I wrote an affiliate scheme some time back for The
Joke Shop, which is still running, although I never finished off the admin UI
for it. It was a great learning experience, but in retrospect, next time I’ll probably
go for an “out-of-the-box” solution.
Today I came across a company that specialises in affiliate
management; Apogee Search will do all the work in defining what your affiliate
scheme should look like, the banners and text around it, and even what class of affiliates
would be the best “value for money”. They also have a network of around 1000 affiliate
publishers, so it’s a quick way to get results. Hitting the right market can be tricky
business as, to quote their website, “The viability of an affiliate marketing program
depends on the demand for an offer, the offer conversion process, competitive forces,
and the amount of margins built into your business.”, so check out their Market
and Competitive Analysis White Paper for more information.