Five Sizzling Summer Affiliate Marketing Programs

Like many other Web professionals, affiliate marketers often suffer through the dog days of summer from late July until the middle of August. But rising temperatures do not always have to translate into shrinking commissions, with plenty of opportunity from consumers heading to the beach, the mountains, their backyards or back to school. Below are five scorching affiliate marketing programs from major merchants who expect anything but a draught in the days and weeks to come.

Target
Summer shoppers flock to Target for great deals on everything from back-to-school clothing and supplies to backyard barbecue sets and inflatable pools. Their top-flight affiliate program is run through the Google Affiliate Network, which is responsible for the tracking, reporting, payment and optimization for Target affiliate partners. Sign up for free today to start earning commissions on Target's summer fare, then sit back and watch them grow through the start of school and the Halloween and holiday seasons.

Bass Pro Shops
While consumers are locking up their homes and taking to the outdoors, you could be partnering with the leading supplier of premium outdoor products. The Bass Pro free affiliate program pays its partners 5 percent commissions on every sale referred through your site, with no limit on earnings. Bass Pro Shops processes the orders and ships the merchandise while you track your earnings through their online reports.

Home Depot
There are plenty of conscientious consumers who use their summer vacations to catch up on projects at home, and the Home Depot is their top resource for any project. The largest national home improvement retailer offers its customers more than 70,000 online products that will earn you commissions that are tracked and reported through the Commission Junction network. Work with Home Depot's expert affiliate team to increase your sales and conversion rates and receive affiliate-exclusive offers and invitations to other programs.

Amazon
Vacationers can visit Amazon to fill out their summer reading lists the (sort of) old-fashioned way, or to get that Kindle and load it up with e-books before heading to the shore. While they're at it they can get anything from cameras to hiking boots, all earning you up to 15-percent commissions as an Amazon Associate affiliate partner. Besides the endless array of products to be sold, Amazon provides its partners with a set of Associate Tools to help you optimize the affiliate experience.

Toys R Us
Summertime is playtime for little ones, meaning there is little rest for parents and the world's leading toy retailer. The Toys R Us affiliate program is free to join, and the company handles all transaction processing, fulfillment and customer service. The program is run through the LinkShare affiliate network, and earns partners up to 3-percent commissions on thousands of top-selling brands worldwide. The company gives you numerous linking options that allow you to maintain the look and feel of your site, and you can even provide links to specific toy stores.