There are many horror stories about affiliate programs and networks. People have heard them over and over again, that some are even wary of joining one.
The stories you may have heard are those related to illegal programs or pyramid schemes. Basically, this type of market does not have a real and worthy product.
You do not want to be associated with these schemas. You obviously want to be with a program that offers a high-quality product that you will easily endorse.
The growing number of people who have already joined and are having great success is proof enough that quality and reliable affiliate programs exist.
Why participate in an affiliate program?
It allows you to work part time. It gives you the opportunity to generate a generous residual income. And it makes you a small business owner.
Affiliate programs have already created many millionaires. They are the living testimony of how hard work is; Continuous prospecting, motivating, and training others pays off.
If you ever decide to join one, you need to keep in mind that you are getting into something that fits what you are capable of. This will be a guarantee that you are capable of doing anything to be successful.
How do you choose a good affiliate program to promote? Here are some tips you may want to review before choosing one:
1. A program that you like and are interested in.
One of the best ways to know if that is the type of program you want to promote is if you are interested in purchasing the product yourself.
If that’s the case, there are likely many others who are also interested in the same program and products.
2. Find a program that is of high quality.
For example, look for one that is associated with many experts in that particular industry. This way, you have the assurance that the standard of the program you will join.
3. Join those who offer real and viable products.
How do you know this? Do some initial research. If possible, seek out some of the members and clients to testify to the credibility of the program.
4. The program that serves a growing target market.
This will ensure that there will be more and continuous demands on your referrals. Make inquiries. There are forums and discussions you can participate in to get good and reliable feedback.
5. A program with a compensation plan that pays residual income and a payment of 30% or more would be a great option.
There are some programs that offer this type of compensation. Look for one closely. Don’t waste your time with programs that don’t substantially reward your efforts.
6. Consider the minimum quotas that you must meet or the sales goal that is too difficult to achieve.
Some affiliate programs impose prerequisites before receiving your commissions. Just make sure you are able to meet your requirements.
7. Select one that has many tools and resources that can help you grow your business in the shortest time possible.
Not all affiliate programs have these capabilities. Make use of your choice with a host of useful tools that you can use.
8. Check if the program has a proven system that allows you to verify your networks and compensation.
Also check if they have it available online for you to review anytime, anywhere.
9. The program that offers strong incentives for members to renew their membership every time.
The affiliate program that provides ongoing help and updates for its products tends to retain its members. These things can ensure the growth of your networks.
10. Be aware of the things members don’t like in a program.
As with the ones mentioned above, you can do your verification on the discussion boards. If you know someone on that same show, they are most likely asking if there are many downsides involved.
Have a deep and intensive knowledge about the affiliate program and the network you will be promoting on.
Knowing the type of program you are getting into will allow you to anticipate and prevent any future problems you may encounter.
So Many Affiliate Programs! Which One Do I Choose?
Ask questions first before joining an affiliate program. Do some research on the options for the program you want to join. Get some answers because they will be the turning point of what you will accomplish later.
Will it cost you anything to join? Most of the affiliate programs offered today are absolutely free. So why settle for those who charge you a few bucks before joining?
When are commission checks issued? Every show is different. Some write their checks once a month, every quarter, etc. Select the one that suits your choice of payment time.
Many affiliate programs set a minimum amount of commission earned that an affiliate must meet or exceed in order for their checks to be issued.
What is the hit rate per sale? This is the average number of visits to a banner or text link it takes to generate a sale based on all affiliate statistics.
This factor is extremely important because it will tell you how much traffic you need to generate before you can earn a commission on the sale.
How are referrals on an affiliate site tracked and for how long do they stay in the system? You must have enough confidence in the program to keep track of the people you refer from your site.
This is the only way you can credit a sale. The length of time these people stay in the system is also important. This is because some visitors do not purchase initially, but may want to return later to make the purchase.
Find out if you will still get credit for the sale if it is made a few months from a certain day.
What are the types of affiliate statistics available? The affiliate program you choose should be able to offer detailed statistics.
They should be available online anytime you decide to review them. Constantly checking your individual statistics is important to know how many impressions, visits and sales have already been generated on your site.
Impressions are the number of times a visitor to your site viewed the banner or text link. A hit is the one who clicks on the banner or on the text links.
Does the affiliate program also pay for hits and impressions in addition to commissions on sales? It is important that impressions and hits are paid as well, as this will add to the profit you make from the sales commission.
This is especially important if the program you are in offers low sales in order to reach the ratio.
Who is the online retailer? Find out who you are doing business with to see if it really is a solid company. Know the products they are selling and the average amount they are making.
The more you know about the retailer 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 or two tier program? A single tier program pays you only for the business that you have generated yourself.
A two-tier program pays you for the business, plus it also pays you a commission on the sales generated by any affiliate you sponsor into your program.
Some two-tier programs even pay small fees for each new affiliate they sponsor. More like a recruitment fee.
Finally, what is the amount of commission that is paid? 5% – 20% is the commission that most programs pay. .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. As you can see from the figures, you will now understand why average sales quantity and sales ratio is important.
These are just some of the questions that need to be answered before entering an affiliate program. You should be familiar with the many important aspects of your chosen program before incorporating them on your website.
Try asking these questions of your affiliate program options. These can help you select the right program for your site from the many available.
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[…] There are many horror stories about affiliate programs and networks. People have heard them over and over again, that some are even wary of joining one. […]