Why is my affiliate program failing?
By Chris Howard   ©2004 All Rights Reserved

So you've finally done it! You started your own affiliate program and you have thousands of affiliates promoting your product without putting a dime of advertising up-front. No? You're not alone!

Everyday, I'm asked the same question: "Why is my affiliate program failing?"

What most people don't know is that over 95% of affiliate programs aren't living up to their expectations. Why? Simply because your affiliates need to be motivated!

Here are some things you can do to increase your affiliate sales:

• Offer your affiliates a second-tier to recruit new affiliates. Many successful affiliate programs offer 10% of the revenue generated by someone you refer to the program. This is known as a "two-tier" program.
  
  
• Pay your affiliates at least once a month. Payment frequency can certainly make or break the success of your affiliate program.
  
  
• Offer in-depth statistic reporting. Be sure you provide click-thru's and real-time reporting. Graphing capabilities are also a plus.
  
  
• Offer a higher commission. Many programs offer a commission of around 5-10%. This is fine, but if possible, offer a higher commission of about 20-30%. This can give you an edge over your competitors.
  
  
• List your affiliate program in affiliate program directories. There are many out there, check out:
  http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Business_Opportunities/Directories/
  
  
• Find your competitor's affiliates and offer them a higher commission than they are currently earning with your competitor. This can be very rewarding for your affiliate program.
  
  
• Keep a clean rep and pay your affiliates on time. Again, this can make your break your program.
  
  
• Offer bonuses to top affiliates. This will encourage your affiliates to go that extra mile to promote your program.
  
  
• Provide as many linking options as possible. Be sure to offer several banners, buttons and links of all sorts to your affiliates. You can never have too many!
  
  
• If you have a pay-per-sale/lead program, be sure to update the stats as often as you can (at least once a week).
  
  
• Create a discussion board just for your affiliates where they can discuss issues relative to your program.

Remember, your affiliate program is only as successful as your affiliates! Help them help you!