Top 11 Factors To Consider While Selecting An Affiliate Program

Choosing the right affiliate program is tricky as well as crucial. Every affiliate wants the best. With an ever-increasing number of affiliate programs, it is hard to narrow down the list.

A lot of factors need to be considered, studied, evaluated and compared before committing to a program. This often leaves the marketers in a state of confusion about whether they are doing it right or not!

To solve this dilemma of yours, here we have listed the top eleven factors to be considered while selecting an affiliate program.

Read ahead and check out if your dream affiliate program is a profitable deal or not -

1. Commission Rate — The rate of commission offered is probably the most important factor to consider while selecting an affiliate program, especially if money is the sole criteria behind you being an affiliate marketer.
   Different affiliate programs offer different commission rates. The higher the rate of commission, the more you can earn per convert.
   The latest affiliate program by LambdaTest, for instance, offers a flat 25% recurring commission on all yearly plans while on monthly plans, they give a 50% commission on the first transaction followed by recurring 25% monthly commission for a lifetime — which is decent enough by the market standards.
   However, an important factor to consider here is that the program should have a high conversion rate.
   Over time, many affiliate marketers realize that a program with lower-commission can even generate more affiliate profits as compared to a program offering high-commission with a poorer conversion rate. Hence, choose your program wisely.
2. The Kind Of Product- The kind of products you can promote for an affiliate program also matters. If you have a blog related to web development, then you must promote digital tools that are related to web development, design, testing, etc.
   You simply cannot choose a program that does not have anything to do with your niche as an affiliate marketer.
   Apart from that, choosing a program that has products having value and demand throughout the year is also important. As you know, every one has a website and thousands of websites are being added everyday You have to choose a never dying tool or technology.
3. Market Reputation — Before committing to a product, you must make sure that it has a flawless market reputation. Avoid choosing a program with a shady reputation.
   Do your homework well and conduct a proper market research. Read independent and unbiased reviews by existing affiliates, if available. Be an active member of various affiliate forums and blogs.
   Apart from that, judge their website well and see if it seems genuine and secure or not. The website must be easy enough to browse through and should have all the necessary information mentioned clearly, without any tinge of doubt.
4. Competitive Nature — With a lot of affiliate programs available today, it is important that you compare all the available options and choose the one that best suits you. Critically analyze the prospects and consequences of the program’s customer-facing offer. It is a lesser-known fact that competitive product prices are directly correlated to conversion rates. Customers are smart! In the age of technology, rapid communication, and comparison shopping, online consumers are highly unlikely to buy anything from noncompetitive merchants.
5. Nature Of Commission — Another important factor to consider while choosing an affiliate program is to see whether the commission offered is recurring or not.
   A lot of affiliate programs like LambdaTest Affiliate Program and Udemy Affiliates Program offer recurring commission, thus benefiting you more.
   On the other hand, even some of the most renowned affiliate programs pay commission on new and unique customers only. This practice leaves the marketers at loss. Hence, you should try investing in something that has long-term benefits for you and contributes to this ‘passive income’ idea well.
6. Market Saturation — Of late, affiliate marketing has been gaining a lot of popularity and attention from people. People are actively pursuing it. As a result, some niches are already too crowded, leaving very little room for new entrants. They are well established in the field and offer a tough competition. Unless you have something really interesting and unique to offer, try looking for something that is not overcrowded. In other words, look for a less saturated niche.
   Above all, the niche is a budding field and holds amazing opportunities for new affiliates.
7. Method Of Payment — Whether the payments are settled monthly or weekly also is a factor to be considered sometimes. If you are short of funds and urgently need it, you must look for an affiliate program that settles all the pending payments quickly! Whether they pay through bank accounts or some international payment method like PayPal can also make or break the deal.
   International new affiliates generally do not have PayPal accounts, hence if you are just experimenting with it and not quite serious about it, consider dealing with programs that have your preferred payment method.
8. Cookie Life — Cookie life is also known as the referral period. This is the time duration within which the advertiser compensates affiliates for the referred customer. If the program you are considering to promote has the cookie life set at 24 hours and a visitor you refer purchases 25 hours past the initial referral, you will not earn any commission on that sale. Hence, cookie life is also an important factor to be considered before choosing an affiliate program. It can affect your income by a huge margin.
9. Approachability — Pick an affiliate program, for instance, and send a random query to them. Carefully observe their attitude towards the job and notice how quickly they attend to you! Although it seems insignificant, a truly professional merchant would be available readily and satisfy you with a convincing response. It is important that you partner with someone who is as professional and committed as you are, to avoid any disappointments in the future.
10. Leaks — Traffic leaks are one of the most common issues in affiliate marketing. It is defined as a diversion or distraction that leads to your referral to leave the merchant’s site. It results in you losing out on a part of your commission. Make sure that you examine the merchant’s landing page carefully and be certain about the presence of any potential leaks. In case you encounter any leaks, inform the merchant immediately and request them to do something about it. In case they do not cooperate, it is time to find a new merchant.
11. Other General Terms And Conditions — Apart from the above core terms, there are some general policies, terms, and conditions specific to each affiliate marketing program. Sometimes, you may be having a problem with a particular condition of the company. It may be a deal breaker for you, but others may absolutely be okay with it. Hence, it is crucial that you carefully read the terms and conditions before getting in.

These were the top eleven factors to consider while selecting an affiliate program.

Apart from these, there are a lot of other factors like earnings per click, reversal rate, conversion rate, average order value etc. which are influential and conclusive. Make sure you carefully study all the factors and evaluate the subsequent prospects and consequences before clicking on the signup button.

Affiliate marketing has a lot to offer.

It is an amazing field to earn some quick money passively. However, you must invest your time and energy wisely and put your eggs in the right basket.

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