Affiliate Marketing Programs: Criteria For Success

Author: Salvador Tripp

There are so many affiliate marketing programs available online, that the beginning marketer may feel overwhelmed with options. For the marketing newbie it is quite common to jump from program to program without ever seeing any real profit. How can a beginning online marketer avoid the pitfalls of selecting the wrong affiliate marketing program? There are a number of things you should look for to help you determine which affiliate programs are the best. Here are some suggestions.

Often, an affiliate marketing program makes it easy to enroll, but once onboard, the trouble begins. If the program you are considering is full of programming bugs, get out. It will be more frustration and time than it is worth, and you will risk the chance that programming errors somehow lose track of your commissions. A flaw will occur in even the best program. Support staff should fix the issue as soon as possible.

Affiliates often have different requirements of an affiliate marketing support team. Beginners often need more guidance than a seasoned Internet marketer. Be sure the program you are considering offers the level of training and guidance your experience or lack thereof requires. The support team should be readily available to answer your questions and guide you along your affiliate experience.

The product or service promoted through the affiliate marketing program should be high quality. It should also be reasonably priced and readily marketable. Demand a high level of performance and integrity from any product or service you promote. The best way to assess the quality of a product or service is to take if for a test run yourself.

Assess the market to determine how difficult it will be to sell the product or service. A product that already has a ready market will be easier to market and faster to sell. Check the competition as well. If it is fiercely packed with experienced competitors and you are new on the field, it may be hard to hold your own. If you already have a substantial following, competition is not much of an issue.

Promoting any affiliate offer takes a great deal of time and effort, regardless of the actual program. You want to direct your efforts into a program that will give you the greatest return on your investment. Two things to check to ensure a solid profit are the affiliate marketing program's commission and conversion rates. The amount you earn per sale is determined by the commission rate. Affiliate offers promoting informational products usually offer commissions rates of 50% or higher. The conversion rate is the percentage of people who, after clicking through your ad or promotional link, end up buying the product or service. Both can often be located on the affiliate marketing program's promotional site. The higher the commission and conversion rates, the higher your profits.

It's one thing to be willing to work hard, but you don't want to waste your precious time on losing affiliate programs. Online affiliate marketing success is never guaranteed, but putting some solid work into the upfront research will definitely increase your chances. Be patient and persistent--quality affiliate marketing programs are out there.