Before you begin joining any affiliate program, your first step should be to ask questions about the myriad programs available. If you are considering joining a program, you need to do your research about its choices. Before you join, make sure you have the answers because they will determine what you achieve later on.
Here are some of the main questions you need to ask any retailer offering an affiliate program.
Affiliate programs generally do not charge an upfront fee to join, so why do we pay for those who do? A new affiliate program makes no sense unless there is a very small fee and a high ROI (return on investment).
What is the deadline for commission checks?" There are many ways to issue a check depending on the program. Some agencies write checks monthly, others quarterly, and others annually. Decide how often you would like to make payments based on your needs. Be sure to ask if there is a minimum earnings requirement before they issue you a check. Affiliate programs may require you to earn a minimum amount before you receive a check.
How many hits per sale do they have? A banner or text link "hit" is an indication of the average number of sales that will occur after it is clicked. People "hit" banners and text links when they click on them. These statistics come from all affiliates. When you know this ratio, you will know approximately how much traffic you need to generate before you start earning commissions.
Describe how affiliate referrals will be tracked from my site and how long they will be stored? Having confidence that the program will track the people you refer from your site is important. You will only get credit for the sale this way. Regardless of the period of time that your referrals stay in the system, you need to know if you will be credited for the sale even if it is done a few days or months from the original date of your referral. Typically, programs track referrals from 45 to 60 days, but some track them for up to a year.
For your review, you should have access to detailed affiliate program statistics. How can affiliates access statistics? You should be able to access these statistics at any moment. You can track how many impressions, hits, and sales you have generated for yourself.
Is the affiliate program also paid for impressions and hits along with commissions on sales? You should look for a program that pays impressions and hits in addition to the sales commission.
"Which online retailer will you be dealing with?"? To know if a company is a good one, you need to find out with whom you will be doing business. Examine the products they are selling and the average sales amounts they are achieving.
Is the affiliate program one-tiered or two-tiered? Only businesses that are referred through one-tier affiliate programs are rewarded. Two-tier marketing programs pay you for sales you generate as well as your affiliates' sales. Those programs would even pay you a commission if you refer new affiliates. In general, recruitment fees are only reduced by one level.
Lastly, what is the commission paid? It's a fairly standard payout, usually between 5% and 20%, based on the market you're in. Typically, .01% - .05% of each hit is paid. It is usually not very much if you find a program that also pays for banner/text-ad impressions.
These are only a few of the questions that need to be answered before you join an affiliate program. Before incorporating your chosen program into your marketing campaign and website, you should also become familiar with the many important aspects of it. These are questions you should ask your affiliate program choices. They can help you choose the right program for your site from among the many options available.
Commission Junction is my recommendation as a top Affiliate Commissions provider. Affiliates can earn money through a wide range of affiliate programs. The CJ affiliate program is certainly worth a look if you are serious about Affiliate Marketing.
