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Wow! When I first entered the internet cyberhighway as a
newbie I thought that affiliate programs were the best thing
since sliced bread. I decided right away that I was going to
find affiliates that wanted to join my affiliate program and
do the selling for me and for my products and services. I
imagined that I would be able to retire on the extra income
and that my children would become doctors or lawyers
and live happily ever after....
Wake Up Call! Affiliate programs are great but there are a
few questions to ask yourself prior to setting up your own
Affiliate Program for your own web site and/or product...
1. Are you prepared to accept any potential affiliate with
any reputation?
Reputation is a key thing on the internet, as it is in real life.
Your product, service, or web site is placed in the hands and
reputations of the affiliates that you “hire” to market for
you.
2. Are you prepared to accept the appearance of your
affiliate’s web page as an extension of your own web site?
For the same reasons as indicated in #1 above, the
appearance of your affiliate’s web page becomes an
extension of your own web site. Are you willing to offer a
replicating web page or web site to help alleviate this
problem? If so, keep in mind that your affiliate will need to
advertise this replicating web page somewhere (i.e. His/her
existing web site). That will bring us right back where we
started. You are relying on the reputation of the affiliate and
the appearance of his/her web page.
3. What is the level of professionalism that you wish to
exude?
Again, as indicated above regarding the appearance of the
web-site, what level of professionalism are you seeking for
the affiliates that sign up to sell your product? Do you
want your advertisement to appear anywhere? Are you
guaranteed that all of your affiliates have the same level of
professionalism as you do, in advertising your product?
4. Have you taken into consideration the “first impression”
factor?
Newbies (those people new to the internet and to “surfing.”)
often associate your product with whatever web site they
viewed your advertisement on and do not understand what an
affiliate or reseller program is. This is especially true when
you or your affiliate uses a Frames design for their web page
or web site. Also, take into consideration that often times the
newbies are your best customers and your best affiliates
because everything is so “new.” All the banners are sooooo
exciting! (Do you remember when you were a newbie?) Have
you taken this “first impression” aspect into consideration
when choosing your affiliates?
5. Are you prepared for the fact that you may have to deal
with an affiliate who chooses, whether knowingly or
unknowingly in his/her excitement to SPAM the internet?
Spamming (sending bulk email to people who have not
requested it, unsolicited commercial email) has got to be the
“unpardonable” on the internet. If you offer your affiliate
program to everyone who wants to sign up make sure that they
know that you have a NO SPAM Policy and will discontinue
their affiliate account If they SPAM. (At least I hope you do
not tolerate SPAM!)
6. Have you considered prequalifying your potential
affiliates?
Virtualis (http://www.virtualis.com/vr/danderso) requires
that you take an affiliate test prior to being able to receive
commissions on your sales. I took the test - It was probably
the hardest test on the internet - but it was worth it. I feel
qualified to resell their product.
7. If you do not pre-qualify, have you considered providing
training?
This ensures that your affiliates know what they are talking
about when promoting your product or service.
8. Why not choose a couple of already existing affiliate
programs and promote those on your web site?
Keep in mind what your specialty is and how you plan to
weave the affiliate program into your web site. (Don’t
sign up for an affiliate program that directly competes with
your product!) If you would like some help choosing the right
affiliate program for you and for your web site, send a blank
email to mailto:choosing_affiliate@sendfree.com.
After all is said and done and you have considered all
aspects, I say, “Go For It!”
(For an excellent article by Jim Daniels, JDD Publishing,
on how to start your own affiliate program send a blank
email to mailto:your_own_program@sendfree.com)
Deborah Anderson of Anderson Creations
publishes the free Webmaster Tips Weekly ezine
......Visit her web site at.............
http://www.andersoncreations.com/subscribe.shtml
http://www.caolson.com/acreations/subscribe.html
to subscribe and place a Free Ad for your business or
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