It is estimated that ninety five percent of affiliate marketers fail. "Why?" Having been in this game for a little over two years, I have come to the conclusion, very few aspiring affiliates are willing to invest money in their pursuit to affiliate stardom.

Many individuals believe they will succeed with commitment alone. Unfortunately, this is not the case. There are some stories of individuals making a fortune with little or no cash investment. This is the minority rather than the majority.

With this in mind, lets focus on the majority!

To be in with a chance there is a need to invest capital into any affiliate program you choose to represent. Lets look at the bigger picture! Internet business or High Street Business? There is no difference in the two when it comes to setting up a business. Both require capital investment. Internet businesses operate in the same way as High Street businesses in so far as start up capital is required, therefore it is necessary to invest money to get a return.

Looking at the now familiar '30 Day FREE Trial!' Is this a good thing or bad thing? In the short term it is a good thing. It allows an individual to build a list, which we are constantly told is the most important aspect of making money on line. There may be some truth in the list being 'the best thing since sliced bread', unfortunately the 30 Day Free Trial appears to attract the affiliate marketer who has little or no intention of investing in the product / service once the trial period ends, unless they have had some sort of success within that time frame. In the long term you have gained a contact who may be of little or no value to you in the future.

In recent weeks I signed up to a pre-launch program without any investment due to it's pre-launch status. The program details the top recruiters and the numbers they have recruited. On googling the names on the leader board, all the recruiters from the very top to the bottom are seasoned affiliate marketers, who have the provisions and contacts to be where they are pre-launch.

Success in this game is down to individuals being prepared to invest the capital required to be a full time member of the program/s they choose to represent. It is unfortunate that people sign up to free trial programs, with no intention, or not having the means to pursue the program past the trial period. This creates frustration from the loyal affiliate (sponsor) who is doing everything in their power to succeed and will continue to invest in the program until they come to a stage where their time and effort begins to catch up with them in the form of losing money instead of making money. At this point there is no alternative, but to quit.

Unfortunately, the mentality of the majority of affiliates is to quit without giving the program a chance. The ideal situation and a no brainier would be if all affiliates

Made a three to six month personal commitment following the trial period
Not signing up to a program that is beyond their means

If these two basic rules were adhered to by all affiliate marketers, the percentage of successful affiliates would increase dramatically. The 30 day Free Trial Period should be used as a means to familiarize the new affiliate to the program.