What makes a good affiliate program?

The most important things to look for in an affiliate program

Reputation

A good affiliate program manager will stand behind their program and their own reputation.   A reputable person to deal with is always the first rule in business, in any type of arrangement whether contractual or implied.    A good program manager will be active in helping the accounts in their program grow so that both the advertiser and the publisher benefit from the partnership.  By paying attention to who has representatives active in forums, who actively works with account holders and who is actively updating tools and artwork for their publishers, you can gain a lot of insight into their operation.

Communication

Willingness to communicate is a huge factor in reputation.   If someone cannot be reached, particularly when there is a problem, it is time to find someone more responsive to work with.  Generally, affiliate programs which have been around longer have had more time to create a track record and are less likely to be of the fly by night variety.

Pays on Time

An affiliate program should pay on time and not radically change the structure of their payment plans to the detriment of the publishers.   A company that pays on time shows that it is both financially solvent, and honorable in intention and action.  Companies which do not pay on time will quickly raise alarms in affiliate circles and are likely to lose the best promoters of their products.   

If the company is unable to pay on time, this may be indicative of serious organizational or cash flow problems.   It is no fun being the bag holder, especially when you have spent a lot of energy and time promoting a product for an affiliate program.   Always research the company you are thinking about working with thoroughly.

Fair Terms

When you are part of an affiliate program, it is important to know that the company is treating its publishers fairly.   This not only means accurate accounting, but also reasonable and market competitive payouts.    Many services which handle affiliate advertisers will track data such as the average payout per impression, the conversion rates of the products, and other data which may be useful in making an educated decision.

Quality Landing Pages

Visit the site of the company you are going to promote.   Decide if their interface is smooth and will attract buyers. 

Ask yourself if you would actually buy something from that site, if you were in the market for the goods or services they offer.   Optimally, go through the entire purchase process, to make sure that everything works as it should.   The best way to do this is by starting with another affiliate link if you can find it, and monitoring the cookies that are placed on your machine to make sure they are not tampered with, truncated or otherwise affected in a way that could affect your commissions.

Product Lines

Investigate the product lines and determine if the company suits your needs.   Do they appear to have a variety of items, or depth of stock in a desired item.   Is it possible to link to individual products.    If you are interested in search engine marketing, then see if their program allows that type of activity.  

Are their banner ads attractive and likely to be clicked on?  This is important to know upfront.   If their graphics department is weak then you may have a hard time making conversions.

Terms of Service
Read the contracts that are offered you.   Make sure that you are getting paid when you promote specific products.  Some companies pay well for some products, but pay little or nothing for others.

Affiliate Checklist

If you are satisfied after running through the checklist, then you should apply to the program.   Always use a site email address if possible, while making contact.   This is not only more professional, it is more likely to be noticed.   It is best to use a site that is nicely developed if you can.   They will check out your site in many cases and make the decision based on what you see.   If you own multiple sites or blogs, be sure to list them all with your affiliate provider

Price of Membership

Reputable affiliate programs are generally free to join, as the service gains by participation of the members.  If there is a fee involved then it is probably a scam.  The price of membership should be free as the rewards of participation benefit both the program managers and the sales team.   Paying to join a program is like paying to be a commissioned sales person and if that is the situation you should take a highly skeptical approach to joining.