Eight Ways to Choose the Best Affiliate Programs
Like so many of you, I am presently reviewing affiliate programs with the aim of posting links for products and services on my websites. But how do you know if an Affiliate Program is good for you? How do you perform your due diligence? Do you read reviews? Will your selected affiliate program live up to your expectations and in terms of product performance for your followers? What about receiving your commissions as promised?
These are the types of questions that I am engrossed with. I thought however that I would benefit greatly if I could make a list of criteria, or factors that would help me and you determine which are the better affiliate program to sign up for.
So I came up with the following 8 factors we could use to select affiiliate programs. You can let me know whether you like these or you can leave me a comment on maybe something I have missed out. So lets go
1) They Offer lifetime commissions.
I have seen several affiliate programs that offer one off commissions. It’s therefore very attractive to find a program that not only fits your niche but runs lifetime commissions. Hello! That’s a stream of passive income for as long as your customers stay with the program while you are alive.
2) You Get Paid Well.
There are several programs and niches where the commission payout is very small. When the commission is between 1% and 8% on a price tag of $40 you have to sell a massive amount to make any money. What’s the point of working your butt off if you are only going to get a few dollars? Amazon Associates, which is normally very easy to join has received knocks to its reputation for continuously lowering its commissions.
3) They Offer Residual Income
Make your affiliate program more appealing by offering residual commissions. This type of income is earned by an affiliate from a customer for sales after the first sale. This is an excellent choice if you are going to get residual income from repeat sales. Examples of this are programs iwhich nclude web hosting or access to your membership website.
4) They are continuously improving their program
The better affilaite programs are always trying to improve their customer and affiliate marketers experience. It is the creation of a positively reinforcing environment that wil lead to a better affiliate community that you will want to be part of. When this is front and centre of a program sign up!
5) They offer multiple streams of income.
This is a no brainer. The ability to earn multiple streams of income within one affialte program is very attractive. This feature also provides a strong basis for staying and supporting this type of program.
6) The Affiliate Program has support (e.g. training) and professional promotional material (e.g banner ads)
Your followers rely upon your advice in their purchase decisions of products and services offered through your affiliate programs. They will not only expect attractive marketing material but also an appropriate level of support if issues arise. .
Items that fall into this category include ready made graphics, multiple editable templates with appropriate branding, sales letters for email and other campaigns, testimonials, functioning links, newsletters and more.
7) The Affilaite Program must have easy lines of Two-Way communication.
Too often affiliates are unable to contact program support to resolve an issue. They either get a bot or a voice recording leading nowhere. This type of 'run around' is not acceptable. Affiliate programs that do not take time to listen or respond to affiliate emails will lose them to competitors. As affilaites we want programs to value our contribution and expect appropriate channels will be supported to do just that. By having clear channels any issues and necessary actions can be more easily communicated across the program.
8) Give top points to Affilate Programs that reward their super affiliates with higher bonuses and commissions.
This provides rightly another level of incentive which keeps affiliates form jumpig ship. The offer of super rewards motivate and thereby cause affiliates to go the extra mile in their performance.
After you have spent time using these tips, I am hopng you will definitely choose more wisely between star and dud affilate programs. Once you do you will notice an increase in your earnings.
Hugh
Invest in Yourself it pays the Greatest Rewards
Recent Comments
50
Thank you for sharing, Hugh. This article and the discussion between you and Jeannine is pure gold😃
In the beginning, I just wanted to be approved by some affiliate programs, in order to have some links to some products on my blog posts.
But I quickly met myself in the doorway, realizing that in all the adrenaline rush after starting with affiliate marketing, I, in fact, did a little "corruption" exercise to myself and to those who visited my website. I focused on the money in the short term gain. I went against my own ethics and needed to realign myself.
After a month I had adjusted and has since searched for affiliate programs I can proudly support and feel good about promoting.
Roy
Roy a very sober and honest reflection. That's why I like you. The good thing is that I am benefiting from the pathways developed by Jeannine, you and others. I have been tempted to drop links in my sites and I have not done so save a WA banner for testing purposes. I realize I have to spend a weekend doing a deep dive on a site like FMTC then looking at my blogging strategy to see how they are aligned. Very good note bro.
Hugh
You are welcome, Hugh. Your posts get me to look at what I have done up until now and how I can do better tomorrow :-)
Roy
Well, I agree with 3 of your 8. Normally the affiliates that focus on the things you list are solely chasing dollars and offer very little content value to their readers; it's mostly hype on how "you too can make money online!" Remember, "lifetime commissions" is based on the lifetime of the merchant; often those offering those types of programs do not live as long as you might wish.
You'll always find people to buy from the types of programs you discuss as they too chase an easy way to make money with little work involved. Often the products sold have very little value. I would feel horrible taking a commission knowing that someone's hard earned money was wasted on something without true value.
I'll always choose products I can be proud to recommend - quality clothing, well-made kids toys, safe treats for pets, etc. Maybe it's not huge commissions, only 4-20%, but I can sleep at night.
Hey Jeannie thanks for your comment.
I remember my Economics teacher drilling in me something called 'ceteris paribus' meaning all other things held constant. In other words we consider an idea, or a model, without the consideration of external factors. For me therefore the ideal affiliate program would have these, or approaching these features, quite akin to our own Wealthy Affiliate.
I however do recognize that some programs or many as you say, try to sell sub-standard products and use these features to trick. seduce affiliates to sign up but have no intention of delivering upon their promise. Quite unlike Kyle and his team.
The ideal therefore is separate to what may occur, as you point out, in practice.
Hugh
Hi Serene. Agreed we have to do our due diligence to ensure we do not recommend programs that are going to bad for our customers or ourselves. However, the intent of the post is to show that the features like what we have with WA of good support/ training, multiple income streams, lifetime cookies are all very attractive. The difference with WA is that they live up to the promise to deliver on these and other features mentioned above. Unlike many other programs.
Hugh
WA is rare in that they actually offer a fantastic service. The longer you're in this business (I've been in affiliate marketing for over 21 years), the more you recognize just how rare this is.
I worry that newbies will look at this checklist and prioritize all the items about money, without ever considering what they are promoting. Then they are just as guilty as the producers of the garbage they promoted.
Yes I see your point Jeannine. In terms of identifying the 'market gold standards' in affiliate marketing is there a source that you would recommend for proper reviews?
Your insight is invaluable, Jeannine. There is real gold in the article and the discussion between you and Hugh.
Roy
Many factors to look at based on your niche. One of the things I look at too is what the window is say if someone looks at an item but doesn't purchase immediately. If they purchase 30 days from now, will I still get the commission?
I'm not sure there's a program out there (except WA) that can sufficiently meet all the criteria.
~Debbi
That's likely a very good question to ask Deb. I also do not recall seeing a program with lifetime cookies.
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Thank you for this article Hugh. Very informative to me as I am on that level of training where I must choose affiliate programs. Thanx a lot.