1. The length of time over which the business has been operating:
If the business/site has been in operation for a long time, then it can be relied upon. Be cautious of sites and affiliate programs that have come up overnight. Always make it a point to monitor affiliate programs before finally joining them.2. Who is promoting the affiliate program?:
Check out who else is promoting the site and visit the websites of competitors and find out if they are promoting the affiliate program you have decided upon. If there is a super affiliate involved, then it is best to join as the chances are high of it being profitable.3. The traffic of the website:
If the program is popular and the website has widespread appeal, then it will have a lot of web traffic and will be worth promoting as compared to sites which have low traffic. You can check the traffic rank of the site at alexa.com.4. The commission structure:
Is the affiliate webmaster being paid a percentage of the sale by the program or is the payment a fixed amount per sale. Find out if the commission payment is recurring by nature; whether the program is one tiered or multi-tiered? A multi-tiered program is more important as the affiliate webmaster can make more profit by referring the program to another webmaster. A revenue share income is provided by most profitable programs so the affiliate webmaster will get back a percentage of the money of the customer or for the life of a customer's membership. For e.g., if the affiliate webmaster sells a product for $50 and the affiliate program gives a 50% revenue share commission, then the affiliate webmaster should get $25. If the customer pays $50 per month as membership fees, then the affiliate webmaster must be paid $25 per month until the customer cancels the membership.5. Read reviews about the program:
The affiliate program might seem very attractive but if it has received negative reviews from former affiliates then let it be a warning for you to think twice before joining.6. Support staff: Check out the support staff by inquiring about the program:
are their replies fast, friendly, helpful and transparent? Are they prompt in their service? This should give you a good idea of the effectiveness of their program.7. Statistical reports:
It is better not to go by statistical reports as they are not updated and if you want to check, then click on the links and see if the program is listed or registered in the statistical report.8. Minimum commission payment:
Some kinds of affiliate programs will need an affiliate webmaster to pay a minimum commission amount before they begin getting the payment so find out the minimum commission payment needed to be paid before you join.If all these points can be clarified, then you will be able to find the most reliable and profitable affiliate program.
