Affiliate marketing helps you in making your business profitable and fun at the same time. The key is choosing the right programs. You can benefit with the good programs either be involved with scams that will not pay you for your hardships and owe you the commission you deserve in the end. How to avoid scams: The best way to avoid these scams, do your research well. Consider these points before joining: 1. Does the company have good support? Do they answer emails and have valid contact information? 2. Do they have a valid offline address? 3. What % of commission do they pay; 30%-50% is the best. 4. Tracking system - this should be in real time and accurate. 5. Products should be well targeted for your market and of good quality. Where to research: 1. Forums related to your industry. There are many savvy people who use the forums for reference. You can ask advice from others base on the programs they use. 2. Discussion lists. 3. Look into the program carefully. 4. Put the company name, plus the word scam, into the search engines and see what comes up. Use your own judgment, as sometimes these reviews may not be 100% true. GOLDEN RULE: Look before you join to prevent being victimized with these scams. It is advisable if you ask other people's opinions. Do not rush, choose good reliable programs wisely that will give you the profits you want for many years to come.