How to Avoid the Affiliate Program Traps

PART II

[PART I] [PART II]

Once you have determined what an affiliate program identify as valid web traffic, look at the payment method and the payment period (how often you're paid, the period is typically one month).   If you estimate your earnings will exceed the program's minimum payment threshold within one of their payment period, then consider trying the program out, if your earnings will need to accumulate for SEVERAL payment periods before it will reach the minimum payment period, you might want to think twice about trying this program.  The longer you have to wait for your first pay check to arrive, the more anxiety you will build up, and trust us, this nerve-wrecking experience is horrible to go through.

Now, after you've made your decision, check out the banner formats and see how well they will fit into your existing websites.  Don't pick ads that will dramatically change the look of your website. Most frequent visitors to your website will not appreciate drastic changes, especially changes made to give space out to ads and banners.  If possible, ask to see if you can customize the ads to make them integrate beautifully into your web page templates. A good integration will increase the effectiveness of the ads, so the affiliate programs will most likely agree to your requests.

Finally, you will definitely want to search around for feedbacks from the affiliate program's existing publishers. You want to find out whether the program actually pays on time or if they actually pay at all!  For good places to get trustful feedbacks of such programs, you can look at an affiliate program review site such as gravion.net or search for forums where webmasters gather to discuss various affiliate programs. 

Unless you're outrageously daring, or just want to waste your time doing something, DON'T try programs that have no existing feedbacks.

Follow the above guidelines and you should have a successfully start in getting your website running in the affiliate business.