How to Choose the Right Affiliate Program

One of the most important questions to ask is: Will it cost you anything to join? Most affiliate programs that are offered today are free of charge. So don't settle for those the charge you anything before you join. This way, if you don't like it, you won't be out any money.

Next, ask when a particular affiliate program issues its commission checks. Every program is different. Some programs issue their checks once a month, once a quarter, or the like. Choose one that suits your payment choices. Many affiliate programs set a minimum earned commission amount, which means you have to earn a certain amount before your next check can be issued.

The next question you need to ask is: What is the hit per sale ratio? A hit per sale ratio is the average number of hits to a particular banner or text link that it takes to generate a sale based on affiliate statistics. This particular element is very important, because it tells you how much traffic you have to generate before you can earn a commission from a sale.

Another important question is: How are referrals from an affiliate's site tracked? Secondly, how long do they remain in the system? Make sure you're confident as to the quality of your particular program before you refer people from your site. This is also the only way you can obtain credit for a sale. In addition, the period of time that these people stay in the system is also important. This is important, because some visitors will not initially buy anything, but they might want to return later to make a purchase. You need to know if you will still get credit for the sale if it is done at some point later, after the prospective customer's first visit.

Next, what are some other things you need to consider?What kind of affiliate stats do the program you're considering have available? Whichever program you choose to be an affiliate with, the program should be capable of offering detailed stats. They should be available online anytime you want to check them out. You need to consistently check your individual stats in order to know how many impressions, hits and sales have been generated from your site. "Impressions" means the number of times a banner or text link was reviewed by a visitor of your site. A "hit" denotes the particular customer clicking on the banner or text link in question.

Does the particular affiliate program you're considering pay for the hits and impressions you generate in addition to the commissions on sales? It is important that impressions and hits from your site are also paid for. This will add to the earnings you get from your sales commissions. This is especially important if the program you are considering offers low sales in order to be able to hit ratio.

Next, who is the online retailer? In other words, who are you doing business with? Is it really a solid company? You need to know the products they're selling and their average sales. Find out as much as you can about the retailer you're considering. The more you know about the retailer, the easier it will be for you to know if the affiliate program they offer is really for you and your site.

Another question to ask is: Is the affiliate program a one-tier or two-tier program? A single tier program pays you only for the business you have generated yourself. However, a two-tier program also pays you a commission on sales generated by any affiliate you sponsored in your program in addition to that generated from your own sales. Some two-tier programs even pay small fees on each new affiliate you sponsor, something like a recruitment fee.

Finally, what is the commission paid? 5%-20% is the average commission paid by most programs. .01%-05% is the amount paid for each hit. If you find a program that also pays for impressions, this helps as well. This is why the average sales amount and hit to sale ratio is important.

These questions should get you started as you do your research into an affiliate program. You need to be familiar with the many important aspects that the program you're considering should have before you incorporate the program into your web site. Try to ask your affiliate program prospects these questions, in order to help you choose from among many that are available.