It happens all too often. A product that is misrepresented, has poor quality, and/or does not have a good support system in place just burns people up. As consumers, we’re all the same, I think. Don’t you just hate it when you get a product you’ve paid good money for, or even when it is free, and it doesn’t work properly? I do.



It’s worse still when there’s no customer support. Emails aren’t responded too. Refund requests ignored. It’s enough to drive you to distraction.

As a reseller or affiliate to a product like this you have even more at stake. By putting your name behind it you risk the vendor’s bad reputation being attached to yours. That’s a heavy consequence and has long-lasting effects.

It’s not as if you are losing a few, or even many, customers and then it’s over. No. The Internet has changed that game completely. All it takes is for one or two people to post a bad report about you at a forum and your reputation could be irreversibly damaged.

All anyone has to do is Google your name and up pops a bad comment about you. And because pages are stored for a long time online, chances are that comment about your business will be there for years to come.

Would you buy from someone after reading such a report? Probably not. That’s why it’s so important that you do some research before committing yourself as a reseller or affiliate of any product.

Here are some simple steps you should take to protect yourself.

First and foremost, review the product. You wouldn’t believe the number of emails I get from resellers who haven’t even looked at what they are promoting. Then they have to backtrack when the complaints start rolling in. It happens more often than you’d think.

Most times this requires you purchasing the product before you resell it. However, some marketers will provide you with a “sample copy" or temporary access to a product so you can review it. All it takes is an email to them asking politely. When they see your sincerity and commitment, they will most likely respond favourably.

If you are just starting out online, try and stick to promoting products from reputable marketers. Don’t take a chance on a “newbie" unless you have thoroughly checked out the product and it looks like a winner. To find out if a marketer has a good reputation, just do a quick Google on them. You’ll soon find out.

If you are buying the product for resale from an eBay vendor, you can always check their vendor rating that is available on their eBay sales page.

As you do your research, look to see what other products and services they promote. Also, look to see how long they have been online. Most search engines also list the date the web page was put online.

Another tip is to do a “Who Is?" search on the domain name. This will give you some indication of how long the vendor has been doing business online. Not always though. Sometimes a domain can be parked for years before it is put to use. You can check domains through this service:

http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp

As you review the product, don’t forget to also review the sales page. A bad sales page can kill all your marketing efforts. Remember, a conversion rate of 2% is double of 1%. That means you get twice as many sales. If the product has been available for a while, you can ask the vendor what the sales page conversion rate is. 2% is average. Anything more than that is the gravy train!

If you have reviewed the product and you think it is a real winner but it has a poor sales page, you can do a couple things. First, create a landing page to send your visitors to. Hone your writing skills and make a killer page that pre-sells the product. Then, no matter what the sales page looks like, visitors will be much more likely to purchase.

If you have excellent copywriting skills you can contact the vendor and ask them if they would like you to create an improved sales page for them. It’s a good way to create JV opportunities too.

Your research should also include checking with a few of the vendor’s affiliates. When you Google the product name you should get listings from other affiliates and resellers. Contact them for information. Tell them you are considering becoming an affiliate for the vendor and ask if they have had good support. Are commissions paid on time? Are marketing materials like pre-written email promos and graphics available?

Some affiliates may not respond because of the competitive nature of the business. However, I have found that most marketers are a friendly and helpful bunch. It may also help if you sign up to purchase the product through their link!

You can always sign up as an affiliate without actually promoting the product. When you do this you should check their Affiliate Center. A good marketer will provide you with sales material, solo ads, graphics, email messages, Adwords messages, Instant Buzz headlines, signature files and more. This is a good gauge of a vendor’s competency.

Let’s recap:

1.Always review the product itself. Purchase if you must or ask for a review copy/temporary access.

2. Google the vendor’s name to look for problems as well as recommendations and review their online history.

3. Do a “Who Is" query on the vendor’s domain to see how long they have been doing business online. http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp

4. Remember to also review the sales page.

5. Contact some of the vendor’s existing affiliates for advice.

6. Check the vendor’s Affiliate Center to ensure quality sales material is available.

Take these steps to ensure the protection of your online reputation. It will help you increase the life-long value of every customer.

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