This is very important, because your reputation is on stake here! Joining the wrong affiliate programs will only hurt your online business.

First of all, it is almost impossible for you to collect adequate informations on those merchant companies. You certainly can't investigate them thoroughly. Hence, you will never be able to predict their successes or failures.

That's why you must not stress on one single merchant only within your niche.

Pick a couple of the best quality products to promote. Still, you can do some critical researches to reduce risk.

OK, now let's see how we can pick the goods from the bads. Here are some factors that influences the dependability of an affiliate program. The more of these factors are present in a certain program, the more reasons you get to sign up to the program.

Let's see...

1. Great quality products. This is a must. How could you promote something you are not proud of?

2. Good affiliate sites.

3. Good comissions. Normally, solid merchants offer more than 25% of comissions.

4. Free to join.

5. Great Supports. Solid merchants usually train their affiliates through training calls, newsletters and other mediums. They also shows your real-time stats and earnings, send you an email whenever a sale is made.

6. Long-term cookie to lock on the visitors to your site. This way you still can make sales if your visitors return to your site months later.

7. Monthly payment with realistic minimum.

8. Two-tier comissions. Some merchants give you comissions on your referrals' sales. Meaning... if you refer someone to become an affiiate, you can earn comission everytime he makes a sale.

So do some researches before you sign up!