Internet Affiliate Programs

If you're looking for an easy way to get online and start making money, consider joining Internet affiliate programs.

Here's how it works: You promote another company's product or service. When someone you've referred to their website buys something, you get a commission. The best part is, most affiliate programs are free to join, so you don't need piles of money to get started.

There are three basic types of affiliate programs:

1. Pay-per-sale programs. This is the most popular type of affiliate program, where you get a percentage of profits on every sale made by someone you refer.
   
   In general, I recommend joining a pay-per-sale program because the commissions are bigger, and there are more programs to choose from.
   
   
2. Pay-per-click programs. Here you earn a commission for each person who clicks on a banner or affiliate link on your website. Fees for this type of program are quite low, ranging between $0.01 to $0.25 depending on the type and profit margins of the product you are promoting.
   
   You might be able to make more money with this type of program if you have an established website that gets a lot of traffic and the products you're promoting have small profit margins.
   
   
3. Pay-per-lead programs. With a pay-per-lead program, you earn money for every “lead” you send to a company. For example, you might get paid every time someone fills out a form on your website, requests more information about a product, or asks for a quote.
   
   This type of program may be ideal for you if you're promoting a service that takes a lot of back and forth to end in a sale. That way you can generate a smaller, but steadier flow of income.

As you can see, the type of program that's right for you will depend on the product or service you are selling. So where can you find the best Internet affiliate programs for your area of interest?

Start by looking in affiliate directories and networks:

• AssociatePrograms.com
• AffiliatesDirectory.com
• Refer-it.com
• Commission Junction (www.cj.com)
• ClickXchange.com

Want to learn more about Internet affiliate programs and how you can maximize your traffic and sales? Check out our online archive of free newsletters. You can also take a look at our affiliate program, one of the first and most successful on the Internet.