If you are trying to make money online by working as an affiliate marketer, you've got a challenge ahead of you. I'm not saying that it can't be done. Quite the contrary, however, most people do fail because they don't know which pitfalls to stay away from and they simply don't know what they're doing so they go and buy everything they can get their hands on hoping that the next thing they get will be what puts them "in the money". Well, even though the guru's online love you because you buy all of their stuff, you're no closer than you were when you started out. Here are three tips that will help you get on your way to making money as an affiliate marketer.

#1. Stop spending money! I don't mean to completely stop spending money, but until you know what it is that you want to do online, and you know that there is a market of hungry buyers for what you plan to offer, there's no reason for you to spend money on anything that isn't going to help you reach your goal. The next time that you see the latest, greatest product being offered, before you whip out your credit card, ask yourself honestly, "do I really NEED this or do I just want it?"

#2. Build your own website or have it done for you. I'm not talking about some cheap, cheesy website crappola setup that looks like a cartoon and draws curiosity seekers and not interested buyers. I'm talking about a website that has a professional look and feel to it and each page is designed to review one product only. Each page of this website should be optimized for the one product only and should only be an honest review, not a sales pitch. Have your affiliate link cloaked in anchor text and point to it with a strong call to action such as "Get more information about XYZ product Right Now by visiting..."

#3. Find a mentor immediately - The biggest mistake that people make when they want to make money as an affiliate marketer is that they don't treat it like a business. If you were going to be a Fireman you'd get the proper training and equipment, right? Even in Telemarketing you're given a script to go by with someone standing over your shoulder making sure that you read it verbatim. Making money as an affiliate marketer is no different. You must learn from someone that's already successful.

Ignore these three tips at your own peril! Most people fail online because they're either lazy tire kicker's or they simply run around in circles, spending all their money until they come to the conclusion that affiliate marketing doesn't work, but they're so wrong. Making money as an affiliate marketer is very real, but you must treat it like a business.