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So
Many Affiliate Programs! Which One Do I Choose?
Ask questions first before you join an affiliate
program. Do a little research about the choices of program
that you intend to join into. Get some answers because they
will be the deciding point of what you will be achieving later
on.
Will it cost you anything to join? Most affiliate
programs being offered today are absolutely free of charge.
So why settle for those that charge you some dollars before
joining.
When do they issue the commission checks?
Every program is different. Some issue their checks once a
month, every quarter, etc. Select the one that is suited to
your payment time choice. Many affiliate programs are setting
a minimum earned commission amount that an affiliate must
meet or exceed in order for their checks to be issued.
What is the hit per sale ratio? This is the
average number of hits to a banner or text link it takes to
generate a sale based on all affiliate statistics. This factor
is extremely important because this will tell you how much
traffic you must generate before you can earn a commission
from the sale.
How are referrals from an affiliate’s
site tracked and for how long do they remain in the system?
You need to be confident on the program enough to track those
people you refer from your site. This is the only way that
you can credit for a sale. The period of time that those people
stay in the system is also important. This is because some
visitors do not buy initially but may want to return later
to make the purchase. Know if you will still get credit for
the sale if it is done some months from a certain day.
What are the kinds of affiliate stats available?
Your choice of affiliate program should be capable of offering
detailed stats. They should be available online anytime you
decide to check them out. Constantly checking your individual
stats is important to know how many impressions, hits and
sales are already generated from your site. Impressions are
the number of times the banner or text link was viewed by
a visitor of your site. A hit is the one clicking on the banner
or text links.
Does the affiliate program also pay for the
hits and impressions besides the commissions on sales? It
is important that impressions and hits are also paid, as this
will add to the earnings you get from the sales commission.
This is especially important if the program you are in offers
low sales to be able to hit ratio.
Who is the online retailer? Find out whom
you are doing business with to know if it is really a solid
company. Know the products they are selling and the average
amount they are achieving. The more you know about the retailer
offering you the affiliate program, the easier it will be
for you to know if that program is really for you and your
site.
Is the affiliate a one tier or two tier program?
A single tier program pays you only for the business you yourself
have generated. A two tier program pays you for the business,
plus it also pays you a commission on the on the sales generated
by any affiliate you sponsor in your program. Some two-tier
programs are even paying small fees on each new affiliate
you sponsor. More like a recruitment fee.
Lastly, what is the amount of commission paid?
5% - 20% is the commission paid by most programs. .01% - .05%
is the amount paid for each hit. If you find a program that
also pays for impressions, the amount paid is not much at
all. As you can see from the figures, you will now understand
why the average sales amount and hit to sale ratio is important.
These are just some of the questions that
needed answering first before you enter into an affiliate
program. You should be familiar with the many important aspects
that your chosen program should have before incorporating
them into your website. Try to ask your affiliate program
choices these questions. These can help you select the right
program for you site from among the many available.
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