Affiliate Platform/Tracking/Network

[Oliver27]

Hi there,

I am researching setting up an affiliate network. There is a whole host of stuff on the internet about this, but my question is quite specific:

I want to integrate additional services into my current offering. When a customer purchases my service, I wish to give them the opportunity to buy additional services if they so choose. These services would not be provided by ourselves, but from affiliates. HOWEVER, these need to be integrated into my eCommerce system as a purchase, not just a click to another site.

It is worth noting that the services I mention are very niche to the sector that I operate in. I thus always assumed I would have to approach these potential affiliate companies myself, and not just join one of the seemingly many generic affiliate networks out there.

THUS, is affiliate network the wrong term to use? Should I just be calling this affiliate service 'integration' as opposed to 'network'?

My question: clickbank, affiliatewindow, etc.etc. all seem to just be a traditional model of click and pay (for advertisers like myself) - I want something that is integrated into my system, whilst also being trackable. Is there anything out there that can do this? Or would I have to get the development team to build from scratch?

Thanks for your help, and if I've not made myself totally clear, please ask!

[Solid Commerce]

I think one of the first questions might have to involve what kind of site you're using. I don't know too terribly much about extensions and/or building out website functionality to help you do this -- but I do know that if you're looking for information on what and/or how to add something to your website, you'll probably want to let folks know what platform you're using (WordPress, Magento, Shopify, BigCommerce, etc...).

In terms of logistics? To the best of my knowledge, you'd have a better time accomplishing what you're trying to do by reaching out on an individual basis. Affiliate partnerships can just as easily be set up by reaching out to a point of contact...but you're right in assuming that you'll want to have some kind of portal so that everything is trackable.

Hope this helps!

[Oliver27]

I think one of the first questions might have to involve what kind of site you're using. I don't know too terribly much about extensions and/or building out website functionality to help you do this -- but I do know that if you're looking for information on what and/or how to add something to your website, you'll probably want to let folks know what platform you're using (WordPress, Magento, Shopify, BigCommerce, etc...).

In terms of logistics? To the best of my knowledge, you'd have a better time accomplishing what you're trying to do by reaching out on an individual basis. Affiliate partnerships can just as easily be set up by reaching out to a point of contact...but you're right in assuming that you'll want to have some kind of portal so that everything is trackable.

Hope this helps!

Hi,

Thanks for your help!

My developer informs me it is a custom written asp.net system that we operate on, so not off the shelf like magento or shopify etc. if this is any help?

Thanks

[Solid Commerce]

I think that if you're using something that's completely custom and not out-of-the-box, you're going to want to look for plugins and/or software offerings that will help you add the functionality you desire to your site.

I found this one with a really quick Google search: http://www.affiliatewiz.com/

I'll admit that I'm not super well-versed when it comes to stuff like asp.net -- but it seems like this is a solution that will let you build out that affiliate functionality. I'll have to ask some of the developers around the office if this is something that would help you out.

Hope this works for you! Let me know if you've found something that'll suit your needs in between our last exchange and this post.

[SofiaFoveaux]

Some aspects of e-commerce tend to be regulated by governments. These often include online advertising, commercial e-mails and consumer privacy.

[xtremeux]

It is better if you will build it so you can have control over that module. In future, you can add many features or customize it as per your requirement.