Not An Affiliate? Why Ever Not?

If the idea of pursuing a living on the net has repeatedly

crossed your mind but you still haven't found a way to implement

it, then affiliate programs are going to break the ice for you.



Affiliate programs are a lot like learning how to swim in a pool

before you go to the open sea. Anyone can try them at least once

without having to worry about the consequences.



The good ones are usually safe and do not require a great

commitment of time and money from your part. Of course, at this

point, some people would argue that this is the exact reason why

most people fail. But that's another issue.



Besides, in many cases, signing up for the right program can be

as rewarding as launching your very own enterprise. But above

all, it's a good start.



You see, good affiliate programs are ready to share a wealth of

information with you in order to make you successful. They

provide resources packed with vital information, give you access

to proven online strategies and techniques and teach you how to

begin correctly exploiting them. They also save you from making

too many mistakes.



Some companies have ongoing seminars that last for months or even

longer. The lessons cover all aspects of internet marketing and

in your early days as an internet marketer they prove to be part

of an invaluable training.



But, in case you're still wondering what is so great about being

an affiliate when there are thousands of them out there, here's

another way to look at things :





1.Each affiliate is unique.



When you sign an agreement with a company to become their

affiliate and promote their products you are requested to follow

basic guidelines. These primarily deal with things such as

privacy, business ethics and general company policy.



Apart from these issues, a company can supply you with resources

and business strategies, as mentioned before, but they cannot

determine the actions you are going to take in order to promote

your business. In a word, you are free to choose any way you like

(as long as you're not breaking any law) to build and promote

your business.



If, for instance, you want to use a weblog to talk about your

product when no one else in your field is doing it, then you are

free to do so. You can use any number of options and techniques

to make yourself stand out and draw people to your offer. Again,

you and only you get to decide which ones.





2. There is no real conflict of interests.



Now, imagine that you decide to create your business in the real

world. Let's say that you're opening up a store selling mobile

phones and other hi-tech stuff made by a well known company.



Yours, of course, is not the only place in town where you can get

these items. You are not an exclusive dealer. Just like an

affiliate.



But unlike an affiliate, you have to do everything in your power

to make people come to your store and buy from you instead of

going to another store that sells exactly the same products.



Why? Because, if you don't make the sale then there's absolutely

nothing in it for you. Not to mention the cost of running a

business which in the offline world can be a nightmare.



I am not saying here, that if you are an affiliate for a company

you'll be making money without making any sales. I am just

pointing out that there are great affiliate programs that will

reward you with a small amount of extra cash generated by other

affiliates.



So, there's really no reason to get upset when other people make

sales. This is good for you too. Think about it for a moment, you

could actually be helping others making sales and still help

yourself growing revenue at the same time.





3. The more affiliates the better for you.



How do you think your competitors would react to your opening up

a new store and tightening the competition? Well, they're not

going to be thrilled, that's for sure! They have a lot to loose

and nothing to gain.



But what about you, the affiliate?



Let's face it. The internet is a huge place. Credibility and

trust are hard to come by and a lot harder to build.



New affiliates being added to a program everyday helps build a

reputation. It means that the program works and the company's

plans are sound. (More details on how to choose an affiliate

program can be found here :

http://www.work-at-home-businessoffer.com/work_at_home_rules.htm

)



You could have an unlimited number of affiliates under you or

above you and you would all be working to spread the word.

Wouldn't you yourself feel more comfortable signing up for a

program that you've stumbled upon more than a few times already?



A constantly growing number of affiliate sites stands as proof to

potential earnings. They are the best kind of publicity for the

company behind them. They benefit and so do you.





So, it all comes down to this : don't discard affiliate programs

so easily when trying to build an online future. They can be an

excellent way of earning and learning at the same time.