What is an Affiliate Program
Thousands of companies have put up websites
where people can buy their products and services. However, those websites
are only useful if they get visitors. No visitors equals no customers. To
solve this, many companies have created affiliate programs.
The idea is
that you attract customers to the company's website. In return, they pay
you a commission for each purchase made by customers you referred.
Depending on the product, that commission
can be up to 50% of the sales price!
Joining an
affiliate program is easy and almost always free.
First select one you like. Then complete a simple form with your details
(so the company knows where to send your checks). In return, they give you
a unique affiliate ID.
Making money with an affiliate program
All you have to do now is get people to
visit a special website address. That address contains your unique
affiliate ID, so the company's systems can work out that someone was sent
by you, rather then by another affiliate. That way, you get proper credit
for each sale.
To help you
attract visitors, most companies give you colorful banner ads. Banner
ads are those rectangular images you see everywhere on the Internet.
Some companies also give you hints and tips
on how to attract visitors. But because they are not in the business of
Internet marketing, these tend not to amount to much. You really need
specialized sources to make it work.
You can do this from most countries
You
don't have to live in the United States to make money with an affiliate
program. Most companies will be happy to send you your checks wherever you
live. You simply bring those checks to your local bank, which will convert
them to your local currency. Lots of Europeans, Canadians and Australians
are doing very well.
How to choose the best affiliate program?
Find the good programs and eliminate the dogs
by considering the following rules:
4High
quality product or service -- remember, it’s your reputation that is on
the
line (and online!). Don’t recommend products that
UNDERdeliver.
4Merchant
has a good site that sells effectively.
4Ability
for affiliate to link straight to individual products, rather than just to
the home page. (If the visitor has to find the
product that you recommend, your
Conversion Rate plummets.)
4Type
of payment model... Pay-per-sale and pay-per-lead are good. This is
true “performance marketing.” If your referred visitor delivers the
desired response, you get paid. What about “pay-per-click?” See red flags
below.
4
Affiliate Support...
•
Accurate, reliable real-time online accounting, preferably with some kind
of ability to “audit” by spot-checking
•
Detailed traffic and linking stats
•
Notification by e-mail when a sale is made
•
Useful marketing assistance, provides traffic-building and sales-getting
tools
•
High-quality newsletter that educates, trains, and accounts for amounts
earned
•
Professional marketing materials available
•
Affiliates receive discount on products
Great affiliate support is important for a “between the lines” reason,
too. It indicates a high degree of commitment to the program and its
affiliates.
4Pays
good commission -- hard goods have lower margins than digital ones.
So
their commissions will be lower. Still, you should make at least 10% (hard
good) or 20% (digital good) on any product that you recommend. Don’t be
scared off by low-priced products if they offer a good % commission -- the
lower dollar value per sale is offset by the higher sales volume.
4Must
be free (no charge) to join, no need to buy the product.
4Lifetime
commission -- if the program pays a commission on future sales of
other products to customers that you refer, this is a huge plus.
4Two-tier
commission -- if the program pays a commission on affiliates who join
because of you, this is also great.
4Lifetime
cookie -- Do you receive a commission if the person you referred
returns and buys within one month? Three months? The cookie
that tracks this should not expire.
4Restriction
on number of affiliates -- you won’t find many of these. But if you
do, grab it.
4Monthly
payment, with reasonable minimum.
Do all those pluses have to be present? No.
But the more, the merrier.
See also:
*
Earn $1 for new affiliate referals + 5%
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*
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Best Affiliate Programs
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