OK. Let's see two more factors ...

2. Reputation

Do some research. As an affiliate check out the relevant blogs and forums and try to find some official income reports. As a consumer try to find some independent review sites, testimonials, etc.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Who is the online retailer?
• When was founded?
• Are they associated with any respected and well-known industry experts
• What type of products are they selling?
• What is the average amount they are achieving?
• Do they offer strong renewal incentives?
• Do they have a high-quality 24/7 support platform?
• What is their customer retention rate?
• And so on …

3. Commissions

Obviously, it’s one of the most important – and sometimes one of the most confusing – factors. The commission rates can vary between 10% and 80%, but – again! -, when you are looking for top affiliate products to promote, you should keep in mind, that these figures do not mean anything unless the program converts.

And obviously, different products will have different commission rates. Or, you can find a program that also pays for impressions … In the latter situation the commission rates usually will vary between .010% and .075% for each hit.

As you can see from the above figures, there is no golden rule here. The commission rate itself is just “another number” in the final formula. A product with a lower commission rate and a high conversion rate will generate a considerably bigger income than a product with a jaw-dropping commission rate and a very low conversion rate.

And I didn’t even mentioned the price, yet! Or here is another important question: are we talking about a flat one-time commission or some nice recurring commissions? So, yes, the commission rate is very important for your future earnings, but there are many other equally important factors such as the hit to sale ratio, the average sales amount, the price, the already mentioned conversion rate, etc.

With that being said, here is my advice: try to find a multi-tier compensation plan that pays out a residual income (some advertisers are paying on new and unique customers only!) and a payout of 50% or more.