There are many affiliate programs out there so how do you know where to start?  Do your research and find out what is out there.  Choose something you believe in and feel good about because you will be spending time and effort promoting it.  Ask lots of questions before signing up for anything.

One thing to consider is whether there are upfront costs to joining affiliate programs.  There are many that do not charge, so if you do not have money to invest, why pay if you can get started for free.

Another thing to consider is how often the companies issue their commission checks.  Affiliate programs are different and have different payment schedules.  Some have certain thresholds you must meet before you get paid and others charge you a handling fee every time they issue a check.  Some programs pay monthly, every two weeks, and some weekly.  It may depend how much you earn as to how often you get paid.  Make sure the terms of payment are clearly spelled out in writing before you start promoting the product.  Also, talk to a representative from the company about how their accounting department handles payment.  There is nothing worse than earning commissions from a company that slow pays.  You are in it to make money and you need to be able to count on your paychecks.

When doing your research, you need to find out that the average conversion rate is.  This will tell you how many clicks you must get before you get a sale.  This helps you figure out what kind of traffic you must generate in order to reach the level of sales you desire.

Another important thing to remember is how the company tracks the sales and how long these statistics stay in their system.  This is important because you need to know that you are getting credit for all the sales you have made.  Also, you need to get credit for sales that come later when a visitor comes back to your site and buys after the initial visit.  Even if the visitor comes back months later, you should get credit for the sale.

Whatever affiliate program you choose, should provide you with detailed statistics whenever you want them.  If they are reputable, they will be eager and willing to talk with you and answer all your questions.  It only makes sense, as you will be partners in promoting the same program.  If what they say does not match what you have read on their website, ask more questions.  If they hesitate or contradict themselves when talking to you, you may want to look elsewhere.  Affiliate marketing is about trusting and building a relationship with the program you are promoting.

Make sure you find out who is behind the program you are promoting.  Find out the company name and check them out with Better Business Bureau.  Again, it goes back to not only knowing your products but who is behind the affiliate marketing program.  Other things to consider are what the commission rate is and whether the program operates as a tier one or tier two program. Tier one pays for your commission on sales and two-tier programs also pay a small fee for any other marketers you bring on board.