Choosing an Affiliate Program – What’s Appropriate?

Affiliate programs have been around for some time and if you are in the world of internet marketing you probably know what an affiliate program is. However, if not it is a program run by a company that allows you sign up and they will pay you for any sales you make for them. They give you an affiliate link or tracking link that only you use. This link allows that company to see how many monthly sales you are making for them. If you make a sale, they offer you a certain percentage of that sale. This is known as the commission rate. It’s an excellent way to make money but also a great way to offer your website visitors more product selection.

However, when choosing an affiliate program here are some things you should look out for

Firstly, make sure you’re not being charged to join an affiliate program. There is no need to pay to join an affiliate program. Although most affiliate programs are free I have heard of cases where companies charge website owners to promote their products. This is not necessary. If you are selling a company’s products to your list and promoting someone else’s products why would you have to pay to do so? If anything, that company whose products you’re promoting should be paying you to promote their products to your list.

Secondly, make sure you look at how long your affiliate company places cookies on your visitor’s computers. If they only last a short time like a week or so, perhaps you should reconsider joining their affiliate program. There are lots of other programs out there in your niche, selling the same products that will offer 30, 60 or 90 day cookies. This gives you more time to “own that visitor” and make a commission on the sale.

Third, see if the affiliate program you want to promote is willing to offer you tracked links to specific product pages. Rather than sending your visitors to the home page, the best way to get a sale is to link to a page where the product you mention exists. If you’re affiliate manager fails to help you or acts as though you are being a difficult affiliate partner by making such requests, perhaps this is not the right affiliate program for you. You should be able to ask for links or other promotional materials from your affiliate partner. Even if they cannot offer them to you immediately, see if they seem willing to consider your request and look further into the possibility of meeting your needs without seeing you as a hassle. If you feel the affiliate company is not willing to graciously listen and potentially give you more assistance in promoting their products then perhaps it’s time to move on to another company that appreciates you and your efforts.

Take time to research your market and get to know the companies whose products you are promoting. If they make the effort to help you promote their products and are always willing to assist you when you run into problems, that’s a good sign.
Warmest regards,

Matt Bacak

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