Affiliate Program Primer by John Calder

Affiliate Program Primer by John Calder

2004, John Calder
http://www.TheEzine.net

Ever since Amazon launched what is perhaps the most well-known, but not the first, affiliate program in 1996, other merchants in every business category imaginable have followed suit. And even though many webmasters have earned money from these programs ever since, there are still a lot of questions to this day about affiliate (also known as associate or referral) programs. So maybe it's time to revisit some basics for new or soon-to-be Internet marketers.

An affiliate program is, at the bottom line, a commissioned sales job. Like the Fuller Brush salesman of old, you are an independent representative of a company, offering their products or services to potential customers. When one of them buys, you get a percentage of the sale. But, in the high-tech version, you have a few very powerful advantages over the classic door-to-door sales rep.

To start, you can represent multiple products from more than one company at a time, on as many web sites as you own, in as many markets as you choose. You don't have to travel anywhere, yet the web puts you in front of a worldwide market. This gives you an incredible diversity of products, markets, and "neighborhoods" to sell in, all from right in front of your computer screen. You could possibly make multiple sales at one time, yet you never have to deal with door-slammed-in-your-face rejection. On the Internet, you don't always even have to make a sale to earn a commission. Some affiliate programs will pay you if someone just clicks on a link at your site, fills out an application, or even asks for more information. And here's the best part - your web sites work for you around the clock, every day.

Commission rates vary by type of product. Physical goods (that have to be shipped) tend to pay lower rates than products like software or ebooks that can be digitally delivered. However, 5% of a $2000 TV is more than 50% of a $50 ebook, so you have to remember to look at the big picture when deciding what affiliate products to offer. For best affiliate sales results, you'll want to offer products and services designed to appeal to the target audience of your web site. For example, it makes no sense to place affiliate links to mechanic's tools on a cooking site, while it makes perfect sense to place them on a site about restoring cars.

There are several ways to join affiliate programs. Some companies operate their own program, and you will apply through the company web site. But many merchants choose to operate through an affiliate network. These third-party companies offer sign-up, tracking, payment, and overall affiliate program management services to merchants and affiliate marketers. A few top names are Commission Junction, LinkShare, and Clickbank. Just search for "affiliate program" or "affiliate network" and you're bound to find more.

Your sales and clicks are tracked by software. It's your responsibility to make sure your links follow the guidelines stated by your merchant or affiliate network. Some browsers, ad-blocking software, link cloakers, and coding techniques (such as frames) can prevent the tracking links on your site from working properly, and you may not get credit if one of your clicks leads to a sale. Most all affiliate marketers sooner or later run into this, and when it happens, it's not intentional, so don't feel victimized. Technology is very good, but it's not perfect.

For almost every Internet marketer, affiliate marketing offers a fast and inexpensive way to get started in an online business. These programs can help you generate income while you learn the ropes and work towards developing your own product or service, if that's your goal. And yes, you can even become an affiliate for the Fuller Brush Company!
About the Author
John Calder is the owner/editor of The Ezine Dot Net. Subscribe Today and get real information YOU can use to help build your online business today! http://www.TheEzine.Net

The Ezine DOT Net RSS feeds are available.

(You may reprint this article in full in your newsletter and/or web site)

Affiliate Programs Make Your Dream Profitable by Terry Nicholls

Affiliate Programs Make Your Dream Profitable by Terry Nicholls

Marketing affiliate programs is one of the most profitable ways of making money on the Internet!

It's exciting, challenging, and very, very rewarding.

What Is An Affiliate?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, affiliate means to associate as a member. So, as an affiliate, you associate yourself with the company who's product you want to sell.

What Are Affiliate Programs?

Affiliate programs, also known as associate programs, are set up by companies so that you -- the affiliate -- can sell their product and receive a commission for each sale.

Many companies have more than one product available, giving you a variety to offer your visitors and a greater chance of making money.

What Makes A Good Affiliate Program?

The most important thing to look at is the product offered. You need to be enthusiastic about it so that you can recommend it honestly. That's why it's a good idea to actually use it, if possible.

At the very least, you want to make sure that the product delivers good value to your customers so they will be happy when they buy it and will then rely on your recommendations for other products.

Important Features

Some points to look for:


How quickly do they respond to E-mail inquiries?

Do they have an affiliate agreement on their site that you can read before signing up? A few companies don't let you see this agreement until after you've signed up, requiring you to cancel your account if you don't agree with the terms.

Do they pay on time?

Do they have good tracking and stats? This means real-time tracking, which lets you know immediately which of your promotions are working so you can concentrate on those that make you more money.


What To Watch Out For

Be careful of affiliate programs


With reports of late -- or no -- payments

With slow or poor support

With no anti-spamming policy

That allow spam or even send spam themselves


These are all signs of an affiliate program that isn't looked after properly.

Now, you're probably thinking, "So, how do I find affiliate programs and how do I market them?"

Very good questions.

Our answer?

For a more detailed explanation of affiliate programs, and more great advice for your home-based business, please visit My Home-Based Business Advisor.

Terry Nicholls
My Home-Based Business Advisor
my-home-based-business-advisor.com

Copyrightby Terry Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author
Terry Nicholls writes from his own experience as someone who wanted to start his own home-based business. Now that he has, visit My Home-Based Business Advisor - Helping YOUR Home Business Start and Succeed for free help for YOUR home business, including ideas, startup, and expansion advice.