Affiliate Programmes

In affiliate programs, one website directs visitors by a link to another website; if the visitor then make a purchase, that second website pays a commission fee to the referring site.

Quite a simple idea, based on a common business principal in real life.

Many websites have links to other sites simply as a way of enhancing the information they have to offer. The problem is that the valuable visitor may disappear into the net and not come back. The website could loose a potential client.

Some sites organise reciprocal links with others as a way of equating this potential loss on the basis that each will gain as many visitors that they loose. Most Internet marketing theorists recommend the use of reciprocal links. To be honest they are a good idea if chosen carefully and if both sites have roughly equal traffic.

It is often a good idea but is rarely carries out. The two web site owners agree to exchange links then never get round to actually do it. We only have one client who with typical Germanic precision has managed to see this project through to completion.

In most cases when you click from a web page to another historical information about where you were on the net is not carried with you. Most sites have statistics packages to tell them where their visitors came from overall. Special software is required if you want to tie this information down to those who purchased something.

This is what affiliate programs are all about. If you are going to pay a commission you have good systems in place to know exactly who to pay it to.

Amazon.com were one of the first to champion the idea of affiliate programmes. Assume you are an expert on Bee keeping and have a website on the subject. You go to Amazon.com (or Amazon.co.uk) and click on Affiliate programme. Sign up in the usual way. They will give you a unique Affiliate Code.

You then put information on you website about the best books on beekeeping, and a link saying "buy now from Amazon.com". The visitor is directed straight to that book’s page on Amazon and it he buys the book you get 15%, if the visitor continues on and buys other books you get 5% on those.

This Affiliate program was instrumental in making the Amazon brand in the early years, their several thousand affiliates were in effect advertising for Amazon, and who better to recommend a book but a website specialised in the subject.

Many other Affiliate programmes have followed, but Amazon is still one of the best. Because of its reporting, you have a confidence in their system, even if the quarterly cheques are not that big, every month they send a very detailed report on how many visitors have come from your site, and exactly what they bought.

Like a club they send newsletters with new ideas and suggestions on how to increase sales.

“Amazon.com, the Associates team made great strides in 2001. We are a small but passionate team within Amazon.com dedicated to developing the best associates program on top of the finest e-commerce platform.” Says Colin Bryar Director, Amazon.com Associates Program.

If you are looking for an associates program for your website then www.referit.com is a good starting point. It lists thousands of associate programs, Take you pick. It also has technical information if you are considering setting up your own programme to sell you product.