How A Beginner Could Choose a Suitable Affiliate Program To Kick Start Online Home Business

May 27, 2008

Don’t get me wrong. Network marketing is great. Even Robert Kiyosaki, in his Rich Dad book series, recommends getting involved in a network marketing company as a means to earn money and learn how to run a business. (And if you haven’t read Robert Kiyosaki, put him on your must list, NOW) But network marketing is only great IF you find the right company and the company is right for you.

Isn’t Network Marketing a Pyramid Scheme?

Let’s get one thing straight. A legitimate network marketing company is NOT a “pyramid scheme.” A pyramid scheme is designed to allow only those at the top to make all the money and those poor suckers who bought in at the bottom to do all the work and pass their money up. Pyramids like this are illegal. Network marketing is not. “But wait,” I hear you protest. “Network marketing has a pyramid structure. Doesn’t that make it a pyramid scheme?” No. EVERY company has a pyramid structure.

Take a look at a grocery store, for example. The one person who owns the store is at the top and makes the most money, yes? And the numerous employees who actually work in the stores working the registers, bagging the groceries, and collecting the carts from the parking lot don’t make nearly as much money, right? Pyramid. Period.

How Do I Know If It’s Legit?

A legitimate network marketing company has a compensation plan that guarantees that anyone working the business can make money. It doesn’t guarantee that they will, just that they can. Making money is up to you. Also, if they’re legit, they have an actual product or service to market.

If you get the vague sense that you’re handing over your money and you’re not sure why - run away. You should see a tangible product or service being offered for you to market. Their business records will also be available for you to look up.

What’s So Great About It?

The greatest thing is that the business system is already in place. All you have to do is duplicate the system. You might have to carry some inventory, depending on the company, but all of the gnarly business-y sides of things are usually handled by the company. You just have to market the product or service. And if you work the system, there really is the potential to earn some substantial money. I know. I’ve done it.

What’s Not So Great About It?

Well, it’s the nature of the Network Marketing beast. You have to recruit other people to become “Independent Associates.” And often that means going after your “warm market” - your friends and family. And, let’s be honest, most of them will look at you like you’re crazy and you should get a “real job.”

But let’s be honest - your real job is what led you to look into network marketing and a home based business to begin with!! While many companies tell you to go after your warm market, I recommend otherwise. It may seem more difficult to recruit people you don’t know, but really, if they don’t know you, you have the power. You have the authority to show them a business opportunity and it lends you credibility if they don’t know up front that you’re also working at the mall and living in a studio apartment with a mattress and a jar of mustard in the fridge. “Isn’t that lying?” Nope. That’s selling, baby.

The other downside is the meetings. They don’t like to call them “meetings.” They prefer the term “Open House” or some such thing. Either way, you have to dress up and go to a hotel ballroom once, twice, three times a week and play excited to hear the same presentation over and over again until you are successful at the business yourself. Then you can call the shots.

So Is It Right For Me?

Ultimately, that’s up to you. Go with your gut. Do you trust the company? Do you like the people who are already involved? Do you believe in the product or service you’ll be offering? That’s the biggie. If you don’t believe in it, you won’t be able to sell it. You might, but not as well. Do you have the time to devote to a home business? And are you willing to commit and withstand that negative berating you’re likely to get? Don’t let that put you off, though. People berated Bill Gates, too. Now look.

If you decide to join a network marketing company, good for you. Give it all you got and you can be a huge success.

About the Author

Dylan White has run three different and successful home based businesses and now operates the Home Business Headquarters which is updated regularly with information and links for home based business entrepreneurs at http://homebusinesshq.blogspot.com.

If you are new to online business, like I used to be, the fastest way to start your Internet online business is by becoming an affiliate to sell some one else’s products because it allows you to make money from your website visitors without having to worry about shipping and payment processing.

The products from the affiliate owners are usually information products such as electronic books (eBook) and software that can be delivered as a file that is then downloaded directly to your customers’ computers. They could be repeatedly reproduced and downloaded and sold at no cost. There’s no packing, shipping and delivery cost.

The question you’ve to ask yourself is how can you determine which of the thousands of affiliate programs available in the Internet is suitable?

Many beginners encountered disappointment and frustration after signing up with some affiliate programs only to find out later that they eventually end up having brought in very little money if any, after wasting a lot of time and effort.

Hence the choice of affiliate programs is of utmost importance.

The most important criteria you should look for are:

1) They must offer products that the market is asking for or that are already in demand i.e. the low hanging fruit type of products, rather than creating new ideas hoping that the consumers would be convinced to buy.

2) The affiliate program must offer good commission to their affiliates. Although different people define “good” differently, generally if it could bring in about $500/month as a start, it would be something worth looking into. As mentioned, affiliate programs offer high commission for their information products such as e-books and software. The owners of these affiliate programs can afford to give large commissions (50% or more) because of low cost of “production”.

3) It must be easy to set up with step by step easy to follow instruction. And the website should be simple and yet attractive.

4) They should provide you with banners, images, links, sample ads and articles and emails to help you promote their products. Besides, they should also have a good support system for helping you with any problems you might have.

Do not be satisfied only by the above mentioned points. You should conduct further research to check on the background of the organisations behind the products, their quality, reliability and reputation. Wherever applicable, testimonials must be obtained and verified.

Study the affiliate agreement and assess the organisations you’re dealing with. Check their quality of service by sending them an email or calling them to see how quickly and how effectively they respond - or if they ever respond at all. Assess their affiliate products. If you yourself are not convinced by the quality and effectiveness of the products, drop it and move on to another program.

There are sites which review, compare and recommend some great affiliate programs. You should be able to find some programs with the right categories of products to sell.

Like most search engines, visitors love content of our websites. Content is o?ne of the most important aspects of attracting potential prospects to your web sites and prompting them to become customers based on the “AIDA” logic i.e. Attention, Intention, Desire and Action.

As far as possible, choose affiliate programs which relate to what you are already doing, and then promote those products.

Join relevant online discussion forums and seek information and advice from those who are already successful being an affiliate.

Once you’ve decided, draft a simple business plan, set target of your goals, budget your expenditure, follow the instructions given, be fully committed and go for it!

See you in the Web. Start taking your first step tonight in your pyjamas! Good luck!