Before joining an affiliate network, ask this questions from yourself first.
Do a little research into choosing the program you want to join. Get some answers because they are the bottom line of what you will achieve later. Will it cost you anything to participate? Most of the affiliate network or programs on offer today are free. So why settle for those who will bill you a few dollars before joining.
When do they write the commission checks?
Every program is different. Some write their checks once a month, quarterly, etc. Select the check that matches your payment term. Many affiliate networks set a minimum amount of commission earned that an affiliate must meet or exceed for their checks to be issued.
What is the hit rate per sale?
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 as it tells you how much traffic you need to generate before you can earn a commission on the sale.
How are referrals links are tracked, how long do they stay in the system?
You need to be familiar enough with the program to keep track of those who refer you from your website. This is the only way to credit a sale. The length of time that these people remain in the system is also important. This is because some visitors may not want to buy at first but want to return later to make the purchase. Know if you can still get credit for a sale when it closes a few months from a given day.
What types of affiliate statistics are there?
Your chosen affiliate program should be able to offer detailed statistics. They should always be available online if you decide to try them out. The constant review of your statistics is important to know how many impressions, hits, and sales are already being generated by your site. Impressions are the number of times the banner or text link is viewed by a visitor to your website. A hit is a click on the banner or the text links.
In addition to the sales commission, does the affiliate program also pay hits and impressions? Impressions and hits must be paid for as well, as this will add to the revenue from the sales commission. This is especially important if the program you are in has low sales to hit the hit rate.
Who is the online retailer?
Find out who you’re doing business with to know if they are a solid company. Know the products they sell and the average quantity they make. The more you know about the reseller who is offering you the affiliate program, the easier it will be for you to determine whether this program is right for you and your website.
Is the partner a one-tier or two-tier program? A one-step program only pays you for the business that you generated yourself. A two-tier program pays you for the business and also pays you a commission on the sales generated by each affiliate you sponsor in your program. Some two-tier programs even pay small fees for each new affiliate you sponsor. More like an agency fee.
Finally, what is the commission that is paid?
5% – 20% is the commission paid by most programs. .01% – .05% is the amount paid for each hit. If you can find a program that also pays for impressions, the amount paid isn’t much. As you can see from the numbers, now you understand why Average Sales Volume and Hit-to-Sales Ratio matter.
These are just a few of the questions that needed to be answered first before joining an affiliate network or program. You should be familiar with the many important aspects that your chosen program should have before including it on your website. Try asking your affiliate programs these questions.
These can help you choose the right program for your site from the many available.
