Building Affiliate Programs

[marketer]

Can anyone give me advice on how to build my affiliate program? I don't need a lot of affiliate, just good ones :) .

I have listed (recently) with the affiliate directories but I was wondering if there was another way that I don't know about.

[nsdesign]

Can you clarify... are you looking to "offer" an affilliate programme for your own site (whereby you pay affilliates for sending you traffic), OR are you looking to become an affilliate for good companies?

Thanks
Gary

[Sue F]

Hi,

I'm not sure whether you are a merchant offering an affiliate program or an affiliate looking for programs to add to your site.

Either way try checking out the A4U forum ... not sure if I'm allowed to post the address so just type a4u in to Google and you'll find the url.

If you are a merchant there's a section for independent merchants under the Affiliate Network category.

Check out the rules of the forum ... I'm not a merchant with an affiliate scheme so I don't know what you're allowed to do and what you're not allowed to do.

If you're looking for a network offering merchants with affiliate programs the forum includes all the biggies and lots of independents too.

I find Buy At and Affiliate Window are the best (for me) and merchants on both networks convert well but I'm a member of several networks.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Being from Holland won't be a problem on the forum ... there are users from all over the globe. However if you are signing up to an affiliate network check that there are merchants who service your target audience.

[marketer]

Hi,

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I have an affiliate section on my website. I have thousands of market research reports accross all industries. I am looking for people to join my affiliate program to sell these market research reports through their websites.

I want to attract good affiliates who 1. know the business target market 2. can sell products.

There are thousands of affiliates out there who don't do much. I just want the good ones.

I hope that clears that one up.

Thanks for the tip on a4u... I will check it out now.

[nsdesign]

I think your best bet, is to eitehr setup an affiliate programme yourself (there's a few "off the shelf" software packages you can buy), OR signup with one of the many affilliate comapnies around.

Either way, you'll probably want to "vet" all potential affilliates (so no automatic signups) to ensure they meet your strict guidelines and are suitable (ie: good).

Gary

[marketer]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback. I already have an affiliate program built on my website. I am a merchant.

I am wondering where the best place is to find good affiliates to market my research reports.

[Sue F]

I am wondering where the best place is to find good affiliates to market my research reports.

Hi ...

In theory you can ask interested parties to PM you on A4U including their URL but as I said check out the rules first so you don't upset anyone.

Once you've got enquiries via PM you can check out the sites that have applied.

A network is a great way to get your message out to lots of affiliates but they cost money and mean less in your pocket.

Best of luck.

[SillyJokes]

marketer, everyone wants just the good affiliates. Problem is, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your handsome prince! About 10% of affiliates do 90% of the business.

If you discover a way of only recruiting these 10% I would pay you to know how it is done and so would a lot of other people.

Meantime, you are stuck with identifying websites who you think would make good affiliates and contacting them personally in a genuine and professional way.

This can be a good way to find good affiliates.