Building Niche Affiliate Partnerships

I've probably said this 100 times already, but one more time can't hurt. Finding the right affiliate to partner with is the difference between success and failure in this business. 98% of the affiliate programs out there are crap (IMHO). They don't pay out fair, and they take advantage of young webmasters just starting out with promises of new cars and fat checks.

I'm currently working on a new promising partnership for my flagship site. If it works out, I'll have 5 contributing revenue streams from one site. So how do I decide on which partnerships to pursue? Here is my list of criteria:

1. They have an actual person you can talk to (on the PHONE) before even signing up. For this current partnership I'm working on, I met over the phone with the CEO of the company and we threw ideas around, talked about payouts and what they could do for me before I even signed up.

2. They are willing to shoulder some of the work for you. For instance, if an affiliate offers to build me a branded subdomain site that I can integrate, I know they are serious about helping me succeed.

3. Data feeds. If an affiliate opens up their bread and butter and wants to share their product data to you, that is a great start. Data feeds are an awesome way to both add cool functionality to your site, while seemlessly integrating revenue opportunities. Win-win in my book.

4. They review your site and offer feedback/suggestions. My most lucrative affiliate partners are the ones that consistently review my marketing techniques and offer suggestions or statistics that help me make more money.

5. Last but not least... generous payouts. A good program will payout consistently and fairly. They value you as a partner, and know that your success means their success... and are willing to invest in you.