1. Why Start Your Own Affiliate Program?
Multiple web sites and distributors selling your product can result in increased sales and profits. Unlike conventionaladvertising, affiliate programs pay only for performance. Commissions are not paid out unless sales are made.
Also, with many more web sites linking to yours, your linkpopularity is sure to increase in search engines, resultingin additional traffic and income.
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 on-line chequesfor $1.00 per transaction plus 7.5% of sales. As an addedbonus, you have your own built-in affiliate program.
ClickBank gives you a listing on their web site and visitorscan buy your products and join your affiliate program. Youchoose the commission rate you are willing to pay. Allcommission payments are handled by ClickBank. One downsideis that you can`t run a two-tiered program.
3. Use an Affiliate Program Script
If you are comfortable with running CGI scripts, you may wishto install your own affiliate program on your server andadminister the affiliate program yourself.
Be forewarned, though, that this is a lot of work. You will be responsible for all the testing, security, commissionpayments, promotion and so on. Another downside: Will yourpotential affiliates trust you since their commissions are nottracked and paid by an independent third party?
4. Use a Hosted Solution
There are good reasons for not hosting your affiliate programon your server. Perhaps you don`t have the time to administerall the aspects of an affiliate program. Maybe your timecould be used more productively in other areas of yourbusiness. Additionally, an independent third party tracking and paying affiliate commissions inspires confidence in prospective affiliates. Finally, you just might benefit from the additional exposure that an affiliate network brings you.
ClixGalore.com is an example of an affiliate network. You will need to pay a $75.00 deposit to cover affiliate commissions. They charge 25% of any affiliate commissions paid. For example,if you paid an affiliate a 10% commission on a $100.00 sale,you would pay the affiliate $10.00 and ClixGalore $2.50.
With ClixGalore, you can also have a two-tier program. Taking the above example, if you paid affiliates for finding otheraffiliates, you might pay 2% on your second tier. That would be another $2.00 commission and $ .50 affiliate network fee for atotal of $15.00 in commissions on both levels.
5. For All Affiliate Programs
Setup your own web page (or pages) outlining the benefits ofyour affiliate program. Offer articles, suggestions, textand banner links, and other useful support for your affiliates.
Offer a generous commission so that others feel motivated to sell for you. Obtain the e-mail addresses of your affiliatesso that you can keep in touch with them to aid them to sellmore.
For increased traffic, sales and profits, start your ownaffiliate program.
RESOURCE BOX
J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., has been helping clients to earn maximum businessprofits for over twenty-five years.
For profitable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit
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For more information about affiliate programs, visit
http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/affiliate.html
