What Do You Need
From Your Tracking Solution?

Neil Durrant

There's an overwhelming choice of affiliate tracking solutions on the market. Before we even consider whether your program is best suited to a software or network based solution, lets look at the basic functions of a typical tracking solution:

#1 Affiliate sign-ups

You want a potential Affiliate to arrive at your site, review the Affiliate offer and upon agreeing to your terms and conditions, sign-up.

Most systems allow you to choose if Affiliates are 'auto-approved' i.e. accepted as an Affiliate into your Program immediately or if all applications are held awaiting your manual approval.

#2 Provide Affiliate link codes

Once approved your Affiliate needs to know how to link to your site.

Just about every system will send an automated email. This will provide the Affiliate with their unique link codes and instructions on how to place their text links, banners and any other link creative that you offer.

#3 Real time reporting

Your Affiliates want to be able to check their statistics at their convenience.

Your system should allow them to log into an administration area, and at a minimum, check their click-thrus and sales statistics.

Typically this administration area will also include a download area enabling them to grab the code for your range of banners and buttons etc.

#4 Management reports

You will need real time statistics showing how many Affiliates have joined your Program, how many are active and the impressions that are being generated over your defined time periods.

Plus, of course, you need to see the total sales and commissions due to each partner.

#5 Payment processing

Your tracking system also needs to report on what commissions are due according to your minimum check cutting policy.

Of course, these are just the very basics. There are a variety of value added features amongst the different solutions available that you and your affiliates may find useful.

For more Neil Durrant articles and resources, click here.

• Business and Marketing • Affiliate Marketing • Information Marketing
• Network Marketing • Work At Home • Money Management
• Debt Management • Investing

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