The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers.
- Brian Tracy

A lot of large and small online businesses have an affiliate program, and are continually working with their affiliates helping them to succeed. Think of your affiliates as salespeople you hired to go around selling your product or service. Too often I see a lack of emphasis on the affiliate program. I am convinced that there has never been a better way to make money. 

If you are able to set up a good profitable affiliate program, it is so easy for everyone involved to benefit. All you do is help the affiliate, and all the affiliates do in essence, is link to you. It's so simple and easy for everyone involved but it works extremely well with a minimal investment of time, energy and money. 

If you hired 50 of these salespeople, would you train them and provide them with tools? Yes. Would you stay in contact with them? Yes. Would you keep your sales force happy and motivated? Yes. A secret of the majority of wealthy people is that they spend time and money on the things that matter. Determine what matters to your business and then spend a proportionate amount of your time on that task. 

I have determined that our affiliate programs, when given a modest investment of time and energy matters most to our business. You may find the same thing if you incorporate my suggestions into your own affiliate management strategy. Why wait until now? Now is the time, after testing your copy, perfecting your sales process and gaining accurate statistics to launch your affiliate program. 

Trying to launch your affiliate program before this point may not be wise. You don't want to have affiliates sign up with you too early and then be disappointed by conversions and drop your program. Be sure to have your site converting at least 1.25% of visitors to customers before you consider actively promoting your affiliate program. Don't be afraid to market your affiliate program just as you would your product.