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The following article was published in our article directory on June 21, 2013.
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What Is Affiliate Marketing? - Tips From The Coalface

Article Category: Internet

Author Name: Lawrence Stainbank

I'm often asked 'what is affiliate marketing?' Usually by people who have realized that there is gold in them there websites but are not sure exactly how to mine it. Making money online is more like a mine field!

In it's simplest form affiliate marketing is selling a product or service owned by someone else and getting a commission for doing so.

Affiliate marketing has a lot going for it ...

You don't have to create a product.
You usually don't get involved in customer service or support.
You don't have to ship or indeed handle goods in any way.
You can stay behind the scenes letting the product owner sort out any problems.

Creating your own product, and therefore collecting 10% of the take, is an attractive idea but one that I would strongly recommend that the beginner or even someone with a little experience does not consider. It can take a great deal of time, money and work to produce a product only to discover that when you launch it the world just isn't interested. I know, I've been there!

So if after finding out the answer to your question 'what is affiliate marketing' and you are considering giving it a whirl then there are many very deep holes that the beginner can easily fall into.

Product Quality

I'm afraid that for every half decent product out there, there are a hundred that are just useless. It is only too common to find that the best thing about a product is it's sales page. The product owner may have hired an expert in the area to create something not far short of a work of art. These experts know exactly how to press all the right buttons, the best graphics to use, the words that sell, the promises that hook the reader and the most persuasive calls to action.

The problem is that once past this seductive propaganda the product itself rarely lives up to the hype.

If you sell rubbish then that is precisely what you will gain a reputation for, selling rubbish. You must always buy any product that you are considering promoting, after all if you won't buy it why do you suppose anyone else will? To underestimate the intelligence of your prospects is a fatal mistake. A high percentage of those few that you do manage to get to sell to will be seeking refunds.

Good products do exist but finding them isn't easy.

Commissions

I have, in the past, been an affiliate for both Amazon and eBay. Both first class and successful concerns. You set up a website focusing on a particular niche, lets say micro wave ovens, then have links through to Amazon or eBay or indeed both, and should your site visitor buy something you get a cut. The commissions are tiny, usually under 5%.

It could be sometime before you can order the Aston Martin!

You could turn to one of the affiliate networks like Clickbank or Commission Junction who handle thousands of products for you to promote. Commissions of 50%, 60% or 75% are good however 75% of, say, $47 is still less than $36. A new customer is unlikely to buy an expensive product from you as there first purchase. Again you will have to generate a great deal of business to make your efforts worthwhile.

You see what I mean by a mine field? And there is more ...

Refunds

It is usual to give buyers a cooling off period during which they can get a full refund. This is commonly 60 days. It is not unreasonable to give some sort of guarantee but 60 days means that the average person could absorb all the information contained in the product and then return it for a full refund, 60 days is a long time. I'm not suggesting that most people are dishonest but human nature is human nature.

This article is not designed to put you off the whole idea of affiliate marketing but just to point out some of the potential pitfalls. Believe me I have made all the mistakes detailed above and a few more besides.

It is possible to promote first class products, earn as much as 100% commissions and have a really fun time doing it. I would be delighted to guide you through the perilous waters of internet marketing avoiding the sharks and reaching the beaches of the world where we might meet!

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

See you in cyberspace.

Lawrence Stainbank

Keywords: what is affiliate marketing,affiliate marketing,internet marketing,make money online

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