How can I lose money by choosing the wrong affiliate program?

Try to find a product that has a growing target market. It is best to know there will be a continuous demand for your product or service. Do some research on the Google trends site to see what volume of searches have been made on Google in the area.

Look around to find a program that will pay you at minimum 30%. One that pays residually is also a great thing to look for. That simply means you get paid every month your customer you sent to them stays signed up on their program. You will be paid more than once for the same amount of effort.

Check out if they have any quotas you must fill to get your commission. You will find some affiliate marketing networks will have you jumping through hoops before you can get a check. Just be sure they don't make it impossible to get a commission.

It is best to select one that help you out with plenty of tools and resources so you can grow your business in the shortest possible time. Select affiliate programs that offer a series of emails you can send out to possible future customers, banners and other things that will make your job of selling easier. Not all programs offer you this kind of help.

Also, see if the program you want to join has a system that allows you to check your sales and compensations. It should be available online so you can look at it anytime on any computer with an internet connection.

Affiliate marketing programs that offer a strong incentive for members to renew their memberships each time is a great quality to look for. Programs that have new upgrades continuously and customer service that is easy to contact is one way to gauge a company. You can rest assured of the growth here.

Find out things members are not happy with in a program. Do a search to find forums that are talking about the product you are considering. If you see no negatives in a forum, ask about them. There is no harm in asking if anyone has had any downsides to a program. You need to know the negatives of a company before doing business with them.

It is a very good idea to have thorough and intense knowledge of the affiliate marketing program who will be your business partner.

Finding out about the company that is behind a network, that may be your business partner, will help avoid any future problems.

source : http://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm/570314?articleid=570314