Frequently Asked Questions

How does the affiliate program work?

The ActualTests Affiliate program allows you to create custom links and banners for your website or Affiliate Advertising Campaigns to capitalize on ActualTests products. Visitors to your site who click on your ActualTests Affiliate links and then purchase a ActualTests product, will generate a 25% commission for you and paid monthly by Bank Wire, Check or Paypal.

Visitors to ActualTests through your affiliate links are tracked using cookies stored in the visitor's browser. The cookie flags the visitor as your referral for 60 days. If the ActualTests visitor decides not to purchase a product or service on the day they link, you will still get credit for their purchase, if it is made within 60 days.

Commission "checks" (Bank Wires, Checks or Paypal) are sent once a month, on balances $100.00 and more.

There are no fees associated with the ActualTests Affiliate program (unless you select payment by Bank Wire), you are able to make as many links as you like, for use on as many websites that like. (You are responsible for any hosting charges, internet access, and domain registration charges that come with creating a website and hosting web pages. Consult your hosting company, internet service provider, and domain registrar for more information.)

How is this different from the resellers program? Which is right for me?

The ActualTests Affiliate program is designed for owners of web sites who create content regarding the IT Industry and Certification. ANYONE can become a ActualTests Affiliate and create links for their web site or Affiliate Marketing Program. ActualTests Affiliates create links that direct site visitors to the ActualTests web site, where we promote ActualTests Products and take care of order processing and payment. You are rewarded for the referral and sale with a 25% commission on the customer's purchase.

ActualTests Resellers are typically people or small businesses with direct contact to Certification Candidates. A ActualTests Reseller facilitates the purchase and up front promotion or selling. ActualTests Resellers purchase the ActualTests Products from us at wholesale prices and then re-sell the products to their customers at any price they choose. The amount of money a ActualTests Reseller makes is determined only by their retail markup. The ActualTests Reseller program does not limit resellers regarding the final price they charge.

If you are a web site owner who would like to create additional revenue with no selling, then the ActualTests Affiliate Program is for you. If you are interested in contacting customers directly, or already have a customer base - then the ActualTests Reseller Program is more suited for your needs. Contact ActualTests Affiliate Support to discuss your situation and our recommendations if you need help making a decision.

Is there a fee for joining? Any other costs?

There are absolutely no sign-up fees or performance requirements for opening a ActualTests Affiliate account. There may be a fee for sending Bank Wires if you select that as your payment type, depending on the country your bank operates from.

There is a minimum balance required before you receive a payment from the ActualTests Affiliate Program. You must have at least $100.00 in commissions before we will issue a payment. If you do not achieve this minimum in any month, the balance forwards to the next month until you have reached that amount, or more.

You are responsible for any fees associated with hosting, internet access or domain registration. These are normal costs associated with having a web site, and they are your own responsibility.

How much work is involved? Do I have to do marketing?

Creating ActualTests Affiliate links is easy! You can generate an affiliate link in less than a minute after signing into your ActualTests Affiliate account.

There are programs available for publishing your affiliate links in advertising campaigns, and PPC (Pay Per Click) Programs, however placing the affiliate links within your existing content, or using banners on your own site will probably work best for the average web site owner/operator.

If your site is new, or if your web site does not have significant traffic, then you may want to look into advertising or marketing. Keep in mind that your commissions are paid based on sales from the links directed to ActualTests, not simply the visitor clicking on the link or ad.

We recommend placing focus on Search Engine Optimization and relevant content within your existing site. Create value-added pages that appeal to your audience, with affiliate links embedded in the content. Natural appearing, or contextual links tend to have a much higher click through rate, than glitzy banner ads.

Will I have to offer customer support to buyers?

ActualTests provides customer and technical support to all of its customers regardless of how the sale was generated. Once the customer has left your site through the affiliate link and came to ActualTests, all you have to do is wait for them to make a purchase. ActualTests will handle the account creation, billing and processing, and technical or customer support.

How much can I expect to make?

As a ActualTests Affiliate, you will earn 25% of each sale created through your affiliate links. A purchase of $100.00 in ActualTests products will add $25.00 to your ActualTests Affiliate Balance.

There is no limit to the number of visitors that you can send, and there is no limit to the amount of commissions you may earn.

Visitors arriving at ActualTests through your affiliate links are tracked with a 60-day cookie, stored in the visitors' browser. The prospective customer can make their first purchase from ActualTests any time during that 60-day window and you will receive the 25% commission for that sale.

How do I know when someone has clicked the link on my site? How do I know when they've bought a product?

Every ActualTests Affiliate receives access to an ActualTests Affiliate administration control panel. Within the control panel you can view your affiliate link stats, which includes: aggregate and by-channel impressions, aggregate and by-channel number of clicks on links, aggregate and by-channel number of sales generated from links, and total earnings from links (aggregate and by-channel data).

ActualTests Affiliates have the ability to make custom channels for better tracking of links/ads and performance. An affiliate may choose to create a channel for links or banners in a specific location, common on many pages, or perhaps all links on a specific page or web site. Using channels can assist you in finding the best locations and types of links that perform best on your site(s), and with your site(s) visitors.

How can I be sure I'm being paid my full commissions?

Every ActualTests Affiliate receives access to an ActualTests Affiliate administration control panel. Within the control panel you can view your affiliate link stats, which includes: aggregate and by-channel impressions, aggregate and by-channel number of clicks on links, aggregate and by-channel number of sales generated from links, and total earnings from links (aggregate and by-channel data).

In addition to this, you also have a segment of statistics displaying the exact products purchased from your directed traffic, and the amount of the commission generated. The sum total of all the purchases' commissions will equal the amount of your commission payment. The data you see regarding your traffic and sales, is the same data we use to pay your commissions.

How am I paid?

As a ActualTests Affiliate you have the option of being paid by Bank Wire, Check, and PayPal. Once you have generated a minimum of $100.00 in commissions you are eligible for a payment for the balance of your affiliate account.

Payments made by Bank Wire take approximately three days to process and may include a banking fee, depending on your bank and the country it operates from.

Check payments are mailed payable to the owner of the ActualTests Affiliate account on record when signing up. Checks are sent via United States Postal Service. ActualTests Affiliate checks may also be sent via Federal Express, or registered mail, at your request and expense.

How often am I paid?

ActualTests Affiliate payments are made once a month on 16th. Only affiliate accounts with a balance of at least $100.00 will be processed for payments. Accounts that have not met the minimum balance will be carried forward to the next month, until the minimum amount has been achieved.

How do I get started?

Signing up for the ActualTests Affiliate Program is easy and free! Simply go to http://affiliate.actualtests.com and enter your information into the registration form.

You will be sent a confirmation and verification email, so be sure to leave a valid working email address. Your verification email will contain a link that you can click, or copy and paste into the URI bar in your favorite browser. This link confirms your email address and activates your affiliate account. You can now create affiliate links immediately and begin making money with the ActualTests Affiliate Program.

If you have any questions regarding registration, or if you do not receive your verification email, please contact ActualTests Affiliate Support.

How do I add an affiliate link to my website?

Creating links from the ActualTests Affiliate control panel is easy and it takes seconds to do. You will need to be logged into your ActualTests Affiliate control panel to create links. Follow these steps:
  1. Log into your ActualTests Affiliate control panel
  2. Click the Get Links link in the top navigation.
  3. Select your Ad Type
  4. Select a channel (if necessary)
  5. Select the ActualTests page you want to link to
  6. Your HTML link code is generated in the Link Code text area
  7. Copy and paste this HTML code into your web page using an HTML editor (like DreamWeaver or FrontPage).
  8. Upload your page to your server and view!
There are different Ad/link types you can select in the Advertisement Links form. With the exception of the Raw Link, all of these ads are tracked for impressions, clicks, and sales.
  • Text Link
    A Text Link is simply the key word of the linked item on the linked page. If you are linking to the Cisco 360-001 page on ActualTests, your Text Link will display as "Cisco 360-001". This format is perfect for contextual advertising.

    Example: ActualTests
  • Text Link with Description
    The Text Link and Description is similar to the Text Link in the fact that it also uses the keyword for the link, however it also follows the link with a short sentence or paragraph regarding the page. This link is popular for lists above or below technical articles.

    Example: ActualTests - ActualTests premium exam training tools and resources
  • Banner 125x125
    A small branded graphical banner 125 pixels wide and 125 pixels tall. This banner can be used anywhere in a web site of wrapped by content. This size also works particularly well in blogs.

    Example:
    ActualTests - Guaranteed Certification
  • Banner 468x60
    The typical 468x60 banner advertisement found at the tops and bottoms of web sites and web pages all around the world. This advertisement works well in marketing campaigns and web rings. It also performs well with web templates designed with banners in mind.

    Example:
    ActualTests - Guaranteed Certification
  • Buy Now Link
    A Buy Now Link uses the keyword of the page you are linking to, with the term: "Buy Now" following the link. This link can be styled to match, or contrast your existing site design and creates a sense of urgency.

    Example: ActualTests - Buy Now
  • Raw Link
    The Raw Link format provides no Impressions tracking. It is simply the URI of your ActualTests Affiliate link.

    Example: