What Are Affiliate Programs?

Welcome to the wide world of affiliate marketing!

Affiliate marketing (sometimes called referral marketing)
is based business people.

So, what is an affiliate and what does he or she do?

The affiliate marketer acts as a 'middle man' between merchant
and consumer, but without adding anything to the consumer’s cost.
Affiliates do not mark up or resell products.

Instead, the affiliate educates and directs the consumer to a
product, and he receives a percentage of the sale in commission
from the merchant.

The affiliate acts as an independent lead generator for the merchant
by bringing in new customers.

This is a win-win situation for both the affiliate and the merchant.

The affiliate can reap a full-time income marketing a whole suite
of products that he does not own. He doesn't pay for product creation,
doesn't have to ship anything and doesn't deal with customer service
issues or returns. The merchant benefits from the influx of new customers,
the boatloads of cheap traffic and low cost advertising. Merchants get
their product and their brand in front of thousands of potential buyers
without paying a dime until someone makes a purchase.

It is truly a pay for performance arrangement.