Ask questions first and get some answers because they will be the deciding point of what you will be achieving later on. Do a little research about the choices of the program that you intend to join into.
Will it cost you anything to join? Most affiliate programs being offered today are absolutely free of charge. Don't settle for those that charge you money before joining.
When do they issue the commission checks? Every program is different. Some issue their checks 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 hit per sale ratio? This is the average number of hits 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.
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, hits and sales are already generated from your site. Impressions are the number of times the text or banner link was viewed by a visitor of your site. A hit is the one clicking on the banner or text links.
Does the affiliate program also pay for the hits and impressions besides the commissions on sales? It is important that impressions and hits 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 to be able to hit ratio.
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 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. 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 hit. If you find a program that also pays for 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 hit to sale ratio is important.
These are just some of the questions that needed answering 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 select the right program for your site from among the many available.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Hi can u give me best work from home ?
By: workfromhomedata.com | 16-05-2008
hi can u give me best work from home ?
Affiliate Marketing Network
By: lewisjake | 17-04-2008
How can an Affiliate Marketing Network help to promote your business?
Affiliate sites
By: 043160415 | 24-03-2008
hellowhere can i fined a wed that can generate a list of affiliate sites or directory that can give me the best affiliate sites in diferent countrs? if you have any recommendations of how to fined a quality list, please contect me...thanks shiri@eteacher.co.il
Wich is the best business to start in the near ...
By: Viorica | 13-01-2008
Wich is the best business to start in the near future,said that I'm the owner of a little fortune?
Do you know of a good affilate program?
By: inapinkbox | 12-11-2007
Is there an affiliate program that you would recommend for a small business? I would like to sign up for an affiliate program to help promote my website, inapinkbox.com, but seems like they all have startup fees. Do you know of any good affiliate programs that have no start up fees or a small one that is worth the investment? Thanks!
What are the leading e-commerce affiliate programs for bloggers and social network profile pages?
By: Kuchmuch | 29-10-2007
What are the leading e-commerce affiliate programs for bloggers and social network profile pages?
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Computers Articles
Get the Most Out of Your Nanny Spy Cameras - Use Them For Other Purposes!
By: Nahshon Roberts | 25/07/2008
Lest you think that nanny spy cameras are only good for spying on the nanny, think again. The term is another designation for hidden surveillance cameras, supposedly because these are now more commonly used to monitor childcare providers in an increasingly nanny-paranoid society.
Nanny spy cameras are usually...
Analyzing Consumer Electronics Devices
By: James Brown | 24/07/2008
Many consumers are drawn to consumer electronics because of the technology that makes each device perform its mission. While many consumers might not have a technical degree, many have a working knowledge of what the device is equipped with and the selling points of the device after they enter a...
Types of Consumer Electronics
By: James Brown | 24/07/2008
With so many updates and changes made to consumer electronics lately, some consumers are having a difficult time understanding what types of consumer electronics are most popular among middle class Americans and those who live on limited incomes where budget cuts made most consumer electronics seem unaffordable. Families across the...
Benefits of Unlocked Cellular Phones
By: Abe S. | 24/07/2008
You may not know much about your cellular phone other than that you cannot live without it! Your cell phone is your connection to the rest of the world and is a very important tool. Many cell phones are made to use a SIM card - a Subscriber...
How to Start a Business Selling Cell Phones
By: Abe S. | 24/07/2008
In today's unstable economy with reduced income and rising prices, everyone wants to save money if they can. Even if the economy were booming, saving money is always a wise choice. There is no shame in wanting to save as much money as possible when it comes to...
How Can I Work With Sybase Database Tools?
By: Patricia Stevens | 23/07/2008
To use a Sybase server, you are should have Netscape Enterprise Server. You cannot get an access to Sybase from Netscape FastTrack Server. Sybase has both one-line, and multiline drivers on some Unix-platforms. If Sybase has the multiline driver for the concrete Unix-machine, you are obliged to use LiveWire for...
Baselining--Stress Testing--Performance Testing--Oh My--Part TWO-Testing
By: Barry Koplowitz | 23/07/2008
This article is also available as a Podcast on "The ROOT Cause" available on iTunes. Written and Narrated by Barry Koplowitz.
This is the second of two articles discussing the topic of Test Environments and Testing Practices. The first one, "Baselining--Stress Testing--Performance Testing--Oh My--Part One--Environments," focused on proper testing environment design....
Page Yield / Cartridge Yield
By: Kwan Lo | 23/07/2008
Page yield is the number of pages that you can print with a printer cartridge. It is also known as cartridge yield. Many cartridge manufacturers use the terms "standard yield" or "high yield" to describe their printer cartridge but each cartridge should have a page yield value. It...
Computers 
