With affiliate networks on the scene, business networking has added a new feather in the cap. These agencies provide business-to-business services and help as a conducive medium that joins affiliate with the merchants.

The primary job of an affiliate network is to put the right publisher resource across the right advertiser or merchant. Affiliate networks as such are always on the look out for web resources whose space can be sold to the merchants.

Merchants or the advertisers are the primary clients of affiliate networks. The credibility of affiliate networks depends much on the kind of clientele that are served by the network. The services are considered later; it is the clients that are counted first. It also helps the publishers or for that that matter any person who is interested in joining the network, to identify the best network service providers in the market.

Some affiliate networks also own their own web resources. When some good merchants or advertising deals are put through, they switch and take upon as affiliates themselves. It is mostly found with the networks that have served as affiliates in the past.

The revenue and profits are generated by affiliate networks by charging and overriding fee on the commissions earned by the affiliates. The money is paid the merchant and no increments are made against the publishers.

One classification that differentiates the services of different affiliate networks is based on the revenue generation model. There are networks that offer CPA programs only, yet there are others with provisions for PPC models, per sales model and hybrid models.

One of the best alternatives that a publisher has is the advertisement serving program, like Google AdSense. But there is one fundamental drawback that advertisements may not be appropriately placed and match the content of the publisher’s web page. Networks make it a point to review the web page and ensure that right advertisements and promotional content is placed on any given web page. It increases the hits or conversion rates.

There are different criteria for services provided by the affiliate network. Some networks offer their services in UK and US only, some in China and India, etc. Some take care of banner impressions, some provide for leads and other for sales only. There are networks that offer services to travel web site owner, some offer services to online buying and selling portals, etc.