affiliate marketing and the Internet

Surfing on line for opportunities to start home based businesses is a full time job in itself. The internet is inundated with web sites offering entrepreneurs a myriad of methods, systems, plans and programs guaranteeing high earnings with little start up cost. Some promise too set up and manage personal web sites that yield tons of money with little effort. They claim it is as easy as falling out of bed and it all can be done in your spare time. Just think; the secrets of these systems can be yours for only hundreds of dollars up front, but only if you sign up now.

These offers may be legitimate but a little shady. They are selling a system of affiliate marketing to people who could probably do it on their own without paying the “start –up fee”, if they were so motivated. Most of the useful, pertinent information can be accessed on line, in a bookstore or the public library. Some colleges even offer classes.

The basic principal behind affiliate marketing is that one site directs traffic to another. The affiliate acts as sort of an intermediary. Here is how it works: A web-user is interested in finding information about surf fishing in Florida. He goes on line and a search engine directs him to “Captain Commander’s Florida Surf Review.” The site is full of informative articles about surf fishing, tackle, hooks, which line to use under what conditions, tidal charts and fishing trends. The web site is well designed with eye-catching photographs and graphics. Viewers contribute stories and amusing antidotes. The Captain himself even recommends some terrific lures. He is an affiliate to a company that sells fishing lures so he displays a link to that company’s web site. Then if the viewer clicks on to that link and subsequently buys something, the captain receives a commission. The Captain is a good businessman so he has affiliate links to boat companies, sporting good vendors, even a site that arranges hotel vacations along Florida’s shore.

Internet affiliate marketing has grown rapidly in the ten years since it was launched. Many experts see an ever-expanding market where a saturation point may never be reached. Starting an affiliate business is a little more complex than “falling out of bed” and to be successful a businessperson would have to work and stay on top of things. Affiliates need to draw traffic to their site in order to direct it to a vendor. That may take a little ingenuity and acquiring knowledge to understand things like Search Engine Optimization, keywords, strategic Blogging, newsletters and tons of others.

Affiliate Marketing has grown so popular that thousands of companies offer “affiliate programs” to independents who can direct customers to their web sites. It can be profitable if done properly.

Sources referenced in this article:

Daniel Gray, "The Complete Guide to Associate and Affiliate Programs on the Net", McGraw-Hill Trade, November 30, 1999

From Wikipedia

Posted:Monday, August 04, 2008