Build your own partner program: The guide for companies

Is a partner program worthwhile for your company?

For most companies that sell online or win leads, yes. The big advantage: You only pay for results. Instead of spending budget for reach, you only remunerate partners if they make a sale or a Lead. This makes affiliate marketing one of the best planned sales channels. Good conditions are:

Network, own software or agency?

For the operation of a partner program, there are three basic ways, which can also be combined:

A affiliate network is usually the fastest way to get started: tracking, billing, payout and access to thousands of active publishers come from a single source. Own software is especially worthwhile for companies that already have many direct partnerships. An agency or an external affiliate manager makes sense if no one has time internally for support.

Calculate costs

Before you set conditions, you should know what a mediated sale may cost you maximum. The costs are usually composed of:

• Partner commissions – the largest item, depending on revenue and commission rate.
• Network fee – usually a surcharge on the paid commissions, often supplemented by a setup or platform fee.
• Personal or agency – for partner acquisition, support and approvals.
• Creatives and promotions – banners, pictures, vouchers and occasional special commissions.

An important metric is the cost-to-sales ratio (KUR): it shows what percentage of sales you spend on the channel. An example:

Compare the KUR with your other channels and with the contribution per order. Also keep in mind: New customers who come through partners often buy again. Their value over the entire customer relationship is therefore usually well above the first basket.

Set conditions

The conditions determine whether publishers are interested in your program. Publishers compare programs mainly via the EPC – i.e. about what a click brings in on average. You have to set these points:

Remuneration model

CPS for online shops, CPL for leads and applications, CPO for fixed amounts per order, Lifetime commission for subscriptions.

Amount of commission

Orient yourself to your industry. Typical ranges can be found in the guides Earn money with partner programs.

Commission groups

Different rates for new and existing customers, product categories or top partners.

Cookie duration

30 days is standard. For long decision-making processes, 45 to 90 days are common.

Approval time

How quickly you check transactions. Short, reliable deadlines are a strong argument for publishers.

Conditions of participation

Which forms of advertising are allowed – such as coupon pages, cashback, e-mail or search engine advertising.

Formulate the conditions of participation clearly and concretely. In particular, specify whether Brand-Bidding is allowed on your brand name, which vouchers publishers can use and how to deal with orders that came via other channels. Unclear rules later lead to dispute over reversals.

Setting up tracking

Without reliable tracking, there is no trust – neither with you nor with your partners. The facility usually includes:

1. Click capture. When clicking on a affiliate link, a click ID is transferred to your shop and stored.
2. Conversion message. After the purchase, your shop reports the order to the network – via tracking pixel on the order confirmation and ideally also via postback from server to server.
3. Consent considered. Incorporate tracking correctly into your Consent Management Platform and document it in the privacy policy. How this works shows the Guides on GDPR and tracking.
4. Delineate channels. Determine how orders are treated in which several channels were involved – such as partners and own search engine advertising (see Attribution).
5. Make a test order. Check before starting whether click, order, cart value and commission group arrive correctly.

Server-to-server tracking is the recommended standard today because it also works when browsers restrict cookies or ad blockers are active. How this works with Adlesa, describes the page Platform: Tracking.

Program description and creatives

Publishers decide in a few minutes whether they apply for your program. A convincing program page answers the most important questions at a glance: What do you sell, to whom, on what terms, and why does your shop convert well?

Also provide the necessary Creatives:

• Product feed with current prices, images and availability - indispensable for comparison pages and product boxes.
• Deeplinks to any pages of your shop.
• Banners and images in common formats, including logo and brand guidelines.
• Exclusive Coupon codes for creators and selected partners.
• Product samples for reviews – often the most effective way to high-quality content.

Win publishers

Most new programs fail not because of the conditions, but because too few active partners participate. Don’t wait for publishers to find you, but actively approach them:

• Network marketplace: Search for publishers in your industry and invite them specifically.
• Find content pages via Google: Search for terms such as "best [product category]" or "[product] test". Who ranks there, reaches your target group shortly before the purchase.
• Creator address: Smaller creators with a dedicated community are often more effective and easier to win than large accounts.
• Comparative portals: They bring large volumes in many industries – but expect competitive conditions.
• Existing contacts: Satisfied customers, specialist dealers or cooperation partners can often be won as affiliates.

A short, personal message helps to address: why the partner fits your brand, what you offer (commission, coupon code, product sample) and how the registration works. Our Partner Program Directory shows how publishers compare programs.

Operation and expansion of the program

After the start, the real work begins. Successful programs are characterized by reliable processes:

• Timely releases: Check transactions regularly and within the promised deadline. Nothing upsets publishers more than months of open commissions.
• Regular communication: Inform partners about new products, promotions and season highlights, for example via partner newsletter.
• Promote top partners specifically: The top ten percent of publishers often bring in the majority of sales. Give them better conditions and personal care.
• Securing quality: Check new partners and flashy transactions for rule violations and fraud.
• Activate inactive partners: Many registered publishers never promote your program. A targeted address with an action can activate it.

The most important indicators

KUR

Cost of the channel in relation to revenue. The central control variable.

ROAS

Revenue per euro used – the reciprocal value of the KUR.

New customer share

How many orders come from customers that you would otherwise not have reached.

Active publishers

Partners who actually brought clicks or sales during the period.

EPC

Shows how attractive your program is to publishers. A low EPC discourages new partners.

Reversal rate

High quotas indicate quality problems – with partners or in the own ordering process.

Schedule: From start to ongoing program

1. Week 1–2
   Planning and establishment

   Calculate costs, set terms and conditions of participation, build in tracking and test.

2. Week 3–4
   Start of the program

   Publish program page and creatives, connect product feed, invite first partners.

3. Month 2–3
   Win partners

   Active addressing of content pages, creators and portals. First regular sales.

4. From month 4
   Optimize and scale

   Promote top partners, adapt commission groups, plan actions and open up new partner types.

Frequent errors in construction

• Too low commissions. If your terms are significantly below the industry average, publishers prefer to promote the competition.
• Slow releases. Those who leave transactions open for months lose the trust of their partners.
• “Set up and forget” Without active partner acquisition and support, a program remains small.
• Unclear conditions of participation. Missing rules on vouchers, brand bidding or cashback lead to conflicts.
• No tracking test. Faulty tracking costs commissions and credibility – often unnoticed.
• Only put on coupon pages. They quickly bring revenue, but often few real new customers. Look for a healthy mix of partner types.

Conclusion

Having your own partner program is one of the most predictable ways to reach new customers: You only pay for results and reach target groups via recommendations they trust. Crucial are a clean calculation, attractive and clear conditions, reliable tracking and, above all, continuous work with the partners. If you want to start your program with Adlesa, find out more on the page for advertisers - or you arrange a demo directly.