The vast majority of online businessmen and women who find success do so via affiliate programs. But, as in any kind of business, making the right choices is critical. Here's how.

1. Use a tracking or analytics program to learn as much as you can about the folks who visit your site. Their ages, genders, geographic locations, and the search terms they use to find your site are all important to know.

2. After you have a good picture of your visitors, you'll have little trouble deciding what kinds of products and services will have the greatest appeal to them and how much they are likely to be willing to pay for them.

3. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. If your visitors are women between the age of 25-45, choose several affiliate programs which offer products or services which will appeal to them.

4. Choose affiliate agencies and individual affiliate programs with care. Look for a verifiable history of success.

5. Most successful online entrepreneurs favor agencies which offer a wide range of affiliate opportunities.

6. Develop a relationship with affiliate managers. It is in their best interest to make you successful, so seek their advice and consider it carefully.

7. Keep testing your banners and advertising copy to see which are most successful for you.

8. Carefully consider affiliate programs which pay you for generating "leads". It is frequently easier to get your website visitors to request information about products and services than to actually purchase them online.

The possibilities are endless. That's why it's worthwhile to do some research and analytical thinking until you find programs about which you feel genuinely enthusiastic. Do that, and your chances of having an online business that produces significant, ongoing income are greatly multiplied.