How do you set up affiliate deals with companies that don't have affiliate programs?

[Lex DeVille]

There are some products I’d like to promote, but the companies don’t have affiliate programs. They’re non-technical companies, so I would have to help them set up a way for us to track referrals. Is there a good way to do this? A third-party software or platform or something? How have you set up referral deals with companies that don’t have referral programs and what problems or challenges did you run into along the way and how did you overcome them?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[RazorCut]

I have only ever sold products through the usual affiliate processes. However the simplest way to do it would be via a URL specific to you. And/or a promotion code your lead applies at checkout to allow the company to attribute sales generated to you. Obviously there is a certain amount of trust at play but if you know how many leads you are sending over you should be able to gauge if they are being honest by the conversion rate.

Lot's of podcasters utilise the URL/Checkout code to measure sales without going down a software integration route.

 

[Lex DeVille]

I have only ever sold products through the usual affiliate processes. However the simplest way to do it would be via a URL specific to you. And/or a promotion code your lead applies at checkout to allow the company to attribute sales generated to you. Obviously there is a certain amount of trust at play but if you know how many leads you are sending over you should be able to gauge if they are being honest by the conversion rate.

Lot's of podcasters utilise the URL/Checkout code to measure sales without going down a software integration route.

Hmm, that makes sense. I like the idea of not dealing with software for the host. The trust issue is no big deal either. One pitfall might be getting paid in a reasonable time.

I'd like to automate the process so I don't have to Stewie Griffin the client for my money.

Could probably solve that with a contract, but then we're moving into legal territory and out of trust territory which might make things harder to move forward.

 

[RazorCut]

Hmm, that makes sense. I like the idea of not dealing with software for the host. The trust issue is no big deal either. One pitfall might be getting paid in a reasonable time.

I'd like to automate the process so I don't have to Stewie Griffin the client for my money.

Love the Stewie Griffin analogy

I guess to start with the trust has to be mostly one way. You have to trust them to be honest and also pay up in good time. If they are making good sales off you though why would they want to spoil it by screwing you over? And if they did you would most probably replicate your system to sell their competitors product instead.

You have to have a good feeling about the company and if you get a good vib that you can trust them I suppose.

A forum member (you know who I mean) contacted a company last week enquiring about promoting their products The company have a crap website, and I mean CRAP (it literally hasn't been updated since 2001) but a product that we thought would be in strong demand during lockdown. Their prices seem to start from 3k). They are based in Oregon, She is on the East Coast but they ship countrywide so that's not an issue.

She got the brush off...

They are not looking for any distributors."Their "online people" are doing a great job selling for them so they don't need any more at this time and they are super busy as the "oldest and most trustworthy supplier of.... in the US"". They came across as pretty arrogant. The sort of company I wouldn't trust, but the sort of company I would like to find a worthy competitor of and become a thorn in their side.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[kleine2]

I have only ever sold products through the usual affiliate processes. However the simplest way to do it would be via a URL specific to you. And/or a promotion code your lead applies at checkout to allow the company to attribute sales generated to you. Obviously there is a certain amount of trust at play but if you know how many leads you are sending over you should be able to gauge if they are being honest by the conversion rate.

Lot's of podcasters utilise the URL/Checkout code to measure sales without going down a software integration route.

Another way would be for you to offer some bonus to the customer that made the purchase on their site and then sends you the receipt.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Another way would be for you to offer some bonus to the customer that made the purchase on their site and then sends you the receipt.

So they buy the main product, and then I offer something as an add-on? Like a course that they get for free once they send me the receipt? If I understand what you're saying then that would help solve the tracking problem, just not the automation problem. Cool idea though. Never considered doing something like that before with an affiliate offer.