If affiliate marketing is so lucrative, then why do so few ever turn a profit? Read on, and Ill tell you why.

1. They dont consistently study the craft. By treating affiliate marketing like a hobby instead of a business, they squander time and money, spinning their wheels as other marketers pass them by.

2. They are a jack of all trades and a master of none. It is amazing what a little focus can do for someone trying to succeed online. By establishing a clearly defined set of goals, 20% of affiliates consistently continue to earn 80% of the commission.

3. They dont write special reports. Free special reports with giveaway rights can be powerful pre-sellers for products that offer generous commission. Theyre also easy to create with free PDF software available online, and can make the difference between a profitable and unprofitable marketing campaign.

4. They either rely too much, or too little on Google Adwords. By figuring out how to utilize Adwords to develop recurring revenue streams, a small percentage of affiliates are using Adwords to earn more and more income online month after month, year after year. How can you use Google Adwords creatively to move your business forward?

5. They dont capture e-mail addresses. Everyone says that the money is in your list. Then start building your list baby! Its much easier than you think. Ill cover this in greater detail in future articles.

6. They dont cloak their links. Up to 80%, or more, of affiliate commission is stolen, depending upon the product. Thus, quality link cloaking software is a must-have for anyone truly serious about succeeding with affiliate marketing.

7. They dont utilize viral marketing. Did you know that you can get a lot farther by leveraging 1% of the effort of 100 people than by expending 100% of your own efforts?

Managing a successful viral marketing campaign is as simple as filling a need that people have and giving Web surfers a huge incentive to share it with others. (If you dont get anything else out of this article, make sure you jot this point down).

8. They dont help other Internet marketers to succeed. Whats that, you say? You only care about your own success? Then how will you develop loyalty among your website visitors? How will you keep them coming back?

People need a reason to choose your website over everyone elses. Do you your best to serve your visitors and you will generate customers for life.

9. They rely on the efforts of sub-affiliates to earn their commission. If you are recruiting sub-affiliates, take the time to give them the tools to make some sales. If you do, theyll appreciate your efforts and keep coming back to you again and again.

10. They dont think outside of the box. Some of the best Internet marketing breakthroughs havent yet come into existence.

Become a visionary. Change the face of the Internet. Dont become one of the masses!

Your success in Internet marketing is completely up to you. Every day is a fresh start, and theres nothing you cant accomplish. How soon will you be earning a six-figure income online?

**Attn Ezine editors/Site owners** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed below.

Feel free to substitute your referral link in place of mine in the resource box. Thanks!