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Affiliate programs FAQ
Affiliate Programs are often referred to as associate
programs, referral programs, pay-per-click or pay-per-lead programs and bounty
programs. They are experiencing exponential growth on the net. The theory behind
these type of programs is that in return for a modest cost (commission), the
merchant who is offering the affiliate program has an opportunity to expand his
exposure on the net. By effectively advertising his products amongst his
'affiliates', the opportunities to grow business is enormous.
Generally, as an affiliate you will be required to market a
product or service at your web site. Quite often you will actually be supplied
with a free prepackaged web site where all content, purchases etc., are handled
by the merchant. You normally link to this site from your site.
 There
can be pitfalls to participating in Affiliate Programs. They are not a path to
immediate riches! To be a successful affiliates require knowledge of how the net
operates, some marketing skills and a focus on what you hope to achieve. One of
the foremost experts on Affiliate Programs in Declan Dunn. He has written two
extremely invaluable books:
Winning the Affiliate Game specifically targets Affiliates, showing you how
to market your site and which programs you should join.
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 You
should consider participating in a Banner Exchange as a way of marketing your
site. We maintain an extensive list of Banner Exchanges that you can choose from.
I recommend that you experiment with the different banner exchanges.
Two that I have been extremely impressed with are CyberLink
Exchange and Free-Banners.com.
They both offer a two-tier program where you can earn extra banner impressions
from referrals, and in the case of Free-Banners.com
you can earn $$. There is a lot of debate on the effectiveness of banner exchanges.
They do have the potential to bring in traffic, but don't go overboard with them.
I have tried a few and believe the above two offer the best service. There is
also developing a fairly interesting debate on the effectiveness of banner exchanges.
Do NOT use Banner Exchanges as your ONLY marketing strategy - alone they will
NOT drive traffic to your site! However you can find a list of banner exchanges
here.
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 Other
sources for Affiliate Programs are those sites that provide online tracking and
reporting. I am very impressed with
Commission-Junction, who offer a two-tier affiliate program. They have a
good listing of programs and are growing rapidly.
LinkShare also has a good listing of
programs and is a relative newcomer on the block!
 One
of the largest and most respected sources on the net is
BeFree. Some of the largest companies on
the net have chosen BeFree to host and
manage their affiliate programs. They also have their own affiliate program for
referral to their site. There are a number of other affiliate directories out
there - just be careful and read the agreements carefully before you sign up.
NEXT
::: Affiliate Programs Links
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