If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

So Many Affiliate Programs! Which One Do I Choose?

I love affiliate marketing! It’s one of the best ways to get started in online marketing because you don’t need to create your own product. You can join an affiliate program, promote, and earn commissions which can certainly be a steady source of income.

The biggest question is “Which affiliate program should I choose?” There are so many different affiliate programs out there, that this can sometimes be a daunting task. I know in my case, I receive tons of emails everyday asking me to join this affiliate program, that affiliate program and promote their product. It certainly depends on what niche you are in, what you are passionate about, but once you’ve determined that, you should do your research before joining any affiliate program.

Ask questions first before you join an affiliate program. Get some answers because they will be the deciding point of what you will be achieving later on. Below are some ideas of what types of questions you should be asking.

Will it cost you anything to join? Most affiliate programs being offered today are absolutely free of charge. So why settle for those that charge you some dollars before joining.

When do they issue the commission checks? Every program is different. Some issue their checks once a month, every quarter, etc. Select the one that is suited to your payment time choice. Many affiliate programs are setting a minimum earned commission amount that an affiliate must meet or exceed in order for their checks to be issued. Many affiliate programs are also done through Clickbank.com and they pay out every two weeks like clockwork.

What is the hit per sale ratio? This is the average number of hits to a banner or text link it takes to generate a sale based on all affiliate statistics. This factor is extremely important because this will tell you how much traffic you must generate before you can earn a commission from the sale.

How are referrals from an affiliate’s site tracked and for how long do they remain in the system? You need to be confident on the program enough to track those people you refer from your site. This is the only way that you can credit for a sale. The period of time that those people stay in the system is also important. This is because some visitors do not buy initially but may want to return later to make the purchase. You want to know if you will still get credit for the sale if it is done some months from a certain day.

What are the kinds of affiliate stats available? Your choice of affiliate program should be capable of offering detailed stats. They should be available online anytime you decide to check them out. Constantly checking your individual stats is important to know how many impressions, hits and sales are already generated from your site.

Does the affiliate program also pay for the hits and impressions or leads besides the commissions on sales? This will, of course, add to the earnings you get from the sales commission.

Who is the online retailer, company, or individual? Find out whom you are doing business with to know if it is really a solid opportunity. Know the products they are selling and the average amount they are achieving. The more you know about the retailer or individual offering you the affiliate program, the easier it will be for you to know if that program is really for you and your site.

Is the affiliate a one tier or two tier program? A single tier program pays you only for the business you yourself have generated. A two tier program pays you for the business, plus it also pays you a commission on the on the sales generated by any affiliate you sponsor in your program. Some two-tier programs are even paying small fees on each new affiliate you sponsor. More like a recruitment fee.

Lastly, what is the amount of commission paid? Take a look at all figures and you’ll understand why the average sales amount and hit to sale ratio is important.

These are just some of the questions that needed answering first before you enter into an affiliate program. You should be familiar with the many important aspects that your chosen program should have before incorporating them into your website and internet marketing portfolio.

Tagged with: • • • •

Filed under: affiliate marketing

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!