Midwest BEAT Magazine

Judging from the response I received from my last couple of articles, many of my readers want to learn how to make money from their websites. This sent me on a scavenger hunt to find the best affiliate programs out there.

Affiliate programs can be quite profitable for a webmaster. More times then not the webmaster is paid on a pay-per click basis. A visitor is checking out your website, spots their banner or link, clicks it, and you get paid. Other programs offer commissions on products the visitor buys after clicking to their site from your site. Some affiliate programs offer both. Either way, these programs can be a great way to earn extra income, especially since you never handle a product or deal with a customer! All you have to do is refer them to the site!

When selecting an affiliate program, be sure to choose a service that relates to your website. Someone running a children’s website would not choose an adult content affiliate program. If you are a musician, you may want to choose affiliate programs that offer CD’s, entertainment type magazines and such.

One of the most important aspects of choosing an affiliate program is to read the terms and conditions. Some programs require a certain number of unique visitors a month. If your site does not reach these numbers, you will be cancelled after a few months, and you will not be paid for any revenue you earn during those months. It is wise for the just starting out site to choose programs that do not have a minimum visitor condition. Also, some companies require exclusivity. If you want to try out more then one affiliate program, these companies are not for you. Read the fine print!

Affiliate programs are growing constantly on the web. Many companies are realizing that grass root approaches are very profitable, so take advantage of it! Check search engines regularly for new programs. I recommend www.directhit.com. They are a fairly new search engine, and don’t have a lot of the older links like many of the other search engines out there.

Affiliate Programs

www.amazon.com

I could not talk about affiliate programs without mentioning Amazon. This company pretty much pioneered the affiliate program. There are a couple of ways to make money through Amazon.com.

You will receive a 5% commission on all books bought from a link to their homepage. If you recommend certain books directly on your website, you will receive up to a 15% commission. Placing a search engine box on your page pays 5% commission for all referrals, and all CD’s you refer also receive a 5% commission.

www.reel.com

Reel.com has over 100,000 video’s, and 2,500 DVD’s for sale on their website. This type of affiliate program can work well with almost every website. Who doesn’t watch movies? They offer an 8% commission for all items sold, and have an excellent tracking system. They also have very competitive prices on new releases.

www.gifttree.com

Gift Tree is an excellent company that can offer you many benefits. The sell everything from bonsai trees to balloons. Anyone that has loved ones who live quite a distance from them can use this service. They pay 10% + commissions on all gifts bought from the website. One big bonus they offer is 90-day cookies. If a visitor goes to their site from yours, a cookie is set in place for 90 days, meaning you receive commissions from everything the visitor buys for 90 days.

Next month will feature Part II of affiliate programs. There are simply too many to include in one months article. I will also discuss search engine registration, and the importance of a good listing.

Happy Halloween!

Do you want to hear a scary story? You MUST check out http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/buckspook/. This is the ulimate halloween story site! With scary music and cool graphics, this site takes you on an interactive journey. Yes, I said interactive. You choose which direction your character takes. Do you want to go into the cemetary during your visit, or should you run to the scary house? Don’t worry, if you get killed along the way you can always pick the correct path! Anyone who has ever thought how stupid the victims are in horror movies, this site is for you!

Halloween Decorations

Many people like to decorate their websites for different holidays. The problem is a lot of the free graphics out there are so over used on the net, and not original at all. I have just completed many Halloween graphics free for your use on your website! Check out www.outtasiteweb.com and click on the free graphics link to get some cool, spooky graphics!

Until next month, happy surfing and happy Halloween!