Reputable Affiliate Programs

So you want to become an affiliate and promote someone else's product for a commission on sales. But out of the millions of online programs available, how do you know you've found a reputable affiliate program

There are a number of factors that decide whether or not an affiliate program is worth joining, and reputation is at the top of the list.

The best, highest-paying affiliate programs DO share some common characteristics. Here's what to look for if you want to make sure you're joining a legitimate affiliate program:

• Good reputation: There are a lot of shady programs out there. Make sure you thoroughly research any affiliate program you're thinking of joining. You should be able to find out a lot just by doing an online search for the company and program name in the search engines.
  
  You might also want to check out affiliate directories like AssociatePrograms.com or third-party affiliate networks like CommissionJunction.com.
  
  They screen all their applicants, so you can be sure they list only the reputable affiliate programs.
  
  
• High commission: Don't be afraid to look for the highest paying affiliate programs. A customer is worth more than the value of a one-time sale. A satisfied customer will usually return to purchase MORE products directly from the company you referred them to — so the company keeps 100% of the backend profits!
  
  A good commission will run between 20% to 50% of the sale price.
  
  
• Quality of product or service: Do a little digging to make sure that the companies you recommend offer a high-quality product or service.
  
  Does their site look professional? Sign up for their newsletters to get an idea of how they present themselves. You can even order one of their products to see for yourself what the quality is, how it's packaged, and how quickly it ships.
  
  The highest-paid affiliates are those who have become trusted sources of product information for the customers they refer. A bad recommendation from you can ruin your reputation. Do you think those dissatisfied customers will return to purchase something else you recommended?
  
  
• No exclusivity clause: Make sure that the program you join doesn't try to restrict what other programs you belong to or which products you can sell on your website.
  
  Remember that you're not the only one who profits as an affiliate. The lifetime value of the customer you refer is worth much more than what they pay out to you for that one-time sale!

Finding the most reputable affiliate programs on the 'Net is critical if you want to make a good living from your earnings. Once you've got those as your base, you can turn your attention to list-building, promotion, and all the other tricks that will propel you toward "super-affiliate" status.

Feel free to look around our online archive of free newsletters. You can find tips and tricks for promoting your site and maximizing your sales in a section devoted entirely to joining online affiliate programs. Or check out our affiliate program — one of the first and largest on the 'Net.