How to Choose the Right Affiliate Program Affiliate Marketing for Bloggers Affiliate Summit August 9, 2014

3 Things to Consider The Product The Merchant The Program

The Product Are you passionate about it? (This sounds obvious, but it should be something you like and that you really feel strongly about.) Does it appeal to your audience? (Be sure it’s something you know will bring value to your audience, you have built a relationship with them.)

The Product Is it priced competitively? (Be sure it’s not overpriced or that it can be found cheaper at most other retailers.) What is the Average Order Value (AOV)? (Be sure that it’s high enough to make money for your efforts, but not so high that it’s rarely ever purchased.)

The Product What does the competitive landscape look like? (You don’t want to hitch your wagon to something that can be found anywhere and everywhere) Is there a demand for it? (It’s a good idea to get a feeling for how much demand and interest is out there for your product. *Tool: Google Keyword Planner) What is the buying cycle for this product? (Consider the frequency of the product purchase and is it something researched online but not purchased there.)

The Merchant Are they well known or have a unique story? (It can be easier to get someone interested in purchasing a product if they are familiar with the brand or there’s a very interesting story to be told about it.) Is the site professional and easy to navigate? (You need to be sure that your readers are being brought somewhere they feel comfortable shopping.)

The Merchant Is their checkout a streamlined process? (So many times sites make checkout so hard and confusing, shoppers just bail, make sure you step through the process.) What is their site conversion rate? (This is a handy metric that will let you know very quickly how well the traffic you send will convert into dollars for you. It also can indicate how user-friendly the site itself is.)

The Program What is the commission rate? (Consider how this compares to other similar merchants and find out if there are opportunities for bonuses or increases along the way.) How does this compare with their AOV? (It’s sort of a 1-2 punch, the AOV might be high enough that you are still profitable at a seemingly lower commission rate)

The Program What is the cookie duration or return days? (Based on the type of product and the buying cycle, you want to ensure you will get credit for the sale and maybe even subsequent sales.) What is their Earnings Per Click (EPC)? (This is simply an average of how much money you can expect to earn for every visitor you send. It gives you a quick snapshot of how the program might perform for you.)

The Program Are you provided with an “arsenal” of tools? (It’s important for you to have tools in order to promote the product, they should provide things like: data feeds, deep links, banners, text links, videos, special content, etc.) What are the Terms of Service? (You need to take the time to review this so you don’t break the terms and not get paid. It covers things like: PPC bidding, direct linking, ing, coupon code use, etc.)

The Program What are the payment terms? (You should understand how often you will be getting paid, what the payment threshold is and how payment will be made.) What are their reversal rates like? (This is another area to pay close attention to, it lets you know the percentage of orders that are cancelled or returned, thus the affiliate does not get paid.)

The Program Is there a system for tracking affiliate orders? (You want to understand exactly how the tracking system works to ensure you will be credited for your traffic & sales.) Do you have a “friend on the other end”? (This is absolutely key to your success as an affiliate, you should have a dedicated affiliate manager on the other end to help anytime you need it!)

Any Questions? Jennifer Myers Ward