There are basically only 4 different types of Affiliate management software solutions. They are:
- Custom Software - You can have proprietary software written and hosted on your own server. However, unless your company has very specific needs not served by other solutions, this can be a very costly endeavor. I highly recommend that you look at a number of third party solutions before resorting to this option.
- Affiliate Network - Affiliate networks are the most expensive, yet feature-rich affiliate management solutions. Some networks charge either a flat monthly fee or a percentage of sales to handle all your affiliate sales transactions and in handle Commission payment processing. The biggest benefit to joining most affiliate networks is that thousands of affiliates will be introduced to your offer as soon as your offer is made available on the network. Some networks are trade-specific, such as Credit Soup, which promotes only offers from credit card companies and financial institutions.
- Remotely-Hosted and Third-Party Software - You can buy an existing script for placement on your own server, or lease a solution that resides on the leasing company's server.
- Shopping Cart Integrated - Some shopping carts, like 1ShoppingCart have Affiliate Program management solutions built right into them.
