Affiliate terms

This page describe some common affiliate marketing terms and gives answer to the Frequently Asked Questions about affiliate marketing.

How much does it cost to join affiliate marketing network?

100% FREE. Becoming publisher or merchant of an affiliate network is always free.

 What kind of technical skill is needed to be an affiliate?

There are no specific skill or knowledge required to join affiliates marketing but an affiliate (publisher) will need to be somewhat familiar with HTML, so that you can correctly Copy & Paste the links/ad code from your affiliate network to your website.

I don't have a website yet. Can I join affiliate marketing network anyway?

No; first sign-up for instant free website to build your own website then join the program. 

• Merchant: to join affiliate marketing network as a merchant you need to be selling your products/services through the internet or using your website to generate leads. 
• Publisher: to join affiliate marketing network as publisher you need to have a website that you will be using to market the products/services of your affiliate partners.

Sign-up for Instant Free Website: whatever your business idea, hobby, passion or news, R&D Business Services gives you the possibility of sharing your passion through the internet for no cost. Click here to build your own website now and your account will be activated instantly. Instant free website is an All-in-one solution that anyone can use to build a professional website within some days.

My site is not live yet. Can I apply anyway?

Yes; however we strongly recommend that you publish some information on your website explaining what your site will feature and who you will target.

Are there any restrictions on the types of websites that affiliates have?

Yes. Affiliate networks do not accept websites that are pornographic or sites that promote illegal activity of any nature.

What is a Publisher?

Publishers are individual or company/websites that promote advertiser products or services, in exchange for a commission from sales, lead or click generated through their website.

Publishers are also referred to as:
Associate
Partner
Affiliate

What is an Advertiser?

Advertisers are typically e-commerce sites that pay publisher commission for sending visitors who complete a transaction on their website. See profitable affiliate programs.

Advertisers are also referred to as:
Advertiser
Program
Client

What is click-through (also called click)?

A click-through refers to the action a consumer takes when they are referred from one Web site through a link or advertisement and is taken to another Web site. Click-through ratio is the percentage of clicks for the number of advertising impressions displayed.

What is a unique visitor?

A unique visitor is one click per IP address, per program, per 24 hours. If a link is opened automatically on an affiliate site, regardless of the size of this window or the manner in which it is done, this is not defined as a valid click.

CPA also known as PPA

Cost-per-action (CPL) also known as pay-per-action (PPA) is a metric for online advertising where a rate is set for every action that is taken by a user.

CPS also known as PPS
Cost-per-sales (CPS) also known as pay-per-sales (PPS) is an online advertising pricing model in which payment is based on conversion of leads, like a trial sign-up form, a file or software download, completion of a newsletter form etc.

CPL also known as PPL
Cost-per-lead (CPS) also known as pay-per-lead (PPL) is an online advertising pricing model in which payment is based on qualified sales.

CPM - Cost per thousand impressions

Cost-per-impression (CPM) is a metric for online advertising where a rate is set for every thousand impressions.

What is an impression?

An impression is the viewing of an advertising banner, link, or product on the Internet.

What is conversion rate?

The conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who take a desired action from a click through. The action that determines conversion is determined by the advertiser and may be a sale on the advertiser's Web site, a completed lead form, or another action.

What is Commission?

Commission is the fee paid to you by the Advertiser. Commission can be a percentage of the sales value generated by your site, or, it can be a fixed fee. For example,

• GameDuell pays $1.00/€0,50/£0,30 PPL and $30.00/€10,00 - €25,00/£10,00 - £20,00 PPS.
• Ebooker pays €10,00 - €35,00 and 1% - 5% PPS in all other currencies.

How do I get paid.

The payment method used in affiliate marketing is different from one company and affiliate network to another. See more details on the website of the affiliate network of your choice.

Can I reward my users?

Yes. The TradeDoubler EPI tracking features allows you to add an extension on your tracking links. However, rewarding your users is not an easy process. Advertisers do not pay immediately, some advertisers pay their invoices late, and some sales may not be approved by the advertiser due to cancellation. This could cause problem for your users, so please take this into consideration.

Can affiliates make sales via their own links?

Yes. You are allowed to buy via your own website and still earn commission as usual. Make sure you are not blocking cookie on your computer while making a purchase.

Can I apply to programs in other countries?

Yes. You can apply for affiliate programs in another country if your affiliate network have programs of the country you want to market. TradeDoubler is highly recommended for international publishers. See affiliate networks for other affiliate networks.

How did affiliate marketing works?

Click here for more details.

Can I also become an advertiser on affiliate network?

Yes. see more details on the website of the affiliate network of your choice. 

Can an affiliate refer another affiliate?
Yes. 

Can I add more than one website to my affiliate account?

Yes, the following method is different from one affiliate network to another:

• You can register your websites separately this means that you will need to be applying for programs separately but it also means that will be able to see how much revenue each site generates.
• You can group all statistics together by simply managing all your domains under one account.

Statistics and tracking? 
The system that makes it possible for you to see how many sales, leads, clicks or impressions your site generates per program.