Previously, it was used mainly by “classic e-shops,” which focus on the sale of physical items (electronics, clothing, food supplements, feed and more). Over time, affiliate marketing began to be used in online services and tools, in the banking sector and online courses.
At the moment, the affiliate is suitable for almost any online project. You can look at the offer of our affiliate campaigns and you will find that we already cover a wide number of segments.
Starting an affiliate campaign contains several decisions and steps that you need to consider. Let’s take a closer look. What is needed?
- Technical solution
- Campaign terms
- Program management
Technical solution, network or own program?
Devising a technical solution is a relatively demanding decision-making process. You have to decide between joining an affiliate network that will provide you with the whole solution, or starting your own program. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, which you must first consider. You can learn more with Evergreen Wealth Formula. At the same time you will read a lot of negative reviews about this program. But you need to know The truth about reviews you read online and you should be wary.
Affiliate network
As an affiliate network, we provide technical solutions within the framework of cooperation free of charge. This means that when you sign the contract, you get a tracking code, access to the administration for tracking sales, the ability to upload your own advertising elements and access to statistics (sales, clicks).
In addition, if there are problems with the deployment of the tracking code, we have a programmer ready who can solve this small problem in a few minutes.
Own affiliate program
- The second option is your own software, which you will have under your own management. Such software can be programmed to buy, but option is to rent.
- Programming your own solution cannot pay off for almost any e-shop due to constant development and changes in the affiliate world (cookies and others).
- Most affiliate software providers offer the same features as the affiliate network. Comparing the pros and cons should help you make a decision.
Campaign conditions
The next point is to set the conditions of the campaign. We will not lie to each other, every affiliate is most interested in the commission. When considering the amount of commission, think of 2 things. You need to set the commission so that it still pays off.
It wants to find out the average margin of the entire e-shop and only then address the amount of commission. Some programs have multi-level commissions by category on the e-shop. Example: The commission for the “mobile phones” category is 2% because there is a small margin on them. On the other side are “Mobile Covers,” where the commission is 10%, because even margins are higher.
Another criterion to consider is competition in the industry. Why should an affiliate promote a business where they offer him a 2% commission, when they offer 5% and possibly other benefits in a competitive business?
It’s not just about the financial side
The success of an affiliate campaign does not only depend on the commission you receive for a successful sale. Affiliates are also interested in other aspects:
Is an XML feed available? The basis of large e-shops is a fancy XML feed, thanks to which partners can upload part of the products to their website in a few minutes.
Permission for cashbacks and coupon sites
Some e-shops prohibit cashbacks and coupon websites in their promotion, which is a shame. They are deprived of traffic and sales. Especially in Eastern Europe, it is customary to shop at discounts!
PPC: Can affiliate partners promote their sites and articles through PPC?
E-mailing: Can affiliates use their email databases to send targeted advertising for your products?
Promotional materials: Put in the work and let the graphics process at least a few banners, which are mainly used by large magazines. The most common dimensions: 728×90, 300×250, 160×600, 970×90 and 320×50 (mobile devices).