Alternatives to Amazon Affiliates

Google Affiliate Network

Like Amazon Associates, Google Affiliate Network (google.com/ads/affiliatenetwork) rewards bloggers with a percentage of product sales. Google Affiliate Network connects you with advertisers whose products and services are right for your audience. The percentage of commission you earn on each sale depends on what advertisers you work with. Best for bloggers or website builders with a niche audience, this affiliate program gives you access to exclusive marketing opportunities. If you want to be part of the network, make sure you meet Google Affiliate's content quality and blog traffic standards before filling out an online application.

Barnes and Noble Affiliates

Barnes and Noble (bn.com), the top bookseller brand in the United States as of 2010, operates a program through Google Affiliate Network that is similar to Amazon Associates. Like Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble sells primarily media products like books, eBooks, DVDs, and music. You earn 6 percent commission on purchases made by every customer you refer. You can become an affiliate with Barnes and Noble by applying to join the Google Affiliate Network or signing up for Google AdSense, a program that pays you each time a customer clicks on an ad published on your website.

Commission Junction

Commission Junction (cj.com) helps bloggers and other content publishers develop partnerships with top-tier advertisers. When you join the Commission Junction network, called the CJ Marketplace, you earn commission on every sale or lead your generate to an advertiser. Advertisers vary on the commission percentage offered to publishers. The CJ Marketplace publishes the performance statistics for advertisers and their affiliate publishers to help ensure that you are being compensated appropriately. Top performing publishers in the CJ Marketplace can join CJ Performer, a program that provides you with an account manager, technical support and custom transaction feeds.

ShareASale

ShareASale allows you to sign up to promote and advertise a wide range of products from artisan gifts to books to household tools. Each ShareASale merchant determines the rate of commission earned by referred sales or leads. While most merchants reward affiliates only for sales, some ShareASale merchants also pay you a small fee for each click on the ads or links featured on your page. To become a ShareASale affiliate, you must have a valid website address and good quality content free of adult themes or hate messages.