External collaborators can engage with your affiliate program by driving visits to your site and are rewarded for doing so.
Affiliate Marketing: Unlocking Additional Traffic and Revenue
Most online retailers rely on three different traffic sources: paid traffic (Google Ads, ads on social networks), free traffic (Google, Najdi.si, social media), and email lists (newsletters). However, many often overlook an additional source of traffic: affiliate marketing programs.
Affiliate programs allow external partners to collaborate with you by driving visits and getting rewarded for it. Essentially, partners place your banners or links on their websites, redirecting visitors to your store. In return, they receive a pre-agreed percentage of each sale made by the visitors they referred.
All you need is a tracking program for purchases, which is often built into most major systems or offers the option to purchase an integrated module. This script enables partners to enroll in your affiliate program, creating a unique affiliate link that tracks all sales made through the affiliate links.
The advantage of an affiliate program lies in its automated process, requiring minimal time on your part. The majority of your time will be spent on regular monthly payments to your partners. The biggest benefit of an affiliate program is that it doesn't represent a fixed cost for you. Partners are paid only for each realized sale, meaning the cost is incurred upon earning.
Affiliate programs can be easily found. Often, they are managed by larger marketing companies, various online publishing companies, website owners, and creators. They can showcase your products to their audience without advertising costs.
Advantages of Affiliate Programs:
- Online retailers gain advertising space where they only pay for results (pay per sale, pay per click, pay per lead).
- Advertisers (affiliates) only need advertising space to promote products, and they don't have to worry about the entire sales process. This allows them to comfortably advertise while monitoring sales and earnings.
- Online retailers can advertise their products to a wide audience, enhancing brand reputation and recognition.
What Does an Affiliate Program Allow?
An affiliate program enables external partners (owners of other websites) to assist in promotion. They are only paid for results (in the form of a commission for each sold item). It's a widespread and increasingly popular form of collaboration, ultimately satisfying both partners.
Many websites rely on selling advertising space, but finding advertisers is becoming increasingly difficult. Agencies often secure the best advertisers, leaving smaller publishers to manage everything themselves, which can be practically impossible at times.
Affiliate programs offer a good monetization solution for owners of all types of websites (portals, blogs, news sites, etc.). They can be used as the sole monetization method or as a way to fill unsold advertising space.
Affiliate programs are also suitable for those looking to generate additional online income. Many programs are open to individuals as well.
Affiliate programs operate by redirecting visitors from affiliates' websites through banners or links to your online store. You then pay a commission for each completed sale. The use of affiliate programs is straightforward and suitable for both beginners and advanced online publishers.
Such programs have become extremely popular among online retailers as an additional revenue channel.
Affiliate programs offer an excellent opportunity for online income, but it's crucial to approach them correctly. Most reputable programs provide their partners with all the necessary marketing materials to assist them in case of any difficulties.
Updated 2026. Tracking in affiliate programs requires consent for tracking cookies or server-side tracking; the window in which a sale is still credited to a partner is shorter today. Partners must clearly label their posts as advertising or as an affiliate link, also so that you are not the one answerable for an unlabeled ad. Besides portals and creators, partners today also include coupon sites; restrict the latter with rules, because they can exploit tracking (for example a coupon intercepts a purchase that has already started). To manage the program use an affiliate network (e.g. Awin or Impact; check availability for your market) or a module in the platform.
Frequently asked questions
An affiliate program allows partners (creators, influencers, websites) to promote your products and receive a commission for each generated purchase. You pay only for results - an ideal performance marketing model.
It depends on the margins of your items. A higher commission attracts higher-quality partners, but it must be sustainable for your business: after commissions you still need enough for delivery, packaging and returns. For digital products, commissions are usually higher.
With an affiliate platform (e.g. Awin or Impact; check availability for your market) or an extension for your platform. The platform tracks clicks and conversions and calculates commissions automatically. Tracking requires the visitor's consent for tracking cookies, or server-side tracking. Manual management through coupon codes is an alternative for smaller programs.
By actively seeking creators, portals and websites in your industry, with an attractive commission structure, quality promotional materials (banners, copy) and responsive communication. Require partners to label their posts clearly as advertising or an affiliate link. Quality partners bring quality customers.
Yes - even for smaller stores it makes sense to have at least a limited affiliate program. You can start with a few creators or influencers in your niche and gradually expand the network. Risk is small because you only pay for actual sales.
My name is Anže, I am a certified Magento solution expert and the maker of several award-winning online stores. I am the architect of all Degriz projects.
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