These days there are loads of Affiliate Programs out there that you can join, but how do you choose? Before deciding you need to ask a few questions and do a little research. The answers you get will help you decide which ones to join.

What is the cost? The biggest majority of Affiliate Programs are free to join but you might find one or two that what money of you first these are the ones to avoid.

How often do they payout? You need to check how often they pay as all programs have a different method be it monthly regardless of your earnings or you might have to reach a minimum payout.

What is the hit per sale ratio? This is another thing you want to look at on average how many clicks on a banner or link does it usually take to convert it into a sale.

How are referrals from an affiliates site tracked? You need to be confident on the program enough to track those people you refer from your site. This is the only way that you can credit for a sale. The period of time that those people stay in the system is also important. This is because some visitors do not buy initially but may want to return later to make the purchase.

What stats are available to you? Check to make sure that the Affiliate Program you want to join offers detailed stats for you. This is important so that you can track how many impressions and clicks your banners are getting.

Do they pay for hits as well? Some Affiliate Programs will pay you for impressions and hits not just for getting sales so look out for these.

Is the affiliate a one tier or two tier program? A single tier program pays you only for the business you yourself have generated. A two tier program pays you for the business, plus it also pays you a commission on the on the sales generated by any affiliate you sponsor in your program. Some two-tier programs are even paying small fees on each new affiliate you sponsor. More like a recruitment fee.

Lastly, what is the amount of commission paid? 20% - 80% (and some cases, 100%!) is the commission paid by most programs. .01% - .05% is the amount paid for each hit. If you find a program that also pays for impressions, the amount paid is not much at all.

These are just some of the questions that needed answering first before you enter into an affiliate program. You should be familiar with the many important aspects that your chosen program should have before incorporating them into your website. Try to ask your affiliate program choices these questions. These can help you select the right program for you site from among the many available.

And as always we recommend Pepperjam ($10 free for joining) and Market Leverage.