Do Affiliate programs really work?

I think you're looking at this in stark shades of black and white.

I once made $90 on Clickbank out of NOWHERE, even though my site got very little traffic and I only had 4 people on my list. Sure, it was probably the biggest fluke, but had I been smart back then I would've massively scaled it, because apparently I was doing something right.

Affiliate marketing isn't rocket science, and it's not a matter of "I'll get rich overnight OR I'll get nothing". It takes time, just like any other source of income.

Yeah, they work.

If fact... affiliate sales are all I do. No lists, no adsense, I'm not twittering or any of that other silly stuff.

I also don't use the dumb squeeze pages or micro niche pages or whatever the current hot trendy design thing is at the moment.

It's all about how you go about it.

I build web sites that provide real content that surfers (because all of my traffic is SE traffic) are looking for... I am providing what they want or need.

Through my websites I provide a path or an option for my visitors to purchase items that might be of interest to them.

If it's a 'how to pick up girls' website, then I'll provide access to purchasing a 'how to pick up girls' ebook... I'll also provide the option of signing up for dating sites etc... my visitors are looking for something specific and I provide it too them. It's how all retail businesses work.. being online doesn't change anything.

Affiliate sales are simple and you don't need to use any 'hype' or do any of the other crap that most people around here get wrapped up in.

Build a website based on 'something' --> provied the option to buy products related to that 'something' --> follow it all up with some basic SEO --> wash n' repeat

So, yes, you can make money... and good money through affiliate sales.

It's so easy even a caveman can do it!

Of course it works!

People are always looking for things to buy and they are always buying stuff. The only thing you need to do is get in there and be the one to guide the visitor looking to buy to the product they want to buy.

I know that this is theory and you didn't want any theory, but the point is: Yes, most affiliate never make money, that's probably true. Just as in any business, there are the 90% who are struggling and the 10% who make more than all the others combined.
But the reason why some make money and others don't lies purely in how they run their business. Setting up a blog, building a dozen backlinks to it and plugging in some aff-links probably won't get you anywhere. But guess what? That's not what the big earners are doing, anyway.

False causality, if you ask me. It's not affiliate marketing that works/doesn't work, it's affiliates who do it right/wrong.

Sadly over 50% of people make Zilch out of affiliate marketing - however it's not due to a failure or weakness in the affiliate marketing concept it's due to shortcomings in the people who have this ill informed idea that they will 'give it a go' and get rich overnight.

Success in affiliate marketing takes a commitment to learning the skills, and the personal traits, you need to be successful in your own business, and this takes time. It took me over four years part-time before I could 'retire' to the comfort of working, if you can call it that out of the comfort of my home.

So.... 'it doesn't work, because most fail'??

Most brick and mortar businesses fail.
Most people in sport will never represent their county.

Affiliate marketing works - you just have to work it.

Affiliate marketing works BUT to be a really successful affiliate marketer you need to treat it as a business.

That means learning how to market.

The sales happen if you participate or not. And yes most people fail miserably but so do most people who buy a gym membership or go on a diet or take up Karate.

And most offline businesses go belly up too.

The affiliates who don't make a dime are probably not putting enough time/effort into the right things. Like list building.

And to respond to jasonmorgan's comments, even if he is doing well with his SEO sites, I promise if he had been using that traffic of his to build a list first and sell second, he'd be making 5 or 10 times whatever he is now. Easily.

Anyway, I deal mostly in the stock/options/forex trading niche and I've found that the networks like CJ and Pepperjam are not very lucrative, usually well under $1 per click average. I make most of my money from Clickbank where I can usually get $1-1.75 per click and private programs that sell big products for $500 or more where I can average as much as $9 per click during launches.

Since you don't want theory, I will give you a real time example of affiliate marketing working and what I do to make it work.

I make sure the product I'm recommending will work and do what it is supposed to do. It is also very, very, targeted as a tool that will help my list. I like to use the software or put the strategy of the info into place before I write my review.

Then I write a web page personal review, in the 1st person. Not only do I tell how it benefited me, but also point out what I learned that maybe was not quite as good as the sales letter indicated. In other words I pre-sell the benefits, as well as use a little negative. But the one thing I do is make sure what I say I can back up.

Then I write up a short e-Mail usually less than 300 words and send out to my list directing them to my personal review.

I did this very thing late yesterday afternoon and sent out the e-Mail about 5:30 P.M. and within the last 24 hours have made 31 sales and put an extra $500.00 in my wallet. Most of this made while I was sleeping last night.

Now is this typical for everybody I doubt it seriously. I worked hard to build trust with my list and it's paying off. But it has taken time. However, each time I send them an offer I will make a very fair hunk of change.

Yes affiliate marketing works when you do it right.

Ken Leatherman

The Old Geezer

It's been said here and a thousand times before - most people fail due to never taking any action at all. Those that do take action and give up probably didn't look at this like it was a business.

It takes work, perseverance, tracking, tweaking, etc.., and being tenacious never hurts

Its not a question of whether affiliate programs work. They do what they are designed to do, that is provide resources and statistics.

The question is whether people know how to use them properly. The answer to that one is often "no".. but it's not hard to learn!

Affiliate marketing is not a free lunch. Those who start out with the idea that they will be making a million dollars in just a few weeks are following the same logic as those who believe learning to play the guitar will make them instant rock stars.

Some beginners get lucky, but the vast majority don't and have to start right where everyone else does, making 5 or 10 cents a day.