Frequently Asked Questions :
- What are affiliate programs ?
- How much money can I expect to make ?
- What will it cost me to join ?
- How do I sign up ?
- Which programs should I join ?
- What help will I get from program operators ?
- What if my application to join is rejected ?
Affiliate programs (also called associate, referral or partnership programs) are a means for sites to create increased business in a win-win-win situation for the program operator, the affiliate partner and the customer.
The operator sells more products, the partner earns commission and the customer gains easy and convenient access to the services/products he/she needs.
Partners sign up with operators, set up banner or text links to the operators sites and earn commission from any sales resulting from customers using that link.
How much money can I expect to make ?
You could earn enough to give up your day job and receive a substantial income
or
earn a reasonable second income
or
at least earn enough to cover your site costs and give you some pocket money.
It depends on the nature of your site, the amount of traffic generated and your choice of affiliate programs.
Most programs pay commission on the basis of sales generated - normally between 2% and 50% of sales value.
What will it cost me to join ?
In most cases it will cost you absolutely nothing to join an affiliate program.
However, some programs are open only to people who have taken out paid memberships or have bought products from the operator.
Some sites, such as Affiliate Showcase have a database of good quality affiliate schemes. Just search the various categories, click on a link to the site and follow the instructions.
Signing up is normally a simple process. You provide some personal details, an email address, web site address and description.
Alternatively, sign up with sites such as Commission Junction, ClickBank or Trade Doubler which list affiliate schemes which they administer on behalf of clients.
or
Go directly to your favorite sites and check if they operate affiliate programs. If they do, they will normally show an affiliate icon or text link somewhere on the Home Page. Click on the link and follow the instructions.
Which programs should I join ?
Join affiliate programs which :
- are relevant to the content of your site
- are operated by reputable businesses
- offer your site visitors quality products, information or services at reasonable prices.
- offer you a good commission for your efforts.
If you have favorite sites which you trust and use regularly, see if they operate affiliate schemes. It is easier to promote sites and products which you use yourself.
What help will I get from program operators ?
If you are successful then the program operator will also be successful.
Most operators realise this and will give as much help as possible in the form of :
- content, news and updates which can be included in your site
- advice on promoting their products
- advice on promoting your site
At the very least, they are likely to provide you with a choice of advertising banners to link to their site.
What if my application to join is rejected ?
Most programs impose very few conditions for selection and will accept most applications.
Refusal is most likely because of unsuitable site content - violent, abusive, racist or adult material.
Some programs don't even require you to have a website - the operator provides one for you, while others require you to have a top level domain site (.com, .co.uk etc.)
Some operators may require a certain level of traffic to your site.
Others may restrict the number of affiliates they sign up to ensure that affiliates are not in competition with each other.
If you are refused membership of a particular scheme don't worry as there are plenty of others to choose from. Or take heed of the reason for rejection and change your site content, promote your site to gain increased traffic or obtain a top level domain.
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