A Publisher (affiliate), publishes a Web site (like this one) that promotes the products or services of an
advertiser (merchant).
Merchants use (affiliates) as freelance affiliate marketers to generate income from customers
following links on websites or in e-mails. The affiliate is rewarded for every sale provided through his/her efforts.
Every time someone clicks through your site to make a purchase on your merchant’s site, you earn a commission. Merchants like affiliate
marketing programs because they only pay for sales.
If you're knew to affiliate marketing, download this free ebook "The Affiliate Masters Course" for more
information.
A Shady Past:
However, in the process of sending traffic to merchants, many affiliates became spammers. Until 2003, Merchants paid affiliates even
as spam spiraled out of control.
The CAN-SPAM Act was passed to stop merchants who winked at spam. The law penalizes merchants for junk e-mail sent on their behalf.
Many defendants pursued by the FTC have been affiliate marketers.
Affiliate Data:
From the Internet Advertising Bureau - September 25, 2006:
Internet advertising revenue totaled nearly $4.1 billion for the second quarter of 2006, representing a 36% increase over same period 2005. Q2
2006 revenues represent a 5.5% increase over Q1 2006.”
Affiliate marketing began as an after thought, to online retailing. Amazon sold books. But Amazon could only sell so many books with one
website. So they turned to affiliate sites.
Amazon gave affiliates a percentage of each sale made from their website. Viola! The concept of online affiliation was born. For many
businesses, affiliate marketing, accounts for more revenue than any other form of e-commerce.
It’s easier to start as an affiliate. An
affiliate just delivers traffic to a merchant’s website. The merchant's website converts that traffic into sales, sources the
product, delivers the product, services the product, and handles credit cards, refunds, etc.
The Tools of Affiliate Marketing:
To do business online, you gotta have a website. But, everybody doesn’t know (HTML) the language of Webpages.
There’s three ways to solve this problem.
Learn web design
Pay someone
Generic templates
A simple web page is easy. Putting together a webpage that creates sales is another matter.
A very cool tool used to create this site is Xsite Pro, a website authoring system designed
by and for internet marketers. Xsite Pro is easy to learn and use. There's nothing
else like it, period.
Information is an important tool.
Most affiliate marketing information is written for profit. This isn’t necessarily bad. It simply means, buying information will be
part of your investment. The choice is invest in information, or hook up with someone willing to share.
There're no secrets in anybody’s “how to” manual. Internet marketing is work. It means trial and error to figure out what works.
NOBODY has a foolproof system, where you paint by the numbers to over night riches. Most
affiliates and online businesses quit, before they ever succeed.
With that said, there is information to shorten the learning curve and increase
your odds of success.
The "Insider Secrets to Internet Marketing” is a total internet marketing course. Secrets' deals with
internet marketing, from eBay, to affiliate marketing, to putting an existing business online.
Another well known, and very good tool is (SBI) Site Sell. (SBI) is an all-in-one, point and click,
site-building, site-hosting, and site-marketing system that makes it easy for anyone to build a professional internet business. It combines
hosting and unique tools into a genuinely do-able step-by-step package.
Click on the video below for one woman's personal story about Site Sell .
Comparing: Internet Marketing Course vs. Site Sell
Both have great online track records, history, and reputations. Their approach to internet marketing is from opposite directions.
The Internet Marketing course emphasizes selling strategies. Site Sell emphasizes how to build a successful website. Both are
necessary.
Summary:
Information abounds online about internet marketing.
But, if longevity and popularity count, the offerings presented here seem to be the best of the best. Site Sell and the
Internet Marketing Center have solid online reputations. There's no either/or decision.
If you decide to do both, you get fundamental selling strategies from IMC (no website); support and a top ranked website from Site
Sell. Together they cost a little over $500.00. There aren’t many businesses you can start for so little money.
Another well known, but often mis-understood, home based business opportunity is:
Merchants use (affiliates) as freelance affiliate marketers to generate income from customers
following links on websites or in e-mails. The affiliate is rewarded for every sale provided through his/her efforts.
