How to report stats?
 

As you may have seen (ahem. not that I spam much) I am working on a new affiliate program for my sites. One thing I have been thinking about some is how to report the conversion stats. I am looking for a complete, honest stat, that I can pull from my admin software, to let people know how well they can expect to do. The thing is, I am not sure what to report.

I could just report the overall conversions on the sites, traffic to sales. However, that isn't a good sign of how well webmasters will do since it includes some poor traffic I get, and a nice chunk of google traffic. It isn't really clear from such a number how well an affiliate can expect to do, and I'd like to give them a useful number.

I could just report the overall stats, what affiliates send total, clicks and sales. However, that includes people sending junk traffic, or people who haven't sent enough to convert, thus throwing off the numbers. (Remember, small program right now, lots of small-fry affiliates.)

I could pick my best few converters, and give their average. Sortof how well you can do if you send *good* traffic. Give people something to shoot for. However, that seems to idealized.

This is what I have been thinking is a number that is both accurate/honest and also good for marketing the program... The conversions of affiliates who send traffic that converts at all. (Here comes the spammish part of the post, feel free to avert your eyes or whatever...) So, for instance, so far this month, among webmasters who sent any sales, conversions are 1:180. Is that a reasonable number to give out for marketing? Honest but useful.

If you run a program: What do *you* give out?
If you are a webmaster: What would *you* like to know?
Also: What do the big boys share with people? (Or do they just make something up? ;) )