No online store

[Lomax]

Hi Just a quick question.... do i need an online store to start an affiliate program to sell my product?

[Linda Buquet]

You are asking as a merchant, right? You want an affiliate program to sell your own product?

You don't need a store per say if you only have a single product or only a few products.

You do need at least a web site, that's properly optimized to make sales and you need a shopping cart that enables people to make a purchase. Then you'll need affiliate tracking software or an affiliate network. Your software or network needs to be compatible with your shopping cart solution so that everything will work together.

What type of product(s) do you sell? (General category, not specific.) Once I know that I can make some affiliate tracking solution recommendations.

[Lomax]

Custom Jerseys and similar apparel.. my business is 6 years old and I have always sold online. I used google add words and now use google banner adds.
It a crap shoot though, I wood rather pay commission on actual sales.

[Linda Buquet]

Well you asked...

Originally Posted by Lomax

do i need an online store to start an affiliate program to sell my product?

But if you've been selling online you already have a store right???

Here are a couple options for starting an affiliate program.

BEST: Shareasale affiliate network - Many advantages! (Easier to attract affiliates via a network, plus the network pays affiliates for you so there is not the normal trust issue for affiliates wondering if a company they don't know will pay them and many other benefits including much easier to set it all up.

Other option: IdevAffiliate software

See this page for more info: Affiliate Software - Affiliate Networks

Hope this helps and best of luck!

(NOTE: I'm moving this from the affiliate forum to the merchant/affiliate manager forum.)

[Lomax]

No I don't have a store all my sales are quote based