Some tips on what to look for.

One of the most important tasks in creating an online affiliate business is finding a legitimate and reliable online affiliate program. How do you know where to look and what to look for when selecting an internet marketing program?

Here are some things to consider.

Does the business have a reputation?

Is the merchant or owner a reputable company? Here you have to do some research. Use an affiliate network service like Clickbank and Commission Junction, where merchants are vetted and information is easy to see. Do a Google or Yahoo search to see the sponsored listing for the product or service you are considering. The higher the results, the better it will be for you. Check out some of the product sites and see what you find. Patterns and trends will emerge and you will see who is in style and who is not.

Affiliate Agreement

Is there an affiliate agreement? You better have one and you better read it carefully to know the terms. Is it easy to join? Is it easy to drop it if things don’t work out? Is there a fee to join? If so, there better be a very good reason for it.

Commission percentage

How you will be paid is one of the most important questions you should have answered. Different affiliate programs have different commission structures and different pay rates. This will affect the products that you will promote. Some affiliate network services will sort the information by pay per lead or pay per sale. This allows you to compare programs and determine which is most likely to be a better source of income for you. Obviously you want to start with the companies that pay the highest pay per lead or pay per sale. But there are circumstances where a high volume of sales of a low-priced product can mean higher income for you.

You’ll also want to know if you can earn lifetime commissions that are a commission on each and every product your customer buys from that merchant. Are there residual commissions? They are commissions that you get every time your client renews the subscription or purchase of a product.

Some programs will pay you not only for the product sales you generate, but also for referring new affiliates to the merchant. This is called a 2-tier program. While this is a good way to supplement your income, your focus when getting started should be on selling products.

When and how do I get paid?

Payments will vary from program to program. Some programs give the option of paying by check or through an external provider such as PayPal, Clickbank or Paydotcom. The recommended option is to get paid by check if you can and then opt for third-party options. The reason is that with payment by check you charge a full commission. With third party payments, you will pay a service fee and that will be deducted from your commission.

Different programs pay in different time periods; They can be weekly, biweekly, monthly and quarterly. That is something that is detailed in the affiliate agreement.

Cookies

A cookie is a code carried by a computer that identifies you during a visit to a website. They are harmless text files and pose no threat to your computer. When you refer a potential customer to a merchant, a cookie on that computer will identify that person as your referral and you will earn a commission. That’s great. But there is something very important to look for. How long is the cookie encoded to last? Merchants can encode cookies to last for a day, a month, a quarter, a year, or even a lifetime. You want to get cookies for life or at least one year because the standard number of contacts a potential customer usually makes before deciding to buy is seven. Therefore, the longer the cookie lasts, the higher your chances of getting paid. If you make a purchase after your cookie has expired, you are out of the commission you worked hard to generate.

Marketing and customer service tools

A good affiliate program will offer marketing tools and training on how to use them. They will also offer an affiliate hub where you can check their stats and get their promotional tools and links to sell your product.

Customer service means good and timely communication with you and your customer base. How long does it take for the merchant to answer any questions? A good affiliate program will respond to a request within 24 to 48 hours. Often there will be an FAQ section that you should refer to before submitting your question.

Conversion rate

One item to check is the conversion rate the merchant gets from their sales page. The standard conversion at the lower end is 1.5-2%. Some of the super affiliates can reach between 6% and 20% on some of their offers. You want to ask and see what you find out. One indication is the quality of the sales page. Is it well written? How do you present the product or service? Are the testimonials credible? Can you take a look at them? Does the sales page reflect a high-quality and professional standard?

What to look for

Some programs will have minimum sales before they pay you. You have to be careful here. For a low payout, that will mean that you will need a high volume and that is not always possible. You will have to do the math and see if the numbers make sense to you.

Also be careful to see if there are any other Google AdSense links, ads or posts on the sales page or website that you are sending your leads to. You really don’t want your potential customer to click away from your product or service because of competitor ads on the landing page you’re sending them to. So check for distractions or reasons for your prospect to go elsewhere when they land where you sent them.

Finding the right internet marketing program for an affiliate partner is an important part of the business development process. Obviously you want to do your market research, traffic testing, and conversion testing as you choose a product. But once you have an idea of ​​what product or service you want to market, you are ready to start researching and selecting the right online affiliate program for you. Affiliate marketing online can be a very satisfying and rewarding business if you take the time, put in the effort, and stay focused along the way. Follow the steps above and you are well on your way to success.

May your travels be prosperous.