Making the Most of Pay-per-Click Programs (continued, part 5)
The industry average for non-targeted banner ad click-throughs is generally considered to be about 1% (and falling). So, to reach these limits, you would need to refer 3-4 times the industry average. Given that most pay-per-click networks host untargeted, general audience banners, this would be statistically abnormal.
The key here is that almost all programs have these types of limits, and some might use them to cancel your account if they expect abuse. The best solution is to be aware of their limits, and keep an eye on your account. Being aware of their terms, even if they do not always seem fair, is the best way to make sure you remain a member in good standing, are paid for what you are owed.
As a general rule of thumb, the programs with the best payment histories are often the least likely to use these types of guidelines as a reason to cancel their members. Those with the worst payment histories do so quite frequently. For example, CyberThrill routinely used this method to cancel nearly ever affiliate that was owed a substantial sum of money.
5) What other tools or features do they give you?
An additional factor of evaluating pay-per-click programs is to determine what other tools or features they offer you to assist in generating the most income from your site. Some programs give you online tools to easily manage your account and to allow you to easily determine which ads you would like to host, and which you would like to block. ValueClick is a good example of this, giving you the ability to select which ads are inappropriate for your site.
Other features include giving you the ability to earn additional income by referring new webmasters to the program. For certain types of sites, this can be an excellent additional source of income, however most sites will not see a high enough volume of referrals to make much of an impact. ValueClick, TeknoSurf, and eAds all have excellent two-tier referral programs if your site targets other webmasters.
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