When I decided on becoming an affiliate marketer last year, it was because I had failed at MLM like so many others and because I needed some money to supplement my monthly income.

I didn't know much about the internet and I knew absolutely nothing about making money online. I was determined to learn how to make money with affiliate marketing though, after I had learned about an ebook called Google Cash. I took to the internet and discovered a business that would become my passion.

It took me some months before I could start making some 'real' money as an affiliate marketer mainly because of some mistakes I had made starting out. I love recommending this business to my friends and also to complete strangers online and even offline.

I don't want them to make the same mistakes I made and I would offer any shortcuts to success that I could.

Based on my experience, here are 5 steps you should take to ensure you do not make the same mistakes I made (which may otherwise have you ending up frustrated and quitting) on my way to becoming an affiliate marketer.

In a nutshell, affiliate marketing is linking customers to online merchants and stores. There are many businesses online that would like to have more customers and they will pay to get visitors to their site.

Thats where the affiliate marketer comes in. The merchant agrees to pay the affiliate a percentage or flat fee. When the affiliate signs up with the merchant's website, he gets a uniques link or banner which will be used to send visitors to the merchant's website.

When the visitor makes a purchase on the merchant's website as a result of clicking on the affiliate marketer's link or banner, the affiliate is rewarded with the agreed commission (from a few dollars up to a few hundred dollars).

Becoming an affiliate marketer is just a matter of signing up with a company which has an affiliate program. There are several ways to promote affiliate programs and this can lead to a good monthly income. Many people are making a full time income just from affiliate marketing alone.

Below is a video of Rosalind Gardner, who wrote The Super Affiliate Handbook, as she shows you how affiliate marketing really works.

I love affiliate marketing because it enables me to make money from home part time. I'm looking forward to making it a full time career and I don't doubt that it will be happening soon.

Here's 5 reasons why you should become an affiliate marketer:

1. You can work from anywhere in the world - Because its internet based, affiliate marketing has no boundaries which means you can do it from the comfort of your own home or anywhere as long as there is an internet connection. Fact: I should know because I'm from a small island in the Caribbean!
2. Requires no large start up cost - For a business with a very huge earning potential this has got to be the only business that I know where you can start with nothing. You heard it right - nothing! And thats the least. However, in order to get the most out of it in the quickest time possible there may be a few minor costs but that still means that the startup is, in comparison to other businesses - minimal. My monthly expenses include the $29.99 subscription to Wealthy Affiliate, and my PPC budget of $100 at the moment. The PPC budget isn't required since you could make money using free methods.
3. Huge income potential - When I say huge, I mean there are affiliates who are making more money than doctors and lawyers every month. Monthly income of $10000 - $50000 are common among advanced affiliate marketers.
4. Requires no product or inventory - Ah. The beauty of the digital world. You can promote instantly downloadable ebooks and membership services and collect handsome commissions as well as physical products without having to stock any inventory.
5. You don't need a website - Just because its the internet means you have to have a website. In fact you don't. There are plenty of ways to earn money without your own website.

There are many other reasons why you would want to become an affiliate marketer. Its a great business and one of the easiest to get into. A good way to start being an affiliate marketer is to sign up for Wealthy Affiliate.

If you want to become a successful affiliate marketer, you must be prepared to work. Its not an overnight success business or get rich quick setup. However, I do think that its probably one of the easiest way to make a lot of money from home.

Here are some things to do to ensure that you become a successful affiliate marketer:

1. Make sure that this is some thing that you want to do. - like I said its not a get rich quick set up so if you are dreaming of buying a condo by the beach by the end of the year, it may not happen like that. But if you have long term plans of making huge sums of money or even making a career out of affiliate marketing then by all means go for it.
2. Get educated about affiliate marketing - You wont stay at home all semester and then go take the final exam, would you? Then it would only make sense to learn all you can about the various aspects of affiliate marketing. When I just started out I tried to take shortcuts and it cost me a lot of money. Had I found Wealthy Affiliate when I had just started, I would have had a solid, ongoing education on how to become a successful affiliate marketer. Unfortunately, I would find Wealthy Affiliate about 9 months after blowing a lot of money on PPC.
3. Take Action - You cannot become an affiliate marketer if you do not take action. The inability to take action is one of the biggest reasons some people don't get started. They buy ebook after ebook and never use the information provided. This only leads to more ebook spending and added frustration.
4. Keep focus - There are many ways to make money in affiliate marketing. You can do PPC, article marketing, email marketing and more. However it is best to master one thing instead of trying to do everything at once. As one of my mentors said, Its best to become exceptional at one thing than to be average at everything. To use an example - specialized doctors will make more money than general practitioners
5. Treat it like a business - Because thats what it is. You will have expenses and you will have profits. Invest in your business and the revenue will grow. Many people treat it like a hobby or a game and they only get hobby results.