Basic setup of Affiliate Program

To set up an affiliate program on your Shopify store, start by installing the Simple Affiliate app and following the simple setup guide. The app offers easy configuration, allowing you to streamline the process in just a few clicks. The first step involves deciding whether you want to manually approve each affiliate or have them automatically approved upon registration. Once the app is installed, it adds an affiliate dashboard page to your store, providing a central platform for managing affiliates. You can then set default group settings, as affiliates are managed in different groups, each with unique commission rates and referral requirements. Additionally, you can choose whether to implement discount codes to track referrals. When enabled, affiliates receive a custom discount code to share and earn commissions.

The affiliate dashboard is an integral page on your store, accessible at all times by hitting the view page button in the app. Affiliates can register new accounts or log into existing ones directly from the dashboard. This seamless integration utilizes Shopify customer accounts, ensuring affiliates log in directly to your store. As a result, affiliates have access to all necessary tools for initiating and tracking sales, making it convenient for them to start earning money through the program. Creating and customizing links is straightforward within the Simple Affiliate app. Affiliates can generate custom links and even apply discount codes to them, enhancing their ability to drive sales and track referrals effectively.

Affiliate Registration and Activation

To kick off your affiliate program, the first step is to decide whether you want to manually approve each affiliate or allow automatic approval upon registration. Once chosen, the affiliate can log into their existing account or register for a new one. Upon successful registration, the affiliate will receive an activation email. To finalize the activation process, they will need to set their password. Once completed, affiliates can log in directly to the store's dashboard, where they will have access to all the necessary tools to get started and begin earning money.

Affiliates can easily create custom links that allow them to track their referrals and commissions. The default destination for links is set as the home page, providing the flexibility to change their appearance. Additionally, affiliates can use discount codes to track referrals, ultimately applying the discount when the link is clicked. With Simple Affiliate, managing affiliates in groups is a seamless process. Each group can have varying commission rates, minimum requirements for referrals, and the option to use discount codes. Additionally, affiliates are further incentivized through trackable sales generated by their individual links.

Managing Affiliates and Groups

Once the basic setup of your affiliate program is complete, the focus shifts to managing affiliates and groups. In the app, affiliates are organized into different groups, each with its own commission rates and minimum requirements for referrals. The ability to create multiple groups allows you to tailor the rewards and structures based on your specific needs. This flexibility is essential for optimizing the performance of your affiliate program and incentivizing your partners effectively.

Through the app, you can easily move affiliates between groups. This means that if you have different tiers of affiliates or want to change the reward structure for a particular group, you can do so seamlessly. The process involves selecting the affiliate and using the "change group" action to update their placement. This level of control over group management ensures that your affiliates are appropriately categorized and that their commission rates and requirements align with the group they belong to.

Creating Custom Links

Creating custom links in Simple Affiliate is a straightforward process that provides affiliates with unique referral codes to share with potential customers. To create a custom link, navigate to the affiliate section, select the affiliate from the list, and scroll down to the "new link" button. By customizing the appearance of the link, affiliates can make it more appealing to their audience, potentially increasing click-through and conversion rates. In addition, the option to apply a discount code with the link allows affiliates to offer their audience an incentive to make a purchase, ultimately driving more referrals and increasing their earnings. Upon creation, the custom link is ready for the affiliate to share across various online platforms, such as social media, blogs, or email marketing campaigns. The ability to track the performance of each individual link belonging to the affiliate enables precise measurement of their marketing efforts and provides valuable insights for optimizing their promotional strategies.

Tracking Sales and Referrals

In the Simple Affiliate app, tracking sales and referrals is made easy and efficient. Each affiliate is provided with their unique discount code that they can share with potential customers. When the code is used, the affiliate responsible for the referral is credited with the sale. The app's dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of the sales generated by each individual link belonging to the affiliate. This feature allows for clear and transparent tracking of the performance of each affiliate's marketing efforts.

Additionally, the app allows for the manual assignment of orders to affiliates. This can be done by entering the order number and the affiliate's email in the system. Once the referral is created, the commission for the order is automatically assigned to the respective affiliate. This manual feature provides flexibility in crediting affiliates for specific sales that may have resulted from unique or personalized marketing efforts outside of the standard affiliate link structure.

The tagging of orders and the ability to manually assign referrals ensures that affiliates are accurately compensated for their efforts. Furthermore, the app facilitates the process of making payments to affiliates with outstanding balances, allowing for the smooth management of affiliate commissions and payouts. Overall, the tracking and management features provided by Simple Affiliate contribute to an effective and transparent affiliate program.

Manually Assigning Orders to Affiliates

In the "Manually Assigning Orders to Affiliates" section, users can learn how to attribute orders to affiliates directly. The process involves navigating to the referrals section and selecting the "add referral" button. Subsequently, users can input an order number and the affiliate's email to credit the respective affiliate with the sale. This functionality is particularly useful when orders are placed through offline channels, such as over the phone or in-store, and need to be manually linked to an affiliate's account.

By entering the order number associated with a purchase and the corresponding affiliate's email, users can effortlessly attribute sales to the appropriate affiliate, ensuring that they receive due commission for their referrals. This manual assignment capability streamlines the process of accurately tracking and rewarding affiliates for their contributions, thereby fostering a transparent and mutually beneficial affiliate program.

Processing Affiliate Payments

Once you have established and monitored your affiliate program, it is crucial to ensure that payments are processed accurately and efficiently. Simple Affiliate provides a comprehensive system to facilitate the payment process. In the app, you can easily manage affiliate payments with a feature that allows you to create, confirm, and track payments to your affiliates. The platform enables you to select affiliates and generate payments swiftly. Furthermore, Simple Affiliate recommends PayPal as a payment provider, offering a seamless and secure method for disbursing affiliate commissions.

The process starts by selecting the affiliates who are due for payment, after which you can create unconfirmed payments. Upon initiating payments, they appear in the payments section of the app, allowing you to keep track of both confirmed and unconfirmed payments. It is recommended to confirm payments once they have been disbursed through your chosen payment provider. By confirming payments, you effectively communicate to the system that the funds have been sent, ensuring transparency and accuracy in your payment records.

Customizing Affiliate Program Settings

Customizing Affiliate Program Settings

In Simple Affiliate, there are various settings and customization options available to tailor the affiliate program according to your specific requirements. Starting with the signup settings, you have the flexibility to choose between automatic and manual approval for affiliates, and you can also enable or disable different fields that affiliates need to fill out during the signup process.

Regarding payouts, you can select between running balance and a monthly schedule. The monthly schedule generates unconfirmed payments at the end of each month, which can then be sent out. Additionally, you can choose if affiliates are allowed to refer themselves and whether to add tax to the payouts.

In the email settings, you can customize the appearance of the affiliate invite email and the welcome email that is sent when the affiliate registers for a new account. Furthermore, in the custom CSS setting, you can add styling to the affiliate dashboard, allowing you to align it with your brand's aesthetics.

The translation setting offers the option to change the wording or language of any text field on the affiliate dashboard. Lastly, the billing settings allow you to upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time based on the specific features you require for your affiliate program.

Highlight

In this instructional video, the Simple Affiliate app is spotlighted, showcasing the steps for setting up and effectively managing an affiliate program with ease. The demonstration covers the process of approving affiliates, utilizing discount codes for tracking referrals, and creating customized links, as well as the ability to manually assign orders to affiliates and manage payments. The flexibility and customization options within the Simple Affiliate app, including settings for sign-ups, payouts, email customization, and more, provide a comprehensive solution for running successful affiliate programs.

FAQ

Q: What is Simple Affiliate?

A: Simple Affiliate is an app that allows you to set up and manage an affiliate program for your store with ease. It provides a straightforward approach to creating custom affiliate links, managing affiliate groups, tracking sales, and handling affiliate payments.

Q: How do I set up my affiliate program using Simple Affiliate?

A: Once you have the app installed, you can follow the simple setup guide provided. You will need to make decisions on aspects such as manual or automatic approval of affiliates, default group settings, and whether to use discount codes to track referrals.

Q: How do affiliates join the program?

A: Affiliates can either log into an existing account or register a new one via the affiliate dashboard page installed on your store. Upon registration, they will receive an activation email and, once they set their password, they can access the affiliate dashboard directly on your store.

Q: How are affiliate links created and managed?

A: Creating links is a straightforward process. In the affiliate section, you can select an affiliate from the list and create custom links. These links can have customized appearances and, if enabled, apply discount codes when clicked by potential customers.

Q: How are referrals tracked and managed?

A: Referrals can be tracked through the app, enabling you to see the sales generated by individual links belonging to each affiliate. Additionally, you can manually assign orders to affiliates and manage their commissions through the referrals section.

Q: How are affiliate payments handled?

A: Simple Affiliate provides the capability to manage affiliate payments, including creating unconfirmed payments, confirming payments, and tracking outstanding balances. It also allows for customization of payout settings such as balance type, payment schedules, and tax inclusion.

Q: Can Simple Affiliate be customized to fit specific needs?

A: Yes, the app offers various customization options. You can customize the signup process, payout settings, email appearance, affiliate dashboard styling, translations, and plan features based on your specific requirements.

Q: How can I get started with Simple Affiliate?

A: You can install Simple Affiliate today and take advantage of the free trial. Additionally, the app offers live chat support for any further assistance or inquiries about its features and functionalities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Simple Affiliate offers a comprehensive solution for setting up and managing an affiliate program with ease. The platform allows for seamless affiliate registration, provides tools for creating custom referral links, and offers flexibility in managing affiliate groups and commissions. With features such as manual order assignment and payment processing, it provides a robust system for tracking and compensating affiliates. Additionally, the platform offers customization options for email communications, styling, and language settings. Overall, Simple Affiliate presents a user-friendly and efficient way to establish and run a successful affiliate program.