Why Some of Us Lose in Affiliate Programs Before Even Starting

Many for us have heard that affiliate programs are one of the best ways to earn money online, or to learn and apply internet marketing especially for those us who are new to doing business online. Intrigued by the hype, some of us scramble to pay or sign up for the first affiliate program they see being advertised on the top and side of Google search result pages.

This is a big step in ensuring failure in our first online venture, if it ever gets to take off at all. With the hype, comes along the scams, and it would be folly if we do not do our homework and research on the opportunities first. Here are some of the ways to make sure the affiliate program you choose is going to be worth your time, money and effort.

Make sure you can get your money back

This is a very important point which needs little explanation. Cheaters do not return the money once they get hold of it. Once you are at the landing page of an affiliate program, ignore all the big flashy dollar signs, scroll all the way to the bottom of the sales copy and see if they offer a money back guarantee. If they do not, most likely the program is not good enough for you.

However, if you harbor hopes that the program is legitimate and effective, you can look for the contact page and email them enquiries on any money back guarantees. It’s also a good way to check out the next point on the check list.

Email them questions!

An old, but rather effective way to check if the program is good enough is to simply send them a mail containing questions which you may have.

Email them, maybe just to say hi and ask for more details on the products being sold, or is there any money-back guarantees and what kind of support would be given. If they reply with good information, it proves, more likely, that they are serious about doing business with you as an affiliate and are legitimate companies who would give you support and your commissions when you earn them.

Forums

Good, well-frequented forums are a great way to find unbiased reports and reviews on the numerous affiliate programs out there. Good forums would make sure that ads are not allowed in the posts so that the statements are free from any biased statements.

Infamous affiliate programs will quickly be pointed out in forums and come along with a lengthy thread of people basically criticizing it or filled with counter-arguments. Please take a closer look through these kinds of threads though. Some of these threads are posted by some who are just not satisfied with a particular program due to personal reasons and simply ranting about it, with other forum members attempting to help him or her, and so not necessarily meaning that the affiliate program in question is fraud.

However, if page after page of that thread is just criticizing a particular program, you should just avoid the latter.

Google it!

Another way to check an affiliate program is simply to type the name of the program, then add “scam” or “review” after it. From here, you can probably find some info to help you decide whether the program you are fancy is legitimate or not.

Please be wary though. Quite a number of reviews are nothing more that a technique used by affiliates to market the product. Some reviews are written to impress readers that the product is worth their money, and links are provided at the end of the review for them to pay for it, earning the reviewer (or affiliate) commissions. These reviews are basically skewed towards making more money for the affiliate writing the review, and should be taken with pinches of salt.

Your best bet with reviews is to keep an eye out whether the review written is in-depth and well-balanced with pros and cons of the reviewed affiliate program. If the review is littered with just praises and you find an affiliate link at the bottom to buy that product from the reviewer, you can safely conclude that the review is not good. Another way would be to compare with all the good reviews out there and decide if the program is good enough overall, though this method can be quite laborious.

Conclusion

Affiliate programs can be excellent ways to start earning money online, and for beginners to learn about internet marketing. However, if you do not choose your choices carefully, chances are you will be wasting your time and money into scams, offering nothing but frustration and disappointment in the end.

Just be careful as you choose your first or next affiliate business. Find the right program and work your way to success!