You've built your website, and you're generating sales. You
recognize that starting an affiliate program will bring in even
more business, but you don't have the time or technical
capability of setting up and maintaining an affiliate program by
yourself. You decide you will go through a middleman to take
care of all this for you - an affiliate network.
What should you look for? What should you be aware of? Here's
some tips to help you out.
Compare Fees
Make sure you're aware of all fees you will incur by becoming a
merchant. There are plenty of fees you should be aware of
including start-up fees, monthly maintenance fees, annual
renewal fees, network percentage fees, etc. Make sure you're
clear on exactly how much your affiliate network will be
charging you. Tip: Many affiliate networks (especially
the new and/or smaller ones) have promotions for reduced fees in
order to gain a larger amount of merchants - watch for these.
Tracking Sophistication
Reliable and honest tracking through the network should be
always provided. The latest tracking technologies should be in
place, and detailed reporting should be available to both you
(the merchant), and the affiliates (the publishers) of the
network.
Fraud Protection
What kind of safeguards does the affiliate network have in place
to protect both merchants and publishers from fraud? This is
something that should especially be a concern if you choose to
go with a CPC (cost-per-click) model.
Reputation
Unfortunately there are a number of affiliate networks that are
just plain dishonest. Most problems lie with tracking, and
commissions not being credited towards affiliates. Don't be
fooled - the big players in the industry don't necessarily have
a clean record either. Do your research; don't sign up with a
network that has a bad reputation with its affiliates. Remember
that the network you choose is a reflection of you and your
business - for better or for worse.
Number of Affiliates in Network
How many affiliates are members of the affiliate network? If
it's an especially small or large number, make sure you
understand why. Some networks have a huge amount of publishers,
but many of them are inactive, of questionable nature, or
produce very few sales. The opposite can also be true; a small
network of publishers can often generate huge traffic and sales
for its merchants. It's best to look for a combination of
quality as well as quantity. You should also learn what kind of
criteria the network has in place for accepting new publishers.
It may also be good idea to ask whether or not the network is
still actively recruiting new affiliates.
Customer Service
This goes hand-in-hand with reputation. A good affiliate network
will provide excellent customer service to both its merchants
and publishers. Ideally you will want your own account manager
who will work with you to help your affiliate program succeed
and grow.
Direct Affiliate Contact
Similar to customer service, you should inquire whether or not
it is possible to contact your affiliates directly. This may or
may not be an option through the network, so it is important to
ask. As an example, you may discover that a certain affiliate
could perform much better if they used different creatives on
their website. By being able to contact affiliates directly, you
will have the option of forming closer and mutually beneficial
relationships with your affiliates.
Affiliate Program Promotion
After you sign up as a merchant, what will your affiliate
network do to get the word out about you to its publishers? Will
it include your program in its newsletter and e-mailings, place
a link on its website, issue a press release, or promote you as
a "client" on a merchant list on their website? Try to get as
much exposure as possible from your affiliate program
network.
Make sure your newly chosen affiliate network works both with
and for you. By going through a third party, you are introducing
service charges into the mix. Make sure you know how much you
will be paying, and exactly what you will be paying for.
Affiliate program networks are convenient and great to use - do
your research before diving in head first, and your affiliate
program will be a success!
About the author:
Veronica Dubak is an SEO expert, internet entrepreneur, and the
owner of the successful SurveyBounty.com free online paid surveys
directory. With a comprehensive listing of online market
research companies classified by region, and background
information on the online survey industry, SurveyBounty.com is the
legitimate source for online sur
|
