What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing occurs when one Web site (an affiliate publisher) promotes another web site’s products or services (a merchant) in exchange for a commission. The merchant provides banner ads and text links for the affiliate to place on their website, and if an ad (which links to the merchant’s website) results in a sale, a sign up or a click, then the affiliate earns a commission.

The best part about it for affiliates is that, hey, it’s free and easy – you refer your web site visitors to something they like, somebody else does the hard work of providing the product or service, and you receive the commission!

The best part about it for merchants is that they only have to “pay for performance” (clicks, sign ups or sales, depending on how you set up your program) and it removes the risk of paying for advertising and just hoping it will result in sales. Some reputable third-party affiliate marketing organizations are Commission Junction, QuinStreet, Share A Sale, and ClickBank .

Solo Build It offers free online “Affiliate Marketing from A to Z” guide. It walks you through the process of affiliate marketing. It is geared on transforming you into a high-earning affiliate. How? By helping you build a site with great content that visitors and search engines love, which translates into traffic for the merchants and commissions for you.