Please, can you explain how affiliate programs work! Who is advertiser and who is publisher and what exactly each of them doing? Thank YOU
Publishers = Webmasters who wants to earn money and promote the products of other websites. Advertisers = Those owners of websites who launch their affiliate program and give some % of commission to publishers which makes sale.
Affiliate programs have 2 components: Merchant - the company that sells products. Merchants create affiliate programs to help them increase sales of their products. They use Publishers (also known as Affiliates) as their online sales representatives. Publishers or Affiliates (publishers are called so because they own/publish websites where the Merchant's products are promoted/advertised). Merchants pay Publishers/Affiliates either percent of sale or a fixed amount for each sale of the product or for each lead. Affiliates (or Publishers): operate their own websites which have visitors. Affiliates put Merchant's links on their websites and help Merchants to sell their products. In return, they get referral commissions. Affiliate Networks -- help to track sales/leads and report sales and revenue to both Publishers and Merchants. Often they also write the checks to Affiliates on behalf of Merchants.