Affiliate Marketing: Avoiding The Scams

By: Nell Taliercio

Affiliate Marketers make their money by selling other people's products or services. These affiliate programs allow them to earn commissions based on the sales generated through the affiliate marketer's special link. In some cases, they can earn money by getting people to sign-up to a special list or offer that the affiliate company provides.

These programs can be good income generators, provided you put in the work necessary to make your commissions. There are numerous affiliate marketing opportunities out there for anyone to choose from and each one offers differing monetary rewards for the commissions. The problem is, that not all of those opportunities are legitimate ones. Yes, the annoying scammers have gotten to this part of the internet too.
 So, as an aspiring Affiliate Marketer, what can you do to avoid falling into one of these Affiliate Marketing traps? Here are some things to look for when deciding on one of those opportunities:

Website

Take a thorough look at the website of the product, that you're considering taking on in your affiliate marketing business. The website should contain a decent amount of information about the product you would be taking on. It should also provide good information on the affiliate program that they are offering. Make sure that the site has contact information in case you need to ask questions or get support.

Any website, offering affiliate programs, that have no contact information is not worth your time. If you can't get a hold of them when you need to, how can you be sure you'll get the money due to you. Also, if the site has more information on how much money you could make from their program and less on what the product is and does; then it's not likely the program is legit.

Research
 As with anything on the internet, you should be doing your research to determine if the program is on the up and up. Look to see if anyone else might have used that program and find out what their experience was. Also, look for information about the company, if any is available, to see if they seem legit.

Don't Pay

Legitimate programs will not charge you to sign-up with them to sell their products. There are some cases where you may be paying for other items, like their magazines, special software or some other type of service. But, as far as signing up to simply market and sell their items, there shouldn't be any charge for you.

Affiliate Marketing is a legitimate business opportunity. You'll just have to sort through a lot of programs to make sure you're signing up for one that won't scam you. Take your time and thoroughly research the programs that interest you and you should be able to avoid some scams that could cost you a lot of money in the long run.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

*Nell Taliercio has been working at home full time since 2004. She’s worked as a telecommuter, virtual assistant and affiliate marketer. In 5 years she’s discovered many secrets to finding legitimate work at home jobs and securing them. You can find work at home job information and tips at: www.justonlinejobs.com

Ideas to Work-At-Home

Need ideas to work from home?  I actually work 3 out of 4 of the below areas.  Affiliate Marketing, as an Independent Contractor and Freelance.   You might also be interested in working in any of these four areas or all.

Direct Sales - Arbonne, AVON, Mary Kay, Tupperware, Amway
Affiliate Marketing - Monet Minerals, Country Charm Scents, Teaporia, Spa Girl Gourmet,
Independent Contractor - Brand Ambassador, Merchandiser, Mystery Shopper, Inventory Specialist
Freelancer - Virtual Assistant, Writer, Blogger, Social Media, Photography

These are just a few ideas listed above, but is a nice place to start.  There are tons more similar ideas.  Just use the google search engine above to search for more.

WAH: Need a place to start?

Want to work from home, but not sure where to start?  Need some ideas?  Well good news!  I have listed some great places to start!  The websites I have listed below are all legitimate businesses and great places to start.  And, I have either researched or directly heard of these businesses.  I am currently a personal affiliate with Monet Minerals and Country Charms Scents and I also work part-time as a *Promotional Event Specialist.  These opportunities work great for me.  You just need to find the right opportunity that works for you.   

In the past, I have also done work as a Virtual Assistant and was an Avon Representative, Beauti Control Cosmetics Consultant and Teaporia Consultant as well.  What am I getting at?  The simple fact that it is not as difficult as you might think and I am here to say, "you can do it too"!  It just takes a little time, patience and effort to get started and establish yourself.  These work great whether you are looking for a part-time opportunity, full-time or even if you are just looking for a hobby or a little extra spending money.  There are tons of options out there it's only a matter of finding them.  But I'm making it easy for you by giving you someplace to start!  A headstart if you will.  So remember time, patience and effort are needed.  With that being said, it's time to become your own boss, happy hunting!


Direct Sales: (Avon, Arbonne Mary Kay Tupperware Lia Sophia Jewelry)
Affiliate Marketing: (Monet Minerals Country Charm Scents Teaporia Spagirl Gourmet Consultant)
Online Jobs: (WAHMS Indeed Virtual Office Temps)
*Marketing/Promotions: (NARMS PromoWorks Advantage Sales & Marketing The Sunflower Group)