REAL Money in Affiliate Programs

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Discover How Affiliates Earning $40,000+ Per Year Guarantee
Their Success By Asking These "To-The-Point" Questions
BEFORE Joining Any Affiliate Program!

Like a gorilla on steroids, there is a powerful way to add profits to your bottom line -- and that's through actively participating in the "right" affiliate program. By "right" affiliate program, I mean the one that's right for you.

For our readers who are unfamiliar with what an affiliate program is, it's simply a "no-risk" partnership that allows you to promote another company's product or service on your web site to earn a percentage of the sales. As one of the company's "affiliates" (promotion partners) you earn a commission each time someone you've referred to their web site makes a purchase. You might post a banner on your web site that links to the affiliate program's site, or you might publish an article about the company and their products in your newsletter.

No matter how you promote them, though, it's a win-win arrangement for both of you because:

• The affiliate program gets "no-risk" advertising (in most cases, they don't pay you unless one of your referred visitors makes a purchase),
  
   
• And you, the affiliate, get the opportunity to earn easy extra income without the hassles of production, packaging, shipping, or customer service. Generally, there is no fee for you to join and you can leave the program whenever you choose.

Forrester Research recently reported that by 2003, 21% of all online sales will be driven by affiliate sites promoting affiliate products like this; however, before you become an affiliate and grab your share of this multi-billion dollar commission income pie, it's extremely important that you educate yourself on how to know which is the best affiliate program to join and which are the most profitable affiliate products to promote.

While it's not uncommon to find site owners earning $40,000+ per year promoting just one or two affiliate products (and that's not including the "regular" income many of them earn promoting their own products), the fact is that not all affiliate programs are created equal. For example, while our own Internet Marketing Center affiliates enjoy commissions upwards of $4,000+ per month (lower traffic sites typically see $400 - $900 a month), there are plenty of other affiliate programs out there that are NOT as generous... or as reputable!

With literally thousands of new affiliate programs having come online since my last article on this topic, I wanted to make sure that you don't make a mistake and waste your time and efforts promoting a program that will not generate the extra income you deserve.

So to help you choose the "right" affiliate program, I've put together a list of the seven critical questions you MUST ask to ensure you make the best choice and give yourself the greatest opportunity for success.

First and foremost, the affiliate product you promote should be something that you truly believe in. It should be something that you would personally use yourself and be comfortable recommending to your best friend. Think of your role as a consultant who personally:

• Researches products available in your specialty,
   
• Objectively compares the product to its competitors,
   
• Ensures that the one you choose to promote outperforms the competition by offering a major benefit,
   
• And then "reports" your findings to your web site visitors and opt-in subscribers.

Your customers benefit by saving the time they would have taken to conduct their own research, by saving money, and by being offered the best solution for their purchasing dollars.

Look for products that offer exceptional value and unique benefits that potential buyers want but will not be able to find anywhere else. During your research, also watch for new product announcements. New products can bring in first-time buyers, previous purchasers who wish to upgrade, and owners of competitive products.

With literally thousands of programs to choose from, there's no reason for you to promote an affiliate product that you don't truly believe in. Money is a great motivator, but you should never let the lure of "quick cash" cloud your thinking. When you build your online business around the best interests of your customers, the money will follow.

As you research various affiliate products, watch for those that fit closely with your existing web site's theme; any affiliate product you consider promoting should match the interests, needs, requirements, and budgets of your current customers and web site visitors.

For example, if you sell wild bird feeders, you could join an affiliate program that allows you to earn commissions promoting bird feed, books on identifying wild birds, audio recordings of birds, binoculars, and maybe even night vision goggles for late-night bird watching.

Any product that enhances customer enjoyment, increases personal productivity, or provides a desirable benefit should be considered. Also, look for products that can be used alongside your offer, or that may be needed prior to using your product or afterwards. You will then be offering your customers a "complete" solution... not just one component of it.

Pay close attention to the comments you receive from your customers and subscribers. Both positive and negative feedback can give you critical clues about products or services your market is looking for to fill a need that your product cannot. You can then use this information to look for an affiliate program that offers more of what they tell you they want, or that provides a solution to one of their pressing problems.

Your buyers are relying on you to make sure that every product and service you recommend will perform as promised. If you're considering joining a particular affiliate program, check to see how long the company has been in business and investigate them as thoroughly as you would any prospective business partner. See if they offer a "testimonials" page. Ask questions about their products in various industry newsgroups and bulletin boards.

When you recommend another company to your visitors, it's your reputation that's on the line. Ask yourself if associating with this affiliate program will enhance your reputation with your online community. If it won't, then you have a good reason to pass on the "opportunity." Your reputation is priceless. Only associate with the best in your industry.

A key component in selling over the Internet is removing as much of the "risk" as possible for the potential customers -- people will look very carefully at the guarantee that comes with any affiliate product or service that you promote. If the affiliate program you are considering joining does not stand behind what they sell with a risk-free guarantee, then you can expect to lose sales and affiliate commissions to their competitors who do!

As you look at the guarantee, read the fine print. Are the rules for a customer getting their money back so tough that it becomes discouraging to even try? Is it guaranteed for 72 hours, 30 days, or a lifetime? If no refunds are allowed at all, then the company is making a statement about not only their product, but also their attitude towards customers.

Phone their help desk and see how you are treated. If they do not provide a phone number that clients can call, then try sending an e-mail to their customer support. Your inquiry should be answered promptly.

Choosing to associate with an affiliate program that offers "live" support by phone is important since 57% of online buyers prefer to speak directly with a "real" person in customer service. Many of your potential buyers will want to make sure that the company has someone they can turn to for help before they make their online purchase.

As an affiliate, you will be referring your visitors and subscribers to the affiliate program's sales site. It is the other company's "job" to provide all the information a potential buyer needs to make an informed decision and then close the sale.

Your web site should not have to be a "sales site" for the affiliate product you're promoting. It should be enough for you just to get visitors interested with a personal recommendation that links visitors to the sales site. You may only need a simple paragraph stating something like…

You should be able to explain the product and its unique benefit to your visitors in just a few compelling sentences. Once visitors click through from your site to the affiliate program's site, the potential purchaser should easily be able to get all the information they need to make a buying decision.

If the potential affiliate program's sales site is confusing, hard to navigate, unfocused, too technical, or overrun with distracting graphics, then prospective buyers will quickly move on before they arrive at the order page. If it's a really bad site, your referred visitors won't be able to find the order page at all!

Before joining an affiliate program, look at their product pages from the perspective, knowledge level, and personal interest of a typical visitor who comes to your site. If you have a lot more technical expertise or specialized knowledge than most of your visitors, then terms and explanations that are easy for you to understand could be mind boggling for them.

There are a variety of tracking and payment systems that affiliate programs use to calculate your overall sales and commissions. So before you sign up, you'll want to make sure you have a thorough understanding of how -- and when -- you'll be paid. Factors to consider include...

The affiliate program you join should not expect you to reinvent the wheel. They should have at least a handful of tools that you can use to promote their products like:

• Banners
• Text links
• Classified ads
• Product photos
• Testimonials
• Articles

Everything they provide you with should already be tested and proven to generate the highest click-throughs and sales, so you can immediately implement them and start earning top commissions. They should also provide some kind of training... or at least be willing to speak with you personally about how you might best promote their products in your newsletter or on your web site.

For example, if you'd like to see what a highly developed affiliate training program might look like, check out our IMC Affiliate Support Center. Just sign up as an affiliate (don't worry, it's free to join and you're under no obligation to do anything) and you'll receive the username and password you need to snoop around and check out the resources we provide our affiliates with.

Final Thoughts:

With so many great affiliate programs to choose from, with a little research you should have no trouble finding profitable affiliate products to promote and earn top commissions. Look for products and services that complement your existing product line, match the interests of your visitors, and offer exceptional value.

Only deal with reputable companies who are proud of their products, stand behind them, and will bend over backwards to please their customers. With the wide variety of commission pay plans available, choose one that offers an attractive incentive.

To find top affiliate programs, you can visit:

• Associate Programs http://www.associateprograms.com/index.shtml
  
  Great resource that reviews an extensive list of affiliate programs and offers a top-10 affiliate program list.
   
• Refer-It http://www.referit.com/main.cfm
  
  A search engine for affiliate programs that offers affiliate news updates on their homepage.
   
• Lifetime Commissions http://www.lifetimecommissions.com
  
  Gives you a choice of 83 different residual income affiliate programs.

No matter which affiliate program gets you the most excited, use the seven questions I've provided you with in this article to thoroughly investigate before you invest your time and effort. Once you join, if you actively participate, continue to learn, and keep testing, you'll separate yourself from the pack and soon be well on your way to earning a serious part-time or even full-time income promoting affiliate products.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.