Affiliate Marketing is a widespread method of promoting a website, in which an affiliate is rewarded for every visitor, subscriber and/or customer provided through his efforts. It is a modern variation of the practice of paying finder's-fees to individuals who introduce new clients to a business. Compensation may be made based on a certain value for each visit (Pay-per-click), registrant (Pay-per-lead), or a commission for each customer or sale (Pay-per-Sale).

The most attractive aspect of affiliate marketing, from the marketer's viewpoint, is that no payment is due to an affiliate until results are realized.

E-commerce sites, such as Amazon.com run their own affiliate programs while other e-commerce vendors use a third party services provided by CommissionJunction.com, LinkShare.com, BeFree.com and others to track traffic or sales that are referred from affiliates. Some businesses credit a great part of their growth and success to this marketing technique, and many online vendors have used it to substantially increase their sales.

In its early days many Internet users held negative opinions of affiliate marketing due to the tendency of affiliates to use spam to promote the programs in which they were enrolled. As the practice has matured, many affiliate programs now prohibit their affiliates from spamming.

External links

• Share Results Affiliate Network - Affiliate network based in Canada.
• Commission Junction - Third party affiliate program manager.
• Link Share - Affiliate program manager.
• Performics - Third party performance based marketing
• Shareasale.com - Third party affiliate program manager.
• Clixgalore.com- Affiliate program manager.
• Affilate Marketing Forums - Forums disemminating industry news, program reviews, and SEO / Marketing tips.
• Affiliate marketing resources
• Goyami - Affiliate and search marketing news.
• Affiliate-Master.com ™ - Resources and Information for Affiliate Business Builders.

UK Resources

• Affiliate Window - Affiliate Network.
• Affiliate Marketing Forum - UK affiliate forum.
• Tradedoubler - Affiliate Network.