How To Choose An Affiliate Marketing Program and Product That Is Right For You.
Affiliate Marketing can be one of the quickest and easiest ways to get started with your own internet business.
With an affiliate link and an Pay-Per-Click account , you can literally be up and running in minutes.
But that;s not necessarily a good thing. You can waste a lot of time and money pretty quickly if you don’t choose the right product or products to affiliate with.
A little brain work and research before you can get started can keep your bank balance intact and save you months of frustration and wasted time.
Lets have a quick look at some of the things you must consider before heading to somewhere like Clickbank or Commission Junction and picking an affiliate program, partner or product.
Choosing An Affiliate Program, Point No.1
How are you thinking of marketing it ?
Certain products will lend themselves to certain methods of promotion.
A lot of potential affiliate partners will produce landing pages for you that may lend themselves to Pay Per Click advertising.
Some won’t.
You don’t really want to be advertising a product using Pay Per Click if the site they have given you is a big brochure site with a million different options for the customer to figure out.
A simple e-mail capture and follow up sequence has proven very effective for Pay Per Click.
That’s not to say the brochure site won’t work.
Just think in advance how you are planning to market your affiliate program and then see which affiliate programs lend themselves to your preferred marketing methods.
Choosing An Affiliate Program, Point No.2
What’s the cost ?
It seems an obvious point but in general the higher the cost of the product, the more commission you will make.
And remember the margins with affiliate products can be small, once you take into account your advertising costs, if you have any.
A big ticket item can mean much bigger pay days for you. If you know the market you are working in.
Don’t be afraid to promote big ticket items if you know your market and your prospective customers.
Choosing An Affiliate Program, Point No.3
What’s Your Percentage ?
Again these vary depending on your affiliate partner.
Anywhere from 1% to 75% depending on the price of the product and the company you are dealing with.
You may absolutely love a product but if the company only wants to pay you 1% of the sale , when you are the one bearing all the advertising cost and doing all the leg work, it might not be worth it.
Again it depends on the cost of the product. 1% of a villa in dubai and 1% of an e-book are not the same thing so judge each opportunity on it’s merits.
At the end of the day you want an affiliate partner that will play fair and do right by you. Someone who values their affiliates and the vital role they have.
And there is a lot of variation good and bad.
Also check to see what the recurring payments are.
I affiliated once with a nutritional supplement that was a monthly shipment, yet they only wanted to pay a percentage of the initial sale, and keep the rest for themselves.
That is not the kind of company you want to be in business with.
Choosing An Affiliate Program, Point No.4
Reputation.
It is not hard to find out which affiliate programs affiliates recommend and which you should stay away from.
There is no hiding place for companies that do not respect or play fair by their affiliates.
There are hundreds of affiliate and internet marketing forums where affiliates discuss the pros and cons of each affiliate program and product.
Do a little research before you begin and see what some of the full-time affiliates are saying.
It’s probably a good place to start.
Choosing An Affiliate Program, Point No.5
Product, Product, Product
If you have an affiliate product that stands out in it’s marketplace, that is clearly the best, that is unique, that is the standard for that particular industry, that should make things easier.
As do brand names that people trust and recognise.
It will all come down to the product at the end of the day.
No-one wants to buy a poor product, no matter how good their commission structure is for you.
The product needs to be top quality, something you preferably use yourself or have at least used yourself.
You can also see on places like Clickbank which are the top performing products in a given marketplace.
Make sure you start with a bit of research before you jump in.
It will save you time and money in the long run .
