We're looking to roll out an affiliate program for our site which offers educational books, audiobooks, videos, e-books, etc. I've looked around at the options and ShareASale (SAS) seems like it's probably the best. Their $350 set-up fee isn't cheap but it's a lot cheaper than LinkShare or Commission Junction. I've heard that their network isn't the greatest but at the same time it's not bad either. And their service and features seem good. Is there anything else we should consider here or is SAS probably a pretty good choice?
based on your budget, I'd second the vote for SAS! From our experience, support has been great and complaints here Have fun!
Kolimbo/Kowabunga/My Affiliate Program - is also one of the top programs out there and I recommend them highly. However their price has gone up considerably. It's worth it, but based on your comments I thought it may be out of your budget range. Another network that is worth looking at is http://www.linkconnector.com They have ZERO set up fees right now and use "naked link" technology which has lots of advantages. Naked links don't look like affiliate links - they are direct links - so this can improve click through. But the REALLY COOL THING is they can't be overwritten by parasites that try to steal commission from honest hard working affiliates. I will be blogging about all the naked link advantages and some other benefits of Link Connector soon.
LinkConnector was recently added to our affiliate platform comparison site. The "no ? links" = Naked links is not unique to the industry but they are one of the few networks to have it. Regards, Peter
One of my programs I am an affiliate for moved from there own affiliate site to ShareASale. Big mistake in my opinion (at least from my point of view). There reporting is HORRIBLE. You can't even specify a date range to view your clicks per day. Your stuck with a summery of the current month. Not very good when you try to analyze your data to improve your site. I plan on dropping the program even though it has made me some money. Over the long run it is just not worth it. One thing I like about linkshare and commission junction is there reporting. It allows you to get very detailed info. It is also nice to not have to log into 50 different sites to view commissions, etc.. Just my 2 cents..
SAS has been good for one of my programs. It's a pretty small program, so SAS has been really easy to use and implement. I can see how it wouldn't be enough for a big time affiliate though. I recommend it as a starter program.
You may also try for ClixGalore.com. Since they seem to have a lot of Advertisers on board there must be something advantageous for the Advertisers.
We run our affiliate program with Shareasale for about 6 months: no problems. Good tech support. In my opinion, they are worth what they charge.
Hi, What are all the features you are looking for? That would help provide a proper recommendation. SAS seems like a decent option, you can also look at DirectTrack.com. If you aren't looking for a program with a pool of affiliates you can check out services like 1shoppingcart.com tool. Although they are a complete solution, it's very affordable at only $79 a month (no per-transaction fees). Regards, Don Internet Marketing Tools http://www.TotalNetMarketing.com
I just signed up with sas and went live yesterday with it. So far already have 4 affiliates signed up and I haven't done any/much advertising of our program other then a link on our home page. So far it seems good, will let you know once I start seeing some results (or lack there of I guess).