An Article from Charlie Page

Charlie Page gave me permission to use this article.

Affiliate Success Checklist
(c) Charlie Page
www.realworldtactics.com
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You have probably heard that you have to be in
'affiliate programs' to get ahead on the Internet. We
all hear about people making huge incomes being a
'super affiliate' and how these programs are the
greatest thing since sliced bread.

But what IS an affiliate program and can we really make
any money with them? Sometimes it's very confusing.

To help clear up that confusion, following are some
basic definitions along with a checklist that is useful
when examining any program.

What Is "Being An Affiliate"?

Being an affiliate simply means that you sell someone
else's product and earn a commission when you do so.

Webster's Dictionary defines the word 'affiliate' this
way...

Affiliate: [verb] To associate as a member [affiliates
herself with the local club]

That's exactly correct. When you become an affiliate
you are associating with the product or service you
will be selling. You are loaning them your reputation.

Don't forget that. Every email you send, every contact
you make, reflects on you. And the company's action
will reflect on you as well, so choose wisely.

Being an affiliate is simply a fancy Internet way of
saying that you are going to be a commissioned
salesperson.

Does It Really Work?

Yes, it does. It is true that you can make very good
money with affiliate programs, but it is not automatic.
You must still understand the process of marketing and
do the work. And it's not always quick.

But if you choose great programs, do some of the work
(and take advantage of the tools they offer) you can
grow a powerful income in a short period of time.

It's equally true that you can waste tons of time and
money on them and your reputation can suffer if you
don't choose carefully.

Here is my checklist for choosing affiliate programs. I
hope it works for you too.

Affiliate Success Checklist

1. Make Sure The Product Being Offered Matches You

If your passion is embroidery, you probably won't do
too well with car parts sites. Stick with what you know
at first and, once you learn how to promote on the
Internet, move on to different products.

2. Check It Out

Don't just jump in because it's easy. Ask yourself this
question; is the product or service you are affiliating
with something you would bring to your best friend? If
not, you may want to keep looking.

3. Talk To Current Affiliates

Ask for a list of happy affiliates. Ask them some key
questions such as did they get the help and support
promised? Are they being paid on time? You get the
idea.

4. Think Long Term

If your first arrangement doesn't pan out, don't give
up. Many people on the net are making excellent incomes
with affiliate programs. You can too.

5. Go For Quality

Make a checklist of everything you want, find two who
meet the criteria, and go all out with those two.
Remember that it will be your reputation on the line.

6. How Well Do They Sell?

You need to ask how well the product or service you
will be promoting 'converts'. Conversion is simply the
number of people per 100 who buy something. At the
Directory of Ezines we convert 7 of every 100 visitors
to buyers.

You can expect this number to range from .5% to about
10%. Anything higher or lower and you need to be
careful about them telling you the truth.

Also, be aware that 'hot' products convert well while
they are hot but conversion drops with time. So be sure
to get *current* conversion figures.

7. What Is The Cookie Duration?

Most affiliate programs track using 'cookies' that are
set on the visitor's machine. You need to know how long
this cookie lasts and if it can be overwritten.

The reason this is important is that people don't buy
the first time. If the cookie life is short (say 90
days) and someone you refer buys six months down the
road you loose your commission.

It's the same if the cookie can be overwritten. If it
can, then someone who first learned about product X
from you, but clicks another link to buy, will not earn
you the commission you deserve.

8. Do You Earn 'Backend' Commissions?

This means do you get paid when someone you refer buys
a second product? This is vitally important. People
often buy two, three or more products from one site.
You should earn commissions for every product they buy.

9. Do You Earn Renewal Commissions?

If you send someone to a site where they pay a monthly
or quarterly fee, do you get paid every time or just
once? You should get paid every time.

10. Do They Support You?

Most people don't know, or have the time, to write ads
and create banners or graphics. You should expect the
program you join to provide these tools as well as some
training on how to sell their products.

Where To Find Good Affiliate Programs

My favorite tool for finding great products to sell as
an affiliate is Affiliates Alert. They offer a free
version, which does an excellent job.

As soon as you've earned some affiliate income, you
might want to consider the Pro version, as I did. You
can get the free version here ...

http://www.directoryofezines.com/affalert.html

FORUMS are excellent resources to learn what really
works. Here are my top three forum choices.

1. Anthony Blake's Marketing Forum
http://www.ablake.net/forum/

2. The Warriors of Internet Marketing. You must be a
Host 4 Profit customer or buy an eBook with Warrior
membership to become a member of the Warriors. We sell
a good book (Internet Tycoon) that offers Warrior
membership at
http://www.realworldtactics.com/tycoon.html

3. Michael Green's Marketing Forum
http://www.howtocorp.com


Here are FOUR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES that will help you
succeed as an affiliate fast.

Allan Gardyne of Associate Programs.com. Great advice
from a guy who has been there.
http://www.associateprograms.com

Jim Daniels of BizWeb2000 fame. He started an affiliate
portal a while ago that seems to be working well. A
great site to learn and earn.
http://www.affiliateshowcase.com

And of course, Terry Dean (the undisputed master of
practical advice) at http://www.netbreakthroughs.com

Without a doubt, using ClickBank to find products is
the smart choice for a serious affiliate. It costs
nothing to become an affiliate and they offer over
11,000 products. Many a real-life fortune has been made
promoting ClickBank products. http://www.clickbank.com


If you are committed to quality, and only offer your
people quality resources, time will become your ally
and your affiliate commissions alone can quite
literally pay for the lifestyle of your dreams.

The best way to start is to choose three programs that
meet your criteria, and let them teach you how to be
successful with their program. After all, when you win,
they win. And that's a beautiful way to make a living
online.

*******************************************************
Charlie Page helps people succeed online. How can he
help you? Find out now at his main site or call his
toll free number. www.realworldtactics.com