Affiliate Programs with Good Commissions

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Affiliate Programs that have made me decent commissions.

Here's why and how I sign up for the best programs...

About a year ago I took a look at the cost of maintaining this site and sending out the newsletter - both in terms of cash and time spent - and decided I needed to see some kind of return on the cost and effort.

I tried a variety of affiliate programs, but have only recently got a clear picture of the ones that are working for me, and those that don't.

Here is some of what I have learned, and links to some of the better programs.

How I judge the quality of an affiliate program

1. Relevance & Quality

This site is aimed primarily at copywriters, online content writers and entrepreneurs who want to create and write their own sites. As a result, I try to find affiliate programs that will appeal to these groups.

More important still, I only sign up for programs where I have tried or reviewed the product in question and can personally vouch for its quality.

2. Commissions

If you don't get hundreds of thousands of visitors a month, you'll be unlikely to make much money on programs that pay a small percentage, like 2%-5%.

I look for programs that pay 20%-50%. High commissions like these are usually found with courses, seminars and information products.

I also look for programs that either pay lifetime commissions, or at least track with cookies and IP adddresses for a reasonable period. That means if I send a visitor to their site, but that visitor doesn't buy until visiting again a month later, I still get a commission on the sale.

3. Conversion rates

Once I have a relevant program in place that pays a decent commission, I then look at how many of the visitors I send actually end up making purchases.

Some programs appear great, until you discover that the sales page on the vendor's site just isn't closing the sales. These programs are frustrating, and I find myself pruning them out.

Here are some of the affiliate programs that pay a few bills for me...

1. MarketingSherpa

Conversion rates seem to go up and down...sometimes very high, sometimes low...but the quality of the products is outstanding. If you reach an audience interested in online marketing, this is an excellent source of information for your readers, and a potential source of affiliate revenues for you.

Find out more about the MarketingSherpa Affiliate Program

2. SiteSell

The principal product is Site Build It. This is a suite of integrated tools that literally handles every element of creating, managing and promoting a successful web site. Their results are extraordinary. For me, the conversion rates aren't huge, but they are consistent, resulting in a nice check each month.

Find out more about the SiteSell Affiliate Program

3. The Hypnosis Network

This site sells hypnosis CD programs. I signed up because they have two programs which I think are particularly relevant to writers and freelancers - one is on Productivity and the other is on building Self-Esteem. I don't drive a huge amount of traffic to their site, but I get incredible conversion rates on the people I do send.

Find out more about the Hypnosis Network Affiliate Program

4. CBMall

This is a huge directory of information products. Essentially it is a "window" into the ClickBank site. They have plenty of products that are suitable for writers and online marketers, and the conversion rate seems reasonable. I can't be sure, because they have a very poor reporting system. Other than that, there's plenty of opportunity here.

Your guide to making money with affiliate programs:
Click here for the Affiliate Cash Vault

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