Make money by putting advertisements on your webpages with affiliate programs (also known as revenue sharing programs, associate programs, or commission programs).

What is an affiliate program?

Affiliate programs are commission-based programs in which you are paid for a (possible or actual) sale generated through someone clicking on an affiliate link (usually a banner) from your website.

How do affiliate programs work?

When you signup with an affiliate program, you are given a unique link which you place on your webpage to advertise the company's product.  This unique link will be tracked by the company so the company knows who sent the customer, and therefore who to pay the commission to.  Depending on your contract, you may be paid for just showing the banner (pay per impression), for the visitor clicking on the link (pay per click), for the visitor supplying information about himself (pay per lead), or if the visitor actually purchases something (pay per sale).

Important things to consider when choosing an affiliate program:

• Does your website comply with their policies in the terms and conditions, and are their ad types acceptable for your webpages?

• Does the program have targeted ads - those which are related to your web site's content (this will greatly increase the click-throughs and sales)?

• Does the affiliate program require you to have a certain amount of traffic to join, and can you have multiple accounts?

• Are you paid per banner impression, per click, per lead, or per sale?

• Do you have a choice of the advertisement content, banner sizes, etc.?

• Are banners required, or can you use text or buttons links?

• Can you use the ad links in emails and newsgroups?

• What are the minimum sales required to get paid?

• How often and when will you be paid?  Is there a limit to how much you can earn?

• Are detailed statistics provided on your commissions, click-throughs, etc.?

• Are there loopholes which may prevent you from getting the commission?  Will you get the commission if the visitor goes to another page before buying, or comes back at a later time to buy?

• Is there a privacy policy which states your info will not be sold or used to spam you?