What is your criteria for choosing an affiliate program?

[rejoice]

So I know there are 2 main ways to join an affiliate program:

1. Find companies that you think you could sell on their behalf and join their internally run affiliate program.

2. Join a company like Clixgalore and pick and choose from a huge selection of affiliate programs.

Now my question is aimed at affiliates. What I want to know is how do you choose what affiliate program you will join. Let's say you are a part of Clixgalore and you have a wide variety of programs to choose from, do you get excited by large commissions? geographic location? service? product? cost per sale? cost per lead? high percentage of commission per sale? recurring commissions? Basically I want to know why you would want to join my affiliate program!?!?!?

[dropship]

I am looking for a product that would match the needs of my customers. I am also looking for a product that pays a commission that is worth our time to promote.

[rejoice]

and what payment would be worthwhile? is it relative to the product or service being sold as a percentage or just a dollar figure you have your mind set on?

[Finandom]

I definitely will consider the commission most. Besides that I also care about the creditability of the company and also the products. I think I will promote the products that I will use. At least I can understand the products very well before i promote it.

[rejoice]

That's sounds like a fair deal, commission seems to be the underlying factor thusfar. The reason I ask is because a company I am promoting is about to start an affiliate program and I will also be promoting/managing that. I guess now that the responses are fickle since everyone will probably have a similar answer, the affiliate program is for US residents and each sale will result in $4 commission per card. Each card expires at the end of the calendar month so repeat purchases by the person you initially refer (and made a purchase) will also result in recurring commissions for the affiliate. E_U_R_O_P_A_R_K Parking Cards www.europark.ca (website) Feel free to have a look at the website and product and let me know of your thoughts whether or not you would be willing to affiliate yourself and any general comments you have in terms of why it would or wouldn't be a great affiliate program.

[HitProfit.com]

Check out Commission Junction, Clickbank, and LinkShare. I've done pretty well on those.

[rejoice]

I'm not looking to make money advertising affiliate programs, I am looking to develop one as a merchant and allow others to make money through it. Do you think it is better to join more than one site as a merchant, or just one so you may concentrate your efforts?

[veikoh]

Two criterias actually:
1. Product that I can sell to my audience
2. Product that have generous commision worth to my efforts.

I would love to work with the company directly not using CommsionJunction or other services between. This way I will get proper support.

[BusinessAdviser]

I choose not to spend my time with affiliate programs.

[rejoice]

That pretty much answers it I think.

We are launching an affiliate program that will pay out 26% recurring monthly commissions which equates to $4 a sale, it will be run directly through the company as that means no fees and better management.

I guess the only thing remains is setting it up now and finding people to promote it.

Since our product has no competition, is that a good selling point for affiliates?

[dropship]

The concern I would have with running your affiliate program directly through your company is that there is no third party to keep track of sales. At this point I would only run through a common payment processor. Paying the fees is not fun but it saves me time in the long run not having to track sales and payouts.
If your product has no competition that is a great selling point for affiliates!
Best of luck to you!

[rejoice]

The affiliate program will be run through Post Affiliate Pro 3 and there is comprehensive tracking and reports available for all affiliates that take the time to log into the back end of things to keep updated and use the resources provided. Thanks for the luck, remember to be lucky we must think we're lucky

[buynick]

The affiliate program has to be complimentary to your product/service, so that your customer base will be interested. For instance, if you write an eBook on dog training, your affiliate could be an online store for dog supplies. I sell websites, so my affiliate is a hosting company.

[rejoice]

I'm not being funny, but for a company selling parking test cards, they would have to affiliate automated parking machines? Just doesn't seem practical or realistic. I think you are talking about cross selling and up selling to increase the profit margin once the customer has already committed to a purchase from your company.

So for instance, someone buys the parking test card, and then they are offered a handy booklet that outlines locations the card may be used at for half price, and since it goes hand in hand they are more likely to add to that initial purchase, and increase the companies profit margin due to several key factors.

I guess I see what you are saying, Europark needs to locate companies that sell a product or service where cross selling the parking test cards through an affiliate link would compliment their original customer base and add to their shopping experience, as opposed to driving them away on a totally different tangent.

[claybillionaire]

I want to join if the program has a high EPC (earnings per click) volume as well as a high conversion rate.

If it's a QUALITY product that can add VALUE to consumers and in demand.

As an affiliate - I focus on a very narrow niche - If I check out a program I focus on a niche within that niche and sub-niches. Think "skinny niches" not "fat" ones.