Affiliate marketing is not only one of the most powerful means of making money on the internet: it is also one of the easiest.

But don't be fooled – it may be easy, but it takes time, persistence and effort. You will not get rich overnight.

Before you get started you need to know that there are several essential tools; without them you will not get to take-off.

This article will present four key tools and how they can help you to develop your affiliate marketing business. First, however, a few words about the tactics of affiliate marketing.

As an affiliate marketer you earn a commission on the sale of a product owned by someone else or just by pointing a prospective customer to the place where a purchase can be made.

For you, just as important as earning a commission today is building an email list of prospective customers to earn commissions from future campaigns and products. Therefore you first pass on contacts to the point where a purchase is made after he or she has let you have an email address. That is why....

1. 
   You need a professionally designed website through which you will market affiliate programs and products. The credibility of your business is enhanced if the website looks professional. You use the website to recommend products, thus helping people to decide whether or not this product is something they might want to buy. At the same time you collect the email address of prospective customers for your email list, which you will use for future marketing campaigns.
   
2. 
   You can't do anything without signing up with a web hosting company, of which there are a great many. Choose a reliable one. Ask around, but bear in mind that there is a reason why the most popular web hosting companies are popular.
   
3. 
   If you have never heard of any auto responder before, you must get acquainted. It is something you cannot do without. It is important because not everyone who visits the website where you market affiliate programs will purchase right away. An auto responder is an automated system that helps you follow up with these people, and will keep on reminding them about your website and invite them to visit your site. You can use an e-course or articles with interesting tips that will make your prospects want to visit your website again. By doing this you are increasing the chances of generating a sale from people who visit your site.
   
4. 
   4.An advert tracking system. If you want to make sales and earn affiliate commissions, you must drive traffic to your website. This means that you must be constantly advertising your website using different types of campaigns. It is important that you track and assess the effectiveness of the marketing campaigns and advertising tools that you use. This analysis will help you select the most effective campaign and invest more money in it for even better results.
   

 There are of thousands of other affiliates who are marketing the same products as you. That proves that there is a demand for these products. But to grab your small share of this vast market you must, as a minimum, use the tools presented here to help you make your business efficient.