Or, you can waste a bunch of money on hyped up programs that will gain you nothing whatsoever.

Having said that, do you want to know how to find right program?

The following points will focus on finding a program that can be handled on a part-time basis and still have unlimited earning potential. That's not to say that same program can't be worked full time or simultaneously with other programs. That, of course, depends on each individual's desires.

Consider following aspects when looking into affiliate programs.

TWO TYPES -- Simple and Dynamic

Simple programs usually involve sale of just one item or group of items such as ebooks. With these, important things to look for are legitimate, worthwhile products, and a good sales site. As long as what you will be selling is really something you recommend and view as valuable, these simple programs can be great. However, you want them to have good, compelling sales copy on site that moves visitors smoothly along to order button. These may or may not last as income producers, but can be profitable for at least short term.

Dynamic programs contain more aspects and are ones that usually last longer and can build you better residual income. Consider following points when investigating them.

LEAD GENERATION

Basically speaking, your job in any affiliate program is advertising. To be successful, you must continually get new people to visit web site or sites of program you are working. The first thing to look for in a good program, however, is what happens with people you do get to visit site.

There must be some sort of system in place to retain site visitors and to credit them to you. That means getting people's names and email addresses and keeping them in a database showing that they visited site through your link.

Take a look at what program does to get this information from people. Does it offer further information by auto responder or in print? Does it offer an ezine? Does it offer product giveaways or contests? There must be a system in place, and preferably more than one, to get contact information from visitors in order to follow up, especially if there is a fair sized price tag on company's products or for joining in business.

By your own business, I do not mean affiliate programs, at least not for this article. Affiliate programs, while they are great ways to learn, and can make money, will never really be your own business. You can make your own business around being in other's affiliate programs, but that's different.

With your own business, however, there are some difficult things you need to overcome.

For instance, one of best ways to convince potential customers to buy is with power of your previous customer's testimonials. Well, testimonials are pretty hard to come by when your brand new.

As an alternative to using testimonials from your customers, instead use quotes from notable people that testify to usefulness of your product or business. It doesn't have to be specific to you in order to be a personal recommendation.

Another problem is often people will ask about your experience, preferring to work with or join under those who have been around a while and have shown some proven results. This is also difficult to overcome.

However, you can turn focus away from experience if you lack it by promoting your other qualities. Show what education you have, or talk about support your upline offers and their experience. Relate how your experience elsewhere transfers into what you are doing now. Then if it comes right down to it, suggest that while you don't have experience of others, you do have plans for future, are pursuing more education, and have a positive belief in what you are doing. Show that you plan on being around for long haul and that you love what you are doing. Positive energy can be contagious. Use this to replace your lack of experience.