GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 4 - April 2008

GPWA TIMES | GPWA Affiliate Interview Series 50 Diana Sterling | Continued from page 18 I don’t promote the programs that give me higher revenue share but the programs I respect and those that have affiliate managers I like. You joined GPWA in late Septem- ber 2006. What prompted you to join? And how has it helped you so far? For me you are the number one gambling site on the Web. From your forums I always get great advice and information. Also, GPWA is an excellent place to meet other webmasters and af- filiate managers. What was your favorite subject in school? And why was it your favorite subject? Math. I’ve al- ways loved math. Not sure why. Do you gamble online? If so, what’s your favorite game and why? I used to gamble a lot. My favorite game is poker, any kind. Because there is not only luck involved, you also have to think and plan which makes it very in- teresting and challenging. If you could change one thing about the online gaming indus- try, what would it be, and why? Allow online gambling every- where. There are real casinos in almost every country. Why don’t they close them down, too, do you know? What is the difference between online and offline gam- bling? None. I don’t think it’s a moral issue. So, let people choose. What is your favorite movie? And why? “Life Is Beautiful,” an Ital- ian movie. It shows what inno- cence is. You go from laughing to crying in just one second. If you could have one “super power,” what would it be? And why? Bring people back to life. Because there are so many good and beloved people who have died. Some people don’t deserve to have died so soon. Christine M. | Continued from page 19 How did you discover the affili- ate marketing business? When I was a mod there were times when I would contact casinos for prizes to use for contest on the forum I was working on. From there I learned that you can make a comfortable living by marketing. It just felt right, and came easily to me – it’s work, but it doesn’t feel like work if that makes sense. What distinguished it from other possible businesses you were thinking of entering? I wasn’t really thinking of starting a busi- ness, but what really led me to start a players’ forum was that it was something that would let me stay at home, work a few hours a day on, make a little extra in- come to keep Carey (my business partner) and me happy. The forum kept me occupied — I bore easily and this wasn’t boring me. Even now, I don’t find it bor- ing. I wake up each morning, get the boys ready for school, grab a coffee, and I look forward to a day of reading industry news, updates, contacting casinos and keeping everyone on the forum happy. What role does the forum play in your business model? The forum is important to our busi- ness; it comes first in our busi- ness model. Howmuch timedoes it take toad- minister the forum? Even with a large staff our forum takes more hours than I would like to think to maintain. Even with so much automation there is still quite a bit of monitoring, updating, and taking care of forum members. How important are forums to getting conversions? Very im- portant. We are able to talk and socialize with our members. With a portal, players just see a list of casinos with promotions. When they go to a forum they can so- cialize and talk to other players about casinos, games, industry news and so forth. Howmany people do you employ to work on your forums? Other than myself and Carey, we have two Admins — Iataz, Dani, a Su- permod — JudyB and three Mods — Jobill, Mizzpa and Violet. The mods and admins are the backbone of any good forum and they get a lot of respect from us. These girls are family and we all stick together through the good and the bad times! For people who are considering opening forums, what advice would you give them? It doesn’t come easily – it’s a tough battle which can be won. Ask questions, and look at how other people are doing things. Persist. If you think it’s a walk in the park, then you’re in for a surprise. It can be a roller coaster from month to month. And al- ways, treat other people with respect – players, affiliates and operators. I think it helps if you can handle customer care or customer rela- tions. If you can’t, then you’ll have problems socializing with your members and your forum won’t perform. What do you look for in an affili- ate program? Good looking ca- sinos, great customer support for players, a decent gaming platform and decent promotions to keep players interested and involved. An affiliate program can offer you the world, but if the products they have aren’t up to scratch, you’ll find it hard to make money there. It’s really a bit of every- thing. What advice would give to an affiliate just starting out in the industry? Persist, look at what other people are doing, become involved in affiliate forums, and have patience. How long did it take for you to start earning money with your sites? From the first month, and it has grown over time. How does the GPWA help you in your work as an affiliate? They are fantastic for resources, get- ting in touch with affiliate pro- grams – a great forum to find out what other affiliates and casinos are doing. What’s your favorite activity away from work? My family is very close to me. I try to spend as much time with them as I can. What’s your favorite vacation spot? And why? Wow… that’s a tough one. I really enjoyed the Bahamas, but I also enjoyed the history of European countries. It’s the company that makes the vacation! If you could pick someone to play you in a movie about your life, who would it be? Definitely not Lindsay Lohan.