Today, affiliates are making money without ever leaving the house. What is an affiliate, you ask? An affiliate is a website owner who earns a commission by referring visitors to another website. Whenever a visitor makes a purchase at the other website, the affiliate gets a commission. The trick to making money this way is knowing what websites to link to and how to advertise.

When you become an affiliate of a website, your visitors believe you're recommending the product. Don't give a link to a website that sells a bad product. Instead, try to make the product or service relevant to your site. For example, let's say your website is dedicated to horses. Don't direct your visitors to a company that sells tye-die T-shirts; instead, direct them to a company that sells T-shirts featuring horses.

Think of the product in the long-run. If a guy likes the T-shirt he bought, he'll go back to the website and buy it again. However, if you link him to a website selling a one-year subscription to a horse magazine, he'll only come back once a year.

If the magazine is more popular than the T-shirt, then maybe that's a better choice. Look over records to see which is more successful and make a well-informed decision.

Finally, make sure the website you're linking to isn't about to go bankrupt. Nobody likes to click on a link to a dead site. Check the company's financial records and make sure it'll be around for a while.

Another thing to research is how the website tracks consumers. Do they use the cookie method - when a website puts a cookie on the customer's computer - or the more reliable method of putting your affiliate ID with the customer's record into the database? Decide which method(s) you trust and make your choice accordingly.

After you pick the right websites, you have to do your part as an affiliate: advertise. Remember, if you're an affiliate to a popular website, it probably has numerous other affiliates who are advertising to earn their commission, which means they're your competition.

One way to advertise is writing a teaser. Many affiliates use the teaser method, so try to be different and gain an edge on the competition by making your teaser stimulating and memorable. Don't go into details about prices; instead, write something that will excite visitors just enough to click through.

Another advertising method is writing a recommendation of the product. This makes people feel more comfortable clicking through. Research the product so you know what you're talking about, and think of who would most want the product so you can target them. However, don't recommend too many products, as people might get overwhelmed and think you're making everything up. And remember: if you have to lie to sell the product, perhaps it's not something you should be recommending. Don't risk losing customers because you advertise terrible products.

Being an affiliate is hard work. You can work in your bathrobe but it requires a sharp mind. However, if you do your research and make your advertisements, you can make money from the comfort of your own house.