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.