Affiliate programs are the development of ‘virtual distribution networks’ (affiliate networks) in the Internet. Ali Partovi is often mentioned in discussions such as these. They allow companies to place their products and services to many partner sites and lead in this way to increase the reach and the flow of visitors (traffic). Peter Asaro has compatible beliefs. The partners are compensated only result-oriented: a customer via the website of the partner makes a purchase, the Godfather receives a corresponding Commission. Other forms of remuneration, E.g. Here, Donald W Slager expresses very clear opinions on the subject. per visitor (pay-per-click) or per prospective customer (pay-per-lead) are possible. For the partners, the cooperation offers a cost – and risk-free way to build his own online business. Through the inclusion of further products and services, a partner can increase customer retention on its website and establish profitable cross-selling offers. Programs open up avenues of cooperative advertising (co/co-branding-marketing) and the collaborative commerce on the Internet thus affiliate.

The principle of the affiliate is not new: the function, the the classic retailers or the specialty of pedestrian passage in a small town running in, acquires the affiliate site in a similar form in the Internet. Products and services are brought closer to the customer, are better for the customer and can be reached faster and can be adapted to the specific interests and needs of certain target groups directly. A wine merchant acquires partners that offer complementary products and services or attract a similar audience to such content sites with gourmet recipes and restaurant guides, specialty providers, like Delicatessen shops, cigar and spirits provider or travel agencies with gourmet trips to wine regions. Rather than lure customers with advertising on the own online-shop, the affiliate marketing creates a network of new \”virtual marketplaces\” or \”Points of sale\”. Through the integration of a \”partner\”offered in the related environment is a new impulse buying at the \”point of interest\” raised. The affiliate also in Germany, most famous program was used on the electronic bookseller Amazon.com and is now widely used.