Affiliate marketing is a process where the merchant
will pay a portion of their sales revenue to an
affiliate if the sale is result of the affiliate's
promotion to the products and services offered by
the merchant.

Now days, it's one of the fastest growing industries
because it's cost efficient and quantifiable for
both the affiliate and the merchant. Other players
can profit as well, such as the affiliate network
or the affiliate solutions provider.

The best benefit for the merchant is the fact that
he will gain opportunities to advertise his
products to a much larger market, therefore
increasing his chances to earn. The more affiliates
the merchant obtains, the more sales he can expect.

With the merchant having affiliates market his
products and services, he will save himself time,
effort, and money in looking for markets as well as
customers. The affiliate marketer will benefit
from each customer that clinks on the link in his
website and who actually purchases a product from
the merchant.

If you have wanted to join the growing legion of
affiliate marketers and have an unlimited potential
for income, simply follow these 3 steps to start
an effective affiliate marketing program.

1. Identify something that interests you or you
feel very passionate about. Then, focus on a
specific area you know a lot about, as this will
help you bring out your best and give your
visitors who are possible buyers a demonstration
of your expert in this field. This way, you'll
gain their trust and encourage them to buy the
products that you endorse.

2. Search for merchants and products or services
that are related to your interest then creat a
web site with top level domain names and very
reliable hosting. When you choose the products
for your web site, you need to consider the
commission structure and the conversion rate.

There are many different affiliate networks and
affiliate solution providers where you can obtain
the information on most profitable products and
which merchants pay the best. Take your time -
and be sure you choose the right one.

3. Now, you are ready to promote. You've chosen
everything you need and even created your very own
website. You'll need to be creative, flexible,
and willing to embrace new ideas. By this stage,
you'll be well on your way to making more money
than you ever imagined - and enjoying every
minute of it.