ISPs Profit With Partnership Programs

ISPs are local businesses. Many PC makers are also local businesses. Members of the ISP-Marketing list delve into the details of working with your local generic PC builder.

[December 23, 2002]

On the ISP-Marketing list in December, EG asked:

"Here's one way we leverage a partnership with a company in our area to provide new signups. I'm sure there are others out there doing this and it may have been mentioned on the list before but I just wanted to share a channel that I've just started using in case it can help anyone else. We have a reseller partnership with a locally owned computer store in our area, they sell our service and receive a monthly commission for each customer that signs up.

We've recently implemented a new form of this in which every computer they build has a link on the desktop titled 'Setup Your Internet Connection.' Clicking on this link opens up our configuration box which first tells them to call us to set up an account (we don't have the budget for any of the interactive signup packages right now but ISP wizard is helpful for a low end solution).

After setting up the account, they complete the dialog and log right on with our service. We've only started this today but I am confident about the possibilities. Now that I've shared my newest method which really isn't new since AOL's been doing it for a long time with the big computer manufacturers does anyone want to share some of your own marketing Ideas. The yellow pages omitted my ad which I was counting on to be one of my major channels for new signups so I really need all the guerilla marketing tips I can get."

[TB warned] "Just watch out for the computer guys. Tried it a few times and they stab you right in the back for a nickel."

[IP replied] "I was a computer vendor once. We had to operate on a shoestring budget and sometimes waited up to three months to get paid for stuff we'd already sold, waiting for those quarterly payments."

[BM said] "We are currently partnered with several local computer stores in the surrounding counties. We have been giving them the first month as commission ($18.95 for dial-up and $39.95 for DSL), but I have another question.

Another computer store called me yesterday wanting me to pay $20 for the referral, plus a residual income percentage every month for "his" customers that he refers for our service. They say they can get me around 1000 or 1500 customers in an area that I am not currently advertising in. I am not opposed to the idea, but I was just wondering if anyone else has tried this or had experience with this kind of marketing. I am not planning on turning my sales into multi-level marketing by any means, though. He asked for 5% right off because he claims that the last company that he was in partnership with gave him this percentage (until they sold to Volaris Online, and Volaris recently sold to Earthlink, who apparently don't partner with local businesses).

I am looking at something like the following for business partners:

1% for 1-99 customers

2% for 100-199 customers

3% for 200-499 customers

4% for 500-999 customers

5% for 1000 customers +

Input would be appreciated."

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