The Internet is a huge place for everything- discovering things, finding love, and even doing business.
Among the three, there's a growing need for the last one.
As everyone wants to earn extra, money-making ventures on the net are truly hot.
One of these ventures could come in the form of affiliate marketing online.
Traditionally, companies have physical location for their businesses.
To help their business grow and penetrate the market deeper, they recruit independent commission agents-those who will bring their goods to people who live far from their location.
These agents are not considered employees of the business so they do not get any basic salary.
They only earn from the percentage commission on sales.
Naturally, the more they sell, the more they earn.
Now, an online business does not need a physical location.
Anyone who has a computer and internet connection can actually start his or her own business by building a website.
However, just one website may not suffice to penetrate the cyberspace because it's just way too huge.
In order to widen the company's reach, it can encourage other people to help them increase visibility.
This is where affiliate marketers come in.
The role of an affiliate marketer is to improve the company's web traffic.
This means that he or she should encourage probable customers to visit the merchant's site.
If any of these potential clients makes a purchase, signs up for the business, or simply visits the merchant's site, you can get a certain percentage as a commission or fee.
Pretty simple, right? Aside from driving traffic to the seller's website, an affiliate marketer doesn't have other things to do.
The rest would be dealt with by the merchant.
Since he or she is the one who has the goods; any queries, conflicts, and refunds would be discussed with him or her.
You only have a revenue sharing agreement with your merchant and he or she pays you the agreed amount whenever the required action takes place.
Just like other businesses, affiliate marketing has its own pros and cons.
Pros

• You don't need to create your own products to sell.
  Meaning, you won't have to think of production costs and procedures.
  
• You won't have to experience the stress of talking to irate customers, dealing with returns, and entertaining complaints.
  
• You can conduct business 24/7 with or without your presence.
  
• You can mix and match various products at will.
  You are no one's employee anyway.
  

Cons

• The merchant has the control of the commission structures.
  He or she can revise them anytime he or she likes.
  
• The merchant has the final say on how much sales returns you have truly generated.
  
• The marketing costs and efforts are your responsibilities.
  You have to determine them so that they'd end up being covered adequately by the commission you are paid with.
  

Affiliate marketing online can be a good business.
If you want to earn extra and maximize the time you are online, perhaps you can try this growing business.