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Ask HN: Considering an affiliate program. How to decide/implement?
We're considering an affiliate program for one of our web apps. Something along the lines of what Freshbooks and 37signals does.
My only concern is this: we have a really good reputation online and serve a niche market. If we have an affiliate program, I fear people would be more skeptical of the referral ("you're just referring them because you get a cut").
Is this a valid fear?
Any thoughts on affiliate programs or how to best implement them?
- bprater 18y agoSure, it's valid. That's why it'll be important to manage your affiliates and not let them go nuts. (And boy, they will.) Fortunately, you can go far by having someone look through the referrers and see who is playing games and nuking them. As to an affiliate system, you need to figure out what are essential features. For instance, do you want to cut checks? Do you want it to be multilevel? Do you want to be able to modify the source? (And what language do you prefer?) What about budget? All critical questions you'll want to ask before you start the hunt.
- timf 18y agoWhat do you mean by "go nuts"?
- timf 18y ago"you're just referring them because you get a cut" Do you think this would be different if the people were required to have a subscription themselves in order to become an affiliate? I think this is a good way to go. Is it enough to curb everyone's skepticism? Probably not.
- callmeed 18y agoGood thought–we were planning on doing this anyway ... mainly because we would just build their referral stats into the app somewhere.
- il 18y agoRead wickedfire.com. You'll learn everything you need from the advertiser perspective and the affiliate perspective.