Affiliate marketing, online marketing, internet marketing, performance based marketing are all terms that described the strategy in which a relationship between a merchant and an affiliate is formed. An online merchant pays commissions to Affiliates (publishers) for referring sales, leads, subscribers or other desired results.
A few simple definitions:

• A merchant is a person or a company that markets their products and services on the web.
• An affiliate is a person or a company that assists the merchant in marketing products and services in return for a commission.

• A two-tier commission structure pays an Affiliate commission on each sale (or lead or click-through) they refer and a commission on each sale referred by any Affiliates they have referred.

The following are tools for website owners and affiliates to better maximize their returns online.
For complete listings and reviews of various affiliate marketing programs, visit the Affiliate Marketing Directory for free to join programs that can earn extra money with your website.