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Affiliate Marketing 101

All the basic questions you were afraid to ask because you thought you should already know the answers.

What is an Affiliate Program?

In it's simplest form, an affiliate program consists of a vendor, or store, or any site with something to sell, that is willing to pay you to send visitors to their site. There are two ways you as the 'sender' can get paid. Some affiliate programs pay you for simply sending visitors to their site (pay per lead). More common these days are affiliate programs that pay you when a visitor you send to their site actually makes a purchase (pay per sale). Payments are either a percentage of the sale, or a fixed amount per sale. Probably the best known site, and one of the first to capitalize on the power of affiliates, is Amazon. There are many, many sites that now offer their own affiliate programs.

How Do I Find Affiliate Programs For My Site?

The easiest way is just to be on the lookout while surfing the net. When you visit a site that looks like something related to your site that your visitors might be interested in, look around to see if they offer an affiliate program. Usually you just click a link and fill out a form to sign up. This is one way to find affiliates, and you should always be on the lookout for a good affiliate match, but there is a quicker way to get started - the affiliate network.

What is an Affiliate Network?

To make finding affiliate programs easier for affiliates, and also to make tracking easier for vendors, affiliate networks were born. What these do is offer many different affiliate programs in many different categories all in one place -- you sign up as a member of the network, and then you can search and sign up for individual affiliate programs for your site. Here are several of the most successful of these:

** LinkShare -- Major, brand name stores, easy to set up links, lots of linking options including your own 'storefront' for many vendors. I like this one a lot. Keep in mind though, you need to meet the minimum payment amount for a particular vendor before you get paid.

** Commission Junction -- This is the biggest, and also the most complex of the affiliate network providers. They have a huge selection of vendors. This is not the easiest program to deal with, but there are many who love it. One point in CJs favor, they have started to pool vendor payment minimums, which means you need to meet one minimum to get paid (not one per vendor).

** Clickbank -- Caters mostly to small and mid-sized web businesses, with special focus on digital (real-time) product delivery. Lots of unique products here. Very easy to set up -- all links use the same clickbank 'nickname', and all follow a standard format. Side note, Clickbank is also a great first time option if you are thinking about setting up your own affiliate program for your product. Also, you are paid by Clickbank, not the individual vendor, so it is easier to meet the minimum monthly requirement to get paid (similar to CJ). For the easiest way to find products on Clickbank, click here.

** Share-a-Sale -- Growing affiliate network. Very easy to deal with, and a good selection of merchants. On-time payments - this one has a very good track record and a loyal following of both merchants and affiliates.

What Should I Look for in An Affiliate Program?

Don't waste your time on low commission structures. Unless the product is very much in demand, the amount of money you will make does not warrant hosting their ads on your website. Look for a commission of at least 15 percent. Also, look for 2-tier affiliate commission programs. With a 2-tier program, you are normally given a commission of sales from other websites who sign up through your referral link. More than 2 tiers, and you are entering the realm of MLM.

Take a look at the company's website. Is this a company you want to be associated with? Does the site look professional? Would you pull out your credit card if you were a visitor to the site?

Statistics are something the program will need to offer. You'll want to know how many people clicked from your site to theirs and how many purchased, along with the amount of the purchase and your commission fee. Most affiliate programs offer stats, but don't just assume - check.

What is the minimum earnings for you to be paid? This varies greatly from affiliate to affiliate with many of them around $25.00. Ask yourself if you will make enough to make that minimum payment in a reasonable amount of time.

What is the payment schedule? This, too, varies from program to program. Many programs pay monthly, some pay every two weeks, while others pay quarterly. Make sure you know when you are going to be paid.

Look at the banners and linking options the program offers. Are they a good match to your site? Before you place a text ad into an email be sure the program will honor the sale. Some require a click from a website, while others require a tracking image for verification.

If the program offers tips on the best marketing strategy for their product, read their advice and see if it will work for your website. They have worked with their product a long time and know what works.

If you have a question, email their support staff, they are there to help you. If your question isn't answered in a reasonable amount of time, it may not be worth signing up with their program.

There are plenty of affiliate programs out there. Choosing the right ones for your website may be a difficult task but if you do your homework, it can be very rewarding.

Some Essential Tools:

For an in-depth introduction to working as an affiliate, I highly recommend the Affiliate Masters email course, available by sending a blank email - the course is free, but don't be fooled by the price - the information it provides is priceless.

The best step-by-step guide to successfully setting up an affiliate website I've found: James Martell's Affiliate Marketer's Handbook.

To keep your affiliate links secure and make sure you get the commissions you deserve, e-Z Affiliate Link Wrapper is an essential tool. I wouldn't be without it. Click here for information.