Newbie Affiliate Marketing

Cost per action (CPA) marketing is usually a more cost effective mechanism than Cost per Click (CPC) for a merchant considering advertising online. CPA ensures that payment only occurs when someone clicks on the ad then completes an agreed action. Depending on the arrangement between the Affiliate partners, this action may range from making a purchase to simply filling in a form or survey. Conversely, CPC triggers a payment when the visitor merely clicks on the link, regardless as to whether any action is subsequently taken.

Of the many options available to on-line marketers, Affiliate marketing is one of the best and simplest ways to make money and to promote products and services. This is primarily due to the mutually beneficial relationships between those offering the products or services, (“merchants”), and those who are looking to monetise traffic on their existing websites, (“affiliates” or “publishers”). Although anyone can create an Affiliate arrangement, it is far simpler for merchants to contact affiliates through one of the many Affiliate Marketing Networks. However, there are many offering apparently similar merchants and their associated products or services and it is important to choose one (or more) that offers reputable merchants with strong products and services that will actually sell, even in the current climate.

Many networks now offer tools by which to include details and links to relevant products and services through the insertion of some simple code at the relevant point on your pages. This must be configurable to have a complementary “look and feel” to enhance the credibility of your site in the eyes of your hard-won visitors. Moreover, your site and any content and affiliate links you may add to it should reflect the sort of person your customer will be, their interests and values. Beware of linking to any Affiliate network or merchant site guilty of generating “spam”, where random and irritating pop-up advertisements occur, often as completely new web pages. Also remember that sites that contain too many affiliate links are, in general terms, regarded negatively by the major search engines and may be removed or relocated to a less prominent place in a search.

The short list below represents just a few of the choices available:

With arguably the slickest looking website of the entire bunch, Netpartner is an Affiliate Network with a plan offering incentives to both publishers and merchants, based on performance and commission. Depending on how much commission you generate in your first 30 days using the Netpartner network, you could be entitled to a variety of free gifts, from sunglasses to a digital SLR camera or even a laptop. Alternatively you could choose to have instant cash during certain specified time periods. Aside from the promotional elements, Netpartner offers a global network of merchants and publishers and claims lasting and lucrative relationships.

DGM (Deal Group Media) has recently expanded its services beyond providing a network to connect merchants with affiliates and now offers its own SEO services and PPC campaign creation. This may be of benefit for merchants wishing to consolidate all online advertising through one group. This group has built a reputation as one of the world best CPA affiliate marketing networks.

Affiliate Window has become the largest independent UK based affiliate marketing network. This group has won numerous awards for innovative service and entrepreneurial flair, and its range of merchants is huge, with many significant national brands represented.

Almost all of the major affiliate networks will have merchants working on a CPA basis as well as CPC and other variants. Further examples of networks include Commission Junction (CJ), owned by ValueClick and TradeDoubler.

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