Like anything in life, there are the lucky or unimaginably talented few who will hit the ground running and never look back
. On the other hand, the reality for the majority is that it will take some time and effort in the beginning. Once you've discovered a routine that works for each affiliate program, you will start making more money with less effort, especially if you've joined a program with recurring payments. So take some time to think about the program(s) you're joining, examine them closely, and know your plan of action. If your plan of action is to simply post a link on your website, then be sure that your website generates enough traffic to give you a decent conversion rate. If the website does not get that much traffic, look to other avenues such as social networking, email and even word of mouth to spread the word.