Affiliate Model

There are basically three types of affiliate management programs:

· Affiliate Networks – This is probably the easiest to set up. You just set up your affiliate product in their system and they handle the rest. Each service charges differently for their service. You will want to look through all the fine print before you select the service that is right for you. (Examples are Clickbank and Commission Junction.)

· Web Based Services – These services allow you to set up your affiliate program on their system. You still have to set up a merchant account. (An examples is 1Shopping Cart)

· Server Based Software – This software you load on your server which will manage your affiliates. (An example is viral sales generator.)

If you are just starting out, you may want to consider using Clickbank or PayDotCom. Both of these programs allow you to easily set up one product or several products. You don’t have to have a merchant account with either of these services. (This is extremely helpful if you are just starting out and are strapped for cash.)

With Clickbank you pay a one time fee of $50 and can list up to 99 products. Clickbank takes care of providing the affiliate links and paying the affiliates. They also pay you your share of the profits. However, it is harder to manage the affiliates. It can be done but it will take some work on your part.

If you have an established business and several products and affiliate, 1Shopping Cart or Viral Sales Generator are good choices. With these products you know who is selling for you and how much traffic they are driving to your site. You can easily provide tools for your affiliates to increase their productivity. However, there is a price to pay.

There is a great eBook, Report on Affiliate Management Software, put out by Dr. Wilson at Web Marketing Today. In this report, Ralph looks at the basic and advance features of affiliate software. He then looks in detail at 48 stand-alone programs and 55 affiliate modules integrated into shopping carts. He then offers candid feedback from about 200 users and makes recommendations. Before you invest, I would recommend looking at his review.

Wanting you to succeed,

Linda

PS If you haven’t listened to the affiliate audio interviews at www.WebTechAffiliates.com, go there now and listen to these great calls!  If there is any way you can get to the conference, you won’t be disappointed!  BUT the calls will disappear soon.

If you remember from an earlier post, I recommend starting with products that you know and love.

After you have successfully sold products that you have used, then you should look for other products in your niche. There are many ways to find affiliate products in your niche.

1. Do a search with the name of your niche plus the term ‘affiliate.’ This should bring up several affiliate programs.

2. Search the Clickbank marketplace for products in your niche. If you aren’t familiar with Clickbank, Stephen Pierce has a nice guide that will walk your through all the steps. The Clickbank Guide

3. Allen Gardyne’s site, www.AssociatePrograms.com is a great source for affiliate programs as well as general affiliate information.

4. www.AffiliatePrograms.com provides a list of affiliate programs.

5. Commission Junction, Link Share, and numerous others provide a variety of affiliate programs but if you are new and just starting out, Clickbank is the best place to start.

BOTTOM LINE: Look for the best commission possible.

The commission may be a dollar figure or a percentage. Always look at the cost of the product to determine how much you will make for each sale.

You also want to know how long your cookies are valid and what protection the program offers against click fraud. Look at how much you need to make before the program will send you a check. How does the affiliate program pay? Is it by check, money order, or paypal.

You also need to consider how difficult and costly will it be to promote this product. What is the conversion rate of the product?

Wanting you to succeed,

Linda

PS Every Tuesday night I listen to the affiliate marketing calls. These are available for a limited time.

Sign up now at www.WebTechAffiliates.com