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Affiliate Marketing Q&A's...
By Jim Daniels - Work at home site.com

With the recent launch of my new affiliate marketing site, http://www.AffiliateShowcase.net -- I've been getting lots of questions about affiliate marketing and how it can generate web based income.

Today I'll share some of these recent questions and answers. If you're interested in trying affiliate marketing or you have already started, you should find a few tidbits here that will help you increase your income from affiliate programs.

Q

What the heck is "affiliate marketing" and how do people make money with it?

A

Affiliate marketing is a simple concept. A business recruits individuals or companies to promote their products and services. In return, these "affiliates" receive commissions when they bring in sales, usually a percentage of the sale price. This model has been proven to work very well for both businesses and affiliates. Businesses make more sales and online marketers increase their offerings as well as their revenue.

 

Q

What are the different types of affiliate programs available on the web?

A

Most affiliate programs pay commissions for sales. Some pay simply for traffic. And still others pay for "action" or sign-ups for a service. Unless you have a website with huge daily traffic, your best bet will likely be pay per sale affiliate programs.


 

Q

Are there really affiliate programs available in every niche market?

A

Just about! No matter what you are interested in promoting online, you should be able to find an affiliate program offering products or services to fit the bill. There are programs related to everything from automobiles, sports, food, travel, beauty and web marketing, just to name a few. You can earn money promoting just about anything you can think of!


 

Q

So how can a new marketer break into Affiliate marketing and start making money?

A

Well, the first step is to decide what you want to promote. Go to an affiliate directory (my new one is a great place to start - http://www.AffiliateShowcase.net ) and search for products or services that you either know a little about or would like to know more about. Once you find a few, check out the affiliate programs they offer. If they pay at least 20% commissions on sales, you may be able to make some decent money as an affiliate.

 

Q

Should I join just a handful of affiliate programs, or dozens of them?

A

That's all up to you. A recent survey of my subscribers showed that the majority of affiliate marketers (58%) were involved with ten or less affiliate programs. And concentrating on a handful of great programs is a good way to focus your efforts. Yet, about ten percent of affiliates promoted 11 or more programs with 5% promoting 20+ affiliate programs online. So there are lots of ways to be successful with affiliate programs. Choose whatever style suits you best!


 

Q: How do I know which affiliate website to advertise?

A

Great question! Before you jump into advertising, you need to decide WHAT website you will promote. Rather than send visitors directly to an affiliate product or service, it is best to bring traffic to a website of your own. This allows you to grow an opt-in list for FUTURE promotions, and that is a big key to affiliate success. It also allows you to promote more than one affiliate product or service. If you can build an attractive site on your own, do it, and use it as a "hub" for your affiliate marketing efforts. Or, you may choose to use a service like my AffiliateShowcase - see http://www.bizweb2000.com/getasite.htm for details.


 

Q

How do I get traffic to my affiliate links so I can make sales?

A

Yes, getting visitors to your affiliate links is the only way you can make money, and there are lots of ways to do that. Strategies I've used successfully include email newsletter advertising, writing articles, search engine ranking, and many more. Heck, you can even start by doing some warm marketing in your geographical area. Tell people about the interesting opportunities available on the web through affiliate marketing. You may be surprised at the level of interest you'll find!

 

* This online business tip by Jim Daniels of JDD Publishing Co., helping webmasters prosper since 1996. If you want to work at home here's all the help and expert advice you need.

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