CPA marketing or more rightly, cost per action marketing seems to be taking the internet by storm and signs show it will continue to be a major player and perhaps a dominant one in the next few years. It actually gained a bad rep from the dodgy dealings of a few of the early players but these were soon weeded out and now you have every major manufacturer trying to gain leverage in the marketplace by using this method.

As CPA marketing gains traction, more big name brands are climbing aboard because they don't want to lose valuable market share. Pay per click was never popular among large companies because the overall advertising cost on high volumes of sales would be huge, and even when an ad was clicked there was no guarantee of a sale. Now with CPA marketing, they don't pay until they either make a sale or obtain the shopper's details (usually name and zip code or email address) meaning they don't pay for random click throughs.

The reason CPA marketing is proving so popular with affiliates is because it allows even new internet marketers to get involved and set themselves up a steady income without resorting to spamming and other unpleasant activities. By signing up with a good CPA network it is entirely possible to start making money within a very short space of time. Although the amount won't be huge to start with, it is all about getting the formula right and duplicating it.

It is not get-rich-quick but it is get-rich-in-the-next-2-to-3-years. Knowing the basics makes all the difference, and once you know the basics, knowing the secrets allows you to get the edge over your rivals.

In the internet marketing business there are tools available to help you sidestep a lot of the potholes in the road ahead. It is fine to learn by your own mistakes but costly, and it holds you back in the long run. How much better to learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before you?

So is CPA marketing really a legitimate business? The answer is yes. CPA marketing is a legitimate form of marketing, and can be a profitable one to be involved in - if you are prepared to do the work required. If you're looking for an online business, or have one already and are thinking about branching out, then consider CPA marketing. It may be exactly what you need to get your online business producing the income you really want.