The foundation affiliate audit: Aligning your partners, payouts, and proposition

Let us begin with the first component of my affiliate auditing framework. Before one can consider advanced strategies, it is imperative to ensure the foundations of the programme are fundamentally sound, must audits focus entirely on this piece. In my experience, addressing these core elements correctly resolves several major issues you’re likely to face down the line.

The objective of this section is to conduct an honest assessment of whether your programme is structured for optimal success, and it is achieving what ‘good’ looks like to you?

1. Evaluating goals & commission structures

The initial line of inquiry must be to define what success currently constitutes for your business. An objective established two years prior may no longer be relevant in the current landscape.

• Audit point: Are your primary Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) still aligned with your broader business objectives? Is the strategic focus on new customer acquisition, increasing average order value (AOV), or overall revenue generation?

• My experience: I once consulted for a client whose programme was optimised for revenue, while the business had a critical need for new customer acquisition. Their top-performing partners were exceptionally effective at converting the existing customer base but were not contributing to incremental growth. It was necessary to redefine the programme's primary KPI to 'new customer acquisition' before any meaningful strategic adjustments could be implemented.
  
  
• Action: Examine your commission structure critically. Does it effectively incentivise the desired outcome? If new customers are the priority, does your model include a CPA uplift for these conversions? If AOV is the key metric, have you implemented tiered commissions that reward partners for driving higher basket values?
  
  

2. Assessing the affiliate mix

Your partners are the engine of your programme; however, a healthy partner mix is defined by quality and strategic alignment, not merely by volume.

• Audit point: What percentage of your registered partners have driven at least one click within the last 90 days? Of that segment, what percentage has generated a sale? This calculation provides your 'active partner' rate, which is the most meaningful metric for engagement.
  
  
• My experience: It is highly common to observe the 80/20 principle, where 80% of revenue is generated by 20% of partners. While not inherently negative, this concentration represents a significant business risk. One must consider the potential impact if a top-performing partner alters their business model or is acquired.

• Action: Categorise your top 20% of partners by type or by impact: content publishers, deal sites, cashback platforms, or influencers versus new acquisition, retention, high AOV, etc. Assess whether there is an over-reliance on a single partner category. Subsequently, analyse the dormant 80%. It is probable that untapped potential exists within this group that could be realised through a targeted activation campaign.
  
  

3. Auditing creative assets & the core offer

Finally, it is essential to evaluate the resources provided to your partners and the value proposition presented to your customers.

• Audit point: When were your banner creatives last updated? Are your designated landing pages optimised for conversion? Is your primary offer (e.g. "10% discount on first order") still competitive within the market?
  
  
• My experience: I have witnessed well-structured programmes with excellent partners underperform simply because traffic was directed to a slow or confusing landing page, creating a fractured user journey. Similarly, outdated creative assets fail to inspire consumer confidence.

• Action: You must personally navigate the customer journey through several partner links. Assess the seamlessness of the experience and the relevance of the landing page to the offer presented. Following this, conduct a direct comparison of your offer against those of your primary competitors. Does your value proposition remain compelling?

By addressing these three foundational pillars, your goals, your partners, and your proposition- you establish a programme that is stable, strategically aligned, and prepared for growth.

In Part two, we will examine the technical and trust-based components, including tracking and compliance.

Ready to unlock the full potential of your affiliate programme?