The 3 most important questions about affiliate marketing

Do you need affiliate marketing at all? Do you have a suitable e-shop? And would you be willing to continue working with a commission system? These are the three basic questions you should answer before venturing into this rather profitable marketing channel.

Affiliate marketing, or affiliate marketing (or commission system), is a channel that every larger e-store should use. Wikipedia defines it as "a marketing tool of Internet companies that works by linking the sites of the seller of a service or product to sites that recommend the service or product. It is a system based on promoting a company's product through the sites of affiliate partners who receive a share (commission) of the sales in return."

A successful affiliate program doesn't just happen. What are the basic rules that will bring new customers to your site?

1. Do you even need affiliate marketing?

Although affiliate marketing is characterized by minimal upfront costs and maximum fairness and transparency, it may not be suitable for everyone. But if your other marketing channels are no longer bringing in new customers and are stagnating, an affiliate program may be just the thing to boost your sales.

2. Do you have a suitable e-shop?

Take a critical look at your site. Are they nicely and tastefully designed? Is the shopping process clear and logical? Can you engage with your site visitors? These are all questions that you should answer before you embark on a commission system. Better interactions with partners will go to waste if your e-commerce store is outdated and cluttered.

3. Will you be able and willing to continue working with the affiliate program?

Keep in mind that affiliate marketing is not a one-time thing. It requires some care. Prepare yourself for the fact that you will need to keep looking for new partners and establishing suitable collaborations. Also, keep an eye on trends in the e-commerce industry itself and adapt your site to them.

Would you like to start an affiliate program on your site? Or are you already using this channel but feel it is not meeting your expectations? Contact us. We have colleagues at Railsformers who specialize in affiliate marketing and would be happy to help you too.