Affiliate marketing is the buzzword on the Internet today. Everyday people set up affiliate websites and wind up earning serious profits. While some affiliate marketers make it big, many wind up failing. What are 10 ways to get on the road to success as an affiliate marketer?

Find A Niche. Get an idea before you start running away with concept. What do you want to sell? Who wants to buy it? Find out your target market. Create a niche before you even begin. Think of a catchy domain name for your affiliate website. Find out about domain registration and the availability of your chosen name.

Get The Right Affiliate Program. Now that you know your interests, search for affiliate programs. There are literally thousands of different affiliate programs. Start with free affiliate programs so you have a minimal investment. Commission Junction is a good place for newbies to find viable affiliate options.

Choose Affiliate Programs You Really Like. When you try to sell stuff you don't know about, people can tell. Choose affiliate programs you really like and people will feel your enthusiasm.

Have A Professional Website. Don't scrimp when in comes to website design. Remember, your website is like real estate. In days gone by, people visited your store or office. Today people come to your website to shop. Make your website simple and inviting. Avoid using free website programs that look shoddy and unprofessional. Have a polished website design with reliable web hosting.

Get Into Blogging. Your website isn't complete without a blog. WordPress is a popular, easy-to-use blogging platform that you can link to your website. A blog is an important place to provide updated information and communicate with your customers.

Keep In Touch. Give your customers plenty of ways to stay in touch. Offer a newsletter so you can continue to communicate with visitors and customers. Welcome everyone to share and forward your newsletter.

Provide Useful Content. Avoid using tired, worn-out content. Keep your blogs, web content, articles and newsletters fresh. Provide updated information people won't find elsewhere. Know what your target market wants and give it to them.

Market Your Website. If nobody knows about your website and blog, you won't get visitors. Link building, article marketing, blogging and Google AdSense are various ways to monetize your online real estate.

Know SEO. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is what gets you noticed by the major search engines such as Google and Yahoo. If you don't know SEO, get help from a pro. Having an SEO optimized website will put you ahead of the competition.

Offer Security. Ultimately you want to sell a product or services to your visitors. Make them feel safe to buy from your website. Have a website design that include an eCommerce shopping card and SSL certificate for secure transactions.

Affiliate marketing can be an excellent side income that develops into a full-time enterprise. An effective website design, an active blog and compelling SEO content equal longterm affiliate profits.