Many websites integrate at least one affiliate program into their existing offerings in order to generate additional streams of revenue - a wise decision considering the popularity of the Web in actively buying and researching information. Some of these websites do not actually sell anything at all and rely on such programs instead as their sole source of revenue.
As more and more sites turn to affiliate programs to make money online, it becomes increasingly important to separate the good programs from the bad by educating yourself on individual and collective publisher networks alike which provide affiliates an array of programs from which to choose.
Know Who You're Dealing With
It is difficult if not impossible in some cases to know if an affiliate program is established, credible and trustworthy just by looking at the site and reading a corporate profile. That is specifically the reason why it is necessary to research the company behind the affiliate program using tools provided by organizations such as BBBOnline, TrustGauge.com and Alexa, all of which offer some form of rating or feedback on companies from affiliates and general users alike.
Offer the Best To Be The Best
While most individual affiliate programs or publisher networks do not allow you to test or try out the product or services free of charge, it is crucial that you know what you are selling is in demand and of good quality. Otherwise, you will not be able to accurately describe the benefits to prospects or if it is a product in a low demand industry you will simply not be able to sell enough to justify your investment of time and resources. Search in the same manner as a consumer would if they were looking for the product or service
Showing You The Money
The reason website owners integrate affiliate programs into their site in the first place is to make money. The payment or commissions you receive, whether it be a per sale, per lead or per visit (click), should be a deciding factor but not the ultimate factor in your affiliate program selection process. Most affiliate networks limit which affiliates or publishers can receive which type of commission structure, usually reserving the per click option to highly productive publishers.
Time To Choose
Now that you are more prepared to make an informed decision you can start researching what will work best on your own site. Search through affiliate program directories such as associateprograms.com or join popular publisher networks such as Commission Junction or LinkConnector.com. You will easily find a program or group of programs that work in tandem with what you are already selling or that work seamlessly with existing content. If you choose correctly, affiliate program riches may be yours. Good Luck.
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