| Affiliate programs are one of the most popular | | | | advertisement itself not cost much of money (as |
| forms of online marketing, and can be of great | | | | it would on television or radio), but it remains |
| importance to all businesses. To be an affiliate in | | | | published at all hours and at no charge. Only when |
| such a program means to advertise the products | | | | a potential customer or sale is made does the |
| or brand name of an online merchant in exchange | | | | merchant have to withdraw funds, such that little |
| for a share of their profits. The situation is | | | | money is spent on advertising, and the money |
| profitable for both sides of the agreement for | | | | that is spent brings about guaranteed profits. For |
| several reasons, but first to how it works... | | | | the affiliate, publishing the advertisement also |
| Affiliate programs are based on a | | | | doesn't cost significant amounts of money or |
| "pay-per-performance" advertising model, | | | | effort, and any customers who are redirected to |
| whereby the affiliate will not incur advertising | | | | the merchant's site ultimately bring in money. |
| costs unless it actually sends customers to the | | | | Another valuable aspect of affiliate programs is |
| merchant. There are three main methods for | | | | that all visitors at the merchant's site will have |
| doing this: | | | | chosen to visit out of their own choice, such that |
| 1. Pay Per Lead - each time a potential customer | | | | they will have genuine interest in the products or |
| register's at the merchant's site, the affiliate is | | | | services they offer. These are the most valuable |
| paid a certain amount of money. | | | | of clients. |
| 2. Pay Per Click - each time a potential customer | | | | An important feature of successful affiliate |
| clicks on the advertisement published on the | | | | marketing is having reliable affiliate |
| affiliate's site, the affiliate is paid a certain amount | | | | tracking-software and affiliate managers, as is |
| of money. | | | | seen on money-casino.com, for example, who |
| 3. Pay Per Sale - each time the merchant makes | | | | together help run the entire venture. The |
| a sale as result of its advertisement at the | | | | software is convenient in preventing fraud, |
| affiliate website, the affiliate is paid a certain | | | | following up your affiliates' progress, managing the |
| amount or a percentage of the sale. | | | | merchant's sales and new members and helping |
| As one can see, the affiliate only makes money | | | | the affiliate keep track of its incoming funds as |
| from advertising the merchant's products or | | | | result of the advertising. As for the affiliate |
| services only by producing real results, hence the | | | | managers, they are the people you will be talking |
| name "pay-per-performance". It is a win-win | | | | business with, so it is crucial to know you are |
| situation for both the merchant and the affiliate | | | | dealing with responsible and attentive businessmen. |
| because it is a low-risk and high-reward | | | | Overall, affiliate marketing is one of the cheapest |
| agreement. | | | | and most effortless ways to make money online, |
| The most notable of its benefits is the low cost. | | | | and for these reasons is highly recommended to |
| For the merchant, not only does the | | | | all online businesses! |