How Do You Choose The Right Affiliate Program?

It is important to ask questions first before joining an affiliate program. Do your own research about the choices of program that you plan to join. Are you going to promote the product or just work it as a job? Get some answers because they will be the deciding point of what you will be achieving later on. In this article I will primarily discuss promoting the products and what to
look for from an affiliate company.

Will it cost you anything to join? What is the exact cost? Are there any hidden charges? What is the return policy if you are not happy with the program? Do you get a full refund? What kind of support will I get? If you are going to promote it, it should cost you nothing. It might cost a small amount if you are going to work it as a job. This is perfectly legitimate as you are paying for the companies training materials along with their databases.

When are you paid? Every program is different. Some issue their checks once a month, some every two weeks, etc. Select the one that is suited to your choice. Many affiliate programs are setting a minimum commission amount that an affiliate must meet or exceed in order for their checks to be issued. This is usually between $25.00 and $35.00. Some take it as high as $100, those I personally stay away from.

If you are using the program as an affiliate you need to know how are referrals from your affiliate’s site are 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 at the outset but may want to return later to make the purchase. 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 are available? Your choice of affiliate program should be proficient in offering detailed stats. They should be up to date and available online anytime you decide to check them out. Checking your individual stats is important to know how many impressions, hits and sales are being generated from your site. Impressions are the number of
times the banner or text link was viewed by a visitor of your site. A hit is the one clicking on the banner or text links.

Does the affiliate program also pay for the hits and impressions besides the commissions on sales? It is important that impressions and hits are also paid, as this will add to the earnings you get from the sales commission. This is especially important if the program you are in offers low sales to be able to hit ratio.

Who is the online merchant? Find out with whom you are doing business to know if it is really a solid company. Know the products they are selling and the average amount they are achieving. The more you know about the company that is 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 recruitment fees on each new affiliate you sponsor.

Lastly, what is the amount of commission paid? 5% - 20% is the commission paid by most programs. .01% - .05% is the amount paid for each hit. If you find a program that also pays for impressions, the amount paid is not much at all. As you look at your stats you will be able to see from the figures why the average sales amount and hit to sale ratio is important.

These are just few of the questions that needed answering first before you enter into an affiliate program. You should be familiar with the many important facet that your chosen program should have before including them into your website. Try to ask your affiliate program choices these questions, most have a phone number you can call and a representative will answer any and all questions. Following these few steps can help you select the right program for you site from among the many available.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Nancy is an affiliate marketer with 8 years online. For more information on affiliate marketing companies please visit her page at: www.hmewrk4u.com/pages/affiliatepage.html

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