Affiliate Marketing Customer Acquisition Through

Affiliate Marketing

Customer Acquisition Through Affiliates: Current State of the Issues

Affiliate marketing has taken the Internet by storm. In theory, it represents an efficient means for getting the word out to a targeted audience in a manner that theoretically takes them right to the purchase point. However, the industry of affiliate marketing suffers from several maladies that harm its ability to deliver as promised. The first is a lack of academic research into affective techniques and customers response. The second is a lack of industry standards and methods. The third factor that harms affiliate marketers is the actions of unscrupulous individuals and companies who have destroyed the trust of the consumer in these programs. This research explores the key issues being faced by the industry, current literature on the subject, and offers practical recommendations that the industry needs to take in order to become a more effective marketing venue.