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Should I run my own Affiliate program or outsource it?

by D_M_S
17 replies
I have a web site in a competitive space. I am an extremely good programmer and I can certainly make my own affiliate marketing program section on my web site. Am I better off doing that or outsourcing it? Would there be trust issues from my affiliates if I'm running it myself? Who are some of the better sources out there to run it for me?
#affiliate #outsource #program #run
  • Profile picture of the author Janet Sawyer
    Originally Posted by D_M_S View Post

    I have a web site in a competitive space. I am an extremely good programmer and I can certainly make my own affiliate marketing program section on my web site. Am I better off doing that or outsourcing it? Would there be trust issues from my affiliates if I'm running it myself? Who are some of the better sources out there to run it for me?
    Hi DMS

    If you are an extremely good programmer there wouldn't really be a problem.

    If you pay your affiliates on time every time you won't really have a problem.

    There are people out there using third party programs and they don't pay their affiliates, there is nothing wrong with the third party programs, the vendors just choose not to pay the affiliates.
    Unfortunately yes this happens.
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  • Profile picture of the author D_M_S
    Thanks for the reply. If I were to decide to outsource it, who are the better vendors for that?
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    Looking for new affiliates for a penny auction web site -- please send me a PM

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  • Profile picture of the author D_M_S
    I may not understand Clickbank but from what I'm reading, you have to use the clickbank checkout services in order to use their affiliate network. I already have my payments in place, I just need the traffic.

    FWIW my play is in the penny auction/reverse auction space.
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    Looking for new affiliates for a penny auction web site -- please send me a PM

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    • Profile picture of the author Marian
      I'd use ClickBank for digital products (also recurring), and PaySpree for both digital and physical products. CB is one of the most trusted affiliate networks. PaySpree is quite new - but I already sell there - works great!

      Marian
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  • Profile picture of the author commonjoe
    I think you should outsource your affiliate marketing of your website as there are many reputed marketing websites are available in market and they are believed as trusted. Also they get lots of visitors daily so you may get more reward. So I suggest you to outsource it.
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  • Profile picture of the author impact-productions
    Even as a competent programmer, reinventing the wheel is completely pointless.

    It's time consuming, time that could be better spent working on your next product, or promoting an existing one.

    Plus, there is the trust issue. People will promote you based on the strength of the supporting software that guarantees that they will get paid. Unless they know you very well, your in-house solution will never have the same trust factor.

    So, even though it means spending money, I'd recommend buying in a working solution. That's not strictly outsourcing, as you can buy in the software and set it up yourself. If you're a good programmer, and money is the issue, you can always take on a small amount of paid work to cover this.

    Thom
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  • Profile picture of the author christopherNV
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    • Profile picture of the author D_M_S
      Originally Posted by christopherNV View Post

      I have to throw my vote into the use an existing system.

      Clickbank isn't the only solution. There are a lot of options when it comes to bill processing and affiliate programs.
      Ok, so which one would you recommend? I'm getting a lot of the same advice but hardly anyone is actually recommending programs to look at.
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      Looking for new affiliates for a penny auction web site -- please send me a PM

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  • Profile picture of the author portalweb
    If the cost is the issue, outsource is the best way to go.
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    • Profile picture of the author D_M_S
      Originally Posted by portalweb View Post

      If the cost is the issue, outsource is the best way to go.
      the cost is really not the issue. I'm willing to create my own so it wouldn't really "cost" me anything per se. I just want to make sure that affiliates are going to be able to trust me and want to send traffic.
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      Looking for new affiliates for a penny auction web site -- please send me a PM

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  • Profile picture of the author brettb
    ClickBank is a joke - the customer complains and bang, your money is refunded.

    Avangate is looking good for digital products, although if you are a programmer why not build your own PayPal thing?

    I still fail to see the advantage of affiliate schemes - I rarely get affiliate sales for my own software products and my ClickBank affiliate hops are just totally junk traffic.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tomwood
    I would take a look at the rapid action profit script this pay your affiliates immediately via paypal and it's going to get very popular soon, which should result in a big pool of affiliates for you to draw from.
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  • Profile picture of the author jazbo
    I did use clickbank, but for my latest venture I got my own installed in the site. It has its own funds clearing system, so affiliates can see where their balance is, and it allows requests on cleared balances anytime, not monthly etc. So its flexible, which I think is more assuring.
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  • Profile picture of the author edwinkoh
    Just use clickbank. Its fast and easy.

    But if you want something even faster and simpler (without all the approvals and stuff), just use paydotcom.

    If you were to code and programme every tiny bit of your affiliate programme yourself, you are gonna be spending a lot of time. Might as well spend this same amount of time marketing your site to both your customers and affiliates, instead of doing the aimless technical stuff which can be easily accomplished with PayDotCom.

    In our business, the people at the top of the foodchain are not the best programmers, they are the best marketers.

    Answer? Just use an affiliate network.
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  • Profile picture of the author D_M_S
    I appreciate all of the feedback. I have decided to run my own affiliate program for the time being. I have posted the guidelines and would appreciate feedback on them: Gift Cards For A Penny -- penny auctions for gift cards
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    Looking for new affiliates for a penny auction web site -- please send me a PM

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  • Profile picture of the author spi_inc
    Outsourcing an affiliate system can be a great option, if the company offers a full service affiliate system, that allows you to customize everything from start to finish, so you can provide your affiliates with a back office that will allow them to do such things as; update payment methods, generate promotional links, provide them with custom capture pages and other marketing tools, so that they have the tools needed to promote your product.

    You want to use a company that provides affiliate management tools, affiliate payments tools and will help you stay compliant with all of the changing affiliate program rules and regulations.

    Hope this helps
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