Affiliate model

Affiliate model
In contrast to the generalized portal, which seeks to drive a high volume of traffic to one site, the affiliate model, provides purchase opportunities wherever people may be surfing. It does this by offering financial incentives (in the form of a percentage of revenue) to affiliated partner sites. The affiliates provide purchase-point click-through to the merchant. It is a pay-for-performance model: if an affiliate does not generate sales, it represents no cost to the merchant. The affiliate model is inherently well-suited to the web, which explains its popularity. Variations include, banner exchange, pay-per-click, and revenue sharing programs. [Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com]
i) Banner Exchange: trades banner placement among a network of affiliated sites.
ii) Pay-per-click: site that pays affiliates for a user click-through.
iii) Revenue Sharing: offers a percent-of-sale commission based on a user click-through in which the user subsequently purchases a product.