Define the offer and the audience
Describe the product or service, the customers it serves, and the action a referral should lead to. This helps you identify partners whose audiences are relevant to the offer.
Clarify program responsibilities
Agree on partner criteria, permitted promotional practices, attribution rules, and the approval process. Payment and commercial terms should be documented with the business before the program begins.
Create a useful referral experience
Make the destination page relevant to the partner’s content and easy for the visitor to understand. Keep disclosures clear and use accurate descriptions rather than exaggerated claims.
Review quality as well as volume
Look at the usefulness of referrals, the customer experience, and whether partners follow the agreed terms. Tracking and results should be verified with the tools and policies your program actually uses.