Affiliate Marketing – Getting Started

Affiliate Marketing – What is it?

Affiliate marketing is a process whereby the seller will pay a fraction of their sales revenue to an affiliate if the sale is the result of the affiliate’s promotion of the products and services offered by the seller.

Affiliate Marketing has increasingly grown in popularity. It is one of the fastest growing industries today because it is cost efficient – it has a relatively low set up cost – and it is a win win arrangement for both the affiliate and the merchant. Others can profit as well, such as the affiliate network (middle-men between merchants and affiliates) or the affiliate solutions providers.

The merchant benefits most in that he will have his product advertised to a larger market at no cost to him, thereby increasing the likelihood of sales. The greater the number of affiliates, the greater the chances of sales. With the vendor having affiliates market his products and services, he saves himself money, time and effort in looking for markets as well as customers.

The affiliate marketer benefits in that he doesn’t have to produce his own products, he does not have to store merchandise, and he can let the merchant take care of deliveries and after sales service. Most importantly, from each customer that clinks on the link in his website and who actually purchases a product from the merchant the affiliate earns commission.

If you have wanted to join the increasing number of affiliate marketers and open up a new revenue stream, you need to do the following:

Identify a Market.

It is always easier working in a field that you either know something about or have an interest in. Identify a broad market that interests you. Then, focus in on a specific area you know something about. It will be easier to engage customers if you are writing about a topic you know or are interested in. This way, you’ll gain their trust and encourage them to buy the products that you endorse.

Find a Product.

Search for merchants and products or services that are related to your chosen market. When selecting the products for your web site, you need to consider the commission structure and the conversion rate. There are many different affiliate networks and affiliate solution providers where you can obtain the information on most profitable products and which merchants pay the best. Take your time – and be sure you choose the right one.

Get yourself a Website.

Create a web site to advertise your product or service. Websites, like shops, come in a variety of sizes. You can always start small and build up.

Get your Website Seen..

A website is useless if no one ever visits it. You will need to attract visitors, which will probably mean promoting your site so that it appears at the top of the first page in Google when customers search for a term related to your product.

If you do all of the above you should be well on your way to your first sales and then you’ll be able to call yourself an Affiliate Marketer.

Kyle Zennas writes widely on Internet Marketing. On his website he reviews resources for those starting out on a career in Affiliate Marketing.

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