Tags: Affiliate Network, choose a good affiliate merchant, Choosing a good merchant
how to choose a good affiliate merchant, and how to work with merchants directly.
working with affiliate merchant
1. Try the "email test."
Email silence from a merchant can be a useful warning sign. So before you invest a lot of time and money in promoting an affiliate product, write to the merchant.
If he doesn’t respond after one email, try again. If he still fails to respond after a second or third email, that bodes no good. Email silence might also be a sign of future trouble - including nonpayment.
2. Check the payout threshold.
Some merchants offer high commissions, but also set an unrealistically high payout threshold. Few affiliates will ever reach that minimum - which means they’ll NEVER get paid. Affiliates drop out, but not before the company has made a killing. Many MLM (multi-level marketing) programs work this way, which guarantees that only the top guns will ever make serious money.
Working with one of the major affiliate program providers (like ClickBank, Commission Junction, ClixGalore, etc.) minimizes this risk, since they usually issue one commission check for ALL the programs you promote within their network.
3. Choose merchants who are serious about helping their affiliates.
Face it, some merchants don’t expect much from their affiliates, so they don’t really support them. If the merchant doesn’t offer solid sales copy, good banners and ads, and information that can help you make a real case for their product, you’ll have to do all that yourself.
Is it worth putting that much effort in before you ever make any money? Sometimes, if it’s an extremely attractive product with few competitors. But usually, if a merchant doesn’t offer you the tools to make sales, you’d be better off promoting someone else’s product.
4. Choose merchants who listen.
Unless your site is getting a few hundred thousand hits a month, don’t start nagging a merchant for higher commissions. But if you have a solid sales record, there’s nothing wrong in sending polite and constructive feedback to a merchant. If you think a banner ad could be improved, say so in a professional manner and offer constructive suggestions.
The best merchants appreciate this kind of communication, and realize that good affiliates aren’t a dime a dozen. They’ll listen, treat you respectfully, provide as many resources as they can, and will investigate any payment inquiries promptly.
