The world is full of abundance and opportunity, but far too many people come to the fountain of life with a sieve instead of a tank car... a teaspoon instead of a steam shovel. They expect little and as a result they get little. -- Ben Sweetland - author

Affiliate marketing is a proven cost effective channel for newbies to start an online business. You don't need to own a product or even website to get started. All you need to do is to promote the products or services of companies who run affiliate programs. You'll be paid commission on the sales generated by you. It is a revenue-sharing arrangement between you, the affiliate, and the companies whose products or services you are promoting.

Let's take a closer look at affiliate marketing and find out how you can create a successful, long-term business with affiliate programs.

 

1.	What is affiliate marketing?
	Affiliate marketing is a form of online advertising that rewards website owners (affiliates) for promoting e-commerce websites (merchants). It's a 'high reward/low risk' form of online business.
2.	What is an affiliate?
	An affiliate is anyone who owns a website and promotes other companies' products or services in exchange for commission.
3.	What is a merchant?
	A merchant is a company who wishes to sell their products or services through a network of websites.
4.	How does an affiliate program work?
	You'll have to apply from the merchant whose product you are interested in promoting. Once you have been approved to join the network you are given an ID number which is used for tracking your sales. Links to the merchant website which contain your affiliate ID will be provided. You are paid when visitors go through links located on your web pages and perform a transaction on the merchant's website. You are rewarded by either a percentage of the sale, or a set amount of commission once a sale or registration has taken place.
5.	How does the merchant actually track my visitors' transaction from my site?
	Most merchants will use the affiliate ID and cookies to track sales. A cookie is created on your visitors' PC every time he goes through to a merchant's website from one of your affiliate links. The life of the cookie can be set to 45, 60, 90 days, 1 year, 2 year or 'allow repeat commissions'. Cookies are deleted once expire within the set days. For example with a ninety day cookie setting, if a visitor does not purchase from your site on his initial visit but returns to your site within ninety days, the sale will be tracked as yours (even if he bypasses your website and goes straight to the merchant's site.) You will be paid the commission.
6.	What are the criteria to be an affiliate?
	Different merchants have different sets of criteria. Some require you to have a website. Some allow email and offline promotion. Some offer internationally and some only offer to specific countries. Some require only traffic-jammed, professional websites, some allow personal websites. Do check the merchant's requirement before joining its affiliate program.
7.	Does it cost anything to join an affiliate program?
	Most cost nothing to join. After all, you are helping the merchants promote and sell their products. They should only pay you for your hard work. However, some do ask for joining or setup fees. Beware of the few that do.
8.	Why is affiliate marketing considered as 'high reward/low risk' online business?
	You don't have to develop your own products...it has already been done for you. You simply judge and pick the best available ones, from the best available merchants! You don't have to spend $$ to manufacture and store inventory, no need to take and process order, or to worry about the billing, packing and delivery of products. After the sale, you'll never have to do any support for your customers. Your merchants will do all that and you simply send people to your affiliated merchants and then get paid when they buy. Best of all, your affiliate business can be started part-time with practically zero cost. Only good preselling technique is required of you.
9.	How do I start?
	Take a moment to think about your passion, hobby or other knowledge. Develop a site theme that is right for you. Build your theme-based content site with high-value information that people want. Then...select the right and the best merchants with affiliate programs who sell products related to your theme. Join the affiliate programs and place the affiliate links to your site. Promote your site.
10.	Recommended Affiliate Programs:
	SiteSell 5 Pillar Affiliate Program An affiliate program which was named "The Best Program on the Net" by affiliatesdirectory.com (a directory that tracks thousands of programs). It pays generous commission on: 1. the first order by a customer who was referred by you. 2. every subsequent order by that customer...forever! 3. sales generated by affiliates who were referred by you. LinkShare.com Affiliate network with a huge number of merchants to choose from. Epage An online auctions network that lets you put classified ad content right on your web site. Earn lifetime commissions from your co-branded site. It's completely free and set up is easy.
11.	Related Site:
	The Affiliate Masters Course Download the masters course free and learn about the affiliate marketing and how to build a traffic-generating theme-based affiliate site. The 6th Pillar Program This 8 quick-and-easy Action Steps (one per week) will show you how to succeed at any affiliate program.