Most of us, if left to our own devices, will start with a third party associates or affiliates program. Personally, I progressed to them after being disillusioned by pay-per-click banner agencies. The reason we all go straight to them is obvious - we feel safe with them! The other reason for using them is of course that they are easy to find, but perhaps those people who use them are unaware of any other options. Why change when you are making a profit with your web site - something that was almost unheard of two years ago.
- "I'm happy with this arrangement. This company has thousands of other associates, surely they can't all be wrong!"
NOT TRUE! The majority of people on this planet stumble through life not really knowing what they are doing. When it comes to internet users, those "in the know", are in the extreme minority.
I've written other pages about selecting the best programs, but there is one part that I will share with you now: The best sort of program that a beginner could start with would be one run by an internet marketing company. It doesn't matter if you know nothing about their products, or if your web site seems incompatible. These people know exactly how to use an associate program. They know how to make THOUSANDS of dollars on the net. And best of all, they are prepared to let you help them do it! They will take you under their wing, show you the ropes, explain what works and what doesn't, and before you know it you will be one of that minority of "in the know" internet marketers! As soon as you know what to do, you can add a few more programs to your portfolio, and use them so much more effectively!
Don't worry if you are already trying to make money on the web - it's never too late to learn some new tricks! Hopefully you are now beginning to realise that a little education can pay good returns, and that doing what everyone else does is not necessarily the best approach. Now that this has been established, let’s look more closely at the pros and cons of third party programs.
The main reason to use a third party program (at least the best reason I can find), is if you can't find any other program that is suitable for your web site. Targeting programs is important, but even if you eventually end up using a third party program, you will still benefit from the experience gained with what I call "the real thing".
The most obvious reason to favour an associate or affiliate program that is not managed by a third party, is the profit margin. 'Cutting out the middle man' and adding a valuable few percent can easily double your earnings, or more! Why not do your own comparisons of two programs, only one of which is run by a third party, and the other is not. Find programs that are as similar as possible, but for this difference, and compare your pay cheques from each. You may uncover quite a contrast!
How about the risk of not being paid. It is not a big problem, but one we are all concerned about. This topic is mentioned on the "selection qualities" page, so please read that if you are interested. As for comparing third parties with one-on-one associate programs, I suspect that the risk is greater with a third party program. The explanation is simple - the most common reason for not being paid is suspicion of cheating. You can only cheat with a pay-per-click program (not a pay-per-sale program), and the third parties have a lot more of this type of program. There is one other angle. If you use several programs at once, and they are all run through a single third party, then you 'have all your eggs in one basket' so to speak. Going directly through several companies will spread the risk.
Risk is an issue that can cause you to stand still for far too long. You could spend all day thinking about it and end up getting nowhere! It is far better to get started now and experiment a little, than consider every option and not get anywhere. The sooner you get started, the sooner your first pay cheque will arrive!
In summary, I think that the feelings of safety and reliability associated with using a third party are almost entirely unjustified. My feelings of comfort have progressed further and further from their starting point with the third parties, and towards the programs that I have found to be more reliable and more profitable. All of my favourites can be found at http://mtier.cjb.net.
If you would prefer to use a third party, although I don't recommend any of them, I've had more success with "LinkShare-Get Your Share!" and Commission Junction than with the others.
Discalimer: These pages contain only hints, tips and suggestions that I hope you will find useful. I give no guarentee that any of them will work for you, and will not be liable for the consequences of following the advice on this site. Do so at your own risk!