If you have been longing to start a business online you may be coming across terms you've never heard before. You may also have found
opportunities available are overwhelming. Where do you begin?AFFILIATE PROGRAMS - EASY START
Affiliate programs may be
easiest online business to start running. Why?
With any online business you must have a product or service to sell. First you must create this product or service and then you must be able to fill orders.
Selling your own product or service also means creating a website, learning how to write ad copy, setting up a marketing plan, being able to accept payments online and obviously doing
work. If you're selling a physical product then you will need to make or buy
item, package it and pay for shipping costs. If you provide a service than you will likely have to start by doing free jobs to build your credibility and then when you are charging for your service you are still limited by how much work you can actually handle.
THE MAGIC OF AFFILIATE PROGRAMS
Affiliate programs are a great way to get started in an online business. In fact there are even some 'Super Affiliates' who are making fabulous incomes from affiliate programs. So, what ARE affiliate programs?
Affiliate programs allow you to sell another company's service or product and make a commission on every sale or lead. You do not even need to build a website or handle
transaction. Your job is to drive traffic (customers) to your affiliate link.
An affiliate link is a special URL code that will identify customers coming to
company's site from your advertising. It will likely be
website address with a code attached to
end.
Some affiliate programs also have tiers. That means if someone who is interested in SELLING
product comes through your link and signs up you will also get a small percentage of THEIR earnings.
HOW DO I CHOOSE A PROGRAM?
You should research
popularity of some of your interests. Try to determine if people are buying that product or service online. There are many sources for finding that information including free ones such as
Overture keyword tool.