How to Fill your Wallet with Other People's Money

How would you like to get paid to sell something you don't own and that doesn't cost you a penny to manufacturer?

Yes, it's legal.Yes, it's profitable.Yes, you can do it to.

Affiliate marketing is the key to riches earned by leveraging other people's hard work. And don't worry. They won't hate you for it. In fact, they want you to take advantage of them.

Product manufacturers and service providers look to affiliates to sell goods and services on a 100% commission basis. You get paid whenever a visitor to your web site clicks on a product or service affiliate link and takes whatever action your affiliate agreement calls for. Sound easy? It is, but only if you know how to play the game.

Before you run off to chase your fortune, know the answer to these four basic questions:

Which affiliate program are you joining? What types of products or services will you promote? How much and how often will you be paid? How good is the affiliate's reputation? 

The first mistake would-be affiliate marketers make is choosing an affiliate program based solely upon affiliate commission promises. Doesn't seem like a mistake, right? After all, you're in this to make money,but getting paid 0 a sale isn't nearly as impressive as it sounds if there's little demand for whatever it is you'll be promoting.

But demand is only part of the picture. Relevancy is also key. Say you currently have a travel related site. Even though some of your visitors are likely to be dog owners, you'll be better off marketing travel-related products and services than you would be selling pet supplies.

Here's a good rule to follow:

Only promote products and services that are likely to be in demand by the majority of people who visit your website.

Here's another solid tip that will bring you money.

Always know who you're dealing with. There are a lot of Jesse James-types on the Internet and you don't want to get robbed. So check out your prospective partner. Find out about the commission structure and the payment frequency. Dig under the hype using your "common sense" shovel and see what color the dirt is.

Google the company or product name and ignore any hits that come from the vendor's site itself. Look for comments from other affiliates. Also check the Better Business Bureau web site and see if there are any complaints against the company.

Affiliate marketing is a good deal, but only if you get paid for your work.