Affiliate Programs 101 – What you “need to know…”

If you're reading this there's a good chance you've heard the buzz surrounding affiliate programs these days. I'm here to give you a basic rundown on the "need to know" info on this topic. Whether your running an online business or just have a personal page, you can make affiliate programs work for you to make supplemental income...I stress supplemental. This is not a get rich quick scheme! Although there are many people making serious money using affiliate products and programs, most of us know that success in this life usually takes a good amount of sacrifice, time, and effort. Starting out, what affiliate programs can do for you now is make you supplemental income and add value to your web page.

What does it mean to affiliate with someone or something?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary it is

A: to bring or receive into close connection as a member or branch or

B: to associate as a member

What is an affiliate program?

In a nutshell, other established companies pay you to advertise for them on your website. You have the flexibility to place their ad on your website where you want it. They come in a variety of shapes and forms. It could be a text link such as this:

Join the Rockettheme Template Club!

Or a picture link such as this:

Or even a banner such as this:

Many times the particular business gives you options as to how you want to display their ad. Sophisticated programs such as Amazon.com and Clickbank can automatically tailor the ads to fit the theme or topic of your site, otherwise you logically would select businesses that have products relevant to your site. Affiliatesbydesign.com provides a free directory to find just the right quality affiliate programs for your business or personal website.

How do I start making money?

Here's the 1st catch. You will NOT receive anything for simply displaying the add or set of adds on your website. A person browsing your site must first click on the ad, and in most cases purchase something (whether a service or product). The exception to this would be "Pay per click" programs. They are not as prevalent as they used to be due to problems with click fraud. In these instances, you would get paid by how many times unique visitors clicked on the displayed add. Google ads is a good example of this.

Anyway here's how it works: When you sign up for a company's affiliate program, let’s take Dynamite Covers for instance, and become their affiliate, they will give you an ID number (kind of like a username). Dynamite Covers would also provide you with a special link to their website. Your ID number will be embedded into this link's code. The ad displayed on your site would contain this link in the HTML code. That way when someone perusing through your site clicks on the Dynamite Covers promotion, goes to Dynamite Covers website, and purchases a Dynamite Covers product... Dynamite Covers knows it got its customer from you. You then receive a percentage commission on that sale. Dynamite Covers at the time of this printing paid 30%

How much will I get paid and how often?

Here's the 2nd catch (I promise this is the last one): Most business will not pay out until you've reached a certain quota of earnings. That quota could be $50, $100, or sometimes more. Some businesses and affiliate directories allow you to set your own quota. Often you are paid by check, or in some cases online (i.e. PAYPAL). This is not necessarily a negative, since you probably don't want to be getting a lot of small checks - plus it saves paperwork for them.Most companies pay out monthly. Commissions can range from 2% to sometimes 80% Make sure you read their agreement to know what you'll actually be getting. The listings at affiliatesbydesign.com include % payouts for each listing, which is a convenient way to be selective!

What information will I need to furnish a business I want to advertise for?

The most common information requested will be:

· Name & Address

· Email

· Your website address

· PayPal information (if using PayPal)

· Taxpayer ID or EIN number if a business

Any closing thoughts?

If you're skeptical about placing ads on your site...don't be! If you pay attention, the majority of legitimate websites are hosting ads for related products. It is a great way to boost their income and yours too! Secondly, be tasteful. A cheesy site plastered with nothing but banners and ads will get you nowhere, plus you'll be cluttering up the Internet with another page people instantly click the "BACK" button on. Remember; focus on the content of your site, so that people have a reason to be there – that’s when the rewards will come. P.S. If you need any help with the technical aspect of inserting an ad onto your website, please reference this simple "FAQ" or contact us.