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!

is the owner of SponsorDirectory.com http://www.sponsordirectory.com, a popular directory of affiliate programs. He provides consulting to compaines interested in affiliate marketing. You can email him at: chris@sponsordirectory.com

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