When joining an affiliate program there are many decisions you have to make. Unfortunately, few people query what kind of tracking software program uses. To overlook this can prove costly, and means you may never be credited with 5% - 10% of your affiliate sales.

A good affiliate program will use quality affiliate tracking software that is reliable and tracks all of your sales.You must make sure that they not only track online sales, but also sales by mail order. Many companies phone, fax and only track online, and this means you will lose between 5% - 10% of your sales.

Also, make sure that affiliate program uses ‘cookie tracking’ software to ensure that you will be credited for sales from people who don’t buy first time they visit your website, but come back and buy at a later date.

This business of sending emails offers us one of most powerful and free advertising resources we all have access to, yet it's one that is most often over looked. I'm talking about "sig file", also called e-sigs or e-signature.

Sending emails for online marketers can be likened to writing a traditional business letter, which when completed bears a signature. It stands to reason that an effective sig file should be a key part of your online marketing program.

Your objective for using a sig file is to get your prospect to your website. Sig files can be used at end of e-mail messages, newsgroup postings, and other postings, as tiny but powerful classified ad, entice prospect to click on hotlink to your website. To be effective, your sig file should persuade its readers to go to your website now. It should be short and sweet, simple, direct and to point, but emphasizing Benefits to reader and their need to "act" quickly. You need to GRAB readers attention and spark curiosity.

Lets look at what must be included in your email signature:

* A clear description of benefits of your business to your prospects * Curiosity * A hotlink to your website

* A call-to-action by your prospect

For most effective use of your signature, you'll need to customize to where it's being used. For example, most email programs will allow a sig file of up to 7 lines, and up to 65 characters per line. Caution - while posting to newsgroups, moderated lists, or discussion boards, using a sig file of more than 4 or 5 lines may be considered annoying. Long sig files in newsgroup postings may be considered poor etiquette.

Your email signature gives reader a word picture of you and Benefits you are offering to the.

Lets take a look at some examples of sig files:

Sincerely,

Jane Doe mailto:jane@1234.com