The challenge is that most marketers think about it as creating a product to sell. They don't think about it as building a business.

Because creating one product, unless evergreen and a big success, is not going to last. The product creation cycle must then start again, over and over.

Most successful product creators were affiliate marketers first. After creating their own products, they continue to be affiliate marketers. I have seen them on leader boards everywhere, helping each other promote their products.

Thank goodness we can have the best of both worlds, creating our own products and/or being an affiliate for those who have done so.

I agree there are advantages and disadvantages. I don't agree with the gurus who say that creating your own product is the only way to succeed online.

Some affiliate marketers make more money than product creators. It depends on the individual and what path they decide upon. ~ Jude

I like it, both sides of the business appeal to me

Hi - I have went down the product route many times in the past. Mainly as I'm a programmer, and it's easy to program something once, and sell it lots.

So affiliate marketing is new to me (since coming to WA late last year). Selling something on behalf of someone else, and getting paid for it is great - but there's a part of me that still wants to have actually created something, that adds value to someone else.

I'd like to think I can have a foot in both camps. I'll do the affiliate marketing and sales - and try and promote other products - but I'd also like to have my own products that people can benefit from, and that "affiliates" can help sell and gain financially from.

Cheers, Mark

Hi.

I'm considering a product we will make and ship - so I'm interested in knowing how you track affiliate referrals through to sales - particularly if your sales are based on a WP site. Is that something you can share?

Cheers, Mark