When operating an affiliate marketing program to increase sales or generate qualified leads, a web site operator pays a commission to an affiliate (merchant) for each clickthrough, sale or lead generated from the affiliate web site. The commission is paid as either a flat fee or a percentage of the sale. While many web site operators only pay a commission when a sale is made, others selling big ticket items like cars, furniture, marketing services or credit cards usually pay for qualified leads.
Although an affiliate marketing program can work effectively for any company, building an effective program does not happen overnight. It involves a lot more than just putting up a few banners and links. It takes hard work, creativity, dedication and a lot of patience. When executed correctly an affiliate marketing program can play a key role in the growth of an online business.
Advanced Media Productions offers web site operators a complete, integrated, custom software solution for affiliate account management, enrollment, communications and performance monitoring.
The affiliate marketing solution is comprised of several modules that allow a site operator to independently operate and manage the program, including reviewing and approving new affiliate applications, setting up new affiliates, banner and button administration, editing product links, updating commission fees and account information and issuing commission checks to affiliates.
The affiliate marketing program includes the essential monitoring software required to detect and identify referrals, leads and sales generated by affiliates. To implement performance tracking, the site operator installs a few lines of code, including the affiliate's account number, and the appropriate button or link on the affiliate's web site. When a visitor clicks on the button or link at the affiliate web site, the performance tracking software detects the affiliate's account number and records the visit as a referral. When the visitor submits a lead form the program records this as a lead. For affiliate web sites that perform online transactions, the performance tracking software records the actual amount of the sale. From the total sales figure measured over a given period of time, the affiliate tracking program calculates a sales commission.
Individuals who do not have a web site will still be able to participate in the affiliate marketing program as an affiliate. They need to enter their affiliate code manually when they access the web site to submit a lead or place an order.
The affiliate-tracking program supports pay-per-lead, sale or click commission options. The pay-per-sale option allows the merchant to pay commissions to affiliates as a percentage of sales or in a flat dollar amount.
In the administration section the site administrator can enter the commission fee for each affiliate. Affiliates can run one or all commission types and can have individual rates for each type.
The affiliate tracking program supports up to 10 tiers of affiliate tracking. This means that affiliates are not only rewarded for sending referrals and sales directly from their web site but also for recruiting new affiliates who are sending referrals, sales or leads.
The affiliate-tracking program allows payment of affiliates on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annually basis, once they have reached a pre-specified balance in their account. When an affiliate fails to reach the pay out level, the funds stay in the account until the pay out level is reached.
The site administrator can set a pre-specified commission pay out amount, in the admin section. Commission rates and pay out thresholds are set globally, and for all new affiliates the merchant can specify an individual commission rate, amount, and threshold.
Affiliates will be provided with a password and user name to access and view the status of their accounts in real-time. The affiliate-tracking program provides its affiliates with a variety of read-only reports, including lead or sales by day, week or month, commissions they have earned and the number of click-throughs they have generated. Affiliates can also view and update the basic account info they provided at sign up through the Affiliate Application Form.
Affiliates will have access to their accounts through the password and user name they receive via email after their affiliate application has been approved.
Affiliates will be able to retrieve their password and user name in case they have lost it by providing their e-mail address. After the e-mail address has been submitted they will receive their password and user name via e-mail.
The merchant provides affiliates with text links, banners and buttons; coded with an account number, to track the visitors referred from affiliate web sites. An affiliate must implement a link in a designated section of the web site. When a visitor clicks on an affiliate-linked banner, button, or text link, the performance tracking software takes note of the coded link as the new page is served in a new browser window on top of the affiliate web site. When a visitor submits a lead or makes a purchase as a result of the click-through, the affiliates' account is credited with the appropriate amount.
To promote products and services the merchant will supply an affiliate with a variety of pre-designed banners, buttons and links and a few lines of code. The affiliate must place these links in a visible designated section of the web site. Advanced Media Productions can create affiliate banners and buttons in all standard IAB/CASIE sizes at standard pricing for these services (see Banner Ad Program).
The affiliate tracking program includes the implementation of an Affiliate Application Form allowing prospective affiliates to join the program by putting them directly in a queue for approval by the site administrator.
The site administrator is notified via email of any affiliates that have applied for the program. The administrator can log onto the admin section at any time to review affiliate applications and accept or deny affiliate partners. Affiliates applications may also be approved automatically.
When an affiliate application is approved the affiliate will be directed to download and complete an Affiliate Program Agreement.
A merchant can customize the standard Affiliate Program Agreement. This includes editing the affiliate legal agreement, which will contain all legal aspects of the program, including information about affiliate commissions, frequency of payments, how many days referred visitors are included for calculation of commissions (e.g. when cookies expire), and any other legal matters pertaining to the affiliate marketing program.
After the Affiliate Program Agreement has been received, the affiliate will be notified, via email, that an account has been set up. New affiliates will also receive a password and user name to their account from where they can download advertising banners, buttons and links for installation on their web sites.
Advanced Media Productions customizes the visual design of the affiliate marketing program to match an existing web site. This includes the creation of a comprehensive design proof with two rounds of design revisions after the initial design discussion.
Through the Account Management Services program Advanced Media Productions assists merchants in setting up and launching their affiliate program. After the program is launched, an affiliate account manager will be assigned to advice you in getting the program off the ground and running it profitably in the shortest time possible. The Account Management Services program includes the following:
Before the affiliate marketing program can be fully operational a button or link and code for tracking referrals, leads or sales must be installed on the affiliate's web site. A link to the Affiliate Sign-up Form must be implemented on the site operator's web site.
After the initial program set-up has been completed the site operator should be able to independently manage the affiliate program with the tools provided. This means reviewing and approving new affiliate applications, setting up new affiliates, banner and button administration, editing product links, updating commission fees and account information and issuing commission checks to affiliates. Advanced Media Productions can provide any ongoing support for creating new banners and button and affiliate support when required.
Learn more about Affiliate Tracking Software and Account Management Services.
Contact us for more information or call 1-888-755-5151, ext 17.
The benefits of an integrated, in-house affiliated marketing program are:
Contact us or
call 1-888-755-5151, ext 17
for more information.
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