Affiliate Programs in a Nutshell

Affiliate programs are a great way to start an online business and generate income for your website. These revenue sharing programs are popular on the internet and have helped many new entrepreneurs get started online.

When you join an affiliate program, your task is to promote the merchant’s services or products on your website or in your ezine. This is relatively easy as the merchants provide members with banners or links to their site to promote their products. They also keep track of your clicks or sales.

However, it is important to be cautious when joining an affiliate program. Make sure to fully understand the details of the program and avoid MLM programs or any program where you recruit other affiliates and your earnings are based on a percentage of their profits. This can lead to a decrease in profits if your recruits abandon the program.

Affiliate programs typically pay their members a fixed amount for each sale, click-through, lead, or banner impression. Here is a breakdown of the most common payment plans:

• Pay per sale: A commission is paid for each sale your site or ezine generates.

• Pay per click-through: You receive a payment for each valid click to the sponsor’s website.

• Pay per lead: You receive a payment for each sales lead for a service or product.

• Pay per impression: You receive a payment each time a merchant’s banner or link is displayed to the merchant’s site.

When joining an affiliate program, it is important to select one that has appropriate services or products that match your targeted audience. For example, if your ezine or website attracts rugged outdoor motorcycle enthusiasts, you would not want to display maternity clothing or baby booties. Similarly, if your ezine or website attracts young teenagers, you would not want to display products for senior citizens such as walkers or vitamins.

Be sure to read the fine print and understand the payment clause. Many affiliate programs will only send payments after you’ve accumulated a certain sales amount. Payment periods can vary, with some programs paying every other week, per month or per quarter.

Additionally, some programs may have a minimum balance requirement before sending payment.

Popular affiliate programs include Amazon Affiliates, ClickBank, and Commission Junction. Overall, joining an affiliate program is easy and can be a great way to generate income for your website. However, it is important to do your research and fully understand the details of the program before joining.