If You Are Expecting A Guaranteed And Level Income

Affiliate marketing doesn’t pay a guaranteed income. Let’s assume you have successfully built your first website and it is displayed in all it’s glory on the Internet. You’ve been accepted into a few affiliate programs, with your banners and AdSense ads all showing nicely in the sidebars. You have even written some unique articles with anchor links in them. You eagerly await the results of your efforts.

The first week you’ve been checking your earnings reports. Not surprisingly, you might have earned only $5.00. The next week another $5. At the end of the month, you’ve made $20. The next month, if you’re lucky, you have earned a whopping $200. You’re on the road to be making $1,000 a month within 6 months, right?

Wrong! Affiliate marketing income is fickle. Your website might get “old” looking to your visitors, Google may have knocked you lower in it’s return results, your type of visitors might not be buyers, but only “tire kickers” who are only looking for price comparisons to buy locally in a brick and mortar store. There are a number of variables that can all affect your earnings not only monthly, but weekly and daily.

In the third month, your website might be back down to $20. This is why you can never depend on affiliate marketing to provide for a planned monthly income that you can say with certainty, I will earn ‘X’ amount of money this month with my website(s).

What is possible? A close estimate of yearly income. Over a full year of earnings you can determine a relatively close average of earnings you will derive as an affiliate marketer, but even then, websites you have must be constantly updated with unique content and new websites created. Doing so will determine which website niches you have chosen need improving, or even replacements required to cover the drop in earnings from others.

If a niche you have chosen has fallen out of favor, a new one may be needed to pick up the slack. That is, let’s say you’ve chose a niche of “teeny-weeny polka dot bikinis.” The first 3 months your website is running those bikinis they are a must have for every pretty girl on the beach. Sales generated from your affiliate website have you seeing the possibility of a new car very soon. Suddenly, some Hollywood movie star is wearing striped bikinis. You’ll likely see a drastic drop in your polka-dot bikini website. Does this mean you should drop your existing site? Not at all (you never know when polka-dots will make a comeback), but you might build a striped bikini website!

Just be aware that like any business, income fluctuates for a variety of reasons when you are an affiliate marketer. Don’t be discouraged if you see a drop in earnings, or think a great month has you on track to an early retirement. Keep working your business!

Matthew A. Dees, a successful webmaster and affiliate marketer, teaches website creation in NE Pennsylvania. His download program, for those outside PA is available at HomeIncome30.com, where you will receive a FREE Affiliate Marketing ebook. Matthew’s forum, HomeIncomeForum.com, is open for all who wish to honestly discuss any aspect of website creation and affiliate marketing.