Finding Affiliate Programs - 4 Time Saving Research Questions
When researching an affiliate program, there are a number of
questions you should ask before determining whether or not you
want to associate with a particular online merchant. However, to
save you time, there are four items you should initially
investigate before proceeding. Ask the following questions in
the order given and if any of the answers do not measure up,
then it's time to leave that affiliate program in the dust and
move on.
1. Is There an Affiliate Agreement?
If the merchant does not include an affiliate agreement, then
you may as well head on down the highway. Under no
circumstances should you become associated with a merchant
unless the terms of your affiliation are clearly stated.
Without an affiliate agreement, you likely will not even be able
to find the answers to your remaining questions anyway.
2. Is There a Fee to Join the Program?
This one is pretty cut-and-dry. If you have to pay to join an
affiliate program, then it's really NOT an affiliate program and
you don't want to go there. Once again, move to the next one on
your list.
3. Exclusivity?
This is not as much of an issue as it used to be. Most merchants
seem to have figured out by now that they cannot put too much
control on how an affiliate runs their business. Exclusivity is
a condition that should be outlined in the affiliate agreement
and states that an affiliate cannot promote products or services
of a direct competitor of that merchant.
For example, if you run a pet supply related web site and you
affiliate with 'XYZ Pet Supplies' who has an exclusivity
condition, then you likely will not be permitted to affiliate
with PETsMART, PETCO, 1-800-PETMEDS, or any of the other
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online merchants. This obviously puts a severe damper on your
ability to run your business.
If you do happen to run across an affiliate program with an
exclusivity clause, then don't even bother with them. Move on.
4. Is Your Web Site Eligible?
Obviously, if your web site does not meet the eligibility
requirements of a particular affiliate program, there's no sense
in continuing. Many merchants simply want to make sure your site
is not offensive in any way, so as to not alienate potential
customers. Other merchants are very picky about who they allow
to affiliate with them and set certain standards that affiliate
web sites must meet.
Along the same lines, as an affiliate, you need to determine
whether it makes sense for your web site to promote the goods or
services of any given merchant. Using the pet supply example
again, why on Earth would you want to promote a merchant's auto
parts when your site focuses on pets? You'd be surprised at how
many affiliate programs automatically accept applicants.
Researching and joining affiliate programs can be a very
time-consuming process. If you follow the steps outlined above,
you can quickly weed out the undesirables and continue research
on only those affiliate programs that may actually be worth your
time.
About the author:
Bob Davis is a professional database consultant, web designer,
graphic artist, and Internet marketer. If you'd like some solid
tips on starting your own legitimate Internet business, then
visit his Home
Internet Business Guide for Beginners.
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