Affiliate Money Makers

1. Be sure to carefully read the program's terms and conditions before joining. Once you agree to them and join the program, you are bound to them. This is very important as some programs write terms that make it unfeasible for you to join their program. Also, be careful to see what restrictions they list, as future changes to your website may disqualify you as a member of the program causing you to be removed without warning (losing all owed commissions).
   
   
2. Make sure the program provides online stats. The more stats provided the better. As an affiliate, it is difficult to know if you actually get paid for every click, lead, or sale. Online stats make this easier to determine. In addition, it really helps you figure out which methods are most effective in marketing that particular program.
   
   
3. Make sure the program's stats get updated frequently. Real-time stats work the best. Stats not updated very often make it difficult to know if the program is successful for you. If you are doing any kind of time sensitive site promotions then frequently updated stats become critical to gauge if your promotions are successful.
   
   
4. Make sure the program pays you frequently. Some programs pay quarterly or even semi-annually. If you don't mind waiting months to receive your money, then that's fine, but it does make it difficult to know if the program is trustworthy and actually will pay you in the future.
   
   
5. Make sure the program pays for accruing a reasonable and obtainable amount of money. Some programs require you to earn at least $100 before being paid. This can be nearly impossible to reach for smaller sites that don't get much traffic or with affiliate programs that offer small commissions.
   
   
6. Make sure the company behind the affiliate program lists valid contact information. Some programs don't list their contact information or put false contact information on their web site. This creates a scary situation when it comes time to rely on the company to send you your check. I wasn't paid by one company's program after accruing $300-$400. When I tried to contact them, I found out that the phone number listed on their web site actually connected to directory assistance.
   
   
7. Find out what marketing tools the company makes available to use to promote their products and/or services. Most at least offer standard banners for your use. However, others offer ad variations such as button ads, square shaped ads, interactive ads, email ads, etc.
   
   
8. Check to see if the program allows you to make your own marketing materials. Can you use your own text links or create your own artwork? Often the banners provided don't mesh well with the design of your site. It's useful when companies allow you to create your own because then you can tailor the ads to your site, which results in a better response rate.
   
   
9. Make sure you know whether the program pays you per click, per lead, per sale, or for something else. If it is per sale, do they pay you a commission or a flat fee?
   
   
10. If the program requires your social security number or tax id number, make sure the site is secure before entering it. If it isn't, find out if you can call and give them your number over the phone. Often they don't even need your number until you have earned at least $600 in a year.
    
    

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