Special Report: Affiliate Marketing

While the actual ramp-up time can vary, Denton suggests that after a year, a successful affiliate program should account for no less than 10 percent of your total online sales. For tips on how to improve your affiliate marketing program if it’s underperforming, read on.

Relationship is Key

Affiliates effectively are a commission-based sales force. And the key to a good program that drives consistent sales is a solid relationship between a merchant and its sales force, notes Elizabeth Cholawsky, vice president of marketing for Santa Barbara, Calif.-based affiliate network Commission Junction.