Q: Would it be better for us to go one by one and join the affiliate program of individual sites, or I notice there are outfits like Commission Junction. Do they represent a load of sites, so we would join just Commission Junction and become partners with ALL of their sites? Can you mix and match? Join Commission Junction and also individual sites?
A: You can find hundreds of sites through the various affiliate networks (Commission Junction, Kolimbo, LinkShare, and Performics), as well as in the affiliate program directories (AffiliateTip.com, AssociatePrograms.com, and Refer-it).
You can pick and choose which sites you’d like to apply to at the affiliate networks, and the directories will provide links to apply to affiliate programs.
And if you come across sites that you like and you think they’d sell something you’d like to offer through your site, take a look at their footer. If they have an affiliate program, there is often a link in the footer that says ‘Become an Affiliate’ or ‘Affiliate Program.’
Another place to find quality affiliate programs is the CPA Tipline newsletter. You can subscribe to receive email featuring the latest offers.
One word of caution – resist the urge to join every affiliate program, and focus on those that are as relevant as possible to the target audience for your site.