Affiliate marketing article: Affiliate Revenue -- How To Pick The Best Affiliate Programs

Article Tips > Affiliate marketing

Almost every ecommerce site out there has an affiliate program. Are all of them worth joining? Aren't some just a plain waste of your time and resources? Are there things to look out for when checking out an affiliate program?

Here are a few things you should look for before joining an affiliate program...

How good is their product. Don't promote trash even if they give a huge commission. You might make money on the short run, but you'll be losing big time on the long run. Each product you recommend enhances or hurts your reputation depending on what your referrals experience.

For how long do they set their cookies? The longer the better. There are a few companies that set your cookies for life unless overridden by another affiliate’s. If you see such companies, they are gold. It means that whether a referral buys today or the next years you get credited with the sales.

Some give a NO OVERWRITE cookie meaning that it doesn’t matter if this person later buys through another affiliate’s link, he/she is yours – Those are platinum!

Is their commission structure fair? Some companies offer a commission of 8% while others offer as much as 75% and more. Now don't make a mistake here about percentages. Look at the relative value you're getting as commission. If you like it, go for it.

Will they credit you if your referral buys other products some time later? If they do, that's fine. If they don't, check if other factors outweigh this consideration. However, if a company has a wide product range, you should earn a commission on everything your referrals buy within a given period.

Make sure you read through their agreement. I have earned $228 that I couldn't claim because something in their agreement said I couldn't. I know they are long boring writeups. However, remember, this is your hard earned cash you might be joking with.

Just use your common sense. If you don't like something about their arrangement, then don't go for it.

If you want a great book on how you, too, can succeed in your affiliate business, get this one. It is free but believe me, you won't need to buy another book on affiliate marketing for a very long time.

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Chimezirim Odimba writes to help hardworking folks succeed online.