Checklist for finding profitable affiliate programs

High quality product or service -- remember, it’s your reputation that is on the line (and online!). Don’t recommend products that UNDERdeliver.+ Merchant has a good site that sells effectively.+ Ability for affiliate to link straight to individual products, rather than just to the home page. (If the visitor has to find the product that you recommend, your Conversion Rate plummets.)+ Type of payment model... Pay-per-sale and pay-per-lead are good. This istrue “performance marketing.” If your referred visitor delivers the desiredresponse, you get paid. + Affiliate Support...• Accurate, reliable real-time online accounting, preferably with some kind of ability to “audit” by spot-checking• Detailed traffic and linking stats• Notification by e-mail when a sale is made• Useful marketing assistance, provides traffic-building and sales-getting tools• High-quality newsletter that educates, trains, and accounts for amounts earned• Professional marketing materials available• Affiliates receive discount on productsGreat affiliate support is important for a “between the lines” reason, too. It indicates a high degree of commitment to the program and its affiliates.+ Pays good commission -- hard goods have lower margins than digital ones.So their commissions will be lower. Still, you should make at least 10% (hard good) or 20% (digital good) on any product that you recommend. Don’t be scared off by low-priced products if they offer a good % commission -- the lower dollar value per sale is offset by the higher sales volume.+ Must be free (no charge) to join, no need to buy the product.+ Lifetime commission -- if the program pays a commission on future sales of other products to customers that you refer, this is a huge plus.+ Two-tier commission -- if the program pays a commission on affiliates who join because of you, this is also great.+ Lifetime cookie -- Do you receive a commission if the person you referredreturns and buys within one month? Three months? The cookie that tracks this should not expire.+ Restriction on number of affiliates -- you won’t find many of these. But if you do, grab it.+ Monthly payment, with reasonable minimum.Research, prune, pick and start building your affiliate business…http://affiliates.sitesell.com/build-income.html