Affiliate marketing campaigns are extremely easy to run, if your eCommerce store is powered by Shopify. While it takes a lot of action to win the hearts and minds of potential customers – as advertising prices drop, the quest for higher conversion rates is leading to new cost-effective methods to achieve this goal. Paid traffic requires a significant effort from your Shopify store. You need to make a significant amount of sales to turn a profit. This is where affiliate marketing strategy comes into picture.


Online merchants are looking for more cost-effective strategies to attract more potential customers to their storefronts. In this situation, affiliate marketing seems to be a good option if you want to attract more visitors cost-effectively and make a profit at the same time. This aspect of online marketing requires no initial outlay and should pay off even for inexperienced businesses.


Let us take a look at how affiliate marketing can increase your brand’s visibility across various customer acquisition channels. We will also look at how to get started with affiliate marketing and make the most of it. Before we begin, let us look at the basics of this important component and find out what the word “affiliate marketing” means.

Affiliate marketing for beginners: what’s in the name?

Affiliate marketing leverages the potential of collaborations with other online brands, actual people, bloggers, and social media influencers. You can request that your partners promote your products to their audiences by using referral links that bring users to your Shopify store.

In exchange, you will reward the partners with a commission paid after each successful sale. This reward might be tied to a fixed percentage or a monetary sum — the choice is yours. Whatever way you choose to reward your affiliate partner, one thing is certain: you will earn the highest return on investment.

The popularity of affiliate networks has a significant impact on how online brands spend their money on business growth. This method has been shown to be efficient since it is cost-effective: you only pay when you make a sale. Indeed, 81% of brands now use affiliate marketing through third-party entrepreneurs and influencers. As a result, practically every online store must take this into account.

If you know how to get started with affiliate marketing, you can gain a lot of potential traffic. Collaborating with the proper affiliates can increase your brand’s visibility to broader audiences and generate quality leads for you risk-free. On the other hand, you can ask your current customers to promote your products in exchange for a reward. In this way, an affiliate marketing plan can increase interaction and encourage people to return to your store.

Now that you understand the fundamentals of affiliate marketing let’s look at how to put this critical component of online advertising into action.

How does affiliate marketing work on Shopify?

The finest Shopify affiliate programs all have one thing in common: they begin by reviewing the Shopify App Store, which contains all kinds of affiliate marketing software eager to alleviate the hassle of starting a referral program for your online store.

Use Shopify apps

Shopify is a powerful platform with a focus on simplicity and automation that allows you to create an affiliate network in just a few clicks. While focused on other business operations, it is simple to identify new partners, contact them, and develop your affiliate network. You may track your progress, change your commission rates, and expand your relationship network with minimal effort.

Numerous Shopify apps can assist you in mastering any affiliate program that you choose to develop and apply on your e-commerce site. They are simple to adjust in order to prepare your store for various affiliate programs. Furthermore, no coding skills are required to get started with a new collaboration.

Affiliate marketing software, such as Scaleo, makes it simple to track orders placed through an affiliate network. They provide dynamic dashboards that assist in tracking, analyzing, and scaling each third-party promotion. You can quickly modify commission payments, sign up new affiliates, and connect with affiliate networks.

How to Start an Affiliate Marketing Campaign for your Shopify Store? -

As simple as that, Shopify apps can assist you in covering this area of advertising with a concentration on dependability and simplicity.

Find the right affiliates.

It is just as vital to select the ideal applicants for your affiliate program as it is to promote it. You can invite potential partners to join by utilizing social media, an email list, or your own Shopify website. To accomplish this purpose, there are various typical affiliate-marketing tips.

1. Engage with social media fans

It is just as vital to select the ideal applicants for your affiliate program as it is to promote it. You can invite potential partners to join by utilizing social media, an email list, or your own Shopify website. To accomplish this purpose, there are various typical affiliate-marketing tips.

2. Send emails with your offer

Your email subscribers might be interested in joining your affiliate program as well. Describe your offer and the advantages of utilizing it.

3. Use popups and widgets

A thousand emails and social media postings cannot tell the tale of your brand as well as your website. You can include widgets or popups that announce the affiliate program and explain its benefits.

4. Create a dedicated web page

You can direct how your website represents the affiliate program and promote it with high-quality pictures.

5. Use a registration form

You can also include a basic registration form to collect contact information from prospects for an affiliate program.

Define the commission rates

Unlike referral marketing, affiliate marketing should be rewarded with a high commission rate and clear guidelines. It is especially important for eCommerce newcomers: a sound financial foundation can help to develop trust among prospective affiliates. If you want to establish the legitimacy of your new company, be generous with the reward.

Any commission that you pay is an investment in your company. Amazon, for example, has an affiliate-marketing guide that offers a 10% commission for promoting a collection of high-end retailers. However, your ultimate decision should be consistent with your company’s budget. 

If you offer the highest commission rates in order to attract the best affiliates, make sure you have properly calculated the costs.

Measure your success

In addition to pushing your partners to promote your products and services, which is part of your job, focus on measuring the efficacy of your marketing activities. This will assist you in identifying the most devoted affiliates and identifying trouble areas in your affiliate program. Keep an eye out for the following parameters:

  • The number of affiliates and their effectiveness
  • The average order size generated by affiliate marketers
  • Total money generated through affiliate programs
  • Total sales for each affiliate partner
  • Number of marketers who have dropped out of your affiliate program, number of new affiliates, and so on.

Take care of your partners like you would your clients, resolving any issues that may arise throughout the duration of a new promotion. Your approach with affiliates should inspire and encourage them to keep working with your company.

Conclusion: Foster a winning strategy

Affiliate marketing, which is popular on sites like YouTube and Twitch, is an important source of lead creation. As online shopping threatens brick-and-mortar retail, entrepreneurs are eager to dominate their niche and gain the trust of their customers.
Therefore, a successful affiliate program has become an essential part of any marketing scenario. Do not miss the opportunity to build a successful brand by teaming up with the right partners for your affiliate program.

Last Updated on January 17, 2024

Author

Elizabeth is a Senior Content Manager at Scaleo. Currently enjoying the life in Prague and sharing professional affiliate marketing tips. She's been in the online marketing business since 2006 and gladly shares all her insights and ideas on this blog.