Affiliate program directories are niche web directories that are very like the large and broad web directories such as the Yahoo! Directory or the Open Directory Project (also known as DMOZ). Web directories are like the Yellow pages in the offline world, listings of sites grouped by niche, geographic location or special characteristic or property.
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Affiliate programs directories list affiliate programs. See affiliate marketing to learn more about affiliate programs and the affiliate marketing industry.
Affiliate marketing enables publishers or affiliates to earn commission from a merchant or advertiser on the basis of actions they helped initiate. This could be from a visitor on their website purchasing a good, viewing an advert, clicking a link or more.
Unlike generic directories, Affiliate directories provide summaries of terms and conditions for each program in their listing. That information may include the compensation model, commission rates, payout terms and methods, cookie duration, special bonuses or incentives, and other information useful to individuals who are looking for merchants or services offering affiliate programs.
In addition to affiliate networks advertising on the merchant's or service provider's own website, affiliate program directories are a common means to promote an affiliate program (advertiser) or find a fitting program (affiliate or publisher).
The first affiliate program directory was Refer-it.com. Refer-it.com was launched by James Marciano in October 1997. Refer-it was sold to Alan Meckler's company internet.com (now Jupiter Media on the NASDAQ: JUPM) in April 1999.[1] The second but oldest still existing affiliate program directory is AssociatePrograms.com, which was launched in February 1998 by Allan Gardyne. AffiliateGuide.com, Associate-it, CashPile.com and ReveNews.com launched also later in 1998, but none of them survived to this day except for AffiliateGuide.com.[2] ReveNews.com is now an affiliate marketing news blog.