Here’s a trip down memory lane that I stumbled upon this evening. …
As merchants have rushed to build programs, an entirely new category has been born: affiliate networks. Running a network of affiliates is not rocket science, but it does require quite a bit of time and commitment. For that reason, many merchants are finding that outsourced providers offer a compelling solution.
Some vendors like LinkShare provide tracking, reporting, and affiliate recruiting. Other programs like Dynamic Trade and Commission Junction offer additional services: cutting checks, sending out end-of-year tax forms, and responding to webmaster queries. Complete do-it-yourselfers should check out the listing of affiliate scripts at the CGI Resource Index. Several dozen scripts are listed, ranging from freeware and shareware to scripts costing a few hundred dollars.
If we had to rewrite this post 7 years later, what would be different? What would be the same? Where would web2.0 come into play? How have the views of affiliate networks stayed the same or changed over the past few years?
Fun things to ponder as we draw closer to a new year.
