A Comprehensive Guide to Evaluating Affiliate Programs

A. Assessing the Strategic Fit of the Program to Your Business

• Program Purpose: Start by defining the purpose of the program in broad terms.
• Alignment with Your Goals: Does the program complement your long-term goals for your website?
• Visitor Learning: Will your visitors find the program interesting? Will it provide them with valuable learning opportunities?

B. Trustworthiness of the Business Initiating the Program

• Track Record: Does the business have a history of successful programs?
• Advertising Credibility: Are the program's promises realistic, or do they fall into the category of get-rich-quick and MLM schemes?
• Reputation: What does the business's literature reveal about their past operations?
• Client Testimonials: Reach out to current clients for their opinions. Would they recommend this business? Are they benefiting from the program?

C. Quality of the Program Design

• Affiliate Qualifications: Does the program accept everyone, or is it selective? The latter is usually preferable.
• Affiliate Responsibilities: Are affiliates given specific tasks, such as promotion, customer communication, and sales?
• Initiator Responsibilities: Does the program offer assistance with promotion, sales, and after-sales support?
• Payment & Terms: Is there a clear fee or commission structure? How often are payments made? Are affiliates credited for future sales?
• Transaction Transparency: How often are transaction reports provided? Can affiliates independently verify transactions? Is there a third-party audit?
• Conflict Resolution: Is there a straightforward method for resolving conflicts?
• Return to Site: Is there an easy way for a website visitor to return to the affiliate's site after a transaction?

D. Community Involvement

• Communication Medium: Does the program have a newsletter, mailing list, forum, or other means of communication among affiliates?
• Affiliate Decision-Making: Do affiliates have a say in decisions that affect the entire community?
• Mutual Problem Solving: Is there a system in place for affiliates to pose problems and have them solved by the community?

When evaluating an affiliate program, it's easy to focus solely on the financial aspects. While these are important, the efforts made to foster a sense of community can significantly enhance your ability to achieve greater financial goals. Therefore, invest time in thorough evaluation—it will pay off in the long run.

Paul Siegel, founder of the Learning Fountain Network, emphasizes the importance of excellence, honesty, and ethics in affiliate programs. You can learn more about his work and subscribe to his newsletter, LearningFOUNT, at Learning Fountain.