What is Affiliate Marketing?

Choosing affiliate programs
by Tash Hughes of Word Constructions

Becoming an affiliate for retailers is an easy process, and can be profitable with some effort.

However, there is a wide range of affiliate opportunities available now and it is not always easy to determine which program, or programs, suit you best.

Some factors to consider when selecting affiliate programs include:

Will the product interest your existing customers? Obviously, this only applies if you are blending an affiliate program into an existing business. For a new, affiliate based business it is worth choosing a theme of some sort to promote effectively.

How many products are available from the retailer?

Do you believe in the products? If you can genuinely recommend them in reviews and the like, you will be more success than just listing them

What is the commission? It can range from 1.5% to 25% or maybe more. Don’t forget to relate percentages to item prices when making comparisons.

How many of the items are realistically going to sell? You should be able to sell a lot of five dollar pen sets, but a $10,000 computer package will attract fewer buyers.

How often do they pay you?

Are commissions withheld until you reach a minimum range? What happens when you don’t reach that minimum? In most cases, the commissions will roll over until the total reaches the minimum or above.

How do you get paid? By cheque or into a bank account? What currency do they use, and are there expenses to you to convert that currency?

Is the item realistically priced? Overpriced products won’t sell very well …

Do you have choices between text links and using banners?

What support is there? Do they give you ideas on how to promote your site(s)?

Do you get rewarded for affiliates you attract to their system? If so, how are the rewards structured?

Is the web site you link to in a different language or currency than your customers? Will they be confused over dollar values or the like?

Are there contact details on the site so that you can contact the retailer if there are problems?

Can you easily access statistics about sales and leads you have generated for them? How often are they updated?

How long do they offer a cookie for each customer? This affects sales made after the first visit to the retailer; the longer the cookie, the better for you.

Do they offer other incentives for you? Such as discounted purchases or earning commission on your own purchases?

Are they a reputable retailer? Would you trust them with your money as a customer?

Do you want to deal with individual retailers or with a commission warehouse? Or would you prefer to judge each on the products you are looking for?

Do you get affiliate newsletters or updates so you can keep up with changes and major issues?