Over the last ten years there has been a surge in popularity for people looking to make money online and affiliate marketing is one of the methods which is commonly used. Today we'll look at why many people don't get the results they want from it and show you the simple steps which should help you to determine whether this is an area you want to pursue.

We've all heard the statements that 97% of people fail to reach success on the internet. Naturally, this stat is designed to shock you into reality.

Why does this happen? Today we're going to show you and by the end of this post you should be able to make an educated decision for yourself. The main reasons for failure are written below.

* No help or support.

* The person is driven purely by money and has no interest in the actual service the company specializes in.

* People don't realize how time consuming becoming your own boss can be.

They may seem easy to avoid, but they're the main reasons preventing most people from accomplishing their online goals.

The ace up the sleeve of the industry in general, naturally, is the massively appealing fact that absolutely anyone can reach success if they are prepared to get serious with their efforts to become their own boss. Once you get past all of the whining and looking for excuses, you're left with the fact that it's just like any other business in that you must work hard to see results.

There is a small margin between reaching your goals and getting no results. Affiliate marketing lives by the same rules as any business, those who are experiencing the big results you hear about online are normal people who are just working a little bit differently the the masses.

Those people are literally working on their business whenever they can. They're putting in effort every single day of the year without fail. There aren't many who are prepared to do that.

The idea of earning from the comfort of your own home in your PJ's might sound great but you have to be ready to work just as hard as you would if you owned a real world business.

If you can focus your efforts on conquering steps two and three you should be absolutely fine. The first rule is something you cannot control, so if you are unlucky enough to be misled by a so-called 'Guru' making big promises to you and then delivering nothing, don't worry. You are the one responsible for your results anyway.

There is a ridiculous mindset associated with online business or affiliate marketing which does nothing but hold people back. They go into businesses treating it like a part time hobby or miracle quick fix solution to all of their current problems. Of course, it simply isn't that way in reality. They then wonder why they never saw any results and they quit.

If you can't resist the temptation which will be constantly put under your nose by 'Gurus' trying to temp you with promises of easy, life altering financial rewards you will not get far. There isn't much luck involved in becoming your own boss.

Many people will be ready to test your resolve and offer you the 'next big thing' at every turn. It's up to you to be grown up enough to focus on your own business.

There are a wealth of affiliate programs to choose from on the internet, from the well known businesses such as Empower Network to lesser known opportunities. The fact remains that there are many people out there who have been trying to make money online for years without success. You now know the main reasons why, and you should be able to use this to your advantage if you decide that affiliate marketing is for you.