What is the State of Affiliate Marketing

I've long felt that Affiliate programs were one of the better ways for retailers large and small to increase their reach. At the same time, affiliate programs offer a great way for content publishers to generate revenue from contextually relevant advertising.

But whenever I do a "search on affiliate programs":http://www.google.ca/search?num=100&hl=en&q=affiliate+marketing&btnG=Search&meta= I feel like I need to take a shower afterwards. While some of this stuff has merit much of what you get looks like *make-money-fast*, too-good-to-be-true offers that don't line up with my ethical, contextual image of affiliate programs. If you did follow that link to Google you may have been greeted (as I was) by *over 85 adwords links" on the _affiliate marketing_ page. When did Google start putting 85 ads on one results page? So I put it to you dear reader: Should an affiliate marketing program be part of every online retailers toolkit or has this once great concept been taken over by hucksters?

Comments

[Jimmy]

Here's my two-cents.

Yes, I believe adding affiliate programs to the toolkit of an online retailer can be effective if pushed the right way.

The problem I see with affiliate programs is that many online retailers set up a standard "one size fits all" system and expect the affiliate program will naturally pan out. No maintenance.

I don't believe that is the case.

This is what I think: Online retailers should take the time and effort to research and approach sites that are relevant to their target market for the products they provide. Furthermore, they should work closely with these sites to help them push their sales, while providing them with a fair commission. And by "fair", I mean a commission rate that is competitive and can motivate affiliate partners to work hard for your business. That is why when an online retailer manages to establish a few strong affiliate partners, it can impact sales extremely positively. So remember to treat your key affiliates well.

[Jimmy]

Here's my two-cents.

Yes, I believe adding affiliate programs to the toolkit of an online retailer can be effective if pushed the right way.

The problem I see with affiliate programs is that many online retailers set up a standard "one size fits all" system and expect the affiliate program will naturally pan out. No maintenance.

I don't believe that is the case.

This is what I think: Online retailers should take the time and effort to research and approach sites that are relevant to their target market for the products they provide. Furthermore, they should work closely with these sites to help them push their sales, while providing them with a fair commission. And by "fair", I mean a commission rate that is competitive and can motivate affiliate partners to work hard for your business. That is why when an online retailer manages to establish a few strong affiliate partners, it can impact sales extremely positively. So remember to treat your key affiliates well.