Managing Your Affiliate Program: Software Systems vs. Network Systems

 There are numerous aspects to starting an affiliate program.
You've got to do all kinds of research and footwork to get the
ball rolling, and the work doesn't stop there. Assuming that
you've already done your research, found a great product, and
enrolled several affiliates, you've now got to decide on how to
run and manage your program. There is a long standing debate on
whether it is better to use a pre-set network management program
or your own software based program.

The benefits of a network based program basically come down to
this: With a network based program, you don't have to do a lot
of work. You sign up with a network program, and the network
system basically runs your whole system for you. It runs your
sales tracking, your affiliate communication, and your commission
structure. Network systems even promise to bring in new
affiliates for you. You just sit back and watch the cash flow
in. Sounds great right? Great if you don't have a lot of
time, or great if you're involved in several other ventures, but
if you're counting on your one program to really work for you,
using a network management system is selling yourself short.

Now I'm not saying that using a network system is bad, a network
can be really helpful for someone who's short on time. I'm just
saying that if you have the time and energy to manage your own
program you should do so. As with any other business, when
someone offers to do something for you, they generally want
something in return. Network management systems are no
different. In exchange for their services, they will expect a
percentage of your commissions, and with the reigns taken out of
your hands, they also will effectively have control of your
affiliate relationships.

If you want to truly manage your affiliate program to the best of
your abilities, you've got to do it yourself. By using an
affiliate management software system, you can keep total control
of your program, and keep all your commissions. You can decide
how often to get in touch with your affiliates and make it
personal rather than relying on group e-mail. Your affiliates
will be impressed, and may even work harder for you. And as for
recruiting, you're far better off working on your own. The
network programs that offer to sell your program to potential
affiliates do that for ALL their customers, so the people who are
being notified about your program are also being notified about
countless others. You may get lost in the shuffle.

So make a little time and take a little initiative. With just a
little extra work, you can run your own affiliate program without
sacrificing your personal involvement and your commissions to a
network. Running your own program may seem intimidating now, but
once you get the hang of it you'll be glad you did.

About the Author

Keller Flynn knows about Super Affiliates and what it takes to
find or help create them. Keller also knows the full spectrum of
tools, ideas and action steps needed to create and run a
successful affiliate program. Reach him at
keller@affiliatedirector.com or 801-328-9006. Get his Extra Money
Newsletter FREE at http://www.AffiliateDirector.com

 Keller Flynn

More Articles 

How to Get Ridiculously High Quality Affiliate Leads - Dermot Hogan
Its a simple fact. The most lucrative affiliate programs will have the most competition. Take for example web hosting, which is a very profitable type of affiliate program, pays as much as $10 a month for sales. If you wanted to buy pay per...

Make Money with AdWords - Affiliate Marketing - Gary LaRock
In my last article I touched on a few different ways to make money online. One of the simplest ways to do this is to use Google AdWords to market products for which you are an affiliate. One of the best affiliate programs available is ...

This Affiliate Marketing Software Could Transform Your Google Adwords and Overture Advertising Campaigns into a Huge Success - Terry Mansfield
Finding the right keywords and phrases that'll turn your Google Adwords and Overture ad campaigns into real moneymakers is a daunting challenge. But now with the release of Jeff Alderson's "Ad Word Analyzer 2.0" software, you may just have found...

Writing Your Affiliate Home Business Plan - Glenn Beach
Here’s a typical scenario: You are deciding to start a home business and suddenly everyone you know has his nose in your business, literally. What do you tell them? And how do you answer your own questions? What should you expect from the company in...

Affiliate Programs That Pay Off - J Ratliff
This information may be helpful for everyone, regardless of how long you have been in the affiliate business, or even if you are just getting started. First, a good affiliate program can be hard to come by. It needs to offer decent commissions,...

Mining For Gold With The Best Affiliate Programs And Hitting Pay Dirt - Colin McDougall
Colin McDougall tinkered around with affiliate programs earning a few dollars, nothing much to write home about, even had his own e-commerce site, known as the man’s mall. In theory that site was supposed to offer all sorts of gadgets for...

Make Money Online With Affiliate Programs - Joel Teo
If you have wanted to find a way to make money from home without all the hassle of selling products out of your own home yourself, perhaps you should take a look at affiliate programs. Affiliate programs are an excellent way to make money from...

How to start your own Affiliate Program – Internet Marketing - Joanne King
This is how most entrepreneurs become filthy stinking rich! EVEN Ebay has an affiliate program! The truth is its hard generating traffic on your own and if you want massive amounts of traffic this is the best way I know of. The great thing about...

Good Opportunity - Become a Dish Network Affiliate - Gary LaRock
I was doing some keyword research on the Google AdWords site recently, and discovered something interesting. There is intense demand for keywords having to do with digital TV topics. Google AdWords will predict the average CPC (cost per click)...

Get Started today with Affiliate Programs - Ratliff J
If you could get paid $10 to $50 just for promoting a company's product, how many times would you do that in a day? If you could earn $10 to $50 for helping companies sell more products just by a little advertising, would you say Where do I sign up...