Many individuals and institutions venture into affiliate marketing, but only a small percentage of them are successful because a majority of marketers either seek quick results or fail to get their basics right. What are the criteria or the characteristics of a good affiliate program?

First and foremost, you need to pick the right affiliate program. A wrong choice can negatively impact your performance over time with no tangible results apart from wastage of time, energy and resources.

Conduct your own independent research before opting to join it because a dynamic, flexible and proactive affiliate program forms the cornerstone of meeting your goals as an affiliate marketer. I shall discuss this very basic, albeit essential ingredient that go into the making of a self-sustaining pay-for-performance plan.

• Most affiliate programs are easy to join and are free to join. If you want to be a good affiliate marketer, it is critical to carefully pick one. You must join only the top ones with a powerful and popular product ranges that is in demand, a good track record, known for paying on time and providing a solid back-up support. It is not a wise idea promoting programs that do not have much credibility or popularity.
• Keep yourself updated about your affiliate programs’ latest offerings. Newer ad units, advertisers, and marketing tools are constantly getting added for the purpose of improving usability and scalability and visual appeal. Such changes help to increase chances of conversion. In fact, a proactive affiliate program gives marketing tools to their affiliates in order to promote their programs.
• A quality program sees to it that affiliate support systems and customer service are in place. It has accurate and reliable affiliate statistics. An affiliate should be able to modify a campaign and effect necessary changes that can be made possible with a precise system for tracking the campaign performances and grasp where it’s clicking and where it’s lacking.
• A program, which pays in the range of 35 percent or more residual income, is preferable so as to ensure a reasonable income flow. Of course, the range of affiliate commission may change from one domain to another and also the Affiliate Program’s popularity and the level of competition.
• Last but not the least, keep in mind the fact affiliate revenue flow grows and sustains with time. Some of them provide for lifetime payouts. After you’ve referred a visitor, you can continue to earn from that visitor even if he or she doesn’t return to your site. In some cases, referral links active even in your old posts may ensure payout for you.

Go through the different available options for products/ services and payment structures by thoroughly checking an array of available programs. Join one that usually pays good affiliate commission without any disruption or delay.