Post on 04-Dec-2014
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January 10, 2012
Does Your Affiliate Program Have the Juice?Greg Hoffman @akagorilla, Jeremy Palmer @jeremypalmer, Wade Tonkin @affile8warrior
Jan 10, 2012
Juicing Up12 Point Checklist to Grade Your Affiliate Program
1. Commission
Is your payout competitive?
Do you offer performance incentives?
Are the performance tiers published?
Are they attainable?
Do you have a commission-tier to motivate your top and up & coming affiliates?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
Payout $ or % $ or % $ or %
Performance
IncentivesY or N Y or N Y or N
Performance
Incentives for the Entire
Spectrum
Y or N Y or N Y or N
2. Conversion Rate/EPC
How does your EPC stack up against competitors in your niche?
What can be done to increase your conversion rate?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
EPC $ $ $
Ideas for increasing conversion
s
Describe effective
conversion tactics of Comp 1
Describe effective
conversion tactics of Comp 2
3. Checkout Process
Do you offer deep links to your affiliates (e.g. direct product detail pages - with checkout buttons)?
Is your checkout process clean and clear?
How many steps from “Add to Cart” to Paid?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
Deep Links Y or N Y or N Y or N
Steps from Add to Cart
to Paid# of steps # of steps # of steps
Shopping Cart Leaks
Describe Describe Describe
4. Reversal Rate
What is your reversal rate?
How does it stack up against your competitors?
What can you do to decrease your reversal rate?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
Reversal Rate
% % or
unknown% or
unknown
Ideas to decrease reversals
Describe
5. Phone Numbers
Is your phone number listed on your website?
Is the phone number prominent?
Do you offer tracking for phone calls?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
Phone Number
Y or N Y or N Y or N
Phone Tracking
for Affiliates
Y or N Y or N Y or N
If no tracking, is the number prominent?
Y or N Y or N Y or N
6. Trademarks
Do you have a trademark policy?
Is it clear, fair, reasonable, and enforced?
How does it compare to your competitors?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
Trademark Policy?
Y or N Y or N Y or N
Clear, fair, reasonable,
and enforced?
Y or N Y or N Y or N
7. Cookies
How long do your cookies last?
How does your cookie policy compare to your competitors?
Are all revenue-generating activities tracked, so affiliates get attribution for points and assists?
Do you aggressively monitor and protect your program from cookie stuffing, spyware, etc.?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
Cookie Duration
# of days # of days # of days
All Revenue Activities Tracked
Y or N Y or N Y or N
Cookies monitored
and protected
Y or N Y or N Y or N
8. Average Order Size
What’s your average order size?
How does it compare to your competitors?
What can you do to improve your average order size?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
Average Order Size
$ $ $
How to Improve
Describe
What does Comp 1 do to increase order size
(e.g. upsells,
etc.)
What does Comp 2 do to increase order size
(e.g. upsells,
etc.)
9. Promotional Material
What kinds of promotional material do you offer your affiliates?
How does it compare to your competition?
Have you tested the collateral in other channels to ensure it converts?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
IAB Core Standard Ad Units?
Y or N Y or N Y or N
Tested in Other
Channels?Y or N
List good creatives
from Comp 1
List good creatives
from Comp 2
10. Payments
How often do you pay your affiliates?
Do you offer quick and convenient payments (e.g. direct deposit, network, etc.)?
How does your payment policy compare to your competition?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
Payment frequency
# of days # of days # of days
Direct deposit
Y or N Y or N Y or N
Payment delays (e.g. extensions,
etc.)
Y or N Y or N Y or N
11. Tracking
Do you use industry-standard tracking (e.g. real time pixel)?
How much latency between the sale and the commission being reported?
How does your tracking stack up against your competitors?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
Real-time pixel
tracking and
reporting
Y or N Y or N Y or N
Latency# of Hours
or# of Days
# of Hoursor
# of Days
# of Hoursor
# of Days
12. Affiliate Support
What communication channels do you have open for affiliates?
Do you offer phone, direct email, and chat?
How does your affiliate support compare to your competition?
Category You Comp 1 Comp 2
Channels (circle each
available option)
PhoneEmailChat
PhoneEmailChat
PhoneEmailChat
Availability
Days of Week
Hours of Day
Days of Week
Hours of Day
Days of Week
Hours of Day
Site Reviews
The Judges
The AffiliateJeremy Palmer
The Affiliate ManagerWade Tonkin
The OPMGreg Hoffman
Questions? Contact the Panel
Greg Hoffman, Greg Hoffman Consulting | @akagorilla
Jeremy Palmer, QuitYourDayJob.com | @jeremypalmer
Wade Tonkin, Fanatics.com | @affile8warrior