Several web sites and distributors selling your product can result in increased sales and profits. Unlike traditional advertising, affiliate programs pay only for performance. Commissions are not paid unless the sale takes place.
Also with many more web sites linking to yours, your link popularity is sure to rise in search engines, resulting in additional traffic and revenue.
2. Combine a Merchant Account with your affiliate program
If your product is downloadable (such as electronic books or software), you might consider ClickBank.com. For a $ 49.95 initial fee, you can process credit cards and online checks for $ 1.00 per transaction plus 7.5% of sales. As an added bonus, you have your own built-in affiliate program.
Clickbank provides you a listing on their website and visitors can buy your products and join your affiliate program. You choose the commission rate you are willing to pay. All Commission payments are handled by ClickBank. A disadvantage is that you can not run a two-part program.
3. Use an Affiliate Program Script
If you are com
fortable with running the CGI scripts, you may want to install your own affiliate program on your server and manage the affiliate program itself.
Be warned however that this is a lot of work. You will be responsible for all the tests, security, commission payments, promotion and so on. Another drawback: Will your potential associates trust you since their commissions are not tracked and paid by an independent third party?
4. Using a hosted solution
There are good reasons for not hosting your affiliate program on your server. Maybe you do not have time to manage all aspects of an affiliate program. Maybe your time could be used more productively in other areas of your business. In addition, an independent third party tracking and paying affiliate commissions inspires confidence in prospective affiliates. Finally, you can just enjoy the extra sensitivity, an affiliate network gives you.
ClixGalore.com is an example of an affiliate network. You must pay a $ 75.00 deposit to cover affiliate commissions. They charge 25% of all affiliate commissions. For example, if you paid an affiliate a 10% commission on a $ 100.00 sale, you will pay the affiliate $ 10.00 and ClixGalore $ 2.50.
With ClixGalore, you can also have a two-part program. In the above example, if you paid partners for finding other affiliates, you may pay 2% on your secondary. It would be another $ 2.00 fee and $ 50 affiliate network fee totaling $ 15.00 in commissions on both levels.
5. For All Affiliate Programs
Create your own web page (or pages) describes the benefits of your affiliate program. Offer articles, suggestions, text and banner link, and other useful support for your affiliates.
Offer a generous commission so that others feel motivated to sell for you. Get the email addresses of your associates so you can keep in touch with them to help them sell more.
For increased traffic, start sales and profits, your own affiliate program.
