With an increasing amount of scams on the internet posing as legitimate home businesses it is becoming more and more difficult to find a business opportunity that is not going to take your money and run.

While affiliate marketing was once viewed as an oddity, it has quickly grown into the most important and effective form of Web-based marketing. At its best, affiliate marketing has the weight of a personal recommendation. This viral, word-of-mouth-meets-email approach has accelerated the success of an array of Web-based merchants.

Every affiliate marketer must be aware about the 4'Cs of Affiliate Marketing i.e. Commission, Creative, Consistency and Communication. These are the essence of every affiliate marketing program.

We define an affiliate marketing transaction as: ‘an economically motivated exchange of products and services, in which the end-user, marketer and affiliate are involved'.

In practice, affiliate marketing involves a marketer placing links to its website on affiliated websites. These links can be in the form of text, product pictures or other images that aim to promote a message to potential customers.

I'll say it straight out: You won't become wealthy as an affiliate site.