| This is chapter 9, Tracking Your Affiliate Program, of | | | | Again, those data points are what the affiliates will |
| Successful Affiliate Marketing for Merchants. | | | | need at a minimum. I'd suggest providing a lot more in |
| It should go without saying that your affiliate program | | | | the way of analytics for your affiliates. |
| tracking and reporting have to be reliable. | | | | This won't be a problem for you if you go with an |
| You have a few different options for tracking your | | | | affiliate network, but if you decide to buy software or |
| affiliate program. | | | | build your own, you've got a challenge ahead of you. |
| You can go with an affiliate network, pick up software | | | | One of the major problems in going with a solution of |
| off the shelf, or roll your own. | | | | your own comes back to the old adage, "You don't |
| Personally, I'd advocate going the network route. | | | | know what you don't know." You could have some of |
| Regardless of the path you take, there are a handful | | | | the sharpest developers ever, but if they don't know |
| of reporting items you must provide, at a minimum, to | | | | what's needed for an affiliate program, your |
| affiliates. | | | | technology will be inferior and/or obsolete out of the |
| In a lot of cases, affiliates will want more data, but this | | | | gate. |
| is the bare minimum: | | | | For instance, merely providing tracking isn't going to be |
| - Impressions | | | | sufficient with a great many affiliates. One basic I see |
| - Clicks | | | | missing from many home grown technologies is the |
| - Sales/leads | | | | sub-ID. |
| - Commission earned per transaction | | | | Also, more and more affiliates are getting into mobile |
| - Order ship date | | | | and video. If you don't want to figure that stuff out, go |
| - Returns | | | | with an affiliate network that's already working on it. |
| - Total commission earned | | | | |