Adding an affiliate schem to a website - any recommendations?

[Steve-H]

Has anyone setup an affiliate scheme on their website? By this I mean actually offering a commission based scheme to websites wanting to send you traffic (i.e. Not being an affiliate but actually getting other sites to sell your products).

Any recommendations or comments from those of you with personal experience of doing this would be appreciated.

From what I understand I have two main options -
1) Join a network along the lines of trade doubler and pay them a cut of all commissions paid but benefit from the links to their existing client base and their assistance managing the back office.
2) Buy ready made software and install it on my site/server and manage and market the process myself.

I am leaning towards option 2. Anyone been down this route before?

Thanks.

[eye4design]

Hi Steve

You are correct in the 2 options you could take and I guess it all comes down to time and money. A network could charge up to £1500 to join plus a monthly admin fee then a cut of each sale. Couple that to the commission you give your affiliates and it can easily eat away your margins. The advantage of course is that your program could be preented to hundrends of affiliates virtually overnight.

Alternatively, low cost software such as Affiliate Trail enables you to run your own program but you then have to put in some time and effort to promote it and get affiliates on board. There are plenty of directories to advertise your program for free once its up and running.

Which ever way you go, best of luck with it.

Jayson Gray