Trying to attempt to make money online today can seem like mission impossible. Judging from the information you can find online about the subject is enough to give anyone a headache and still leave you not knowing where to start. In this article we will focus our attention on one particular method, which can be done without you even owning your own website.

1) Promote other peoples products (affiliate programs)

Affiliate programs are a good way for you to sell another companies product or services. The company is responsible for all the processing and shipping of the goods. Your job is to promote the company or service and when a customer buys through a special link that the merchant gives you, you make a commission.

2) Use a product or service before you recommend it to others

Although many people online promote programs without actually using any of the products, I myself prefer to buy the product or service first and if I like the program I will join and become an affiliate for that company. It makes recommending the services of that company to your web visitors that much easier because you can explain not only the merchants benefits but your own personal experiences from the product or service, thus increasing your chances for a commission which is what you want at the end of the day.

3) Get your own domain name

Yes its possible to just promote the link the merchant gives you, but how professional is that really going to look. Let me give you a quick example. Lets say you join a program the link the merchant gives you to promote looks like this: http://www.somemadeupprogram.com/asda/weee?kink?affiliateid kinda ugly isn't it. Fortunately there is a really easy way to fix this. Go to a domain name supplier like godaddy.com and buy a domain name similar to the product your promoting, for example, my-some-made-up-program.com and then redirect that name to your affiliate link. There is nothing technical about doing this and will only cost you around $10 -$15 to get that domain. It will look much more professional and increases your chances of a sale.

4) Have as much of an automated system as possible

When you join a program you want to join something that is as automated as possible, by that I mean much of the work of selling is done for you, like automatic follow up with your leads, great sales letter etc.. Your only job as a partner is to drive as much traffic to your affiliate page as possible.

5) Use an autoresponder

If your really serious about promoting other peoples products, then a good autoresponder is essential. You need to be able to get your own leads. Sending your website visitors to just your affiliate link is not good enough. Generating your own leads means you can follow up with your visitors again and again, meaning more cash in your pocket

6) Use residual income programs

Try to join a company that pays you not only once but again and again. If you recommend someone to a good program you will find yourself getting paid 3, 6 and even 12 months later. This can add up to a significant income and no extra work is required on your part. A good example of this is a good web hosting company. They tend to pay monthly commission because they charge the customers on a monthly basis.

7) Make sure your commission pay out is 50% or above

Although this is not the only thing you should look at when you join a program, it is nevertheless very important. If your going to spend the time and effort promoting a program make sure you get paid well for it. Remember your job is to drive as much traffic as you can to your own link and if you decide to pay for web traffic It's important that you make a high enough profit to offset your advertising budget.