A 'noob' Affiliate Link question/scenario Please advise ; - )

[USMC_Buckeroo]

A big "Howdy!!" to all of the learned Warriors here!

I have spent a significant time reading through a decent handful of threads here at the Warrior Forum, and have both enjoyed and learned so much during that time spent.
My thanks to you ALL for the time you spend sharing your experiences and adding your guidance to those of us justing learning the 'ropes' of I.M.

I have had a successful past career in mail order marketing which incorporated an active incoming and outgoing '800' service which sold sportstruck automotive products to the tune of, in our last month in business {this was in the late 90's/early 2000} of gross sales of approximately $6,500,000. dollars per month {most of which was eventually skimmed and/or stolen by the primary financial investor. The entire business concept was mine, while the bulk of the venture capital was his}. This business was a completely 'dropship' arrangement with ALL of our suppliers allowing us to simply concentrate on generating sales instead of diluting our company focus on purchasing, receiving, warehousing, exporting, etc, etc.
So, I have some past experience in successful marketing utilizing a 'minimalist' approach. A business design that Internet Marketing seems to be based upon.

Anyways, I ramble.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but, "Affiliate Marketing" or the use of 'affiliate links' is a methodolgy used wherein one places hyperlinked banners upon your web/blog page complimenting whatever subject it is your web/blog page expounds correct? Visitors click {hopefully} on one of these affiliate link banners once they've become excited enough by one of these products after reading your web/blogs manifesto and proceed to the corresponding website, like the product, and then buy it providing you a dollar value 'commission' from the sale of that product from the company/product you provided on your web/blog.......right?
This is how the money is made, correct?

Assuming this is correct for the moment here is my "scenario"
{the following verbage is fantasy ; - ) }

I create a fairly well laid out Blog on Modern Urban Gardening, within which I want to include a list of affiliate link clickable banners that lead to all sorts of different, independent companies supplying everything from fertilizer to exotic bulbs to specialty gardening tools. From all of which I'm supposed to be getting my affiliate link financial 'commission'.

My question is multi-fold;

1) Do I have to contact each and every company that I want an affiliate link with to ensure they indeed would HAVE and honour this type of arrangement?

2) Once establishing an affiliate link to each particular company, how would/can I keep track of the traffic that goes thru my site/blog and which actually purchases these products, thereby producing my 'commissions'?

3) Would it be potentially out-of-line for me to request from these companies a sharing of expenses regarding the affilate link creation? Meaning, requesting from the particular companies all neccessary line art, copy-ready artwork, etc or would I be on my own in this regard?

4) Assuming these commissions are most usually paid via PayPal or something similar, how quickly {usually} can one expect to be paid these commissions? Weekly? Monthly?

Thank you in advance for enduring my longwindedness, but I am an older business man, and a longtime retired NCO from the United States Marine Corp {proudly serving 1971 - 1975 in the 1st Marine Air Wing} and am just trying to better understand this 'new' technology and terminolgy of Internet Marketing and it's recent focus so that I can continue to stay involved, and stay financially successful so that my grandchildren may never be found 'wanting' in this uncertain economy.

Your patience and understanding in helping me to understand it all is most genuinely appreciated by this old soldier......thanks.

Warm regards to All,

Semper Fi!

USMC_Buckeroo.

[YellowDot Software]

USMC,

You're talking about doing direct business with another company. Most affiliate links are provided through affiliate networks like commissionjunction.com, azoogle.com or clickbank.com. There's a lot of potential in the real business world though with people who don't have affiliate programs.

I'm not familiar with the businesses involved in gardening but it takes a bit of technical expertise to set up that kind of tracking. So if they don't already have an affiliate program, setting one up for them may be a bit of a hassle. There's always plenty of other things you could do, like actually selling them ad space on your site. Once you generate a lot of traffic that converts in your niche you can easily write your own ticket and get other sites paying you a lot of money to advertise each month.

That would be the easiest way to generate money with companies who don't have affiliate programs and are not able to set one up for you.

So in summary my advice is: Find already established affiliate programs in networks first, look for companies with pre existing affiliate networks second, get advertising deals with companies with no affiliate program third, and help companies establish an affiliate program fourth.

Hope that helps!

Regards,

Don

[USMC_Buckeroo]

Howdy Don,

Many, many thx for taking the time to type out such a helpful and considerate answer to my beginner's question....very nice of you.

So, taking my Gardening scenario {BTW, I'm not really doing a Gardening Blog}, are you saying that I would sign up with one of the affiliate networks mentioned above and then {if I'm creating the Gardening scenario} search their databanks for already listed gardening suppliers that already have an affiliate link program in effect?

Hmmm, This seems to me to be easy on one hand, and limiting on the other. Meaing, I would have already existing affiliate links I can add at not expense {time or otherwise} to myself. While on the other hand, I am obviously limited to whatever affiliate links they have available.......

Thanks for the input pard'

Now, how about the other questions? How would one keep accurate track of ingoing traffic to my affiliate links and keep track of whether they bought something or not? How is that done?
Also.......how is it all kept, honest?

Again, my thanks to All who can reach out a helping hand.

Semper Fi!

USMC_Buckeroo

[USMC_Buckeroo]

Howdy again All,

I was hoping maybe somebody else had some input on this? I realize most of you are busy quite a few steps down the IM road than I, but please remember, at one time or another you were ALL at the starting line as well.

Also, in an attempt to not be such a drag on any one, is there a thread or post somewhere on this site that maybe explains the ABC's of some of the terminology that most of you on the site take for granted that the rest of us already know?

Once again, Many thx in advance for your efforts.

Semper Fi!

USMC_Buckeroo

[kristisayles]

The only dumb answer is the one you don't ask, but really want to know the answer to...
I get paid as an affiliate marketer of Clickbank-like clockwork-every two weeks.
I also use CJ.com, Azoogle, Linkshare, and joint ventures with other internet marketers. You can get a free Clickbank store here...
:: World's Best Clickbank Mall, Clickbank Ads, Clickbank Storefront And Much More! The ultimate toolkit for Clickbank Affiliates. Make money with or without a website!

[danette77]

I recommend joining an affiliate network rather than an individual companies affiliate program. All of the clicks and sales are tracked by the network and automatically credited to your account. Most payout every 15 to 30 days.

I am not sure what type of products you are interested in promoting but I know that clickbank.com and paydotcom.com have a lot good ebooks you can promote on almost any topic that you can imagine.