The courses here at WA are excellent in helping you to construct a well-designed website. Once you are ready, let me know and I'll review it and see if I can make any suggestions.

Thanks, Dave, it’s really great to be part of Wealthy Affiliate. The members here are wonderful. I do hope I can add a different perspective too, and bridge the gap between affiliates and networks.

I do have a few sites already and am working on a few more – basically my retirement plan. Having those help me ensure that I’m always up on the latest situations and opportunities for publishers, not to mention it’s so much fun to run them.

As far as your questions about networks, there are pro’s and con’s to each choice. Of course I think you should always go with an established network rather than start one of your own, but let me tell you the reasons why.

For starters, there are economy of scale when you work with a network, on areas such as compliance, affiliate base, new technologies and more. Since being a network is our one and only job, we focus on maximizing the job we do in every aspect. We have an entire team looking for the latest fraud strategies, then make sure we are prepared to counter them. Awin can offer 100,000 affiliates to a potential advertiser – it would take you a long time to build that kind of global base on your own, if ever. Having those kinds of numbers mean we can afford to create new technologies, such as cross device tracking, dealing with the EU requirements concerning cookie tracking, offering a robust API in place with all the latest bells and whistles.

Having a network in between also means that the vast majority of issues with affiliates, tracking problems, etc, is handled by the network instead of by your team. Publishers often feel more comfortable working with a network, knowing that the tracking is being monitored, that the commissions will be paid, that there’s someone to turn to when there’s an issue. It’s what we do. So while having a network may seem like more out-of-pocket than doing it in-house, there’s a lot of value there too.

I’ve managed both in-house and network programs over the years. Using a network always made my life easier. If you do decide to go with a network, there are many out there, some specializing in things like digital downloads, working with PPC affiliates, etc., as well as general networks working across all verticals, such as Awin.com or ShareASale.com.

WA does a great job teaching people how to be affiliates. I love that the strategies shared are all "white hat," the way the good guys do things, with solid methods to build sites that will stand the test of time. That's why I've chosen to participate so much here.

Wishing you a great weekend as well!
Jeannine ;)

Thanks for the thorough response! We will definitely look at the network platforms, your points on all fronts were very compelling. We may also stand up an ancillary internal platform as well...

I am sending my comment and your reply over to my business partner today via Skype. He is in Thailand at the moment, standing up an addition to our warehouse operation...

Exciting times, exciting opportunities, and excited to continue to grow our online business s quickly as possible! Your feedback was extremely useful!

Cheers!
Dave : )

I'd be most happy to continue this discussion via private message or offline. One of our biggest clients is based in Thailand - Agoda.com.

Probably the biggest shift is the growth of mobile. Over 50% of all searches begin on mobile devices, so it is critical to make sure your site is mobile friendly. It's also why cross-device tracking is so critical (meaning if someone starts on their phone but completes their purchase later on their desktop, the original affiliate still gets credit). FYI, Amazon does not offer cross-device tracking. Awin.com does.

That’s a valuable insight, thank you!

Thanks, Mitch! It's always my pleasure to share my knowledge. One of my favorite things to do in the world. I also love recommending merchants for each blog - I've done that so often I've gotten pretty good at it! So if I can help on that, let me know.