How to Migrate Your Affiliate Technology Without Disrupting Partner Productivity

You’ve built a productive network of affiliate partners, but you realize you need to migrate your program to a different affiliate technology that can handle the technical and strategic needs of a more sophisticated affiliate program. You’re ready to make a change, but you’re concerned that doing so will disrupt partner productivity and set you back months.

Sound familiar? If so, you aren’t alone.

Implementing an internal technology change is challenging enough. The prospect becomes extremely daunting when you begin altering the technology platform or network that your entire network of affiliates relies on to participate in your program and drive sales.

To help you navigate this complex process, we’ve outlined some simple tips you can leverage to migrate your affiliate technology without disrupting partner productivity. We’ve also highlighted three major brands that have successfully transitioned to new affiliate technology and unlocked the true potential of their partnership strategies.

As you prepare to switch your affiliate technology, make a point to check the following best practices.

1. Carefully plan and prepare for the migration

Before you begin the migration process, create a comprehensive migration plan, develop a timeline, and identify any potential hurdles you’re likely to encounter along the way.

Your timeline will depend on the complexity of your existing program and the solution you choose to implement. The two technology options available include SaaS platforms and affiliate networks.

A SaaS platform serves as a tracking and payment solution with a variety of fee models, including fixed, volume/transaction-based tiers, and performance fees. In contrast, an affiliate network primarily uses a performance fee-based billing framework. Affiliate networks range from offering full program management services, with others only offering technology solutions while also managing affiliates within their network.

Swarovski is a prime example of a brand that successfully migrated a complex global affiliate program. The process took just three weeks to complete and supported the brand’s repositioning strategy. As a result of AP’s affiliate guidance and expertise they saw:

• 81% of partners were sale-active in two weeks
• 98% of total revenue was migrated in three weeks

2. Communicate with and provide resources to affiliates

Your affiliates are the lifeblood of your program, which means they must be included in the process.

As you prepare to transition to new technology partner, make sure you inform your affiliates of your plans. While you’re at it, take some time to highlight the benefits of the new platform, provide them with training and resources, and incentivize them to switch platforms.

Following the migration, monitor your affiliates and identify segments where further action is required. If any affiliates decline to migrate to the new platform, find out why and how you might sway their opinion. If you get them involved in the process early, you’re far less likely to experience resistance during this time of major change.

Renogy migrated to a new affiliate network in order to strengthen its affiliate program. The brand’s migration was successful for two key reasons.

First, its decision-makers had a clear strategy outlining the “why” behind their decision to migrate. Second, they kept their affiliates informed before, during, and after the migration.

With AP’s management during the migration, Renogy realized:

• 1356% increase in total revenue YoY
• 19% increase in average order value YoY

3. Monitor program tracking and reporting following migration

Once you’ve completed your migration, check your program-tracking tools to verify that everything works as intended. Additionally, make a point to regularly review program reports to ensure accuracy and measure performance against expectations.

If you’re meeting your expectations, the migration can be considered a success. You may even be able to surpass your performance expectations if the process goes smoothly with the guidance of an experienced affiliate program management agency.

To illustrate this point, consider the case of NURX, a personalized telemedicine provider.

The brand migrated its affiliate program to impact.com, which offers a robust suite of program management tools. With the assistance of Acceleration Partners, it enjoyed a seamless migration process and surpassed performance expectations.

As a result, NURX reached:

• 154% of new order goal within the first month
• 100% of order-driving partners migrated in one week

Ready to Start Your Journey? Acceleration Partners Can Help

Acceleration Partners can help your organization migrate its affiliate program to a new affiliate technology network or platform. While the decision as to which solutions you’ll adopt is up to you, we can manage all of the necessary planning, design, and execution to ensure a frictionless transition for you and your partners.

By guiding you through your technology selection process with an agnostic, educated perspective, we can help you achieve a strong return on investment and condensed time to value.

Connect with our team today to learn more about how Acceleration Partners can support your adoption of new affiliate technology.