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What I learned
APH launching 3 Affiliate
Affiliate Program Programs at Once
Hurdles

By: Taylor Barr, Arbiter of Affiliates
(and Partnerships), A Small Orange

A Small Orange �CHomegrown Web Hosting www.asmallorange.com,

General Background
? Manage Affiliate Programs For A
Small Orange, HostNine Reseller
Hosting, and SEO Web Hosting.

? Handle Partnerships for all
three brands as well as for any
acquired brands.

? Run a website called
StartupAffiliate; Geared at
helping early stage Affiliate
Managers, OPMs, and Affiliate
Marketers.


AGENDA
Yawn, Questions?

1 2 3 4 5 6
Results?/ Attraction &
Start Implement Problems? What I��d
Performance
Planning and Strategy Launch of Program
Shared results Do differently.
Retention
Tips &
Lean Framework for
implementation


Launch (or migrate any current
My Main Task: programs) to a succesfully managed
solution so that we can:

?Implement a set of performance
metrics to evaluate each program.

?Make it easier to internally manage the
program.

?Give affiliates the right tools to refer
good customers.

?Manage our bottom line; realtively cost
effective on a month-to-month basis.


Let��s Tell the Story��


Starting State: Existing Program,
4K Affiliates on
Had a credit Old, crusty software Small Customer Base,
module, tied to billing system
New Program
200 Active

A Small Orange HostNine SEO Web Hosting
Change Program Existing Program New Program


The BluePrint
Learning through Trial & Error:
Take the brand (SEO Web Hosting)
with no previous affiliate history, and
use it as a guinea pig.

Launch Success &
Affiliate Failures
Learning
Program Inform
the Launch
of:

Results


Part 1: Trial and Error with SEO Web Hosting Affiliate Program

Pick Solution: Setup
SaaS, Network, Implement Test click & Create
Commission
Self-hosted. SaaS Solution Sales tracking Affiliate page
Strategy

Launch Realize Solution Migrate & Launch Realize Solution
Program Won��t work! New Program Won��t work!

FULLSCREEN PHOTO
How Did This Happen?

Image Placeholder


More
Part II: Implementation Due Diligence before Migrate: Twice!
Reset on solution

Solution
Switch:
SaaS to
Self-hosted
Implement

Migrate
Migrate Once

Done?
Just getting Started.

Part II: Launched.

Pick Solution -> Launch -> Promote -> Pick New Solution -> Launch - > Promote
!
blem
Pro

Change Solution -> Migrate -> Launch -> Promote -> Pick New Solution ->
Migrate Again -> Launch - > Promote

Migrate-> Launch -> Promote


Results || Wrap Sheet: Oh the Problems!

Low-Medium Impact Medium- High Impact No Impact
? Migrate once! ? Migrate Twice! ? Delayed brickwalls of
?
. Confused new affiliates ? Doubled learning curve. . understanding with
in the program. ? Current customer impact. migration efforts.
? Least amount of ? Started Implementing
takeaways for program before finding
preventing new issues. mistakes with SEOWH.


Half time.

Questions?


Fear of the Launch

How much will it cost?
Metrics?
Software: In-house,
SaaS Solution,
Network? Affiliate
Program Keeping Affiliates
Interested/Performanc
Commission Structures? e retention

Payouts?
How will I attract
Do I even know
affiliates? what I am doing?

Where Do I Start?
What is a ��Lean Startup��?

a human institution designed to create new products and services under conditions of
extreme uncertainty. That means entrepreneurs are everywhere and the Lean Startup
approach can work in any size company, even a very large enterprise, in any sector or
industry.
? Create Value-based Hypothesises
? Test those approaches
? Create validated learning for you and your organization

OVERALL: Build. Measure. Learn


Lean Affiliate Program Launches!

Create Assumptions Communicate
Test and Track Did it Win?
+ Hypothosize with Affiliates or Customers

Value Hypothesis: What am I trying to accomplish?
Communicate with Affiliates BEFORE you do anything! Gather feedback.
Test and Track. Does it work? What needs changing?
Implement and continue the feedback loop.


Project Expecations: Right-Sizing for Technical Solutions
MONEY:
TIME: ?Topline, Bottomline,
?How Fast do you need or both?
To launch? ?Ongoing costs?
?Do you need the time
Time Money ?Profitability Outlook?
Of others?

RESOURCES: Your own Network,
?How many people involved? Resources Customized solution.
?Implementation?
Self-Hosted, SaaS
?Ongoing management?
Network Solution


Right Sizing Tips for Technical Solutions Part II

$+ + $+
Money and Time? Time and Resources? Money and Resources?
Network Solution Self-Hosted or SaaS Custom Network

? More expensive ? Lower costs ? Longer ramp up
? Have their own resources ? More controlable ? More customized


Who Should be Involved In Program Creation Feedback?
Why Customers?
They actually
bought your
product or services.
They can tell you
Customers
why and why they
would or would not Internal
reccomend it to

Affiliate
others.

Internal Stakeholders

Program and Mgmt. Might be
able to share previous
experiences with
affiliate programs and
AFFILIATES: If you have can share
current affiliates,
perhaps on an old system
or a refer a friend model:
ask them what works and
Affiliates
what they would want to
see.


Phase II: Implementation
Build-Measure-Learn: Quicker Launch,
Reduces Failures. $$$$$

Learn
Next Stage

Measure
The BASIS

Build


Launch...We are done right?


Affiliate Program Promotion and Acquisition
Recruiting
Data Collection

Promotion: PPC,
Email campaigns,
Forums etc..

Marketing Campaigns:
Signup bonuses; inbound
Engaging Customer marketing
Advocates/ Customer Base


Affiliate Signups/ Acqusition Examples
Build Measure Learn

Targeted Email Measure Signup rate at Did it have an influx of
Campaign for time of the email sent. ? signups? Did the people
?
3rd party website. who signed up �C
are they performing?

Contest + Press Release Percentage change Did it work?
? ?
after campaign


Most Important thing here?
Don��t be afraid to FAIL.


Affiliate Retention: Real Example

Repetitive logins
Ask Affiliates: Are emails helpful?

ASO Drip Correlate
Campaign
? Implement ?
& Learn

Frequency? Correlated Performance
& Sales


What would I do differently
when working with these programs?

A Small Orange HostNine SEO Web Hosting
Change Program Existing Program New Program


What I��d Change��

Talk to the credit-based (200 of them) affiliates
to get a picture of what they are looking for in
an affiliate program. This could of heavly
influenced topics around:
? Commission Structures
Talk to ASO affiliates ? Coupons
FIRST! ? Implementation and migration

Offer a limited beta to get good feedback in
conjuction with the current ASO program. This
could heavly influence:

?Functionality requirements
Beta a ?What would make the transition eaiser.
Technical Solution


Talk to the 4K Affiliates and understand what
type of solution or requirements they need in a
new program.

Replicate Feedback
Discovery for HostNine

Talk to SEO Customers to get a temperature
gauge. Also use the knowledge acquire from
starting up the two other affiliate programs to
mitigate issues in a first launch.
SEO customer feedback
And best implementation.


?
QUESTIONS


CONTACT

@TaylorBarr
https://www.facebook.com/asmallorange
@StartupAff

Address: 131 Orange Street ASmallOrange.com
Durham, NC 27701
HostNine.com
Skype: ASOTaylor
SEOWebHosting.net
E-Mail: Taylor@asmallorange.com


THANK YOU!
Photo Credits: Reset Button- http://runjennrundoit.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/reset-button.jpg
Crowd Photo - http://a1.s6img.com/cdn/box_001/post_11/244303_1355288_lz.jpg

Content Credits: Eric Ries, ��Lean Startup Methods��: http://www.startuplessonslearned.com/


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