subject: Affiliate Marketing Programs - Can This Be Your Online Money Maker? by:Jacque LaMantia [print this page] First of all, let's clear one thing up right now....affiliate marketing programs can absolutely be a real online money maker....but, they are not a quick and easy free ride to unimaginable riches. Sorry. I know you wanted to hear otherwise, but only an inheritance or a lottery win can provide unimaginable riches with no effort. And if you don't have any rich, doddering old relatives tucked away somewhere, forget the inheritance. As for the lottery.....well, we all know that while it can happen, the odds are against you, and worse....you have no control over any of it!
So although you do have to exert effort, dust off and use your imagination, and even learn some new skills (gasp!), you can use affiliate marketing programs to make cash online and maximize your earning potential. While it is not necessarily quick or free, affiliate marketing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to make easy money online today.
Just to clarify in case you don't already know, affiliate marketing is an agreement between a merchant (retailer) and a website owner (you). The website owner (affiliate) uses their website to promote the merchant's products by linking to the merchant's website. The merchant pays a commission to the affiliate on all sales generated by the affiliate. So whenever a visitor clicks on that link on the affiliate website and makes a purchase, the affiliate is paid a commission.
Affiliate marketing programs are a win-win situation for both the merchant and the affiliate, because the merchant is exposed to a wider market in which to advertise his product or service by the affiliate's efforts, and the affiliate does not have to warehouse or create his own products. The merchant can have an army of affiliates promoting his products at no cost to him, so literally thousands of merchants representing every imaginable type of product are more than willing to participate in such affiliate marketing programs.
Ok, ok....I know....how can this be my online money maker? What's in it for me? There are actually some quite compelling benefits to online money making opportunities such as affiliate marketing programs for those with the right entrepreneurial spirit, so let's outline what those are:
- Work From Home
I can think of many reasons this would be appealing. You hate your job. Your boss hates you. Everybody at your company is probably going to be laid off. You can barely pay your bills and need to make some extra income. You want to be fabulously wealthy. You have always wanted to be self-employed. You want to raise your children yourself, rather than let a babysitter or daycare worker witness their first word, first step.....you get the picture. You are retired and your social security and/or pension payments just aren't cutting it....plus you are now bored just sitting in your rocking chair all day. Or, most important of all, you_______ (fill in the blank). Your own reasons are the best ones of all.
- No Sales Experience Necessary
That's right, there is absolutely no sales experience necessary because you aren't selling anything. You are merely directing buyers to the merchant's website, where they make the sale....and then pay you. Since your responsibility is simply to find prospects for the merchant; you don't have to worry about inventory, order processing, product shipping, customer service support, returns, blah, blah, blah. These are all the duties of the merchant. Yes!! And....most affiliate marketing programs offer excellent support, free marketing materials, and even training.
- Make Cash Online
Perhaps the best benefit of promoting affiliate marketing programs is the opportunity to increase your income. You can be an affiliate marketer even if it is only a sideline business; but with your own affiliate marketing business, you can easily earn either extra income or expand your efforts to make it into a full-time income if you wish.
- Minimal Start-Up Costs
Since you are selling other people's products, there are no warehousing or production costs for any products you sell. Your only costs will be for an internet connection, domain name and a website. Some say that you don't even need a website, but it is probably easier and more professional looking if you do spring for that expense. And affiliate marketing programs are almost always free to join.
- Minimal Risk
Another benefit of promoting affiliate marketing programs is the minimal risk involved. If the product you decide to promote doesn't turn into an online money maker, you aren't obligated to a losing proposition. There are no long-term binding contracts tying you to any products, so you can easily stop your promotion of a product that isn't working for you and select another program.
- Own Your Own Global Business
Because of the global reach of the internet, you can easily find thousands of prospects worldwide who are interested in the products you promote. By having such an enormous market base, you can attract more prospects, and thus maximize your potential to make easy money online.
- It Is FUN
Why not create your own online money making opportunities by promoting the hobbies or interests you already love? There are thousands of products and services you can choose from to promote, so why not make money online by promoting products in which you already have an interest? You can find affiliate marketing programs for virtually every product under the sun, so surely there's a product or service out there that is relevant to your interests.
