Many web site owners are catching on to the growing trend of affiliate marketing. Once you make the decision to become an affiliate you then need to decide if you are going to work for individual affiliates or an affiliate network. There are pros and cons to both sides, it is all about what works for you.
Advantages of using affiliate networks is that you have many different companies to choose from which means that you can place many links on your site to better serve your visitors and give them options. If you are only signed up with one individual affiliate you can only put links to their offers on your site and some will ask you to sign an agreement that will commit you to not post links that compete with their products in any way. This limits you and your potential income greatly.
Affiliate programs through an affiliate network offer a great deal of support. They handle all of the bookkeeping and records for you so that it is all automated. Some will even pay you through your PayPal account or do as Amazon.com does and they will pay you directly checking account. The nice thing for website owners doing affiliate marketing is that this has become a very competitive market so the affiliates and affiliate networks are learning more ways to cater to you and to keep your business. They are realizing the benefit that you are to their companies.
One alternative to this form of marketing is Pay Per Click. This is where you are matched up with companies that will pay you on a per click basis for leads and/or sales.