Choosing Affiliate Programs
Ask questions before you join an affiliate program. Do a little research about the program you intend to join. The answers to your questions will determine the benefits of joining a particular affiliate program.
Will it cost you anything to join? Most affiliate programs being offered today are absolutely free of charge. It’s unnecessary settle for those that charge a fee to join.
When are commission checks issued? Every program is different. Select the program that’s suited to your desired payment interval. Many affiliate programs set a minimum earned commission amount before a check will be issued.
What’s the hit per sale ratio? This is the average number of hits a banner or text link receives before generating a sale. This factor is extremely important because it will tell you how much traffic you must generate before you can earn a commission from each sale.
How are referrals tracked and how long do they remain in the system? You need to be confident the program you select accurately tracks your referrals. This is the only way that you’ll receive credit for a sale. The period of time that referrals stay in the system is also important. Some visitors don’t buy initially but may return later to make the purchase. It’s very important to know if you’ll receive credit for a sale that’s made following a certain period of time after the initial referral.
What kinds of affiliate stats are available? The affiliate program you choose 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 for you to know how many impressions, hits and sales are being generated from your site. Impressions are the number of times the banner or text link was viewed by a visitor of your site and hits occur when a referral clicks on banner or text links.
Does the affiliate program pay for the hits and impressions besides commissions on sales? It’s important that you are paid for impressions and hits. This will add to your earnings from the sales commission. This is especially important for a particular program that offers a low sales to hit ratio.
Who’s the online retailer? Find out if they are a solid company. Know the products they’re selling and the success of their program. The more you know about the retailer offering the affiliate program, the easier it will be for you to determine if that program is a good fit for you.
Is the affiliate program a single or double-tier? A single-tier program pays you only for the business you yourself have generated. A double-tier program pays you for the business you generate and a commission on the sales generated by any affiliate you sponsor into the program. Some double-tier programs even pay fees for each affiliate you sponsor, like a recruitment fee.
Lastly, what’s the amount of commission paid? 5% - 20% is the commission paid by most programs. 0.01% - 0.05% is the amount paid for each hit. If you find a program that also pays for impressions, the amount paid is less than that received for a hit. As you can see from the figures, you’ll now understand why the average sales amount and hit to sale ratio is important.
These are just some of the questions that need to be answered before you enter into an affiliate program. You should be familiar with everthing an affiliate program offers before making your decision. Answering these questions can help you select the right program for your site.
