Affiliate
Definition
The publisher/salesperson in an affiliate marketing relationship.
Information
The affiliate carries out the advertising or sales of the affiliate marketing relationship, depending on which analogy
you prefer. The affiliate gives wider
distribution to the affiliate merchant's products in return for
compensation based on performance. The affiliate's source of distribution usually comes
in the form of Web site traffic or email list subscribers.
Affiliates face the daunting task of choosing from among the thousands of available
programs to maximize revenue. Comparing the commission rates is not enough; fine
print in the contract must be checked for red flags, destination sites and creative
units must be analyzed for conversion potential, and the financial strength of
merchant partners must be evaluated.
Affiliates have traditionally been smaller sites run by individual webmasters
and small businesses, but some large companies have integrated affiliate programs
into their revenue mix. Some companies even participate as a merchant of their
own program and as an affiliate of other programs.
Synonyms
associate
Related Terms
affiliate directory,
affiliate marketing,
affiliate merchant,
affiliate network,
exclusivity,
payment threshold,
return days,
two-tier affiliate program
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