So Many Affiliate Programs! Which One Do I Choose?

Saturday, September 1, 2007

You need to think twice before joining an affiliate program. Do a little research about the choices of program that you intend to join into. Get some answers because they will be the deciding point of what you will be achieving later on.

Will it cost you anything to join?
Most affiliate programs being offered today are absolutely free of charge. So why settle for those that charge you some dollars before joining?

When do they issue the commission cheques?
Every program is different and unique. Some issue their cheques once a month, every quarter, etc. Select the one that is suited to your payment time choice. Many affiliate programs are setting a minimum earned commission amount that an affiliate must meet or exceed in order for their checks to be issued.

What is the click per sale ratio?
This is the average number of clicks to a banner or text link it takes to generate a sale based on all affiliate statistics. This factor is extremely important because this will tell you how much traffic you must generate before you can earn a commission from the sale. If this ratio is very high, then do a check again on whether to continue with promoting this affiliate program.

How are referrals from an affiliate’s site 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 initially 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 available?
Your choice of affiliate program should be capable of offering detailed stats. They should be available online anytime you decide to check them out. Constantly checking your individual stats is important to know how many impressions, clicks and sales are already generated from your site. Impressions are the number of times the page, on which the banner or text link is displayed, was viewed by a visitor of your site. A click is the one clicking on the banner or text links.

Does the affiliate program also pay for the clicks and page impressions besides the commissions on sales?
It is important that page impressions and clicks 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. This is also very useful if your site is relatively new and attracts only less number of visitors.

Who is the online retailer?
Find out whom you are doing business with 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 retailer 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 sales generated by any affiliate you sponsor in your program. Some two-tier programs are even paying small fees on each new affiliate you sponsor. It acts more like a recruitment fee.

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 click. If you find a program that also pays for page impressions, the amount paid is not much at all. As you can see from the figures, you will now understand why the average sales amount and click to sale ratio is important.

These are just some of the questions that need to be answered first before you enter into an affiliate program. You should be familiar with the many important aspects that your chosen program should have before incorporating them into your website. Try to ask your affiliate program choices these questions. These can help you to select the right program for your site from among the many available.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

  © Free Blogger Templates Columnus by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP