Affiliate Guide
What is an
Affiliate Program?
An Affiliate program is a way for a company
to increase global exposure (in most cases) to their product or service. Usually a
commission is paid to affiliates when a sale is made through their referral. As an
affiliate you will usually be required to market a product or service.
Who are Affiliate
Programs for?
Most of the time you will be able to find an
affiliate program that will offer a product or service that you will be able to directly
market through your website. For example if you run a web design business. You could join
a web hosting affiliate program. Such as the Virtualis Systems
Reseller program.
How do i choose
an Affiliate Program?
Ok. First of all. You are the person that
will be marketing the product or service. Be particularly weary of so called "Get
Rich Quick" Schemes and of some MLM programs. Some of these types of programs have
been know to be illegal or just don't pay. Look for good support, fast payment. Check how
much commission is offered. If you join an affiliate program that pays 1 to 3 cents per
click, you would need ALOT of clickthroughs to earn a decent level of
commission. However if you join a program that offers $50 - $100 per sale and you
receive light to medium traffic to your site, then you have a far better chance of earning a
commission. Also check how many tier the program is (one, two) Two-tier
programs offer commission on sales of affiliates that you sign up.
How do i promote
Affiliate Programs?
Many people try to promote affiliate
programs from a free web sites, in most cases people are not willing to purchase a product
or service from a free site. Don't get me wrong sales may come your way through your
referral from a free site. Although Registering and Hosting your domain name will
drastically increase your chances of achieving online sales. You can search here to see if
the domain name you want is still available. Also, do not rule out offline advertising.
(i.e.: Newspapers, Radio Stations, TV etc.) There is alot of competitors on the internet.
Advertising in your home town or country is a great place to start. (Depending on the
program). Offer Content, Reviews etc, to get your visitors interested in the product.
If you already have a website, look for an
affiliate program that fits the theme of that site. For example if
you sell car accessories you may wish to join an affiliate program that sells cars.
How do i increase
Affiliate Sales?
The first sale is always the hardest. You
may want to read some marketing Articles and Reports. A great source is MarketingChallenge.com.
MarketingChallenge.com offer many articles and reviews on many topics.
Another great way to learn more about
internet marketing is through Ken Evoy`s book. Ken offers some great professional advice
in his book "Make Your Site Sell"
You can download a free trial version of
the book here.
Want to Start
Your Own Affiliate Program?
Starting your own affiliate program has
never been easier, There are many options that you can choose when starting an affiliate
program. You can purchase server software
from a number of places or you could join
an affiliate network or hire a
programmer
to create a cgi script for you.
Our choice would have to be The Affiliate Program
Software™. The reason we back this software is the features. The Affiliate
Program Software ™ offers Automatic Signup Process,
Multiple Banner Support, Multiple Click-through Page Support, Automatic Tracking, Dual
Tracking Method, Banner Location Tracking, Tracks All Types of Sales, Two-Tier Support,
Email Notification, Automatic Monthly Statements, SMART Sales Reports, Email Broadcast
Capabilities, Customizable Click-Through Pages for all Affiliates, Customizable
Commissions for all Affiliates, EASY-To-Use Administration Page, Affiliate Administration
Pages, Email Reminder, Ability to Export Information and a Superb Filing System. The
price being asked for this software is $499. You can demo the
software here.
Another great program
is Commission Cart
™. Commission Cart is the only Internet
Shopping Cart designed to allow others to earn commissions for promoting your products and
services! Commission Cart™ is the next generation of Internet E-Commerce, boasting
not only a full-featured Shopping Cart but one of the most powerful Affiliate programs
available. The price being asked for Commission Cart is $249. This is a great script if
you do not have the money to purchase The Affiliate Program
Software™. You can demo Commission Cart™
here.
We are also in the development stages of our
own affiliate software. The current date of completion is unknown as yet. Please check back
for updates.
You can also read our article on "Choosing Affiliate
Software"
More to come.....
Please be patient as we
still working on the affiliate guide.
