The late 90`s were a time when the Internet was really taking off and the beginnings of how we view it today. No more so on the forefront of that explosion was retailer Amazon. They pioneered many of the things you still see online. They basically started online purchasing with secure connections (although others will lay claim to this as well).
The success of Amazon was so great (even though they were working in the red), that Jeff Bezos was named CEO of the year. It truly was a great accomplishment. Websites popped up everywhere wanting to be the next Amazon and to be that successful in the virtual world.
As wonderful as the accomplishments by Amazon were at the time, let us not forget the valuable lesson that they did teach us. What they taught us was and still is one of their biggest selling points, is the fact as to how they started the affiliate program. An affiliate program is the means by which others sell your products for you on their websites or blogs and in return when there is a sale that comes through their site, they receive a commission on it. That translates into free advertising until there is a sale. It was very simple, yet very ingenious.
Amazon might have pioneered this technique but it does not mean you can not use it for your own online business. In fact, if you do not have an affiliate program set up, you should get one going as soon as possible. It acts as your advertising without having to pay for it until there is an actual sale.
In order to have your own affiliate program you can either join one of the many automated ones out there now or start your own. You can find them by doing a search on the words `affiliate program`. For your own you will need some programming skills. If that is above your expertise, you can either find a developer to implement it for you or refer back to the first idea.
Once you have your affiliate program enabled, you need to get the word out there about it. Start with posting a link on your home page to an area where visitors can register for your affiliate program. The next step is to start advertising your program. There are a variety of tools and websites out there, ours included, where you can advertise your affiliate program for next to nothing.
As you can see an affiliate program is a great way to get advertising from others without having to pay for it up front. If done properly, as was in the case with Amazon, you may be able to cut that advertising budget to almost zero.
So there you have it. An affiliate program is a great idea for your online business. Get your program started today, and you could soon see an increase in sales and revenue.
By: Bruce A. Tucker
About the Author:
Mr. Tucker is the Associate Director of http://www.Indocquent.com, an online resource where you can advertise your business, products or services throughout the world without pay-per-click prices or auction fees.
You can now download Indocquent`s free social bookmark utility for your website or blog at http://www.indocquent.com/social_bookmark/social_bookmark_landingpage.html.
Published By: Indocquent.com- An online resource where you can promote your business, products and services around the world.
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