The other side of the coin....

[Super8]

This is sort of the other side of the coin. I have been talking to a software developer who wants to join an affiliate program to sell his product. Which would you recommend?
Commission Junction looks good & easy to join. Linkshare looks more complicated. There is also a progarm call www.sellshareware.com but I don't think many webmasters use it so he won't get much exposure.
Any suggestions? I thought that how affiliate programs treat thier webmasters would be indicative of how 'the other side' gets treated.
Thx.

[Archbob]

I heard that cj charges a pretty high rate for you to get into their network.

[Jan]

Try www.fineclicks.com :classic2:

[Super8]

www.fineclicks.com looks good. No monthly mimimum or setup fee. 30% of sale goes to the advertiser of which 70% goes to the publisher (webmaster). So $30 sale = $10 to Fineclicks including $7 to the publisher.
Commission Junction is *way* expensive. $1295 setup fee, $3000 deposit, 30% of sales with a mimimum of $250/month to CJ or the advertiser makes up the difference.

[Jan]

And you will find Chet easy to work with :)

[Super8]

I only see 5 'sample' advertisers, not the full list. (or is that it so far?)

[Jan]

No way, he has lots and lots, too many for me to keep up with sometimes. :biggrin2:

[Archbob]

Fineclicks is very good, I'm a publisher for them.

[Czar]

FineClicks have somewhere between 120-140 active merchant programs at present and over 5000 sites on their books, so they can provide good reach with no fuss.

I've been a publisher there since they debuted at about this time last year, and additionally became a merchant there last month. Both experiences have been nothing but positive.

ShareASale is another alternative worth considering. I haven't seen nearly as much activity come through my program there as the equivalent at FineClicks, but their fee structure and flexible handling of multiple ad creatives is very similar to those of FC.

Both are worth a look, but FineClicks should be your first stop.

[Archbob]

Whats your program czar, I might be interested in joining it.

[Czar]

Well, since you asked...;)

The FineClicks program is called "IgniteSearch Advertisers - Hybrid".

As the title suggests, it's a hybrid program paying $0.40/lead and $4.00/completed sale. It also carries special incentives that provide the top 3 performers each month with a complimentary $10 opening balance on their own IgniteSearch keyword bidding account.

I just announced yesterday that for a limited time, our FC affiliates may sign up for an account through their own links. They won't be credited the lead commission in these cases, but will still receive the sale bounty - thus effectively shaving $4.00 off their required deposit.

On ShareASale, the program is solely sale-based and offers a 40% commission on sales, which could prove more lucrative to those who feel that the size of their sales will exceed the $10 minimum deposit.

Unfortunately, it's not a 'freebie' offer, which would receive more attention in general, but I would be interested in hearing your thoughts in any case. :)