Affiliate Marketing Program Checklist

Many people are struggling to make the decision on whether or not to become an affiliate. Some just don't know what to look for.  Most expert affiliates say that it is a combination of factors that can determine if you will be a super affiliate or an average affiliate. When most people give advice on how to be successful as an affiliate marketer, they tend to skip the most critical and simple methods. In my opinion you need to know the basics or be reminded of them periodically. Below are the top ten things you need to consider before joining any affiliate program. 

The Affiliate Marketing Program Checklist

1. Minimum 25% Commission

Does the affiliate program have a great payment structure; meaning a high percentage of the purchase price.

2. Excellent Company Presentation

The website of the affiliate program you join should have a clean, attractive design, easy to navigate with full disclosure of their program details. Remember, you will be sending your prospective affiliates to this site.

3. Accurate Tracking Methods

The affiliate program should provide a comprehensive affiliate statistics page that lists the number of clicks, sales, lead and amount of commissions earned on a monthly basis. The affiliate statistics should be updated automatically and immediately. Who wants to find out today about a sale you made in the previous month?

4. Marketing Tools

Make sure the affiliate program provides a wide variety of text links, banners and graphics to put on your web page. Text links are definitely the best choice.

5. Payment Schedule

The affiliate program should tell you how often you are going to be paid. There are programs that pay monthly, quarterly and by percentage. In addition, there are some programs that have a payout minimum. In most cases, the programs that pay monthly are a better choice. No one enjoys waiting for months to be paid.

6. Affiliate News

Investigate whether or not the affiliate program shares data about how their top affiliates are doing. This can be a great indicator about the popularity of the product or service they are offering. If there are some affiliates are earning over $5,000 per month, it is a good affiliate program.

7. Affiliate Strategies

Check the affiliate program website for a forum of tutorials, strategies, tips and techniques between the affiliates.

8. Company Updates

Does the affiliate program offer a company newsletter on a regular basis for their affiliates? This is a great way to get extra tips and techniques that are working well.

9. Communication with The Affiliate Program

Find out if they offer email notification when you make a sale or get an affiliate signed up under you (if it is a 2-tier program). It is very motivating to see ‘You have a new affiliate’ in your inbox.

10. Customer Support

You need to ensure that your questions will be answered within 48 hours.

Forums are great ways to get support and advice on how an affiliate can increase their income. Other affiliates will participate in these forums to get the advice they need. And super affiliates will offer their own tips they use in their business on how to make money. Most forums will provide good helpful tips from other affiliate who are working towards the same goal. So you should make absolute that you join an affiliate program that has an active forum. Do a search of affiliate programs online and find the right program that will fit you and your needs to ensure that you can make a decent income as an affiliate.