What is affiliate marketing?

Posted Monday, May 19, 2003

From a novice webmaster sitting at home, to a charity, to a multi-million dollar organization, anyone can become an affiliate partner of premier online businesses. And through those relationships, affiliate partners can add value to their sites and put dollars in their pockets.

Affiliate partners agree to place links to these online businesses on their web sites for the purpose of promoting goods and/or services. Affiliate partners control the type of promotions placed, their locations on the sites and the length of time the promotions run. In return, the affiliate partners can earn commissions on click-throughs, leads or purchases made through their sites, depending on the arrangement with the online business.

E-marketing is a new evolution in affiliate partner marketing. E-marketers can use their e-mail capabilities to place text links within messages. These links serve the same purpose as placing promotions on affiliate partner web sites, and the benefits are the same.

When partnering with merchants as an affiliate partner, you can leverage these relationships to increase your site's traffic, enhance your visitors' experiences, and make more money. Our customers include some of the Internet's best known e-commerce leaders, including http//barnesandnoble.com, The Gap, http//Travelocity.com, Staples, IBM, and Fogdog Sports.

As an affiliate partner, you can:

Add a New Source of Revenue - collect up to 40 percent commissions on goods and services promoted on your web site.

Get More Repeat Visitors - Connect your content with leading online businesses, and watch new visitors (and returning visitors as well) come back again and again.

Make Your Site Come Alive - Your site has more value when it's more interesting to the people who visit it. Links that promote similar content to your site will increase click-through sales opportunities.