International Commerce International Marketing Internet Advertising Internet Economy Internet Media Internet Prod. Commentary Online Advert. Amazon was one of the first dotcoms in the world to recognize the value of affiliate programs. During a mere 18 months, Amazon teamed up with more than 100,000 affiliates internationally, starting a dramatic fight between most major dotcom companies to establish similar programs.
Affiliate programs allow companies to promote and sell their products from host web sites.
Thousands of web sites sell Amazon books, for example, and for this, they receive a small commission. To the consumer, affiliate programs are like Coke machines. If you want a large selection of drinks, you go to the supermarket. If you buy on impulse, a conveniently placed Coke machine offers a limited choice. But as successful as affiliate programs have been to date, there are signals indicating that this is about to change.