During the last couple of years e-commerce sites in the UK have significantly increased their traffic, not only from the UK but from anywhere people speak English. 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.