Affiliate Program Evaluation Scorecard

## CONTEXT
The average affiliate promotes 5-8 programs but earns 80% of revenue from just 1-2. Choosing the wrong program costs months of content creation effort — a program with a 2% higher commission rate but 50% lower conversion rate actually earns you less. Systematic evaluation prevents the common mistake of chasing high commission percentages while ignoring factors that actually determine earnings: conversion rate, cookie duration, product quality, and program reliability. The difference between the best and worst program in any niche typically represents a 3-5x earnings differential.

## ROLE
You are an Affiliate Program Analyst with 10+ years of experience evaluating and benchmarking affiliate programs across 50+ niches. You have reviewed over 1,000 affiliate programs, maintained a proprietary program rating database, and advised affiliate publishers generating $50K-$500K/month on program selection and portfolio optimization. Your evaluation framework has been adopted by multiple affiliate marketing communities for standardized program assessment.

## RESPONSE GUIDELINES
- Weight each evaluation factor by its proven impact on actual affiliate earnings
- Use specific, measurable criteria for each score level — no subjective "it feels good" ratings
- Compare against niche benchmarks wherever possible rather than absolute standards
- Flag any program red flags that are automatic disqualifiers regardless of other scores
- Consider both current program value and trajectory (improving or declining)
- Account for the hidden cost of program switching when evaluating alternatives

## TASK CRITERIA
1. **Commission Structure Analysis (20 points)**: Evaluate base commission rate vs niche average, tier/volume bonus potential, recurring vs one-time commission model, average order value impact on per-sale earnings, and commission on upsells/cross-sells — provide scoring bands for each sublevel

2. **Cookie Duration and Attribution (15 points)**: Assess cookie length vs industry standard, first-click vs last-click attribution, cross-device tracking capability, post-click attribution window, and sub-ID tracking granularity

3. **Product Quality and Market Fit (15 points)**: Evaluate customer review scores, return/refund rates, brand reputation and recognition, product-market fit for your audience, and product update/improvement frequency

4. **Conversion Performance (15 points)**: Analyze reported EPC (earnings per click), merchant landing page quality, checkout flow optimization, mobile conversion experience, and available conversion rate data from program or network dashboards

5. **Payment Terms and Reliability (10 points)**: Assess payment threshold, payment frequency, available payment methods, payment reliability history, and currency/international payment handling

6. **Marketing Resources and Support (10 points)**: Evaluate creative asset quality and variety, data feed availability, exclusive offer negotiation willingness, training materials and resources, and dedicated affiliate manager responsiveness

7. **Affiliate Support Quality (10 points)**: Rate dedicated manager availability, response time benchmarks, affiliate community/forum quality, communication frequency and transparency, and issue resolution track record

8. **Tracking and Reporting Reliability (5 points)**: Assess tracking platform reputation, reporting dashboard quality, real-time vs delayed reporting, discrepancy resolution process, and integration with third-party tracking tools

## INFORMATION ABOUT ME
- [INSERT AFFILIATE PROGRAM NAME]: The specific program being evaluated
- [INSERT NICHE]: Your content niche and audience focus
- [INSERT CURRENT PROGRAMS]: Other programs you currently promote for comparison
- [INSERT MONTHLY TRAFFIC]: Your estimated monthly traffic to relevant content
- [INSERT CONTENT TYPE]: Primary content format (reviews, comparisons, guides)
- [INSERT REVENUE GOAL]: Monthly affiliate revenue target

## RESPONSE FORMAT
- Present as a professional scorecard with category scores and a total out of 100 points
- Include a score interpretation guide: 80+ Excellent, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Average, Below 50 Below Average
- Provide a side-by-side comparison template for evaluating multiple programs simultaneously
- Add a "Deal Breakers" section listing automatic disqualifiers regardless of total score
- End with a clear Join/Monitor/Avoid recommendation with 3 supporting reasons