How to Choose an Affiliate Network for a SaaS Program

Choosing an affiliate network for a SaaS program is a lot like choosing double glazing. Get it wrong and you live with the draft for years. And yes, double glazing is how Affiliate Window got its name.

True story. In 1999 I was at home writing the first version of the platform and hunting for a domain name. Finding a good one with “affiliate” in it was hard, even back then. That week I was having double glazing fitted, the word “window” popped into my head, and that’s how Affiliate Window became AffiliateWindow.com. It’s Awin now. Not the most scientific naming process, but it’s done alright.

[Puts the window brochure down]

Right. Your network is one of the first decisions in a new program, and one of the hardest to undo. Move later and every partner has to swap links, tracking has to be rebuilt, and somebody has to explain why commissions went quiet for a month. So it’s worth getting right at the start.

There’s no single best network. The right one depends on who your partners are, how you charge your customers and how much of the work you want the platform to do for you.

Start with where your partners already are

Partners join programs on the platforms they already use. A site that reviews business software probably already has accounts on PartnerStack and Impact, and can join you there in a few clicks. Ask them to sign up somewhere new just for you, and plenty won’t bother.

So before you compare features, write down the twenty or thirty partners you’d most like to have. Then check where they work. That list usually narrows things down fast.

The main options

• PartnerStack. Built for B2B software. It handles recurring commission well, connects to common billing systems and has a marketplace where partners go looking for SaaS programs.
• Impact. A partnership platform used by software and consumer brands. It’s flexible on contracts and tracking, which suits programs that mix affiliates, creators and business partners.
• Awin. One of the largest global networks, and strongest in retail, travel, telecoms and finance. ShareASale is now part of Awin, which gives smaller brands an easier way in.
• CJ and Rakuten Advertising. Big networks with deep roots in retail and ecommerce, and long relationships with major publishers.
• Partnerize. Partnership automation for larger brands that want tight control over contracts and payments.
• In-house tracking. Software you license yourself, usually wired into your billing. More control and no network fees, but you recruit every single partner yourself.

Five questions to ask before you sign anything

1. Can it pay the way you want to pay?

SaaS programs often pay a share of each subscription for a set number of months, or a fixed amount when a trial turns into a paying account. Make sure the platform can track renewals, upgrades and refunds back to the right partner without somebody doing it by hand.

2. How does it connect to your billing?

Tracking that relies only on a browser cookie misses the customer who reads a review on their phone and buys on their laptop a week later. A direct connection to your billing system records the sale when the money actually arrives.

3. Will it help you find partners?

Some platforms put your program in front of partners who are actively looking for new things to promote. Others give you tracking and payments and wish you luck. Both can work. Just know which one you’re buying.

4. What does it really cost?

Networks charge in different ways. A share of the commission you pay, a monthly fee, a setup fee, or all three. Work out the cost at the size you expect to be in year two, not month one.

5. Who pays the partners?

Paying partners in different countries, chasing tax forms and juggling currencies is real work. Most networks do it for you. Run in house and it lands on your finance team, who will absolutely love you for it. They won’t.

What I usually tell people

For most B2B SaaS companies starting out, a platform built for software, with a marketplace full of SaaS partners, gets you moving fastest. Ecommerce brands, and software companies selling to consumers, usually do better on a big network where retail and content publishers already live. If you’ve got your own partner team and a clear target list, running in house can save you a fair bit in fees.

Whichever you pick, set it up properly from day one. Clean tracking, clear terms and a commission plan partners can understand in one read. Get those right and, like good double glazing, nobody notices the network at all. Everything just works and nobody’s sitting in a draft.

If you’d like a second opinion before you commit, that’s exactly where our program management work starts.