I’m looking to launch an affiliate program for my e-commerce business selling fitness gear, but I’m not sure where to start - could you walk me through the key steps, from choosing the right software or platform like Refersion or ShareASale, to setting commission rates, recruiting affiliates, and tracking performance effectively?
Start by deciding in-house SaaS (Refersion/LeadDyno/Tapfiliate) vs network (ShareASale/CJ/Awin)—SaaS = more control + lower fees, network = built-in affiliate discovery but higher overrides; then lock down your offer: for fitness gear I’d typically start 10–15% CPA (or $10–$25 per sale) with 30–45 day cookie, clear PPC/brand-bidding + coupon policy, and tiered payouts (e.g., +3–5% after $5k/mo) to keep top partners scaling.
Recruit with a mix of creator outreach + micro-influencers, seed with exclusive codes/landing pages, and track via server-side postback/S2S + UTM discipline, monitoring EPC, CVR, AOV, refund rate, and incrementality in GA4 + your platform; pay on net sales after returns (30–60 day hold) and run monthly promos to keep affiliates active.
Start simple: decide in-house SaaS (Refersion/UpPromote/Rewardful) vs network (ShareASale/Impact) — SaaS is cheaper/faster; networks help with recruitment but add fees. Set a clear offer (e.g., 10–15% per sale, 30–60 day cookie, bonuses for top partners), solid creatives + landing page, and strict PPC/coupon rules. Track with postback + GA4, review EPC/ROAS, and prune low-quality traffic. I’ve seen BizzOffers community threads help a lot with setup checklists and vetted tools.