An affiliate program or also called an associate program is an arrangement or an agreement in which a merchant will pay a person (called an affiliate) a commission to send them traffic. The affiliate willl place a special link on his/her website, blog, newsletter, etc that will track what the visitor does when they visit the merchant’s website. There are three basic types of affiliate agreements you should be aware of:
- Pay Per Sale
- Pay Per Click
- Pay Per Lead
There are also what is called multi-tiered affiliate programs. The most popular is what is called a two tier program.This is where you can earn a commission when you refer someone who becomes an affiliate that also refers an affiliate that makes a commission.
For example, I refer you to an affiliate program. If you recruit someone else that makes a comission, I would a commision as well. If you are able to recruit other webmasters, you might look for affiliate programs that are at least two tiered.
Some affiliate programs also pay residual commissions. This is where you can earn a commission from a visitor when the visitor continues to make purchases from the merchant. You will usually see this type of commission when you are promoting an affiliate program that has say a monthly subscription fee. That customer that pays a monthly subscription fee each month could be making you a commission each month as well.
You will have to remember that each affiliate program is going to be different. Be sure to read the terms of your payment arrangement/agreement before you enter into the agreement and start promoting the merchant on your site.
To find some affiliate programs to join visit: https://www.mommyenterprises.com/affiliate-programs