Loyal affiliates should get paid
www.actualaffiliates.com

If you're running an affiliate program there's nothing worse than seeing your publishers run to the competition because they offer a slightly better commission. Affiliates that don't cross over so easily are worth their weight in gold.
How can you keep your affiliates by your side ? Presents, bonuses and incentives are one good way, but affiliate marketing should be based on long-term collaboration and trust. To really make a collaboration soar, it's not enough to just invest financially.

• Provide your affiliates with good looking creatives, with up-to-date offers. A banner with just a company logo does not convert well. Affiliate marketing is a channel for sales and leads, not just brand promotion.
  
• Provide special offers regularly (free shipment for example), to which your affiliates can place links. This will give your affiliates more possibilities to promote your offers.
  
• Provide an easy possibility to deeplink.
  
• Be very specific about what is understood as a lead. Be as detailed as possible about what you expect for your money, so affiliates won't be disappointed when you disapprove a lead for a reason they only vaguely understand.
  
• Regularly go through the process of approving or disapproving leads or sales, and be as transparent as possible about it.
  
• Pay out your affiliates on time.
  
• Provide a fast way of communicating with your affiliates, for example by starting up a blog. By commenting your affiliates will also have the possibility to communicate with each other. A blog is also a good way to announce news about your offers.
  
• If you have technical problems, compensate your affiliates.
  
• Don't let problems lie around for too long. Act as fast as possible on every complaint. Answer e-mails within a day.

Affiliates are serious business partners, and should be treated that way. They deserve all the attention they need if you want the long-term success of your program guaranteed.