I think that if you want to learn quick and get acceptable results with affiliate marketing in the beginning, joining a network is the way to go instead of starting your own internal affiliate program.

PROS:-They've got tens of thousands of active affiliates which networks can easily announce your 'newly lauched' affiliate program and help promote and generate high affiliate sign-ups.

Some networks offer program managers or at least some level of program management service, so it'll free up alot of your responbilities so that you can focus more on your website and products (which is your core business).

You get to slowly learn how to manage an affiliate program without offending or making too many mistakes with new relationships with affiliates. Plus you'll get help from the networks with affiliates and their inquiries and questions.

Affiliates are likely to sign-up for your program knowing that there is third-party monitoring of payments. With internal programs, you hold all the power and some affiliates might not like that (what if you defer from paying or a conflict arises in payments? Stuff like, whether a transaction is fradulent/valid or not)

Networks usually run total solutions which will meet your needs plus they'll do the updating and managing of the software.

CONS:
Besides paying affiliates a commission, the networks will charge a small transaction fee (usually 30% of affiliate commission). So if you pay affiliates $20 per sale, you additionally have to pay networks $6.

Still you don't lose out as you'll still be getting referral sales and getting a profit from each sale minus commission and transaction fees.

Maybe post your site URL here or IM it to me and i'll be able to suggest some suitable networks.