Top 10 Features a Reliable Affiliate Management Software Should Have

If you've been exploring affiliate management tools, you've likely come across some impressive offers: AI-driven solutions, automated features, API connection, etc. But do you need all of that? 

We're flipping the script. Instead of selling you features you might never use, we'll share what you should look for when shopping for affiliate software management. This way, you'll adopt affiliate marketing tools that truly meet your needs.

1. Customizable Commission Structures

What it is: A feature that allows you to adjust commission rates dynamically based on specific performance metrics, such as customer lifetime value (CLV) or the success of promotional campaigns.

Top tip: Focus on these key affiliate program metrics to measure and improve your affiliate program effectively.

Why it matters: Adaptive commission structures can incentivize affiliates to go the extra mile for you. This will help them align their strategies with your business goals, building a mutually beneficial partnership that values the quality of customers, not just the quantity.

Different options within this feature:

• Customer lifetime value-based commissions: Rewarding affiliates for attracting long-term, high-value customers.
• Performance milestones: Providing tiered commission rates that increase as affiliates achieve specific sales targets or milestones.

Ask yourself: What commission structures do I need now and in the future? What would excite and motivate my affiliates?

‍How Rewardful approaches this: Rewardful offers customizable commission plans that can be tailored to match the evolving needs of your business and your affiliates. You can set a fixed amount, percentage-based, one-time, or recurring commissions.

2. Customizable Affiliate Onboarding

What it is: Some affiliate management tools offer integrated features for welcoming and training new affiliates based on their experience level or niche.

Why it matters: Customized onboarding ensures that all affiliates, regardless of their background, have the knowledge and tools they need to put your products in the spotlight. Remember, the achievements of your affiliates contribute directly to your success. So, equipping them with a solid foundation is vital.

Different options within this feature:

• On-demand training modules: Tailored to different levels of affiliate experience.
• Integrated communication tools: Send emails or other messages to specific affiliate groups from your affiliate management software.

Ask yourself: How do I onboard my affiliates? Train them within the platform? Or using sequenced emails or other tools?

How Rewardful approaches this: Our seamless integrations with email service providers (such as Mailchimp) make information sharing with your affiliates easy. You can set up bulk or sequenced emails that run automatically, saving you time communicating and giving updates.

3. Security and Fraud Detection

What it is: Automated and built-in security measures and fraud detection capabilities that protect your affiliate program from fraudulent activities.

Why it matters: Having robust security measures in place protects the integrity of your affiliate program, the data in it, and your reputation.

‍Different options within this feature:

• AI-powered fraud detection: Using the power of machine learning to identify suspicious activities automatically.
• Two-factor authentication: Adding an extra layer of security to affiliate accounts.

Ask yourself: How can I protect my affiliate program and the partnerships?

How Rewardful approaches this: Rewardful integrates advanced security features, including AI-powered fraud detection, to safeguard your program against threats. We also automatically identify and deactivate suspected self-referrals, allowing you to have fair commission payouts.

4. Affiliate Relationship Management Tools

What it is: Tools designed to facilitate communication, recognition, and feedback between merchants and their affiliates.

Why it matters: Effective relationship management positively impacts affiliate satisfaction and loyalty. It’s the key to higher productivity and better results for your affiliate program.

Different options within this feature:

• Customized communication channels: Tailored emails and direct messaging options integrated with the affiliate software.
• Recognition programs: Reward systems for acknowledging affiliate achievements.

Ask yourself: How do I communicate with my affiliates? What’s the most convenient way for them to chat with me?

How Rewardful approaches this: Rewardful offers a suite of affiliate relationship management tools like personalized dashboards and integrations with email service providers to stay in touch with your affiliates.

5. User-Friendly Affiliate Portal

What it is: An intuitive, easy-to-navigate dashboard for the affiliates, giving them access to everything they need, including promotional materials, performance tracking, and account management options.

Why it matters: A user-friendly affiliate portal isn't just a convenience. It's a key ingredient for building a supportive affiliate experience. When your affiliates have everything they need at their fingertips—from marketing materials to performance tracking—it fosters motivation, boosts productivity, and ultimately leads to increased revenue for everyone involved.

Different options within this feature:

• Customizable dashboards: Allowing affiliates to personalize their view and access the information most relevant to them.
• Access to promotional materials: Providing easy access to banners, links, and other marketing resources.

Ask yourself: How tech-savvy are my affiliates? What kind of experience do I want to offer them?

How Rewardful approaches this: Rewardful's affiliate portal is designed with user experience in mind. You and your affiliates will get access to a clean, customizable, and, above all, intuitive interface that is easy to navigate.

Related: Boost your affiliate's conversion rate by providing these six affiliate starter-kit items.

6. Data Ownership and Repurposing

What it is: The assurance that you have full control over and access to the data generated by your affiliate program, with the flexibility to export and use this data as needed.

Why it matters: Having ownership of your data and the ability to transfer it ensures that you're not restricted to a single platform, empowering you to repurpose these valuable insights for other business areas.

Different options within this feature:

• Comprehensive data export: Allowing you to download detailed reports and raw data.
• Integration with business intelligence tools: Options to feed data directly into business intelligence (BI) tools for further analysis.

Ask yourself: What data am I collecting, and what does this mean regarding compliance and privacy? How can I leverage this data for growth?

How Rewardful approaches this: Rewardful provides full data ownership and an easy transferring process, ensuring you can access, analyze, and act on your affiliate program data seamlessly.

7. Robust Customization 

What it is: The ability to customize many aspects of the affiliate experience, from the look and feel of the affiliate portal to the specific details of the affiliate registration form.

Why it matters: Deep customization options ensure that every touchpoint with affiliates reflects your brand's identity, meets your program's unique needs, and makes your affiliate program offering the most desired one in the market.

Different options within this feature:

• Branding options: Tools to customize the design and branding of the affiliate portal.
• Form field customization: Being able to tailor the information collected during affiliate registration.

Ask yourself: Which elements of my affiliate program do I want to customize?

How Rewardful approaches this: Rewardful offers extensive customization options, not just in branding but also with customizable commissions, cookies, and much more.

Related: See 10 reasons Rewardful stands out among similar affiliate management tools.

8. Integration with Other Tools

What it is: A seamless connection of affiliate software with, for instance, analytical and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. This will give you granular data about your audience, marketing efforts, and brand values.

Why it matters: Smooth integrations with third-party apps improve efficiency and productivity. You won’t need to switch between tools to work on the same data. This minimizes human errors and gives a more holistic view of what is being done.

Different options within this feature:

• Analytics integration: Direct connections to platforms like Google Analytics for detailed performance tracking.
• CRM integration: Syncing with CRM systems to provide a comprehensive view of customer interactions and conversions resulting from affiliate referrals.

How Rewardful approaches this: Rewardful integrates with your favorite platforms and plugins, like Stripe, Paddle, MemberStack, and many more. Better yet, connecting them requires zero coding and can be done in minutes.

9. Top-Class Customer Support

What it is: Customer service includes live chat, email support, knowledge bases, and community forums.

Why it matters: Quality support can significantly reduce downtime, help resolve issues quickly, and improve the overall user experience. It also helps you get the most out of your tool.

Different options within this feature:

• 24/7 live chat: Immediate assistance at any time of the day. (Note: this could be humans or bots.)
• Knowledge base: A directory containing guides, tutorials, and FAQs for self-service troubleshooting.
• Community forums: Platforms where users can share insights, ask questions, and learn from each other’s experiences.

Ask yourself: What’s my preferred channel for getting support? Does a speedy response matter? (Always, always try the support first, before or during a free trial, even if you have to make up a question.)

How Rewardful approaches this: Rewardful prioritizes customer support quality. Our customer service team is quick, friendly, and knows all the ins and outs of the tool to help you find the best solutions effectively. See what our happy customers say about our legendary customer support, such as this one: “It was easy to set up, and when I did get a little confused, their support team immediately walked me through how to do what I needed. This is AWESOME!”

10. Affordable Price 

What it is: Consider the features you need and the available budget before making any buying decisions.

Why it matters: What happens if your program takes up and you recruit more affiliates? What if it doesn't work out, and you want to cancel? Price flexibility ensures you only pay for the features and capabilities you need, making it easier to start small and scale as your affiliate program grows without overcommitting resources.

Different options within this feature:

• Tiered pricing plans: Different levels of service and features that are priced based on affiliate size, offered features, or levels of customization.
• Pay-as-you-go options: Pricing based on actual usage.
• Custom enterprise solutions: Tailored pricing and features for large or complex affiliate programs.

Ask yourself: How much can I afford to spend right now? How big could my program get, and what would that mean for my budget?

How Rewardful approaches this: Rewardful offers a range of pricing plans designed to grow with your business. From startups to enterprise-level programs, our transparent pricing model is designed to provide the flexibility you need to maximize your affiliate marketing efforts without breaking the bank. Check which Rewardful’s pricing plan works for you here.

Don’t Compromise on The Features of Your Affiliate Management Software

To avoid being overly impressed and overwhelmed with the offered features and promises, make a wishlist first, then start shopping. We hope this guide helps you identify the basic features you should look for when choosing your affiliate management software.

If you want to dive deeper into how Rewardful addresses these essential features, visit our features page, or see how this AI-based company earned $50k+ in revenue with Rewardful!