Affiliate marketing needs to be strategically managed as part of the marketing mix and, once established, significant benefits can accrue. There are, however, a number of points a merchant needs to consider which will have a direct impact on the success of their programme.

Website functionality and resource allocation

The merchant needs to ensure that its website runs in an affiliate-friendly manner. It needs to be tailored to operate in a way that is commercially attractive to affiliates. This will involve a certain amount of resource investment. If the merchant gives affiliates attractive enough commission, structures, sites, etc, the financial opportunities are significant.

Remember, the more you put in, the more you get out. There are thousands of affiliate programmes out there, so to stand out from the crowd you need to create something that is more attractive than your competitors are providing.

Marketing collateral

If affiliates are to be used to drive your traffic, they will need the necessary ammunition to do the job. This will vary from one industry sector to another. For instance, while product feeds are essential in travel and extremely useful for retail, they are of little use to a financial service provider.

Have a look at the materials your competitors are offering affiliates and be prepared to listen and act upon the requests affiliates make. As with any other channel, it means updating your adverts in the same way you would for TV or press. Refresh those creative executions as necessary, and by simply staying up to date you’ll be ahead of the game.

Tracking

The affiliate model is based on transparency and trust. Affiliates need to be assured that they are being paid for all the sales they generate and that the traffic they have driven is being correctly, fairly and accurately tracked as this will have a direct impact on the commissions they earn.

Therefore, it’s essential that tracking code can be implemented in your site. On-site tracking, however, does not take sales conversions into account. Having the ability to frequently and accurately validate affiliate sales is a key prerequisite when looking to launch a programme. Affiliates must be able to see at a glance what they have earned in commission.

Affiliate network selection

As a third party, an affiliate network is ideally suited to providing this tracking. In effect, it is the physical conduit between the affiliates and the clients. Needless to say, selecting the right network is a vital element in the process. With over 17 networks in the UK (e-consultancy 2006), merchants are relatively spoilt for choice!

With services varying from business sector specialisation to offering managed solutions, it’s important to ensure that the network or affiliate management specialist you select offers the correct degree of sector experience and can provide you with the necessary levels of resource and feedback. Remember – networks come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s imperative to get the right one.