What is an Affiliate Program and How Does it Work
Merchant ABCs is a podcast hosted by Deborah Carney and Vinny O’Hare of Team Loxly internet marketing. In this episode they talk to merchants that are considering setting up an affiliate program and outline what merchants need to know before making the jump into creating an affiliate program. This is a transcript of a podcast, with the following teaching points and a list of resources at the end of this short, instructional book.

Teaching Points
• Starting a program – is launching an affiliate program the right decision?
• Understanding affiliates – what they are and how they can promote your business
• Optimizing your site – set up your site to sell effectively before launching a program
• Tracking solutions – in-house vs. network
• Commission payments – for affiliates and networks
• Program management – in-house vs. Outsourced Program Manager (OPM)
• Program setup – Terms of Service, creative and other considerations
• Purchase cycle – from links to sales to commission payment

Deborah and Vinny have been running affiliate programs for merchants for over 7 years and were successful affiliates before that.