How to Build Pre-Landers for International Offers

As a friend of mine always says: “Any affiliate marketer worth their salt dreams of breaking into international markets one day.” On one hand — there’s a massive internet audience out there, a huge number of untapped offers, and serious money to be made…

Yet most affiliates shy away from international markets like they’re toxic. Mainly because of the language barrier between them and their target audience.

But is international affiliate marketing really that scary? Should a newcomer attempt it, or is it reserved for a select elite? And how do you even build your workflow as an affiliate if all your experience is in domestic markets? We’ll cover everything! And yes, we’ll pay special attention to how to build pre-landers for international offers — that’s literally what’s in the title.

General Principles of International Affiliate Marketing

Pretty much the same as what you’re used to! Because “out there,” people are exactly the same. They have the same problems as most of us — someone wants to lose weight, someone else wants a bigger chest, one person dreams of hitting it big at an online casino, another wants to win an iPhone. You already know what kinds of offers exist if you’ve worked in affiliate marketing before. The difference is, there are way (way!) more of them internationally! And the same things are required of you — systematic work, analytics, and a clear set of steps to convert traffic into actual money. But there are a few nuances to keep in mind when working on international traffic:

1. Avoid the US, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

The US has insanely high competition, and both Hong Kong and Singapore have equally steep click prices — sometimes hitting $40 per click. And China is also off the table — yes, there’s over a billion internet users, but they’re essentially unreachable. China blocked international traffic sources like Google, YouTube, and Facebook and built their own alternatives.

2. Target Asia.

All countries except Hong Kong and Singapore, remember? Cheap traffic, large internet audiences, and a population that’s genuinely receptive to buying products delivered to their door.

3. Choose offers based on local culture and mindset.

For example, Vietnam has clean water issues — water purification products do great. Indonesia is obsessed with skin whitening — push skin-lightening creams. And Thailand has a huge adult entertainment culture — adult products are in high demand there.

4. What works in one market won’t necessarily work in another.

Don’t even try selling to Asian audiences using local celebrity doctors as your hook — it doesn’t work. Similarly, celeb-endorsed landers and bridge pages are generally taboo internationally. What does work well: storytelling, video testimonials, and similar approaches. We’ll talk more about specific tactics when we get to pre-landers.

5. Knowing English is genuinely useful.

At least at a basic level. You’ll realize this pretty quickly once you’re in the thick of it. Most forums are in English, the top bloggers write in English, and virtually all affiliate networks and tools offer English-language support.

International Offers

Let’s quickly run through the main verticals, then get into the actual business of building bridge pages (also called pre-landers or transitional pages) to get inside the head of a savvy European or a less-than-savvy Asian buyer. We won’t go deep into what a pre-lander is — if you don’t know, it’s not entirely clear why you’re reading this.

So, there are dozens — if not hundreds — of verticals and niches internationally. Setting aside the most exotic, here are the ones that work well for both veterans and newcomers alike.

· Physical Products.

Much like what you already know — beauty and health products (Nutra), useful and not-so-useful home gadgets (Home Improvement), and similar items. In this vertical there are two payment models: Cash on Delivery (COD) and Trials, where the buyer only pays for shipping and gets a sample for free (while also signing up for future product deliveries).

· Adult and Dating

A massively profitable niche with tentacles stretching from simple dating all the way to explicit content, 18+ video, and adult products.

· Gambling

Covers all online casinos and gambling. Slots, roulette, poker rooms, sports betting — it all falls under gambling. There’s serious money here because there’s no shortage of people internationally who want to gamble their way to a fortune.

· Sweepstakes.

All kinds of lotteries and prize draws for fans of free stuff. Because who doesn’t want a free iPhone, PlayStation, or a tricked-out TV?

How to Build Pre-Landers for International Markets

Probably the best advice is to go straight to the source — look at pre-landers that were built by locals for locals. Just see how they do it. And read our notes below.

Example 1. Classic Pre-Lander

http://www.888poker.es/media/negra.htm

A classic pre-lander. Nothing unnecessary: bonuses, a bit of info, a registration button. Links go to the casino. But there are a few things worth noting:

· There are email subscription links — every user contact is valued here. If they don’t buy, at least they’ll receive email follow-ups;

· There are links to additional pages (license info, responsible gambling help, etc.) that build trust in the pre-lander.

Example 2. Video Pre-Lander.

http://the.flatbellyovernight.com

This type of bridge page is basically nonexistent in most domestic markets, so take notes on everything in this example.

The entire pre-lander is essentially… a 45-minute video. The only text is a call to watch the clip. None of the fluff that typically fills domestic bridge pages — it’s all in the video, built following every ASMR principle. A second screen simply invites you to go to the order form. In theory, after watching it, the viewer has no remaining questions and is ready to buy.

Example 3. Pre-Lander on a Content Site

https://www.bestpokercoaching.com/spin-go-preflop-automation/

An interesting example of a landing page you’d almost never see in domestic markets. On the surface it looks like a regular content site with a regular pre-lander (there’s an offer, a CTA button). But! All the adjacent non-promotional content is genuine. Even better — all the comments on the article are real. So the trust level around what’s being promoted is very high. That said, it’s a rather unusual pre-lander setup that, in our view, only really works for very compliant, clean offers.

What About Translation?

Let’s assume you’ve nailed everything above and your bridge page is ready. But there’s one problem — it’s in English. In the best case, you managed to build it in English to begin with. How do you translate it into the language of the country you’re targeting?

Obviously, Google Translate isn’t the answer here. Some people go to the other extreme and hire professional agencies to adapt not just the text but the entire design. That’s what we’ll do once we’ve made our first million internationally — but for now, let’s bring in freelancers from Upwork, who can do it fast and for a reasonable price. Here are a few useful tips on that front:

1. Choose a translator who is a native speaker. Their natural slang will make your page come alive.
2. Make sure the translator fits your target audience. Don’t hand a page aimed at young people to a 50-year-old woman, for example.
3. Translate from English rather than your native language. It’s much easier to find a translator who knows both English and Thai than one who knows Thai and, say, another less common language.

Choosing Your Hosting

Almost there! The last step is choosing a hosting provider for your landing page. Here’s our curated list of what we think are the best options.

1. Bluehost – one of the most well-known hosts, powering millions of domains. It’s also the cheapest option on this list — plans start at just $2.95/month (pricier tiers exist too). For that price you get unlimited bandwidth, websites, and storage. Another bonus: one-click WordPress installation.
2. HostGator – one of the most popular hosting providers in the world, with a stack of industry awards. The site is fully in English (oddly, given its global user base). Known for easy registration, a solid feature set at a fair price, and responsive tech support. No trial period, but you can get a refund within 30 days if you’re not satisfied.
3. SiteGround – a hosting provider with data centers in Chicago, London, Amsterdam, and Singapore. They offer a full range of services — shared hosting, cloud hosting, and dedicated servers. All plans include unlimited traffic, databases, and email accounts. The entry-level plan comes with a free domain but only allows one site, which is somewhat more limited than competitors.
4. ASmallOrange – a straightforward hosting company with transparent terms. Their base package includes 5 GB of storage and 50 GB of bandwidth for $8/month. Like others on this list, WordPress installation is available. You also get a free .com domain, unlimited sites on all plans, and a 90-day money-back guarantee.
5. GreenGeeks – the most eco-friendly provider on the list, powered by wind energy. There’s only one plan, starting at $3.95/month — but only if you pay 3 years upfront; otherwise expect to pay closer to $10/month. For that you get unlimited disk space, traffic, domains, email accounts, and MySQL databases. Plus you’re helping the environment.

Wrapping up, it’s worth saying again: working in international markets is fundamentally no different from what you’re already doing domestically. So don’t be scared of stepping into foreign markets. There are important differences, some of which we touched on today. The main takeaway is this: making money requires using your head and putting in a lot of work. Do that, and everything will fall into place.