An element that is often overlooked in affiliate marketing is the importance of choosing the right affiliate program. I recommend that you look at choosing an affiliate program the same way you would if you were looking for a job.

Although you will not be facing a boss who will be monitoring your every move, you still have other crucial considerations:

  • Will you be paid on time and in full?
  • Can you work for a new company or one with an extensive experience in the niche and a proven track record?
  • Do you have the necessary tools to be a successful affiliate?
  • Will you be able to get help if you have issues?

With that said, here are a few tips for choosing the right affiliate program that pays:

It Must be Appealing to a Large Target Audience

For an affiliate program to make you money, it must be appealing to a large target audience. Products appealing to larges masses are proven to convert and sell. Products in less competitive markets may not be popular since it’s not want a majority of the people is looking for.

The Vendor Must Know How to Sell

There are many companies offering affiliate programs. The truth is that most of them don’t know how to sell. Don’t assume that the vendor knows how to sell just because they have an affiliate program.

In fact, for the program to be successful, you and the vendor must play a big role. You are required to convert your visitors to potential customers. The vendor, on the other hand, should be able to convert potential customers into buyers.

So, you need to look at the sales page of the vendor and analyze to find out if they know how to sell. Of course this takes experience and some practice

Is the Product Relevant to Your Target Audience?

Dwayne Graves says if the product you are selling is not relevant to your target audience, it will not convert regardless of how profitable the program is.  So, as you can see, this is a pretty straight forward point. Do you homework and find products that will appeal to your target audience

Is There a Recurring Subscription or Back-End Sale?

Are you looking forward to doing something and getting paid again and again? I guess you do.

The best way to do it with affiliate marketing is to promote programs or products that has a recurring subscription or back-end sale

A good example is a membership site with a recurring subscription. You simply need to refer a customer once and you will get a commission when he pays membership fee.

Last but not least, no matter how tempting an affiliating program can be, it is important to ensure that it is indeed a good product. Don’t just promote the product for the sake of promoting. Dwayne Graves says if you want to run a successful affiliate program, you have to make your customer happy and maintain a good reputation by providing them with a good product.