This site is the virtual equivalent of the office water cooler - it's the place where affiliate marketers hang out and shoot the breeze, compare experiences with specific affiliate programs, share information about helpful tools and services and talk about current challenges. Many of the branded forums are actually hosted by representatives from the merchant companies, which allows for an open exchange of gripes and compliments. If you're looking for affiliate programs to rep, this is a good place to start, as you'll also find an up-to-date directory containing gazillions of affiliate marketing opportunities - and it's a good bet that another marketer's experienced opinion is just a click away in the highly trafficked forums.
Shawn Collins is one of the most affiliated affiliators out there, and he provides a plethora of resources for both expert marketers and those who are new to the game. At this site you will find articles, an action plan, a glossary and directories of affiliate programs and software. You will also find links to Shawn's ancillary businesses, which include the annual Affiliate Summit conference, a yearly state-of-the-industry report entitled "AffStat" and his book, "Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants." Unlike many in the affiliate space, Shawn actually built a major affiliate program from the ground up as Director of Affiliate Marketing for ClubMom, and his hard-won expertise, which is freely shared here, could prove useful for those who have assumed this role within branded companies with products or services to market.
The Product Showcase Creator (PSC) is a Web-based tool that enables affiliates to create link-encoded "showcases," or product displays, on their websites without any programming knowledge. Product displays are a more effective sales tool than boring old text links and allow affiliates to merchandise more creatively and effectively, which results in better sales. Currently dozens of retailers, including JC Whitney and Mondera, license the PSC technology from Affiliate Marketing Solutions. Retailers need only provide a data feed and the technology does the rest. Visit the site to see the PSC in action or to request a licensing quote.
Looking for affiliate programs specifically for the Australian market? Want to build custom stores already fully stocked with brand name merchandise? Want to be paid to listen to the radio on your computer? You'll find this and more at AffiliateGuide.com. Visit to view affiliate program listings in dozens of different categories, from Adult to Magazines to Web. You can earn a commission on every flower sale generated for FreshFlowerSource.com and every rare wine sold for Bacchus Cellars. There are even affiliate programs for matchmaking! Affiliate away.
Affiliate marketing is difficult enough without the added headache of stolen commissions. However, increasingly sophisticated "parasiteware" enables unscrupulous evil doers to overwrite or intercept your visible affiliate links so that resulting credits (payments) are registered to them, not to you. What to do? This handy software will "cloak" your affiliate links down to the source code level so that no one knows they are following an affiliate link pathway to purchase. It runs $59(US) and it's an affiliate program product in and of itself that you can sell as well.
Want to see how products are priced by your competitors on Amazon.com or uncover other seemingly proprietary information? Amazon's no-cost Web Services Program allows anyone to download a developer's kit and follow instructions on how to more closely integrate with the Amazon.com site. While this access is obviously a gold mine for developers, who are busily creating new tools and services that they will sell to Amazon's many merchants and affiliates, at the site you will also find details on how Amazon associates can use Web services to build more effective links and on how merchants can download the latest product information from around the world to make sure that their products are competitively priced.
Long-time affiliate marketer Allan Gardyne has revamped his guide to associate programs and offers new resources as well, so if you haven't looked at this oldie but goodie in a while, it's worth a visit. Not only will you find his directory of more than 6,000 affiliate programs, but you will also find a guide to the major affiliate networks, plus a constantly updated list of new programs, a list of the top two-tier affiliate programs, numerous articles and tips, an award-winning email newsletter and Allan's own picks for the top ten affiliate programs available on the Web today. Allan's affiliate marketing success has enabled him to move from the pole hut in which he started this business to a beach-front apartment in Australia, so he must be doing something right. :)
CashPile houses a comprehensive directory of affiliate programs, a nifty database search and a wide range of tools for affiliate site owners (merchants). Merchants can add their program for free, and there are several tools available to help set up an affiliate program, in addition to marketing tips and incentives. It's an ABC guide to affiliate sales.
ClickBank provides payment technology that lets any
online seller automatically pay sales commissions to any
other online business/affiliate that refers a paying
customer. Essentially, it's an e-commerce intermediary
for affiliate merchants with an affiliate network of
its own; ClickBank actually bills the customer and then
shoots money in both directions (to the seller and to the
affiliate).
What's the benefit? No merchant account is needed to
sell or refer products or services, and intricate payment
structures are handled seamlessly. By tapping into
ClickBank's affiliate network, you can earn money with
every link on your site. As a matter of fact, if you
click on the ClickBank link above, pennies from heaven may
rain down on WDFM publisher Larry Chase's head. Ka-ching!
Thinking about using ClickBank to process your affiliate payments or market your own products or services? Many do, especially those who are selling ebooks and software, which is a ClickBank expertise. No matter what your plans, at this site you will find everything you ever wanted to know about ClickBank but were afraid to ask. Not only is the system completely explained from both the merchant's and the affiliate's point of view, but you will also find articles on how to best use ClickBank, tips on how to get around certain selling restrictions and reviews of third party software and tools that are worth looking into to enhance your ClickBank program. Be sure to sign up for the no-cost newsletter, which will deliver ClickBank news and discounts right to your desktop.