You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours; this is what earning money online with affiliate marketing is all about. Also known as referral programs, affiliate programs are generally commission based sales in which the affiliate recommends a site to their websites visitors, and, if the visitors make a purchase from the website they earn a percentage of that sale. The merchant benefits from the sale and the affiliate from the commissions.
Getting started as an affiliate marketer is quite simple. If you already have a website setup you can begin to look for merchants that offer products relating to your website’s theme. If not, you can build one for a product that you would like to promote. Simply find a good host and chose a domain name with keywords that relate to your site’s concept.
The information below is aimed toward people who are new to earning money online with affiliate marketing and are looking for tips to help them find the right affiliate program for them.
Are you willing to put in the effort?
1. Although you will want a program that offers good commissions, do not be tempted to join a program simply because it offers high commissions. If no one buys from you, you won’t make any money. Analyze the program carefully and determine whether or not you are willing to put the work into promoting it. High commissions often mean high price tags which means you will have to work extra hard to convince your prospective customers that the product is worth it.
How much commission is offered?
2. Once you find a program that you are willing to invest time in promoting, look at their commission structure. It is advised that you do not accept anything less than 25 percent with commission. There are ample programs that offer great commissions and payment structures in every field.
What is the payment schedule?
3. Find out the payment schedule and be sure it fits with your needs. Some programs pay quarterly while others pay monthly. Look at the website and find out how often you will be paid.
4. Be sure that the program offers a variety of promotional tools. The ideal affiliate program should offer its affiliates banners, text links, graphics, and in some cases audios and videos. The more resources you can find to put on your website the better.
5. Does it have a statistic page?
A good affiliate program lets you monitor your progress. Look for a statistic page that list the number of click throughs, sales, as well as earnings.
6. How is the support?
Be wary of any program that doesn’t list contact information. You want to work with merchants who offer top level support. If they do not answer your questions in a timely manner or worse, make it impossible for you to contact them, you do not want to work with them.
