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Chapter 1
It Really Works!
Do a quick Google search and you'll quickly discover that there are lots of people making money on the world wide
web. Lots of people. They aren't any smarter than you, they don't have a lot of cash to start a business and they don't
have any more desire than you do to make money on the web.
What they do have is the information you need to develop a low-cost business model that ¬really works, and
that's what this book is all about. No fluff, no puffery, no endless pages to read through. Short and sweet, this book well
show you how to set up an automated, money-making program using nothing more than your computer and your common sense - and
yes, it really does work.
The business model is based on becoming an affiliate. Affiliates are also called publishers, affiliate
marketers, marketing affiliate and e-marketers, but regardless of what you call them, they're just like you.
When you become an affiliate of a company like e-Bay, Carnival Cruise Lines or Citibank, you become a
partner with the company. You direct web traffic to these sites and collect a commission or a flat fee whenever one of your
referrals buys something or signs up for something. It's as simple as that. Lots of people are doing it and you can,
too.
Google is the best place to start for a couple of reasons. First, it's by far, the largest search engine out
there, accounting for almost 50% of all web searches. Second, Google offers lots of tools and an easy set-up for
affiliates, making your life easier right from the start. That's why we'll focus on Google in this book, though other
search engines like Yahoo! and MSN also have similar affiliate programs.
So, why become an affiliate? Let's take a look at some of the advanatges to this income-producing
strategy:
Low Start-Up Costs
You can start with
as little as $5.00 to test the waters. That's not much of a risk for the potential rewards.
It's Easy to Learn
This book will tell
you everything you need to know, including strategies to maximize profitability. You can read the entire book in an evening,
and actually starting your affiliate business takes 15 minutes.
Everything is Automated
You can spend
as much or as little time on your affiliate business as you choose. Once you're set up, the entire process is automated -
including the direct deposit of your profits into your bank account.
No Maintenance
Once you're up and running, you don't have to do anything, though you can if you'd like to, or if you have the time. It's
flexible depending on your available time.
Limited Downside Risk
You control the
financial risk you want to take. You set limits on your expenses, which are minimal to begin with. You know, going in, the
maximum dollar amount you have at risk. Again, you can get started with $5 - and that would be your downside risk! You lose
more than that in the couch everyday!
Unlimited Upside Potential
Your upside
potential is virtually unlimited and is based on your commitment and time. As with all things, the more you put in, the more
you get back. The top e-Bay affiliates earn over $1 million a year, and e-Bay will be happy to show you the
documentation.
Keep Your Day Job
You don't have to quit your day job - unless you want to!. The affiliate strategy detailed in the chapters ahead allow you to
keep working while you build your affiliate business from the comfort of your own home.
Look, it's not an idiot-proof system, and it's not a get-rich-quick scam. You have to understand the processes
involved, you have to use your common sense and you have to organize yourself and your efforts to hit a home run. But, even
if you hit a solid double, it's easy money. From a single affiliate partnership, you can earn $400 each month - and that's
a conservative estimate based on a small start-up investment on your part.
You can start small and grow your business over several months or years until you're making enough to decide how
you want to spend your time - at your current job, or running your own business from home.
So, let's get right to the basics - how our affiliate business model works.
Chapter 2
The No-Hassle, Low-Cost
Affilitate Business Model
  This is the Google home page. Each day, millions of users come to this page and enter key words
into the search box. In this example, the user has entered the key word 'skateboards'. Key words are search words entered by
Google users.
 This is the first page of the search engine results pages called SERPs. The listings on the left
side of the page are called 'natural' because they were generated by Google naturally, through a search of all indexed web
sites.
The listings on the right side of the page are 'Sponsored Links'. Businesses and affiliates pay for these links
and their placement on the first page of the SERPs.
These are unsponsored,
natural links produced by
the Google search engine.
This is how the affiliate strategy works, plain and simple:
1. You will drive traffic to other web sites
that sell products or services, or seek sign-ups.
You will pay for sponsored links on Google. The cost is determined by a bidding process that we'll discuss
shortly.
Each time a user clicks on your sponsored link and buys merchandise or completes a form, you will receive a
commission or a flat rate fee. Currently, e-Bay pays you as much as $45 for every person who signs up after clicking on
your 'Sponsored Link', and an additional $0.25 every time that person places a bid. Do the math.
2. You will do this using Google's Adwords
program.
 This is the landing page for Google's Adwords program for affiliates (that's you).
To access this page:
A. On the Google home page, click on 'About Google' below the search
box.
B. Click on the
'Advertising' link.
C. Click on the
'Adwords' link and you're here. 
Once here, simply click to begin the registration process. You will be asked to provide the usual information and
the entire process can be done in 15 minutes. Now, you're a Google affiliate. Congratulations.
3. You will review companies and organizations
that seek affiliate marketers using on-line company/affiliate services such as Commission Junction.
Now you have to find a company or business with which to partner. There are thousands of companies, big,
small and in-between with affiliate programs - companies that want to partner with you.
And finding them is simple. There are numerous sites that list companies seeking affiliates. One of the
largest is Commission Junction, so we'll use CJ for our examples.
 This is the home page of Commission Junction, a site that hooks up affiliates with companies and
businesses looking for affiliates.
You can open a CJ account for free, though you must generate business for CJ within 90 days to keep the account
open. Following our no-hassle strategy, that won't be a problem
 These are just some of the hundreds of companies and businesses
listed on Commission Junction. You can
become an affiliate marketer of any number of companies.
By clicking on any of these links, you will be taken to the companies 'affiliates' page where the company's
terms will be described.
D. You will
research key words (search words) using free, on-line software.
E. You will
develop a list of possible companies (web sites) with which you would consider partnering.
F. You will become
an affiliate of one or more businesses.
G. Through
Google's Adwords program, you will place bids on specific keywords based on your key word research.
H. You will write
short advertising copy for your partner companies.
I. Your
advertising copy will appear on Google SERPs under sponsored links heading.
J. Each time a
user clicks on your sponsored link you are recognized as the affiliate source by way of a cookie placed on the user's
HD.
K. If the user
completes the action(s) described in the affiliate agreement, you will receive payment in the form of a commission or flat
rate fee.
L. All payments
are automated and certified.
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