Dropshipping and Affiliate Marketing

Dropshipping and affiliate marketing are two different but similar ways of making money.

With dropshipping, you sell products for other companies without actually having to handle the products. In turn, you are paid by the company for whom you sold the product.

With affiliate marketing, you advertise and suggest a company’s products or services and if someone clicks through from your ad to that company and makes a purchase within a certain amount of time you receive money.  Some companies, like Walmart, are very selective of their affiliates, but many others will let almost anyone affiliate market with them.

Keep in mind, the more pricey an item you sell, the bigger the commission.

You should never have to pay to be a part of an affiliate or dropship program.

I Blog Zone compares affiliate marketing and dropshipping.

Dropshipping and Affiliate Marketing Programs:

• Amazon Associates is the affiliate program for Amazon.com.
• CJ Affiliate by Conversant, previously Commission Junction, is a great resource for affiliate marketing programs.  Update: They now will charge a 10.00 “dormant fee” to any user who doesn’t earn any money within six months.  Affiliate marketing is tough!  I think it is best to start somewhere big that doesn’t set a quota, like Amazon, Zazzle or Cafepress.
• Drop Ship Access has a selection of wholesale products for you to resale. This site is listed with the Better Business Bureau.
• Ebay Commerce Network is an affiliate marketing site that partners with Shopping.com.
• Fitness Cash lists fitness drop ship and affiliate programs.
• Google Adsense pays you per click when customers click on google ad you place on your website.  If approved, you can also put Google ads in your games and videos.
• Vistaprint has a variety of programs to suit all types of people.
• Walmart has a more selective affiliate program.  If you are not already making money affiliate marketing then chances are Walmart will not approve you to affiliate market with them.
• Youtube make money from original content you post to youtube.  You submit content for monetization and if you are approved youtube places ads with your content that, when clicked on, earn you money.
• Zazzle and Cafepress allow you to create, sell, and affiliate market a wide selection of merchandise.

These are just a few examples.  Often times, if a website has an affiliate program, there will be a link for the program in the footer of the website.