If you been looking for ways to make money online, you’ve no doubt stumbled upon affiliate programs as a possible solution. This is where a company is trying to sell its product, and they’re willing to give you a cut of the action if you do the legwork. Affiliate commissions can range from a small percentage of the sale price, all the way up to the lion’s share. But is this really a legitimate way to make honest money online?
We’ll go through all the positives and negatives that come with affiliate programs give you our recommendation as to which ones to go with.
Overview
Affiliate programs have been around for decades now, and basically affiliates are just salespeople for the company that owns the product. Ever since we’ve moved online with the Internet, websites get to serve as the actual salespeople so there is less face-to-face interaction between buyer and seller. This means a salesperson to the set up a website that explains a product, if a buyer makes a purchase online they get their affiliate commission or their sales commission.
The Claim
many affiliate programs out there claim that you’ll be able to make a full-time income with part-time hours put in, in some cases less time than that. What they’ll usually do is give you examples showing what would happen if you made one sale a day, or two sales a day, etc. Usually this adds up to thousands of dollars per month, which would give most people enough money to live on. So the claim is that you could replace your current job by becoming an affiliate.
The Hype
affiliate programs getting a lot of hype not only because they promise a lot of money, but also because products go through a boom and bust cycle, so when a product is doing well the affiliate program also does well. Take for example Netflix and their affiliate program. When it first came out everyone went gangbusters for it as it was paying almost $20 every time someone signed up for a free trial. These days that offer is only available for super affiliates, and the average person doesn’t have access to it.
That’s part of the hype. The best programs usually are available to everyone, if you’re a basic affiliate, or just starting out, you have to cut your teeth on the less lucrative offers, and products.
The Cost
Affiliate programs usually don’t cost anything for the affiliate. Of course the company that is selling their product is not only giving a percentage to the affiliate, but usually they will pay a fee to the company that is handling the tracking of the sales. The reason a third-party is usually involved is so that affiliates don’t feel like they’re being taken advantage of by the company, or that they aren’t being paid correctly for all of the leads they generate.
The Commitment
You definitely have to be committed to working every day at your affiliate business. Don’t buy in to the claim that you won’t have to do anything in order to make money with it. It’s a numbers game, and if you don’t work hard at bringing in new traffic to your affiliate offers, there is no reason to even bother with it at all. However, if you put time into creating a solid site, and bringing targeted visitors to your content, and you do this on a consistent basis over a long period of time, the money should follow.
Popular Programs
Perhaps one of the most popular affiliate programs in the world is ClickBank. They sell digital products exclusively, and everything they sell can be downloaded instantly by the customer. They have a rock solid 60 day money back guarantee in place, so people feel very secure about making a purchase with them. As an affiliate, you’ll have to wait 60 days in order for Europe commission to clear, but it’s worth it when you take into consideration that some of your payouts will be for 75% of the purchase price.
Another popular program is Commission Junction. The reason they are so popular is because of the famous brands they have that use them as the tracking system. When you get accepted into their program your head will spin when you see all of the name brand products and offers that you can promote and get paid for from some of the most recognizable companies in the world.
Amazon also has their own affiliate program which many people have had success with. The thing that makes them attractive is that no matter what someone buys from their site after clicking your affiliate link, you can commission on the entire order. It would be great if you sent them over to buy a paperback novel, and they end up buying a new computer.
Another somewhat popular affiliate program is CafePress. You may have seen this site before, you as a customer or from taking them out as a possible way to make money. You basically upload images that you’ve created, and they’ll print them on shirts and other items as people order them.
Final Affiliate Programs Review
There are a few things to keep in mind when thinking about joining affiliate programs. The first is that you’ll have to remember that people will not only have to click your affiliate link also have to make a purchase for you to get paid. You also have to wait for the return window to close before your commission will clear. This can be 30 or 60 days, so if you need money right now affiliate programs might not be the way to go. Also, keep in mind that you’ll need to bring massive amounts of traffic to your offers before you can make the level of income that will replace your job.
Our Recommendation
If making money online is your desire, definitely add affiliate programs to your arsenal. Choose a product or a company that you would feel proud to represent, and go out there and tell her as much traffic as you can, and directed towards your affiliate offer. Over time, as you learn more more about the product will be able to become an expert on it, and people will come to you for advice at a recommendation.
