ClickBank merchants can afford to give you huge commission percentages because the products they sell cost very little, if anything, to produce. The cost of making an eBook is pretty much $0 after it has already been written. The downside of this network is that you are limited to selling downloadable products. The upside is that there are some great, high-converting digital products, and many programs offer 2nd and even 3rd tier commissions - which means you not only get paid for what you sell, but you get paid for what others sell if you get them to join the network. If you have a website about marketing, Click Bank is probably THE best network for you to join.

CPA Storm is the most recent affiliate network we've joined, and so far it has turned out to be a great decision. The reporting is good, the programs are great and the commissions are better than average. We also like the innovative features like Facebook Application integration, featured offers of the day, etc. Customer service for affiliates is great, and we hear CS for merchants is even better. There are two minor issues that we find somewhat annoying. The first is that signing up for a program isn't exactly intuitive. They're called "campaigns" instead of programs, and once you click on one there is no "sign up" or "apply" button. The system just shows you the creatives and links to use. Maybe this is because you are automatically accepted? If so, that is actually a positive thing (we just think they should put up a "you've been pre-approved" notice). The second annoyance is that the campaign descriptions are not very informative. They don't tell us much about the company that runs the program. Other than that, CPA Storm is a great network that we encourage you to join. The more we use it, the more we fall in love with the features, programs and commissions - which is why CPA Storm has won Editor's Choice as the best affiliate network for affiliates to join.

As an affiliate, one thing that annoys me about LinkShare (LS) is when you try to search for programs the system does not show you ones that you already belong to. Furthermore, it is frustrating to have to switch between profiles when you own several websites. Forgetting to switch to the appropriate profile when you sign up for a certain program can result in your application being denied. Yet, merchants can see "all" of your profiles, and sometimes will deny your application because one of your other websites doesn't match their guidelines. Lastly, many affiliate program watchdogs claim that BHOs / Affiliate Parasites are rampant on this network. Commissions are low compared to some of the smaller networks in this review. However, LinkShare has a huge network of merchants including some of the biggest brands in the world.

Double Click Performics has always been a strong network, but since being acquired by Google in 2005 (which resulted in some major 'monopoly' legal issues) their notoriety has skyrocketed. The commissions are average, the merchants include some huge names and the reporting is fairly intuitive. Performics is probably the major network that we have the least experience with. Although we are registered as an affiliate, and have used some of their links, we prefer other networks to Performics because.... does Google really need a bigger piece of the online pie?

Commission Junction (CJ) is a strong network with a lot of high-end merchants to choose from. We would use it more if they offered some better product and deal feed options, and the reporting system wasn't so confusing (seriously, who designed that thing?). The programs aren't as clean as SAS, but not as shady as some claim LS to be. But we have heard about CJ cracking down on people who get traffic to affiliate pages using PPC ads (arbitrage) and banning accounts with little or no warning.

Shareasale (SAS) is probably the most trusted and respected affiliate network by experienced affiliate marketers. Although it is relatively small, and has less-known merchants, when compared to Linkshare, this network's programs are probably the cleanest in the industry. If you are worried about affiliate parasites and cookie-theft, or getting paid in-full and on-time, this is the network for you. There are some big name brands, as well as many lesser-known brands. Sometimes it is the smaller brands that pay out the highest commissions and convert the highest anyway.

Many Great Affiliate Programs are NOT Part of a Network. For Instance:
Gatherplace Webinar Software, Water Filters, Best Of The Web Directory, and Amazon Associates - The Amazon.com program has low commissions, but they are a good place to get links for a product if you can't find it anywhere else. They carry every product you could think of, and offer great widgets, feeds, search boxes and other affiliate tools.

In Conclusion:
There are many affiliate networks to choose from these days. So many, in fact, that it prompted us to do this review so we could compare the best of the best. Some may have been left out, such as AzoogleAds, ClixGalore, and many others. However, mamma always said if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. ;-)

For Merchants Choosing a Network:
The information above should be sufficient for you to make a choice as a merchant on which affiliate network to use for your program because when it comes to running a successful program - it all comes down to how affiliates perceive your program specifically, and the network it's on in general. Big brands that want as many affiliates as possible should go with a network like Linkshare or Commission Junction because they also have the most affiliates. Businesses that want to be selective of their affiliates and like quality over quantity should choose Shareasale or CPA Storm. Small brands that don't have the money to invest in large, established networks can host and manage their own affiliate programs using the various software options out there (such as alstrasoft or those that come with shopping cart software) - which we might review on another occasion.