9+ Best Software to Set Up Affiliate Marketing for Online Merchants
Want to know the best way to set up affiliate marketing for online merchants?
We’ve done our research to find out which affiliate software offers the best way to set up affiliate marketing for your store.
Here is the affiliate software we’re going to look at:
- AffiliateWP
- UpPromote
- Simple Affiliate
- Refersion
- EasyAffiliate
- Affiliatly
- Post Affiliate Pro
- OSI Affiliate
- Metricks
Read on to find out which software is most likely to help you benefit from affiliate marketing for online merchants.
Is Affiliate Marketing Worth it for Online Merchants?
Yes, affiliate marketing is completely worth it for online merchants.
You might be wondering if it’s too complicated to set up affiliate marketing, or if it’s going to take up too much of your time, but that’s not the case.
The key is the affiliate marketing software you choose because this is going to make your program extremely easy to run.
The right affiliate software will also give you a ton of benefits!
Affiliate marketing can immediately increase your reach, grow your brand awareness, and add a new revenue stream. No matter what niche you work in, there are going to be affiliates (bloggers, influencers, search engine optimization (SEO) specialists, pay-per-click (PPC) experts, and more) who can reach your target audience, and it can make all the difference to your business.
The other important reason why affiliate marketing is at least worth trying is that it’s low risk.
With many of these affiliate marketing plugins, there are low start-up costs which means there’s no barrier to entry. Add in the fact that you only have to pay affiliates when they make a sale, and it’s an easy way to create an army of engaged marketers who are ready to sell your online products.
So why isn’t everyone embracing affiliate marketing for online merchants?
Well, to a large extent, they are – affiliate marketing is the top acquisition channel for 40% of US merchants. This highlights the fact that affiliate marketing for online merchants is well worth it, it’s just a question of setting it up well.
The Best Affiliate Software for Online Merchants
Finding the right affiliate marketing software will largely depend on what platform you use to sell your products. We’ve included software that covers all platforms on this list, and we’ve used some simple criteria to judge which ones are the best fit for you.
- Ease of setup
- Range of integrations
- Ease of use
- Automation opportunities
- Marketing features
- Support
With these criteria in mind, we’ve narrowed our list down to bring you the very best affiliate software for online merchants.
1. AffiliateWP
AffiliateWP is the best affiliate management plugin for WordPress.
With over 40% of the web running on WordPress, this makes AffiliateWP the perfect option for many online merchants. It seamlessly integrates with the two major e-commerce plugins, WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads, as well as with Stripe and PayPal to make affiliate link tracking easy.
A slick setup wizard will walk you through every step, helping you to integrate your products, set your affiliate commission structure, and choose your cookie settings in under 10 minutes.
One of the key things with an affiliate marketing program is that it needs to run with minimal intervention from you, and AffiliateWP is perfectly set up to facilitate this. Although elements like the affiliate registration form and dashboard are highly customizable, they’re automatically set up and ready to convert from the moment you install the plugin.
Throw in some innovative marketing features like Affiliate Landing Pages and Vanity Coupon Codes as well as world-class support, and you’ve got the perfect tool to leverage affiliate marketing for your online store.
Key Features
- Create your affiliate program in just a few clicks
- Seamless integrations for WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads + PayPal and Stripe
- Automated tracking and easy affiliate payouts
- Detailed analytics and metrics to help maximize your affiliate sales
- Innovative affiliate growth tools
- Integrated payouts service allows you to pay affiliates directly to their credit cards and bank account to maximize affiliate income
- World-class support as well as great tutorials
Pricing:
2. UpPromote
We evaluated the best affiliate tracking software on the market and we found UpPromote was the best for Shopify.
Over 4.4 million websites around the world use Shopify, so it’s a pretty big deal for online merchants. Unfortunately, affiliate marketing isn’t supported, but as with everything, there’s a plugin for that.
UpPromote seamlessly syncs with Shopify to add affiliate marketing capabilities to your site, giving you the tools to build your team, empower and manage affiliate partners, and grow your online business.
It’s a simple solution that can have a powerful impact on your online store.
Key Features:
- Customizable affiliate registration forms
- Access to the UpPromote marketplace
- Turn new customers into affiliates to grow your marketing efforts
- Use multi-level marketing to grow your network
Pricing
- Free: Limited functionality
- Growth: From $21.99 a month
- Professional: From $69.99 a month
- Enterprise: From $139.99 a month
3. Simple Affiliate
Simple Affiliate is another good affiliate software for online merchants who use Shopify to sell their products. As the name suggests, it’s a simple option, but it offers good value for money if you have limited needs.
It’s easy to set up (even for complete beginners), designed specifically for Shopify merchants, and it offers 24/7 support. With flexible commission rates and good payout options, Simple Affiliate makes it easy to run a basic affiliate program to grow your business.
Key Features:
- Good affiliate payout options
- Built-in anti-spam
- Tax management
- 24/7 support
- Cost-effective
Pricing:
- Basic: From $14 a month
- Pro: From $29 a month
- Premium: From $69 a month
4. Refersion
Refersion is a huge affiliate network that’s compatible with WordPress, Shopify, BigCommerce, and Amazon Marketplace.
It’s a lot more expensive than many of the other affiliate platforms on this list, but it does give you access to advanced tools and a large directory of over 3.6 million affiliates.
While there’s a great list of integrations to help empower your affiliates, be aware that there are limits on the number of order conversions you can make with the Professional plan.
Key Features:
- Huge affiliate directory
- Easy affiliate onboarding
- Large selection of integrations
- Influencer-friendly features
Pricing:
- Professional: From $99 a month
- Enterprise: Inquire on the website
5. EasyAffiliate
EasyAffiliate is another great option for online merchants using WordPress to sell their products.
It might not have quite the depth of integrations or features as AffiliateWP, but it does make it nice and easy to set up and manage an affiliate program. The one-click integration with WooCommerce means you can quickly start assigning attribution through affiliate links, and other integrations like Pretty Links are also helpful features.
With EasyAffiliate, you get a quick setup, solid affiliate link tracking, and excellent support.
Key Features:
- Easy integration with WooCommerce
- Simple setup wizard to quickly start your marketing campaigns
- Useful addons with the Pro plan
- Excellent support
Pricing:
- Basic: From $99.50 a year
- Plus: From $149.50 a year
- Pro: From $199.50 a year
6. Affiliatly
Affiliatly offers a simple affiliate marketing plugin for BigCommerce, WordPress, Shopify, and Squarespace.
Unlike most of the other software on this list, Affiliatly’s pricing is based on number of affiliates, which could work out well for you if you’ve got a small number of super successful affiliates.
Another great benefit is that you get a 90-day free trial, which is more than enough to decide whether it’s a good fit for your online store!
Key Features:
- Pricing based on number of affiliates
- 90-day free trial
- Good support
Pricing:
- Starter: From $16 a month
- Advanced: From $24 a month
- Professional: From $39 a month
- Pro 1000: From $59 a month
- Pro 2500: From $79 a month
- Pro Unlimited: From $129 a month
7. Post Affiliate Pro
Post Affiliate Pro offers powerful affiliate marketing for online merchants, with over 230 integrations to choose from.
Its SaaS platform syncs perfectly with Wix, WordPress, Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace, and Magento, so it’s a platform virtually anyone can use. The integrations with CRMs, email marketing (your email list is an awesome tool), and reporting software mean you can achieve high levels of automation and get your program running almost on autopilot.
Post Affiliate Pro is at the higher end of the pricing equation though, so it’s best suited for larger businesses.
Key Features:
- Huge selection of integrations
- Free setup and website integration
- Lifetime updates
Pricing:
- Pro: From $129 a month
- Ultimate: From $249 a month
- Network: From $599 a month
8. OSI Affiliate
OSI Affiliate is an excellent option if your focus is turning customers into high-quality affiliates.
It integrates with all the major e-commerce platforms and has a host of great features. The smart setup wizard, social media sharing, and influencer directory are particular highlights, and they’re all geared to helping you drive sales.
One thing to remember with OSI Affiliate is that the plans are limited by the number of unique visits you get each month. This can push the price up for websites with a high volume of traffic.
Key Features:
- Great for customer referral programs
- Easy social sharing
- Influencer directory
- Plans limited by number of visits
Pricing:
- Basic: From $47 a month
- Professional: from $97 a month
9. Metricks
Metricks is another good affiliate software for websites that run on WordPress, Wix, Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace, and Magento.
It offers easy onboarding, a sleek design, direct social sharing, and custom themes that help make your affiliate program look great. The user experience is excellent for affiliates, and it’s a good way to expand your affiliate marketing for online merchants.
Key Features:
- Sleek design
- Custom themes
- Easy social sharing
- Good onboarding
Pricing:
- Starter: From $59 a month
We considered other affiliate plugins and networks like Shareasale, CJ Affiliate, Rakuten, Awin, Commission Junction, eBay Partner Network, Amazon Associates, and Clickbank, but we think the ones we listed are the best affiliate sites out there to help you build a passive income.
Which is the Best Affiliate Software to Set Up Affiliate Marketing for Online Merchants?
If your online store runs on WordPress, then the best software to set up affiliate marketing for online merchants is AffiliateWP.
You can integrate your store in just a few clicks, and there are a wide range of integrations to help your affiliate program run on autopilot. The tracking is incredibly reliable, and you can easily set up AffiliateWP with your other digital marketing channels like email marketing software and CRM.
Online merchants need the tools to attract all different types of affiliates and maximize their conversion rates, and that’s exactly what AffiliateWP gives them.
With extremely competitive pricing and a 14-day money-back guarantee, it’s a low-risk option that can immediately boost your business.
FAQs: Affiliate Marketing for Online Merchants
How do affiliates promote merchants?
Affiliates can promote merchants through blog articles, email marketing, social media marketing, and many other strategies. All they need is an affiliate link or affiliate coupon code and they can start sending traffic to your website and receiving credit when they make a sale.
What is the relationship between affiliates and merchants?
The relationship between affiliates and merchants is a loose partnership where the affiliate promotes the merchant’s products in return for a commission. The relationship is governed by the affiliate terms and conditions of the individual affiliate program.
What should you avoid in affiliate marketing?
You should always vet potential affiliates when doing affiliate marketing for online merchants. There are a lot of great affiliates out there, but there are also some fraudsters who might try to join your program for bad reasons. Affiliate approval is one of the best ways to protect against affiliate fraud.
Now Get Your Affiliate Program Set Up
Affiliate marketing for online merchants is an excellent marketing strategy.
Now you know the best software, the next step is to get your affiliate program started. If your website runs on WordPress, then that means setting up AffiliateWP.
And we’ve got even more great resources to help.
Now there’s only one thing left to do.