One of the reliable fields in affiliate marketing are the ones which deals with the niche sites. They have great inventory of products to be sold and the commission for selling them can be a profitable one.
I had worked with two niche companies before with good profits. Have you done affiliate marketing through niche sites.
I didn't do this before because I am only a start-up. I heard of people using similar techniques like swap (advertisement space and actual products) to promote their business. Seems they are good to the point that they draw more traffic.
As far as I am concerned, all marketing should be niche oriented. Why cut the likelihood that your traffic will convert to sales by putting energy into "broadcasting" with the notoriously hit and miss results that most people see?
I have heard that niche products are better from broader scope of products and would always prefer to select it to have better traffic in the long run.
Yes I have taken part in this business and I want to admit that it was a profitable business. But it's not the same in the period of the economical crisis.
You can have a hard time selling things right now. Be sure to lower your prices and work harder and make some bonus material or discounts if you want to sell something.
Concentrating on a niche is surely likely to me more successful because you are drawing in a more targeted audience. You are offering something for a specific type of customer rather than trying to be all things to all people.
I also think that it's unfair to say that all businesses dealing in niche products are going to suffer purely because of the current financial difficulties. There are always winners as well as losers in a recession and you will do best to work out what kinds of products consumers are looking for in the current economic climate and focus on those. Don't be attached to what you want to sell - see it from a consumer point of view and provide what they are wanting to buy.