There is a big difference between an amateur affiliate dabbling in affiliate marketing and the professional affiliate who is in it for the long haul. The amateur can make a lot of mistakes that will keep him from being a professional, and could learn a lot from looking at what the professionals are doing.
Amateur affiliates expect results instantly. Many amateurs dabble because they think their business will be raking in millions overnight. Pros dont expect the overnight miracle, and plan for long term business. A professional affiliate understands that it takes time to build a business, to gain trust and word of mouth, and to get a large customer list together from which to get new customers.
Amateur affiliates often expect one form of advertising to carry their entire business. There are some affiliates who depend only on their ppc ads to bring traffic to their site, and then there are amateurs who dont have a site at all. These amateurs will likely never make it to the ranks of the professionals. They are simply not investing enough thought and planning into their business. A professional needs a website full of search engine optimized, informational content...