| Just ten years ago, having a Web presence was | | | | affiliates. Here are some examples: |
| perceived as something rather exotic. Web pioneers | | | | Auctions: One portion of your home page can be a |
| were trying to find a way to bring the Internet to | | | | portal to eBay auctions, and actually list many of |
| the masses, and email was still in its infancy as people | | | | eBay's main categories. It also might have a banner |
| battled to stay online with their dial-up connections. | | | | ad that lists auctions that are ending soon, as well as |
| What a change a decade can make! Today, there | | | | an in-banner search box so visitors can search for |
| are millions of websites and virtually any person can | | | | items of interest. |
| start up an online business. Obtaining domains and | | | | Shopping Malls: Another section of your home page |
| web hosting are just a few clicks away, and business | | | | might be dedicated to affiliate ads from a big |
| opportunities abound. The primary challenge is finding | | | | company like As with the auction section, the |
| an online business opportunity that can bring in | | | | navigation bar will list a number of categories and will |
| revenues without you having to actually sell products, | | | | take your website visitors to the area in which |
| stock inventory, or deal with customers. | | | | they're interested. |
| That's where affiliate programs come in. The truth is, | | | | Nutrition: You might also have several smaller graphics |
| one of the best mechanisms for monetizing a | | | | that are affiliates of nutrition companies, and that sell, |
| website is through affiliate programs. Even if you've | | | | for example, bodybuilding or weight loss supplements. |
| never heard of them, chances are you've seen | | | | Similarly, you may have affiliate links for ecommerce |
| affiliate programs on hundreds of websites. They are | | | | sites that book vacations or that sell flowers, |
| the buttons and banners and links that advertise | | | | electronics, or supplies for pets. |
| ecommerce sites both large and small. Every time a | | | | Beyond the affiliate links, your website will also have |
| person clicks from your website to that of an | | | | interesting and useful up-to-the-minute information |
| affiliate website and that person buys something, | | | | for your site visitors. For example, you may have a |
| you get a percentage of the sale. Although the | | | | news banner that provides visitors with headline |
| percentage is relatively small, the more traffic you | | | | news, world news, and news about technology and |
| drive to your website, the higher your clickthroughs | | | | entertainment. It may also have stock quotes and |
| and the higher your sales. | | | | weather information. |
| Although some people are willing to invest an | | | | The money you make from your online business |
| incredible amount of time signing up for individual | | | | comes from two sources: affiliate links and from |
| affiliate programs and building their own websites, | | | | referrals to others who join the business opportunity |
| there are actually companies that will do the legwork | | | | through your website. |
| for you. In fact, they will provide you with your own | | | | Now that the barriers to successful online business |
| domain or domains and you can reap the rewards of | | | | opportunities have been broken, there's no reason |
| a variety of affiliate programs. | | | | that you can't launch your own online business and |
| The best online business affiliate programs will set | | | | reap the rewards from affiliate programs. |
| you up with an interesting website with a variety of | | | | |