General Questions of Paying Affiliates

Whats the best way to find out how much?

[rj87uk]

I am starting up an affiliate program - what is the best way to find out what is the going rate in any market? I am not looking to join a big program but generate some interest on my own but for this to happen I need a good pay out commission.

Any general ideas and thoughts how to find out what is the going rate?

RJ

[abbeyvet]

Look at affiliate programs in the same/similar industry or for the same/similar products and see what they pay?

Seems the obvious way to go, since that is what potential affiliates will do too.

Mind you the percentage is not everything. A product that sells 100 units at $x with a 5% payout is going to beat a similarly priced one that sells 10 units a day at 20%. Most good affiliates will be looking not just at the percentage return, but the likelihood of sales, residual sales, the support you offer and so on - often these sort of things are more important by far than just the percentage.