Anyone ever START an affiliate program

company wants to start an affiliate program

[Hu5k3r]

I am looking for a bit of advise about starting an affiliate program for a small/medium sized company that has a large TV presence, but is just getting started in the affiliate world.

Thanks,

Hu5k3r

[Shawn Collins]

Do you have any particular questions?

[eljefe3]

You have options such as running the program in house, using a network, or outsourcing your program.

As far as attracting affiliates, it's best to recruit them instead of waiting for affiliates to come to you.

[Hu5k3r]

I believe that this will be done completely in house if it is cost effective to do so.

The most important thing (I guess next to money) is control.

I guess I will need to purchase some kind of software that assigns affiliates a number and then tracks them.

Is there software available that does the above as well as generating links?

I am sorry if this seems infantile questioning, but I really don't have a clue as tp the behind the scenes workings of an AFFILIATE Program.

Thanks for the help.

[Shawn Collins]

Is there software available that does the above as well as generating links?

Are you intent on having software installed on your server, or also open to ASPs?

[Hu5k3r]

I don't want to sound like a total idiot (only partial), but what is ASP?

Yes, I think that we will want it to run on our own servers.

[Shawn Collins]

ASP is short for application service provider - basically an affiliate technology hosted by a third party, rather than living on your server.

Examples of ASPs are Commission Junction, Linkshare etc.

[edited by: eljefe3 at 4:02 am (utc) on May 5, 2006]

[Hu5k3r]

okay, but don't the ASPs take a big bite out of your profits and thus lower the amount that you can pay affiliates?

Or does the traffic that is generated (through their legion of affiliates) compensate for that flaw?

[Shawn Collins]

okay, but don't the ASPs take a big bite out of your profits and thus lower the amount that you can pay affiliates?

Costs vary across the various options. What you get for the added costs are exposure to affiliates in the given network, technology that's likely to be updated and improved more than a low cost off-the-shelf solution, among other things.

Or does the traffic that is generated (through their legion of affiliates) compensate for that flaw?

Depends on what you're selling, your conversion rate, average order size, payout, etc.