It's exciting, challenging, and very, very rewarding.

What Is An Affiliate?

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, affiliate means to associate as a member. So, as an affiliate, you associate yourself with company who's product you want to sell.

What Are Affiliate Programs?

Affiliate programs, also known as associate programs, are set up by companies so that you -- affiliate -- can sell their product and receive a commission for each sale.

Many companies have more than one product available, giving you a variety to offer your visitors and a greater chance of making money.

What Makes A Good Affiliate Program?

The most important thing to look at is product offered. You need to be enthusiastic about it so that you can recommend it honestly. That's why it's a good idea to actually use it, if possible.

At very least, you want to make sure that product delivers good value to your customers so they will be happy when they buy it and will then rely on your recommendations for other products.

Important Features

Some points to look for:

Recently there were several posts on an Internet marketing forum discussing whether affiliate marketing was easy. Specifically, original poster was angry because he said it seemed every marketing product promised "easy affiliate riches", but that he wasn't finding it that easy, and wasn't having much success so far. It's certainly true that some sales letters over-hype, both inside and outside Internet marketing field. But what about it? Is affiliate marketing "easy" or not?

Well, that has to first be answered comparatively. When put next to digging a ditch, tarring a roof, laying down asphalt, or driving a bus or semi, affiliate marketing doesn't seem difficult at all. When compared to winning lottery or being born with a huge trust fund, then yes, it's really hard, as would every other occupation!