Is Affiliate Marketing The Easiest Way To Start Earning Online?
View PDF | Print View
by: JamesBeckett
Total views: 31
Word Count: 608
It is hardly a new concept, affiliate marketing, it has been around in its current form for over 10 years. The idea is very simple, the site selling some goods gives you a special link which you go out and advertise (put on your own website etc). When people click that link it tells the merchant that you sent the prospect to them. If that person then buys something you get a cut of the sale price.
You can apply to most websites online today to join their affiliate program, but when you are just starting off you probably don't have the prestige to get them to accept you, or if they do then there is no guarantee that they will actually pay you. That is why I suggest you sign up to an affiliate network that manages a group of sites. You get instant access to those sites to promote them and the network deals with all the money so you know you are not getting cheated. Clickbank is a popular network you should try out.
Some people do not like Clickbank as you have to wait 2 weeks to get your money in the form of a cheque. They pay regularly and you can trust you will get your money, but if you are looking for more accessible cash then paydotcom.com allows their merchants to pay you by PayPal.
Once you are up and running on an affiliate network then you need to browse the site for websites and products that match the area you want to market in. Most of the networks have statistics that allow you to pinpoint popular sites. This means you can direct traffic to sites that you know will convert them into customers and make you money. Don't avoid the sites with less statistics though as they may just be new, and you could get in before other affiliates and promote that site first before it become popular.
Of course the number of sales the product and site are making are not the only thing you need to take into account. If the site is making a lot of sales, but is also having huge returns, then all of your commissions are going to be taken off you again, wasting your time. Take the time to investigate what people online are saying about the website to get a feel for how it is performing.
Amazon runs its own affiliate program which allows you to sell all the products on the site for commission. Imagine getting a commission on a $4000 plasma TV... you can get that if you direct some people who are looking for a plasma TV to the site. All you are doing is being a middleman directing people to where they already want to go.
The final element of making cash as an affiliate marketer is to get traffic to your affiliate page or link. Most affiliate marketers do this by creating websites that are full of articles setting their affiliate links inside those articles and other content. The subject matter draws visitors from search engines (with some additional work) who then see your offers and hopefully go through and buy things.
Affiliate marketing can be outsourced in the end. When you are making money then you can pay people to do the boring stuff that you don't want to. This allows you to build your business quicker and make more money. To get started then I recommend you visit a relevant forum and start to read what people are saying, then buy a good product on the subject that will fill in the blanks you have about the subject and get you moving forward.
About the Author
Are you struggling to make any money online? Check out this article on how to make money using paypal which should give you more ideas and direction.
Rating: Not yet rated