We are a world of consumers and sellers. So much so that we have developed an extremely complex international buying market in which people are constantly searching and providing new deals on products and services. With the dawn of the information age, that process became even faster and more convenient. There is such a massive pool of consumers and providers that the only thing standing between them is some sort of connection. The more connected sellers can be to their buyers, the greater the likelihood of a sale. For this reason, sellers must be proactive to find new avenues for displaying offers to new buyers.
If a seller of any good or service is physically located in a particular geo-location, they might utilize the help of a foreign commission agent to spread the sale of their products to different locations, reaching people that might not walk buy their store front or see local advertisements. Agents like these are not employees of the seller but instead receive a percentage (or commission) on the sales made in these markets.
Obviously, the Internet eliminates the problem of physical location. Anyone across the globe can visit any particular website with the click of a button. However, the Internet is certainly a vast and saturated environment, and there is still a great need for sellers to be promoted in various social networks, search results, blogs, and other spaces where web users congregate. A buyer is most likely to connect with a seller if the seller can be found in places of high traffic, especially traffic that is specific to the seller’s product or service.
This is where affiliate programs come in. The goal of an affiliate marketer is to connect buyers to sellers, receiving a commission for any sales that come to fruition. Of course, there are many ways to define a “sale.” It might be the actual purchase of a good or service or simply just a lead that was generated. It is up to the seller to come up with the offer and what defines a conversion. The seller (or merchant) is the one who will deal with the buyer/customer as soon as they are connected through the affiliate. All issues regarding customer service, goods, shipping, stock, etc are taken care of by the merchant. An affiliate simply has some sort of revenue sharing agreement for connecting the buyer to the seller, providing the seller with clicks, leads, or even sales.
Getting started in affiliate marketing can be a little tricky, but dedicated affiliates with powerful niche markets can have incredible success at producing profit streams.
COMMENTS
Tue, June 29, 2010 - 8:25 AM
A buyer is most likely to connect with a seller if the seller can be found in places of high traffic, especially traffic that is specific to the seller’s product or service.