Affiliate networks are the primary service providers in the affiliate marketing industry. They provide marketing solutions to the advertisers and merchants and at the same time help web site publishers to earn from their resources and services.
Online affiliate networks have appeared on the scene quite recently. Their evolution runs parallel to the online advertising agencies. The mode of operation for these agencies is more or less similar. The affiliate networks do online promotions and marketing by advertising, content publishing whereas the ad agency focuses on the advertising only.
Affiliate networks have their expertise in online marketing, search marketing, online advertising and publisher resources. Many of the practices of online advertising are also used in affiliate marketing. The primary difference between the two is the channel of distribution. In affiliate marketing it is the web sites that serve as primary channels where as in online advertising it is the popular media platforms.
The main concern for both online advertisers and affiliate marketers is the tracking of the advertisements or any content that is placed on the web sites. The same is taken care with the help of advanced web tracking tools and technologies.
Affiliate networks also have in their bag some efficient marketing managers. From the moment a publisher or advertiser joins the network till their accounts are terminated; there is a lot of account maintenance and managerial work required. A substitute for it is the affiliate manager which is often hired by the advertisers.
The statistics revealed by Nielsen’s show the spending on online advertising as growing slowly. Of the total budget on various media, over 7 per cent is being spent on Internet advertising. The amount received by affiliate marketing is even less. However, the results from affiliate marketing are satisfactory and better than offline media.
Affiliate marketing is based on the performance and is more like an investment. The advertisers are investing for promotion and sales and they do get returns. The returns and the results are monitored and tracked till the last moment. The same is not true for many offline campaigns. They may be helping but their impact cannot be ascertained or precisely determined. Online affiliate networks are promoting such systems as would help in generating maximum returns and impact based marketing. Such efforts must be endorsed and accredited in the industry.
About the Author:Author: M Wali is the co founder of Rupiz Affiliates, a leading online media buying agency. She is heading a team of experts, which is into online affiliate network, search engine optimization, online advertising, affiliate network.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an online affiliate program, and how does ...
By: jcarlson | 11-10-2008
what is an online affiliate program, and how does it work?
Small Scale Affiliate Marketing
By: Shikina | 22-07-2008
I'm looking to establish a direct affiliate relationship between myself (the affiliate) and one specific retailer that I deal with regularly. They're not looking for any other affiliates other than myself, but I need this to be a software-based solution. Anybody know of any generic code out there that I could modify and pass off to the partner? Are there any other solutions that don't involve paying huge upfront costs, or a recurring commission to a 3rd party network? Your help is greatly appreciated!
What do you think is stopping people from starting ...
By: Femi Tunde | 15-06-2008
What do you think is stopping people from starting up an online business despite its many advantages?
Hi can u give me best work from home ?
By: workfromhomedata.com | 16-05-2008
hi can u give me best work from home ?
Affiliate Marketing Network
By: lewisjake | 17-04-2008
How can an Affiliate Marketing Network help to promote your business?
Affiliate sites
By: 043160415 | 24-03-2008
hellowhere can i fined a wed that can generate a list of affiliate sites or directory that can give me the best affiliate sites in diferent countrs? if you have any recommendations of how to fined a quality list, please contect me...thanks shiri@eteacher.co.il
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Affiliate Programs Articles
Affiliate Marketing Survival Skill: is Your Product Targeted Enough?
By: Zack Lim | 22/11/2008
There some factors that you will have to consider when you are looking for good affiliate product to promote to your customers. One of the key questions that you will have to ask yourself is whether the affiliate product that you are promoting is targeted enough. Why do you need to ask yourself this question?
Affiliate Marketing Survival Skill: Checking the Sales Conversions of the Merchant Website
By: Zack Lim | 22/11/2008
Are you convinced to buying the products after you have read through the sales letter? This is a very important question that you will have to ask yourself when you are looking for affiliate products to promote. Why the merchant’s website sale conversion is so important to your business?
Affiliate Marketing Survival Skill: is the Commission and Incentive Attractive for You?
By: Zack Lim | 22/11/2008
Understanding the affiliate program that you are promoting is a very important step as you will want to know the benefits that you can get from the Affiliate program. One of the things that you will want to know is the commission and the incentive that the merchant is offering. There are 2 questions that you will have to ask yourself.
Affiliate Marketing Survival Skill: Checking the Payout Schedule and Limit
By: Zack Lim | 22/11/2008
When you are doing your affiliate marketing business, you will be spending a lot of your time and effort to promote the affiliate product. You will be expected to be rewarded with the commission from the merchant. It is thus important for you to know the payment system that the merchant has in paying their affiliates.
Affiliate Marketing Survival Skill: Checking the Merchant’s Term of Service
By: Zack Lim | 22/11/2008
There are many things that you will have to consider when you are choosing the affiliate program that you want to join. It is important that you join a good affiliate program so that you will not be taken advantaged by the merchant. One of the things that you will have to check is the merchant’s term of service.
Affiliate Marketing Survival Skill: Checking the Merchant’s Support and Contact
By: Zack Lim | 22/11/2008
It is true that you do not have to do any customer supports if the customer purchased the product from the merchant and the merchant should be in charge of giving the support. You will be thinking that your role is to just continue referring customers to the merchant’s website so that you will be credited with the commission if the customer purchases the product. Do you know that your business will be affected by the responsiveness of the merchant’s customer support?
Affiliate Marketing Survival Skill: Do You Want a Long Term Business?
By: Zack Lim | 22/11/2008
Before you even started your business, you will have to decide on the kind of business that you want to have. If you are not clear, you will not know the things that you will have to do to start your business. So what are the things that you need to know if you want to start your own long term business?
Affiliate Marketing Survival Skill: Checking the Quality of the Affiliate Products
By: Zack Lim | 22/11/2008
There are many affiliates who are only interested in earning quick money and they will just promote any products hoping that the customers will buy. It is true that one of your business goals is to earn money but it is also important that you make your customer happy. One of the things that you will need to do is to check the quality of the affiliate products that you are promoting to your customer. Why is it important?
Internet 
