Setting up a professional affiliate program - advice?

by turbomonkey

Posted: 11 years ago 3 replies

OFF TOPIC

Hello warriors,

I'm in the process of setting up a website with an associated affiliate program and I need some advice with regards to tracking and payouts.

The product that's going to be sold is highly sell-able and currently totally unique. For the first month or so - until competitors inevitably show up - there won't be anywhere else potential clients can go for an alternative quote and I'd like to maximize my gains during this period.

By that I mean that I don't want to be advertising any fixed prices on the website. I want my leads to contact the company for a quote based on their specific requirements.

Ok, so, if I do this then how can I prove to successful affiliates what the client has ultimately paid for the product? I would like to implement a pay-per-sale percentage based system with levels that increase the percentage for repeatedly successful affiliates, however I'm not sure if this might be the best approach to take in the beginning.

If any professional affiliates read this would you mind sharing your thoughts with me on it? Additionally, if you could tell me what your preferred type of affiliate program is I'd really appreciate that too. You know, what would be your ideal program, what sort of payout do you prefer? Fixed rates? Percentage based?

I've seen the power that's in affiliate marketing if it's done right and I want to do it right, to offer an attractive program that pro affiliates will be able to make great use of, a program that will draw the best efforts from my affiliates, which will ultimately land more customers at my door than I can handle.

Any advice any of you can give me with regards to this will be very much appreciated. Thanks for reading.

Alan

travlinguy 11 years ago

#1. Sounds like you might have something.
#2. Your description of what that might be is fairly unclear. Based on what you've written I only have a vague idea of what you're actually asking.
#3. The people on WF that are likely to be able to help don't often come to this neck of the woods. This is the Off Topic forum where we only occasionally talk about business.
#4. Having said that, I'd doubt there are many people on the forum as a whole who could help you. There are some but the chances you'll find one are fairly small. You'll get a lot of wannabes responding though.
#5. I'd suggest you talk to a professional distributor of new products. There is a guy who's into that who hangs out on the copywriter's board. After close to five years on this forum he's the only one I think could help you other than the guy who owns the joint.
- Thanks
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seasoned

11 years ago

Originally Posted by turbomonkey

I don't know why traveling guy never thought of me. I have experience on all ends of the kind of thing you are speaking about. I even currently use a product that I have heard of selling for as low as $5000, and as high as several million. The $5000 is a deal cut for some BIG purchasers for a small environment, and the several million has some added features, but STILL, there is a GREAT disparity in price. THEY swear ALL to secrecy(My current customer wouldn't even reveal what THEY paid!), and probably for good reason! How would YOU like to spend a half million for something and find out a competitor got it for $5000?

And WHAT could a person take as proof anyway? Ask for preference in payouts, and you will get lots of responses. I have heard of people wanting even over 110%(of the first month premium in insurance)!!!! Some HERE have asked for 75%+! Amazon used to offer a LOT more than they do NOW! And if you get more, you can offer a low percentage! WHO wats to get 10% o a candybar? Probably not many! 2% on a shipment of chocolate to herseys? WOW!!!!!!!! 1% on a 787? WHO would turn it down!

As for tracking, there are a number of different ways. MOST companies are fully automated, like Amazon, and have a sales package that tracks referrals, payments, and commissions. You COULD use the poor persons method of a squeeze page that passes the referrers ID. It is only really feasible for low volume high ticket goods though, as it is more labor intensive. Some people even offer an id with a discount. So the referrer asks the prospect to mention their ID to the seller, the prospect gets a discount, and the referrer gets a commission.

Steve