What is affiliate software? Affiliate software refers to an online platform that helps businesses manage networks, which reward affiliates with commissions for their particular performances

affiliate software

Such tasks include recommending products, generating page views, registrations, clicks, and more. It offers, for the most part, a central hub for managing all partner-related goals.

There are various uses for this program. Most of them are available on web-based, cloud-based, and SaaS systems, but you can also find smartphone applications for a few of them. 

Several parties are contributing to the progress of affiliate marketing programs. The members, called the affiliates, are all part of the network. Members who sell products are the advertisers, and those who spread the word about product advantages to the lead generation are the influencers.

Technology rewards partners based on individual tasks or through an incentive program. The top commission categories are:

  • Cost Per Click, 
  • Cost Per Impression, 
  • Cost Per Lead,
  • Cost Per Order. 

You can get certain affiliate software free of charge (read our article about open source affiliate software), pay on a monthly subscription, or only paying a small fee for each transaction.

Affiliate Software Advantages

If you are a small, medium, or large company, affiliate software offers key advantages that will help you manage your network:

Efficient management of affiliate activities: You can view and track all tasks in one location. There are dashboards for you to track, and some systems, such as Scaleo, have seamless workflow by automated processes.

scaleo affiliate marketing software

Analytics and tracking: the only way to monitor any success index is to calculate the data. The app helps you keep an eye on how well your program performs, monitors links, and tracks affiliate activities.

Business Growth: You might start small, but your goal is to expand your network to a vast affiliate empire. The more affiliates you have, the greater the opportunity for more sales or revenue. With this software in place, you will let affiliates know about their advantages from entering your program.

Understanding your client base: your primary target remains your customers, who either purchase your goods or hire you for your services. With some of the resources available, you can gauge which demographics have the most interest in your market, and then you can tailor your offerings to them.

Reduced Costs: Since most affiliate software are automated, you can save on the costs of hiring managers or workers to run the system for you. You’ll see an enhanced ROI thanks to this aspect.

What Is Affiliate Software?

Read also:

Must-Have Affiliate App features

Read also: All you need to know about affiliate marketing software

When considering affiliate marketing software, make sure that it provides the following important features:

Variety of Tracking Tools: While most software allows you to track affiliate links, you’ll want to have various monitoring tools at your disposal. It also needs to be accurate in delivering information in real-time.

Security and fraud detection: Certain systems punish you when they detect fake or coerced clicks that are merely used to generate commissions. Anti-fraud mechanisms prevent bot clicks or malicious attacks on your marketing systems from occurring.

Customer Support: You can find that systems are hard to set up or discover problems while building your partner network. Although 24/7 support is ideal, you’re going to want trustworthy teams with comprehensive technical expertise.

Detailed reports: What’s the point of building a huge affiliate tree and paying commissions if you don’t have useful reports? You’re going to want a variety of insights for various categories to ensure proper management.

Integration and Customization: It helps an API that enables you to connect to several apps to promote your products easily. You should also ensure that you can configure banners and software to present your brand to affiliates and clients.

Affiliate Software: Tech Cost

What Is Affiliate Software?

The prices of the models differ by product. You can find a few that give you free access to their websites, with a small charge added during commissions and other transactions. However, the provider can be restricted to how many of its features you can use.

Payment arrangements are typically made in monthly subscriptions. Monthly affiliate payments vary from $37 to as high as $999. Scaleo, for example, has 3 plans, starting from $299. 

Of course, there are a few affiliate software providers where you have to ask for a custom quote. The affiliate marketing platform will be customized to your needs, but you won’t know the exact costs until you sign up for the service. Luckily, you can register for a free trial or test a prototype to see if the app can be of any use to you.

How can you choose the best affiliate software?

Lead Generation vs Affiliate Marketing What is Better - What Is Affiliate Software?

Affiliate software links companies to blogs and websites that can sell their goods and services. In return, the businesses pay the fee to these advertisers. However, whether you are a company or a seller, finding the right platform can be tricky. You need a kit that fits your needs and your budget.

To make the process simpler, we analyzed some of the best brands in the industry. Here are the parameters that we used to classify the best affiliate apps.

Affiliate Management

While each provider has similar features, not all of them offer the same benefits. When you select the right affiliate software for your product or service, you’re going to want to find SaaS that covers the elements you need.

Here are several essential features:

  • Tools for promotion
  • Detection of fraud
  • Customization of program
  • Management of the Commission
  • Affiliate control
  • Computer integration
  • Promote availability

Customization

Customized websites, portals, and marketing tools are important to differentiate between competing referral programs. The best affiliate management software should allow you to adjust your network and dashboard‘s look, feel, and functionality.

Some of the customization choices that you might be searching for are:

  • Theme and style of the logo
  • Changes to affiliate marketing campaign
  • Options for customer service
  • Custom lists of assets

Reporting

reporting - What Is Affiliate Software?

The best affiliate program will offer reliable data, metrics, and monitoring. It should allow you to track and analyze your affiliate’s performance accurately, produce reports, and review your marketing activities. Most importantly, you’re going to want a dashboard that’s customizable and easy to use and understand.

Features shall include:

  • Detailed Reporting
  • Metrics of results
  • Individual affiliates breakdown
  • A simple dashboard with many 

Conclusion

At a minimum, the software includes the monitoring and reporting of commission-triggering actions (affiliate sales, registrations, or clicks) from affiliate links.

Affiliate marketers running 100% of their in-house affiliate programs need to find–and likely customize–affiliate tools to control transaction monitoring and reporting. Solutions vary from free and almost free scripts to expensive top-notch software packages.

Affiliate marketers using affiliate networks do not have to directly handle affiliate program software, while integration must be made between the affiliate merchant site and the affiliate network software.

It’s hard to decide which affiliate management solution or software you should choose based on a price since it ranges from 0 to $1000+. Most important is to list all the features you need and find the affiliate software based on your company’s needs. Remember, that when looking for software online, it’s also sometimes called “affiliate marketing software” or “affiliate tracking software.

Last Updated on November 28, 2023

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.