What do I mean by '2nd Wave'? ... let me explain:
 
Can you remember the good old days when affiliate programs
first came into existence in the mid to late 1990's?
Everybody jumped in with two feet and put up dozens of
affiliate links on their site with no real thought to what
they were doing.  We then wondered why we didn't make any
money - not any real money that is.
 
The same thing has happened with the launch of other new
industries in that the initial craze and hype got out of
hand but when things quietened down people thought things
through, put together business models and now succeed big
time within that industry.  The good news is that we, as
affiliate marketers, can learn from these industries
through their first and second phases.
 

A Definition of what a First and Second Wave is
 
The first wave is the pioneering stage, the launch of a
new industry.  There is lots of excitement and hype with
most people now knowing what they are doing.  There are
many failures and very little profits during this period.
 
The second wave is the exciting phase.  It has already
come to light within phase 1 that there is potential within
the industry.  People put together long-term business plans
and even ordinary people like you and I can succeed in a
big way.  Hence, wave 2 is when the real wealth is created.
 

Industry Examples of their First and Second Waves
 
Let's take a look at some examples of industries in their
first and second waves and the success they have achieved
for thousands of people who were in the right place at the
right time:
 
Video Cassette Recorders (VCR): Remember the first VCRs?
They were huge, very expensive and not many people could
afford one. In 1972 Phillips were the first to launch a VCR
for home use but it didn't appeal to the consumer market.
Only a few hundred were sold.
 
Second wave:  VHS introduced their version of the VCR in
1977 which was more appealing to the public. Prices came
down and soon the average household had one. Today, DVD
players are now replacing them and huge profits are being 
sought in this industry.
 
Personal Computers: In 1976 Apple launched the first PC,
quickly followed by IBM with Microsoft's DOS operating
system in 1981.  These PCs were slow, expensive and always
seemed to crash.
 
The second wave: Dell and Compaq introduced new design
PCs, and Bill Gates and his Microsoft Empire launched
'Windows 1.0' in 1985.  As a result of this boom thousands
of millionaires were created in a single decade.
 
The 1st and 2nd Wave of Affiliate Marketing
 
Affiliate Marketing: The first wave of the Internet and
the affiliate marketing business lasted between
approximately 1996-2003.  All the initial hype about the
World Wide Web and making money from selling other people's
stuff grew within this period.  Affiliates give no real
thought to their sites and put up dozens of affiliate
links. Not many affiliate marketers made any real money to
talk of and not many of these sites are in existence today.
 
The second wave is from about 2003 onwards.  The initial
hype has died down a bit and with the introduction of new
wave technology and software, means that it is now easier
for the average webmaster to build a successful and useful
website business to succeed long-term with big profits. 
 

So What Does This Mean For Today's Affiliate Marketer's?
 
You are now caught up at the beginning of the 2nd wave of
affiliate marketing.  You are in the right place at the
right time - use this to your advantage now.. today...  
Here are some reasons why:-
 
 · The online shopping industry is growing at a phenomenal
   rate
 · More and more people are buying online
 · The competition with affiliate sites is still relatively
   low as compared to what it will be like in the future
 
In order to get ahead of this ever-increasing competitive
industry, you need to think of affiliate marketing as a
business.  Even go as far as writing a business plan out
for your affiliate business.  You need to understand that
in order to get ahead of your competition and even get to
the top of the search engines, you need to build a business
platform for long-term success.  You must think of yourself
as a publisher of informational content first, then an
affiliate marketer second.  This is the 'key' to the
success of the second wave of affiliate marketing.  Let me
repeat it again 'you must think of yourself as a publisher
of informational content first, then an affiliate marketer
second'.  
 

Summary

Realize that the Internet is still in its infancy and that
you are here in the right place at the right time.  This
could only happen once in your life, so jump on it straight
away.  The first frantic phase of affiliate marketing is
over and we have entered the new and exciting second phase,
which is where the 'real' wealth is created.  Remember,
Bill Gates and his Microsoft Empire came into existence
within the second phase of the personal computer industry -
the rest is history! 

Claire Bowes is a successful freelance writer and owner of
many successful affiliate marketing websites.  Read how
Claire built her money-making affiliate sites at
http://www.website-business-solutions.com