Where to find good independent affiliate programs

It seems that there are thousands of companies that have chosen to manage their own affiliate programs rather than using companies like Linkshare or Commission Junction.

In fact, our friends at Five Star Affiliate Programs tracked a posting on a UK affiliate forum where they are wondering if the networks deserve their 30% commission. Great Question.

The point is that it takes big bucks to get into a Commission Junction or a LinkShare, and there are plenty of good-paying, unique programs out there that are worth at least reviewing. Like everything else on the Internet there are plenty of directories out there that list independent affiliate programs. Again, like everything else on the Internet some of them just list programs from other networks (like Clickbank).

In fact, a lot of them were organized the same way and had the same sites listed, so I came to the conclusion that they were just repackaged content (which I find a lot on the Net these days).

I looked over 25 to 30 of these directories, and here are the 5 I found the most useful, in the order that I liked them:

1. Affiliateseeking. com

This was my favorite. They seemed to have the most unique set of sites, and the user interface is intuitive.

2. Earnfind. com

EarnFind was a good one too, with lots of good links and good organization.

3. Clickslink. com

Not a bad site, although many of the listings were from other networks.

4. AffiliatePrograms. com

Great layout, some good sites. My only gripe is that it is a paid listing service, which lessens its impartiality.

5. AffiliateGuide. com

This is the affiliate guide template site. Lots of ads, but some good programs. I wanted to include at least one of these sites…there are many.

Here's a good Google tip: type in the word or phrase that describes the affilate program keyword, then include +affiliate. For example, if you're looking for a dog toys affiliate you would search dog toys +affiliate. You should get back a bunch of programs.

If you know of any more good ones, drop me a line at affiliateblog. com.

How to choose the best affiliate programs to promote

There are thousands of affiliate programs out there. Selecting the best affiliate program to promote is not an easy task. If you start promoting wrong affiliate programs, you can waste a lot of time, money and effort. Here are the factors that you need to consider in order to choose those affiliate programs that are right for you:

1. Demand

Is there a demand for this product? To put it simply, do a lot of people want this product? Do you know what type of people would be interested in it? Do you have a clear idea on how you will reach those people and get them to the website?

2. Conversion

Do you think the sales page of the product will convert many visitors into buyers? Does it make the product and the offer look enticing enough? Is the website user-friendly? Is it easy to place an order?

When you look at the sales page, trust your gut. If you don’t feel like you’d be sold on this product if you were a prospect, you are probably right.

3. Commission

Is the commission rate high enough? Digital products (such as e-books) usually offer huge commissions (50% and up). Physical products (the ones that need to be shipped to the customer) usually pay 10% or less. Compare the affiliate program to similar ones in the same industry to see if the commission rate is fair.

In addition to the commission rate, pay attention to the dollar amount that you’ll get per sale. For example, 10% commission on a $100 product is $10, while 50% commission on a $4 product is only $2.

If the product is too cheap, you’ll need to sell a huge number of units in order to make any significant money. It’s often easier to sell several expensive items than lots of cheap ones. Aim for something in the middle – not extremely expensive but not too cheap.

4. Quality

Do you believe in the product? Would you be proud to promote it?

No matter how "hot" and lucrative the product is, if you have any reservations about the product quality, its purpose or its industry, then don't promote it. Protect your online reputation. Doing something that does not sit well with you is destined to be doomed from the start.

5. Tracking

When promoting affiliate programs, keep track of all your efforts. Track the number of visitors you send to each affiliate program and the number of sales that you make. When you accumulate enough data to compare, dump those programs that are not profitable and focus all your efforts on the ones that make you money.