If you aren’t generating the commissions you expected from your merchants, do some investigation. First, be realistic . This is not like selling more Girl Scouts than the other kids because your mother works in a big office and brings home the orders to you. To be successful at the affiliate game you have to really work for it, and you need to pay attention to two factors: uniqueness and appropriateness.

If you signed up through affiliate marketplaces with all the affiliate programs that were remotely relevant to your site and that would have you, your results will be related to the number of people who visit your site, and who happen to realize they need or want something at a represented merchant at the moment they’re on your site. They can get to the merchant directly or from many, many other sites, and yours happens to be the one this time. In all likelihood they have good products, represented fairly, but dealing with highly exposed sites isn’t likely to give you the best conversion per click.

However, if you spend the time to search out specific sites that have private programs, operated on private affiliate management software, you stand a chance to bring new, different and highly focused products and services to your site visitors. Things they won’t find everywhere. You’ll be doing your niche a service because you’ve spent the time finding and checking out these sites, and made your visitor’s path to them as easy as a click. In addition to earning you commissions, these merchant relationships will reinforce your visitor’s sense that you understand them and have created an environment just for their needs. And that means repeat visits and future sales.

Karen Kari’s articles and more information on the affiliate business can be found at:

http://www.affiliatebandit.com

http://www.advertisingcellar.com

http://www.billionfreeads.com