subject: How To Choose The Right Affiliate Programs [print this page] Trust is a key ingredient in affiliate marketing. Your customers come to you for recommendations on what to buy. If they are happy, they will come back. The affiliates you choose, and their marketing methods, reflect on you. Here are some things to look for.
Only use products/services you believe in.
Well, duh. Your enthusiasm about a product/service makes your recommendation more compelling. That is what makes people want to take a further look at it. Check out every product or service before you present it to customers. Make sure it delivers on all of its promises. Make sure you would be comfortable recommending it to your best friend.
Verify your compensation
Take a close look at the terms and conditions offered by your vendor. Make sure you clearly understand:
* What triggers your payment
* How much you will be paid
* When you will be paid
* Policies about returns, who can cancel the agreement under what conditions, and any other fine print you would rather skip over
Don't take anything at face value. Run the numbers, that is, work through exactly how much money you will make and what must happen before you are paid.
Look for a good landing/destination page
Once you make a recommendation, the next step is usually to send customers to a landing page (usually a single web page sometimes called a destination page) where they can purchase the product or service. The purpose of the landing page is to complete the sale. The landing page should anticipate and answer any objections your customer may have, heighten the emotional desire to own the product, and make it very easy to buy. Look for these elements:
* An eye-catching headline that talks to the problems and solutions your customer wants
* Benefits, benefits, benefits
* Stories and/or pictures that help the customer feel what owning the product/service will be like
* Testimonials from delighted customers
* Compelling bonuses in addition to the product/service
* A clean, simple way to make the purchase
Check for good customer service
Many people think affiliate marketing is easy because all you have to do is suggest products or services. Your vendor does all that other stuff, like taking the order, supplying the product/service, and handling any customer service problems. This is all true, but remember that all of it reflects on you. Problems with customer service can hurt your business, even if you do not think they are your responsibility. One way to check customer service is to see how your vendor treats you as an affiliate.
* Did you get a welcome letter?
* Does the vendor provide anything beyond the landing page to help you sell the product/service?
* Are your questions answered promptly and effectively?
Avoid marketing overkill from your vendor
I recently considered one vendor who looked very good until the email barrage began. My first clue was when I looked at his landing page. A popup appeared, before I even saw the offer, asking me to sign up for a newsletter. Once that was done, the landing page did look good. It had everything I could ask for. ClickBank statistics for this vendor also looked good. This could be a real moneymaker!
But then the email barrage began. Every day I received 2 or 3 emails, all of them with loud videos touting the product. Many had subject lines that were misleading, like "your password request" or "last chance..." I opted out of the mailing list and will not be looking at this vendor again. The product may be great and the affiliate offer is good. That is not enough. I do not want to expose my customers to pushy, annoying marketing tactics. That is not what they expect or want from me.
Choose your affiliates wisely. Treat each customer as a best friend and you can build a thriving online business. Look closely and carefully at each potential vendor. Choosing the right ones will lead to a great business and will make life much easier later on.
