom in particular didn’t really under- stand it and would ask me, “So will you look for a job or go back to school to get your graduate degree?” Definitely now there is no question about what I do and my family and friends are very supportive and even more curious. Do you gamble online? If so, what do you play? I actually don’t gamble or play the lottery. Go figure! The dealer always wins in my mind so I’d rather not pay him or her. How long do you give yourself for an- swering e-mail? What e-mail tips can you offer? I don’t have a time frame for answering e-mail but it is the first thing that I try to take care of before starting my day of work. How do you manage your “to-do” lists? Do you use any special software to help you out? I have an unorthodox method for sure. I create a to-do document on my desktop for each of my affiliate sites and move it to the trash when I’m done. That way it’s in my face, and since I don’t like crowded icons, it pushes me to get the work done and clean up the desktop. How much time do you devote to SEO and/or social networking in order to drive more traffic to your sites? In the past I devoted 70 percent of my time to SEO, but I’ve found lately that no matter howmuch promoting, linking or optimizing I do on my websites, there is no single, sure method to keep my sites ranking high in the SERPs. In the future, I plan to do more paid advertising because trying to keep up with changing search engine algorithms is be- coming more frustrating every day. What’s the most difficult thing about running your sites? I think the most dif- ficult thing is making sure the tracking links are working correctly. I manage my sites using a CMS so I have several mod- ules to help with broken links, but there is nothing available for checking to see if the affiliate links are actively tracking. What’s the best thing about running your sites? I like being able to update my con- tent on the fly using a CMS and not hav- ing to worry about building HTML pages manually like I did when I first started. I barely have to use Dreamweaver, which was my HTML editor of choice at the time. If someone were visiting you, what’s the one place you’d definitely take them to see? Well, it depends on where I am at the time. But if I were in Spain, I would most definitely take them to visit Valldemossa, Mallorca. It is a charming village just 15 minutes from the out- skirts of Palma de Mallorca. When you need to get as far away from work as possible, where do you go? Anguilla, in the Caribbean, for sure is my favorite getaway. The ocean, friends and peaceful moments are something I wish for when I need to get away. What’s your favorite vacation spot? Formentera, Spain. I love this small island because it is peaceful and close by if I’m in Spain. What’s your all-time favorite movie? I wouldn’t say that I have an all-time fa- vorite movie, but for a TV series I would have to say The Golden Girls . They keep me laughing for days. If you could invite any five people, living or dead, to dinner, who would they be? • Mom and Dad – I want to cherish the time that I have with them while they are around. • Michael Jackson – For me he was the epitome of hard work and a genius artist. • Betty White – One of my idols; she is beautiful andhas a great sense of humor. • Rafael Nadal – I had the opportunity to meet him once but a dinner would com- plete my dream and hopefully his highly competitive spirit would rub off on me. What are three things that nobody knows about you? 1. I’m a candy video blogger. I absolutely love candy!! 2. I’ve played professional basketball in Finland and Spain. 3. I love FC Barcelona (futbol). 55 GPWA Affiliate Interview Series