Online affiliate programs offer ordinary people the chance to make money online in a relatively simple manner. Being an affiliate for online programs is like being a retailer: you sell other people's products and get paid commission on your sales. The rate of commission paid by an online affiliate program varies but it will mostly fall within the 40%-70% bracket. Don't be put off by the offer of 70% commissions because it seems too high. Commissions at this level are not uncommon.

Quick Start-Up

When you sign up to an online affiliate program, you get immediate access to saleable goods in the form of products or services. You don't have to invent a product or research the potential market for a new service. The owner of the affiliate program has already gone through the time consuming and expensive development and testing phase, you can start promoting the product right away. If you join a good online affiliate program, you will be provided with a free website, advice on marketing and other resources (eg members' forums) which vary between the different affiliate programs. It's only day one and you are in business!

No Stock or Inventory

As a member of an online affiliate program, you won't have to worry about having space to store stock. You don't have to handle stock, so you can be an affiliate selling anything from cd's to wide screen TV's. You don't have to deal with the hassle of packaging and posting goods to customers. Your affiliate website is the door to your warehouse, orders placed there will be filled direct by the online affiliate program owner. The only thing you have to handle is promotion of your affiliate website.

Anywhere In The World 24/7

As an affiliate for an online affiliate program, you are not limited by geographical boundaries and shipping costs are not your concern. You can be an online affiliate from anywhere in the world and your customers can originate from anywhere in the world. With an online affiliate program, your business is always open (even if you are on vacation or fast asleep). The Internet never sleeps, it is always daytime somewhere in the world.

No Accounting Worries

Members of online affiliate programs don't have to handle payments or get involved with receipts or refunds or any other sort of cash transaction with customers. The owner of the affiliate program deals with all those issues (which will mostly be automated), the only financial transaction which involves the affiliate is the receipt of commissions on sales made through the affiliate website.