A lot of web hosting companies are built up on the idea of affiliate programs. How do you go around finding reliable affiliates to promote your web hosting?

I mean if I could find just 3 quality affiliates, I would be extremely happy..

Many companies use affiliate networks such as CJ, Linkshare, and shareasale.

I think CJ charges a ton of money just to get you setup as a merchant in their directory, so they're out of the question.

However, LinkShare and ShareASale I have never heard before, do you know how much it would cost to get setup with them by any chance?

Well, visit their websites and find out. :)

The best way to get affiliates is to visit affiliate forums and find out where they go to "discover" the services/products they want to sell...

Keep in mind that all the professional "affiliate" websites and directories charge a lot of money and require a pretty high payout rate.

Also, consider that most affiliates that are selling hosting probably don't care much about the quality of the hosting -- they are more likely concerned about how much they are going to get per signup/referral.

There are some affiliate programs in CJ and linkshare that pay over $100 per signup. If you can't compete against them, then don't bother registering with those type of sites... nobody is going to become an affiliate for you unless you have a similarily high payout.

My advice is that the best affiliates are your customers. Offer them a decent cash reward, and most customers will be very happy to promote your service, since they already know you are a good company, etc...

Good luck!

ah that seems like a nice idea, since customers would be glad to help out their web host & get some cash at the same time, thanks!