E-Business: Affiliate Marketing By Hanin Salsa'

“Affiliate marketing within its simplified definition, is the process of referring someone to another company, product or services and you earn a commission”. Depending on the program, you may get paid monthly, every week or daily! To be an affiliate marketer you don’t need a business license or a corporation, you can operate under your own name!

If you have a website and you want to start promoting another company’s product or services plus getting a commission, what you have to do is so:

“Go to the company’s website checking if they have an affiliate program. They’ll have a link that says: affiliate program, partner program, association program. The program will explain to you how it works!”
When you sign up for an affiliate program, you’ll be provided with a unique tracking ID. So when your visitor clicks on that link, this tracking code places a cookie in that person’s browser. When he signs up for that service, that’s how the website knows that the sale comes from you! When someone clicks that link the cookie gets attached, and automatically you’ll get a credit for the sale!
You need to bring traffic to your website. Much visitors means higher possibility of getting that click!
“Note that most affiliate programs have a login area. You can go to and check your real time state, how much traffic you send to them today, how many sales you made, when was your last payment and so you can track everything!”

Most affiliate programs are for free, they do not cost you anything. In terms of payments: most companies pay via direct deposit, checks and other programs.

(What is Affiliate marketing?)

What are the main types of affiliate marketing programs?

Pay per click

Pay per click is an affiliate marketing program where the manufacturer of a product will post a banner on the affiliate website. Once an internet browser clicks on the banner advertisement, the affiliate is going to earn a certain percentage commission. Usually, the commission is quite small because not all the internet browsers will buy the product being advertised.

2. pay per lead

Pay per lead is more like pay per click. The difference is that you are able to send a lead or an internet browser who will not only click on the link but also navigate within the manufacturer’s website. This means that the customer is interests or is a potential customer; he may take advantage of freebies that may help him understand the product more. He is a potential customer and thus a good lead. By ensuring that the visitor is a good lead, the affiliate will receive a certain commission.

3. pay per sale

While the affiliate is not going to receive any commission until the customer purchases the product being advertised, it is still worthy to enter this type of affiliate marketing program. This is because under the pay per sale scheme, the affiliate has the potential of earning between 20-70% of the total purchase price. It is always better to enter affiliate programs under the pay per sale commission scheme because every sale will earn you good.

(Different Types of Affiliate Marketing Programs)

Affiliate marketing is a win-win situation where affiliate marketer can make money while others are able to advertise in an easy less costly way. Just be aware before joining any affiliate program and make sure you understand all the information provided, in some situations you may not be paid your commission!

(The Advantages and Disadvantages of Affiliate Marketing)

References:

What is Affiliate marketing?, youtube, available in:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42A20L6K-4E&feature=fvwrel>. [1 October 2010]

Different Types of Affiliate Marketing Programs, ezinearticles, available in:

<http://ezinearticles.com/?Different-Types-of-Affiliate-Marketing-Programs&id=1536684>. [Viewed on 28 February 2011]

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Affiliate Marketing, affiliateseeking, available in:

<http://www.affiliateseeking.com/ashow/47.html>. [Viewed on 25 February 2011]