How to Choose an Affiliate Program - Which Programs to Join
After you have a new website online and running you'll be faced with the question of how to choose an affiliate program or perhaps multiple merchants to partner with. I recommend starting accounts with Commission Junction, LinkShare, ShareASale, and the Google Affiliate Network. At that point you will be able to search or navigate the merchant directories available within each respective affiliate network. I also recommend taking a look at the top selling products in your market available for promotion through Clickbank. To streamline the process of finding and choosing affiliate programs, you can use the merchant diretcory here
at Make Money with Affiliate Marketing. The directory here contains hand-picked merchants based on the performance and length of time a program has been in operation. Which affiliate programs you choose is ultimately up to you, just be sure to do the proper research before partnering with one or more merchants.
How to Choose an Affiliate Program - What the Statistics Mean
As you compile of list of affiliate programs appropriate for your website, you will run across many statistics that can help you determine which affiliate programs to join first. Some affiliate networks provide 7 day EPC and 30 day or 3 month EPC which is a snapshot of the recent affiliate performance a given merchant has experienced. EPC stands for Affiliate Earnings Per 100 Clicks - so 7 day EPC is the average commission paid to affiliates for every 100 clicks over the past seven days.
You may also be provided with statistics such as Average Sale Amount, Average Commission, and Reversal Rate. Of course you also will see the sale or lead commission paid to affiliates on a successful conversion. Keep in mind that there are many variables behind the scenes that can impact affiliate program statistics(including EPC), so use the statistics available to you as a guide and not as the lone factor in choosing an affiliate program. The bottom line is that the statistics are only an indication of whether other affiliates are having success with a given merchant program.
Also note that you should read the affiliate agreement for any merchant you are considering joining. The advertised commission payout for a given merchant will, in some cases, be different than what is stated in the affiliate agreement. This usually occurs when a merchant pays the advertised percentage on select product categories, but pays a lower percentage on other product categories. The point here is to take time to read the fine print before partnering with a merchant.
Which Affiliate Program is Best - Making a Final Choice
You have many other factors to consider if you're having a difficult time deciding which affiliate programs to partner with. For any given merchant: how long do affiliate cookies last, does the merchant pay on recurring orders or repeat customer orders, does the merchant track and pay commission on phone orders, and what kind of affiliate creatives are made available by the merchant? Read through any old affiliate newsletters provided by the merchant. ShareASale provides the date of the last affiliate sale for each merchant, so check that out as an indication of whether other affiliates are having success with a program. Read through the affiliate agreement. How well-known or popular is the merchants you're looking at? How much traffic do they get to their online store - check their Alexa traffic ranking to get an idea of their popularity and ability to get people to their site. What is your overall gut feel and comfort-level with the merchant? Does the merchant have a person dedicated to managing the affiliate program and supporting the affiliates? Take time to perform some due diligence on a merchant and their affiliate program before choosing to join forces with them.
Back to Make Money Affiliate Marketing home page
How to Choose an Affiliate Program - What the Statistics Mean
As you compile of list of affiliate programs appropriate for your website, you will run across many statistics that can help you determine which affiliate programs to join first. Some affiliate networks provide 7 day EPC and 30 day or 3 month EPC which is a snapshot of the recent affiliate performance a given merchant has experienced. EPC stands for Affiliate Earnings Per 100 Clicks - so 7 day EPC is the average commission paid to affiliates for every 100 clicks over the past seven days.
You may also be provided with statistics such as Average Sale Amount, Average Commission, and Reversal Rate. Of course you also will see the sale or lead commission paid to affiliates on a successful conversion. Keep in mind that there are many variables behind the scenes that can impact affiliate program statistics(including EPC), so use the statistics available to you as a guide and not as the lone factor in choosing an affiliate program. The bottom line is that the statistics are only an indication of whether other affiliates are having success with a given merchant program.
Also note that you should read the affiliate agreement for any merchant you are considering joining. The advertised commission payout for a given merchant will, in some cases, be different than what is stated in the affiliate agreement. This usually occurs when a merchant pays the advertised percentage on select product categories, but pays a lower percentage on other product categories. The point here is to take time to read the fine print before partnering with a merchant.
Which Affiliate Program is Best - Making a Final Choice
You have many other factors to consider if you're having a difficult time deciding which affiliate programs to partner with. For any given merchant: how long do affiliate cookies last, does the merchant pay on recurring orders or repeat customer orders, does the merchant track and pay commission on phone orders, and what kind of affiliate creatives are made available by the merchant? Read through any old affiliate newsletters provided by the merchant. ShareASale provides the date of the last affiliate sale for each merchant, so check that out as an indication of whether other affiliates are having success with a program. Read through the affiliate agreement. How well-known or popular is the merchants you're looking at? How much traffic do they get to their online store - check their Alexa traffic ranking to get an idea of their popularity and ability to get people to their site. What is your overall gut feel and comfort-level with the merchant? Does the merchant have a person dedicated to managing the affiliate program and supporting the affiliates? Take time to perform some due diligence on a merchant and their affiliate program before choosing to join forces with them.
Back to Make Money Affiliate Marketing home page
MMAM Home Page
For Affiliates - How to Start & Grow a Profitable Web Business
What is Affiliate Marketing?
How to Become an Affiliate
Affiliate Business Models
Money Making Website Ideas
Keyword Marketing Research
Affiliate Website Blueprint
How to Name a Web Domain
How to Set Up Web Hosting
My Internet Business Tools
Website Design Made Easy
Basic HTML Tips and Tricks
Search Engine Optimization
Choosing Affiliate Programs
Monetize with Google Adsense
Blogging and RSS Feeds
XML Sitemap Submission
Working with Product Datafeeds
Pay Per Click Advertising
Traffic Generation Techniques
For Merchants - How to Launch & Maintain an Affiliate Program
Affiliate Program Setup
Choosing an Affiliate Network
Recruiting Affiliates
Affiliate Program Directories
Text Links, Banners, Datafeeds
Content, Reviews, Testimonials
Phone Order Affiliate Tracking
Lifetime Commissions
1-on-1 Affiliate Support
Affiliate Program Maintenance
Monitoring Affiliate Statistics
Improving an Affiliate Program
Protecting Your Trademarks
Affiliate Cookie Stuffing
Affiliate Business Tips
Working From Home Advice
Build a Legit Web Business
Free 10 Step Business Plan
My Internet Business Story
My Web Business Philosophy
About the Webmaster
Contact the Webmaster
MMAM Updates
For Affiliates - How to Start & Grow a Profitable Web Business
What is Affiliate Marketing?
How to Become an Affiliate
Affiliate Business Models
Money Making Website Ideas
Keyword Marketing Research
Affiliate Website Blueprint
How to Name a Web Domain
How to Set Up Web Hosting
My Internet Business Tools
Website Design Made Easy
Basic HTML Tips and Tricks
Search Engine Optimization
Choosing Affiliate Programs
Monetize with Google Adsense
Blogging and RSS Feeds
XML Sitemap Submission
Working with Product Datafeeds
Pay Per Click Advertising
Traffic Generation Techniques
For Merchants - How to Launch & Maintain an Affiliate Program
Affiliate Program Setup
Choosing an Affiliate Network
Recruiting Affiliates
Affiliate Program Directories
Text Links, Banners, Datafeeds
Content, Reviews, Testimonials
Phone Order Affiliate Tracking
Lifetime Commissions
1-on-1 Affiliate Support
Affiliate Program Maintenance
Monitoring Affiliate Statistics
Improving an Affiliate Program
Protecting Your Trademarks
Affiliate Cookie Stuffing
Affiliate Business Tips
Working From Home Advice
Build a Legit Web Business
Free 10 Step Business Plan
My Internet Business Story
My Web Business Philosophy
About the Webmaster
Contact the Webmaster
MMAM Updates
Affiliate Program Directory
Coming Summer 2010
Coming Summer 2010
