The question always comes up, and the honest answer disappoints: it depends on who you reach. A 50% commission on a product nobody buys pays less than 4% on a product everybody wants.
The four criteria that matter
1. Does the product convert?
It is the most important factor and the least examined. A known product, with a good sales page and a sensible price, converts on its own. An obscure product needs you to do all the convincing.
2. How long the cookie lasts
The cookie is the window in which a purchase still counts as yours. Some programs give hours, others days or months. For a product with a slow decision, a short cookie cancels out much of your work.
3. How and when it pays
Payout terms, minimum withdrawal and payment reputation. A program that pays in 90 days with a high minimum ties up your cash.
4. It fits the people you reach
This is the deciding criterion and the only one that depends on you. If your audience is parents, the best program is the one that sells to parents — regardless of the commission table.
The big categories, in summary
- Marketplaces (Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network, Walmart): lower commission, high conversion, enormous catalogue. Good to start with.
- Digital products (ClickBank, Gumroad, Teachable): high commission, conversion depends heavily on the creator.
- Services and subscriptions: they pay on recurring referrals, the model that compounds most over time.
A criterion almost nobody uses
Recurrence. A commission paid once pays once; a commission on a subscription pays every month for as long as the customer stays. The Magneth affiliate program works that way: whoever uses your coupon gets a discount and you receive cashback on every payment, month after month.
Once the program is chosen, the problem becomes distribution — and that is in how to promote affiliate links.
