These days, affiliates are making money without ever leaving the house. What is an affiliate, you ask? An affiliate is a website owner who earns a commission by referring visitors to another website. Whenever a visitor makes a purchase at the other website, the affiliate gets a commission. The trick to making money this way is knowing what websites to link to and how to advertise.

When you become an affiliate of a website, your visitors believe you're recommending the product. Don't give a link to a website that sells a bad product. Instead, try to make the product or service relevant to your site. For example, lets say your website is dedicated to horses. Don't direct your visitors to a company that sells tye-die T-shirts; instead, direct them to a company that sells T-shirts featuring horses.

Think of the product in the long-run. If a guy likes the T- shirt he bought, hell go back to the website and buy it again. However, if you link him to a website selling a one- year subscription to a horse magazine, hell only come back once a year. If the magazine is more popular than the T- shirt, then maybe that's a better choice. Look over records to see which is more successful and make a well-informed decision.

Secondly, choose the websites based on what they offer, and think of the product long-term. For instance, an online library membership is something you can sell to a person one time, but people go back to the same places to buy clothes they like. This doesn't mean you shouldn't link to an online library, you just need to be aware of its differences from the clothes company. Take into account the fact that libraries may be more popular than one clothing site among thousands. If you can, research the company's records to see how much money they've made. You also want to choose websites based on what your website is about. Think of what kind of people come to your site, and then imagine what type of sites they would want links to. If your site is about American history, it would be better to advertise a website that sells history books or American paraphernalia than a website offering contact lenses.

However, even if you pick the right websites, you still need to know how to get people to come to your site and click through to the money-making site. If you're linking to a big website, it probably has lots of other affiliates that are competing with you for commission.

One way to advertise is writing a teaser. Many affiliates use the teaser method, so try to be different and gain an edge on the competition by making your teaser stimulating and memorable. Don't go into details about prices; instead, write something that will excite visitors just enough to click through.

Another advertising method is writing a recommendation of the product. This makes people feel more comfortable clicking through. Research the product so you know what you're talking about, and think of who would most want the product so you can target them. However, don't recommend too many products, as people might get overwhelmed and think you're making everything up. And remember: if you have to lie to sell the product, perhaps its not something you should be recommending. Don't risk losing customers because you advertise terrible products. Being an affiliate is hard work. You can work in your bathrobe but it requires a sharp mind. However, if you do your research and make your advertisements, you can make money from the comfort of your own house.

Harlan Mennen is the webmaster of Dr Affiliate which is an excellent place to find affiliate links, resources and articles.