* You'll *know* quality of product you're selling. Offer your visitors top-quality products and you'll have a much better chance of converting them into repeat customers. That means more money in your pocket!

* You can offer a personal endorsement of product. This goes a long way, particularly with those you've developed a good working relationship with (newsletter subscribers, for example).

Now I can understand putting off purchase of an expensive, high-end product ... but if your affiliate product is only a few dollars, then why hesitate? Many people spend far more on advertising than it would cost them to purchase affiliate product.

So what can you do if you don't have much money to spare?

* Bite bullet; buy product and eat cost. If it's only a few bucks it probably won't hurt you.

* Attempt to make a few sales. Invest in product once you make enough in commissions to do so.

* Buy product, eat cost, and go for some effective no-cost advertising to offset your investment. For example, you could swap or barter for website or ezine advertising.

Can you make good money selling affiliate products without buying them yourself? Sure. No doubt there are a few people who do. But most people have trouble selling *anything* online, let alone a product they know nothing or very little about. Which path will YOU take?

--------------------------------- Tell Reader to Make a Purchase ---------------------------------

You've come so far - you've laid out exactly what product is and how it will help your unique audience. Now, seal deal - tell your readers to purchase product! Include your affiliate link in this section.

This step may sound strange, but it's necessary. Often, people hear about a product and are genuinely interested, but fail to actually make a purchase. A clear call to a simple action cuts down on buyer ambivalence. Don't be pushy - just change your verb tenses to imperative. Instead of:

"If you think that you fit this profile, you might want to think about buying this product."

Say:

"Click here to order an account today."

--------------------------------- Drive Sales - Use Long Copy ---------------------------------

If you don't feel ready to write long copy yourself, ask your affiliate program manager for help! Many companies release well-written articles by respected authors that you can reprint free of charge.

The novelty of Web is wearing off. People online now are busy. Surfers won't make a purchase unless you make a great case for what they'll get out of it. And you're not going to do that with just a banner ad.