Affiliate Manager's Checklist: Affiliate program preliminary issues
by Sarah Jamieson
Before your first affiliate comes on board, there's a lot to do
to ensure that your program runs smoothly.
Marketing plan
To build your affiliates, develop a marketing plan that targets sites
geared to affiliates as well as sites that complement - rather than
compete - with you. If you make barbecue grills, look for someone
selling hot dogs. See: 5.3 Marketing Plan.
Strongly advise potential affiliates that if their site doesn't fit
with your product, you'll both lose out. This will help to discourage
people with inappropriate sites from applying for your program.
Contract
Draw up a contract - either by yourself or via your lawyer. This is
definitely worth the price and effort, since it protects you against
lawsuits. Check out the contracts of other affiliate sites and adapt
them to your own needs.You may use our affiliate contract as the basis
of your own. If you use our contract as a template - you must adapt
it to suit your own requirements.
Site package
You have to do a thorough job in helping your affiliates set up their
stores. Give them:
- Your logo,
- HTML code,
- Graphics, and
- A manual for instruction and troubleshooting.
These things should be the minimum available for download.
Since this package will be many customers' first sight of you, make
sure it's a great-looking package. Provide value!
Training program
You've worked hard to learn the ins and outs of marketing, and you
can increase the effectiveness of your sales force by passing the
know-how on to them.
Give your affiliates tips for marketing their sites and increasing
sales.
Commission tracking system
Affiliates must be able to check the status of their sales commissions
at any time. Put the info online for quick access, as well as in your
newsletter (more on the newsletter later).
Here's the data you should provide:
Developments since last commission check
1. Number of referrals provided by affiliate
2. Units sold plus dollar value of each, minus returns etc.
Each entry unit should include a way to verify the sale:
Customer ID, such as the last few digits of the credit card number
The dollar amount of the sale.
The date of the sale.
3. Percentage and amount of each sale earned by affiliate (initial
and residual).
4. Total earnings since last check.
Prior data
1. Commission history
2. All payments made
3. Commission amounts since joining the program.
All this verifiable data makes your affiliate feel secure.
Article 2.2 Synonyms:
affiliate managers
affiliate marketing
marketing manager
marketing managers
marketing management
affiliate management
manager marketing
Article 2.2 Related Terms:
affiliate management marketing
affiliate inside marketing
affiliate management outsourced
affiliate manager forum
affiliate manager marketing
affiliate manager outsourced
successful merchant affiliate marketing
Original: [ affiliate marketing merchant successful ]
affiliate management network
Original: [ network affiliate management ]
personal affiliate management
personal affiliate managers
affiliate manager secret
