subject: Have You Considered Online Affiliate Marketing? [print this page] Author: Mark Thomas Walters Author: Mark Thomas Walters
Many people dream of being able to set their own work hours and work from home without any supervision. While it almost always takes a lot of hard work and dedication, the Internet now offers people various ways to do so. Of the online money making methods available, affiliate marketing is one of the most popular.
So, what exactly is affiliate marketing? The concept itself is pretty simple. Various merchants want to sell their products online and get as much exposure as possible, and they can get affiliates to help them do this. When a customer follows a link from the affiliate site to the merchant's site and makes a purchase, the affiliate marketer receives some kind of commission, usually in the form of a percentage of the sale.
Not surprisingly, this type of marketing centers on building web sites. Simple sites will suffice though, and there are lots of programs around to help you do this, and also a wide range of pre-made websites that you can use as templates to work from. Time will also need to be spent writing great content, as this is needed in order to persuade visitors to click your link to the merchant's site and then go ahead with making a purchase .
The affiliate marketing approach to making money does not require you to open a store, or to even see any stock at all. Startup costs are therefore very low. There is also no direct dealing with customers, as all questions are answered by the merchant, who is also solely responsible for shipping and refunds / returns. As an affiliate marketer, your only responsibility is to attract visitors to the merchant's site.
The downsides are that affiliate marketers do not make as much on each sale as they would if they were selling their own products, and less-reputable affiliate programs and merchants have been known to occasionally fail to pay the marketer as promised. Also, there is no guarantee of income, which can fluctuate wildly. It generally takes a lot of trial and error before one can make substantial money.
You should avoid buying expensive courses and tools to start with, as they are unnecessary. You can learn all that you need to from the multitude of websites, blogs and forums on affiliate marketing, nearly all of which are free. Once you have mastered the basics, which you can do within a month if you dedicate yourself to doing so, then it is time to consider paying out some money to learn about advanced techniques and strategies.
If you are a motivated, self-starter, then you will succeed with affiliate marketing. As with other forms of self-employment, hardwork and patience are key factors. It is not a shortcut to wealth, or a get rick quick scheme, but rather a long term business model, that has been proven to work.
For anyone interested, first start out small with a couple of sites and see how it goes. It may not come to much, but it may be the start of a whole new career!About the Author:
For an easy affiliate site building software, that incorporates top affiliates and allows you to quickly and easily build sites selling your own or affiliate products, try ACE Site Creator to create a niche affiliate website.
