

Ask HN: Considering an affiliate program. How to decide/implement? - callmeed

We're considering an affiliate program for one of our web apps. Something along the lines of what Freshbooks and 37signals does.<p>My only concern is this: we have a really good reputation online and serve a niche market. If we have an affiliate program, I fear people would be more skeptical of the referral ("you're just referring them because you get a cut").<p>Is this a valid fear?<p>Any thoughts on affiliate programs or how to best implement them?
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bprater
Sure, it's valid. That's why it'll be important to manage your affiliates and
not let them go nuts. (And boy, they will.) Fortunately, you can go far by
having someone look through the referrers and see who is playing games and
nuking them.

As to an affiliate system, you need to figure out what are essential features.
For instance, do you want to cut checks? Do you want it to be multilevel? Do
you want to be able to modify the source? (And what language do you prefer?)
What about budget?

All critical questions you'll want to ask before you start the hunt.

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timf
What do you mean by "go nuts"?

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timf
_"you're just referring them because you get a cut"_

Do you think this would be different if the people were required to have a
subscription themselves in order to become an affiliate? I think this is a
good way to go. Is it enough to curb _everyone's_ skepticism? Probably not.

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callmeed
Good thought–we were planning on doing this anyway ... mainly because we would
just build their referral stats into the app somewhere.

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il
Read wickedfire.com. You'll learn everything you need from the advertiser
perspective and the affiliate perspective.

