How to research a network

I've seen so many "is network XXXXXXXX legit" threads that I thought I'd provide the Warrior Forum community with suggestions on how to research the legitimacy of a network. Feel free to share this with whoever you'd like, or repost to your blog if you have one. These are in no particular order of importance.

Check the WHOIS: Go to a WHOIS lookup site (e.g. Domain Name Lookup, Domain Whois | DomainTools) and get the information on the domain of the network. Is the domain information privacy protected, or is it filled with gibberish? If so, this is a major warning sign. Ask yourself why is the network trying to hide its identity and contact information, when it's supposed to be open and available for its affiliates and merchants?

Check the domain registration date: Using the WHOIS information, find the date the domain was registered. This should give you an idea as to how long the network has been in business. The longer a network has been in business, the more likely they are to be reputable. While a network that has just launched is not necessarily a warning sign, understand that 90% of new networks started will fail within 6 months of their launch.

Check the network's domain: A network should own and operate from its own domain. For example, a network called CPAGoodNet should operate from cpagoodnet.com and NOT cpagoodnet.trackingplatorm.com. A network that cannot afford to operate from its own domain most likely has very small cashflow.

Check the network's index page: Does one exist that isn't just the login to the tracking platform? Is the index page full of typos and grammatical errors? Do any of the links from the index page give 404 errors? If so, this network does not pay attention to detail and probably will not survive very long.

Blackhat policies: What are the blackhat policies of the network? If the network operates with an "anything goes" mentality, there's a good chance their fraudulent ways will catch up to them when merchants refuse to pay them. This could lead to cashflow issues and unpaid affiliates.

Where do they get their offers: Once you are in the network, use a tool such as HTTP watch to follow the HTTP redirects from the network's tracking links to the end merchant. If all of the network's offers are simply rebrokered from other networks, you are losing out on commissions. Find the network closest to the offer and run with that one.

Approval process: What is the network's new affiliate approval process? If they let everyone in without any question, there's a good chance their network will become a haven for fraudulent publishers. You'll want to stay away from the network for the same reason as if they have lax blackhat policies - merchants wont pay them and they'll become insolvent.

Check review sites: Check review sites (e.g. affiliatepaying.com and others) to see what other user experiences have been like. Look for number of reviews, and the content of the reviews.

Google the network: Spend some time looking through Google results on a search of the network. This will give you a pretty good idea on the history of the network, any issues that may have arisen, both good and bad, over their history. No Google history means the network is very new, and you might want to exercise some caution.

Speak to the network: Call the network and speak with someone. This usually happens during the approval process. Are they reachable? Do they sound professional? Are they who they say the are (based on the WHOIS info)? Use this call to help you determine if the network is legitimate.

These are some suggestions that I believe all affiliates should use when looking for a network with which to trust their business.