During the last couple of years e-commerce sites in the UK have significantly increased their traffic. UK affiliates are operating their own web sites and link to e-commerce sites, which are paying a commission to the affiliates; the new marketing tool, provided by affiliate networks, gains speed.

 

Graphic banners and advertisements have always been a strong marketing tool for the advertisement in the Internet; however, with the arrival of affiliate networks e-commerce took a step forward. Affiliate programs have been proven to be the most effective way of increasing traffic to a site; after visiting an affiliate's site and clicking the link, potential customers establish relations with the merchants, and the affiliates gain a commission. Therefore it becomes a "win-win" situation for everyone.

 

According to "Affiliate Marketing Networks - Buyer's Guide (2006)", the value of UK sales generated from the affiliate channel is estimated to be £2.16 billion for 2006, rising from around £1.35 billion in 2005. It is forecast that commissions and fees paid out to affiliate networks will have risen to £133m million by the end of this year.