Retailers who are members of eCommerce Merchants will receive premium services at reduced prices, designed to ramp up their affiliate program quickly and economically, including priority access to Pepperjam Network, expert management of the affiliate program, reduced setup costs and a performance-based pricing model.

"We wanted to provide our members with the best possible affiliate solution, so we went straight to the top," comments Cresta Pillsbury, Vice President of eCommerce Merchants. "Kris Jones and the Pepperjam team have helped merchants sell hundreds of millions of dollars in merchandise over the years. They are in a league of their own and we're honored to be working with them."

Pepperjam Network is a next-generation affiliate marketing network, developed over the course of two years by Pepperjam with the help of over one hundred independent advertisers and affiliates, to improve upon the restraints found in other networks. For instance, Pepperjam Network addresses two of the primary shortcomings found on other major networks, including poor communication tools and lack of affiliate transparency. Through this exclusive partnership with Pepperjam eCommerce Merchants will receive advanced technical support, live chats, and non-exclusivity to foster growth. eCommerce Merchants members are invited to join Pepperjam Network to grow their business.

To help ensure merchants succeed, JP Diaz, a Vice President of eCommerce Merchants and affiliate expert, will oversee the process from initial setup to regular reviews of the active account. Mr. Diaz will liaise with the Pepperjam team for comprehensive account management services.

"Nothing of this scope and magnitude has been done before. We are honored and privileged to partner with the eCommerce Merchants Trade Association to provide discounted access to Pepperjam Network, along with the special attention, tools, and service typically only reserved for a very select few merchants by other comparable affiliate networks," notes Aaron Baker, Vice-President of Sales & Marketing at Pepperjam. "We're excited about building world-class affiliate programs on Pepperjam Network for eCommerce Merchants and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.

Another benefit of the program is reduced fees for participating merchants. Merchants will receive professional account management without a monthly fee. Similar programs charge several thousand dollars a month to actively manage an affiliate program. Instead, Pepperjam will only receive a transaction fee based on the revenue they are able to generate for the merchant. This performance based structure aligns the interests of all parties and helps ensure an ROI for the merchant.

In addition, the fee associated with setting-up a new merchant account and configuring their program is reduced for this partnership.

"Our goal is to provide every small business owner with a cost-effective and efficient way to sell more merchandise," comments David Topkins, Managing Director of eCommerce Merchants, "and you couldn't find a better partner than Pepperjam to work with. They are THE industry experts."

Kris Jones and Pepperjam have received numerous awards and recognitions for their success in affiliate marketing from companies including CNN Money, Forbes, Inc. 500 and entrepreneur.com. Pepperjam launched Pepperjam Network in 2008 with support from numerous affiliate marketing luminaries, including Shawn Collins, Joel Comm, and David Lewis.