FAQ

Welcome to the Share Results FAQ page, your source for answers to the most frequently asked questions about affiliate marketing and the Share Results Affiliate Network.

I. Affiliate Program Basics

  • What is Share Results
    Share Results is an affiliate marketing company. We provide software, support, management and marketing services to help advertisers run affiliate marketing programs. In addition, we maintain an extensive affiliate network across several retail categories.
  • What is an affiliate?
    An affiliate (also known as a publisher) is a site owner who places links on their website to promote merchant's products or services. For their efforts, Share Results affiliates earn commissions for all the valid transactions/sales/leads referred to a merchant site that use their affiliate tracking links.
  • What is a merchant?
    A merchant (also known as an advertiser) is any company that sells a product or service, accepts payments and fulfils orders online. In the case of Share Results, our merchants are retailers, primarily in the family, education, entertainment and health sectors.
  • What is an affiliate program?
    An affiliate program is a type of partnership between a merchant and an affiliate where the online merchant compensates the affiliate for any transaction generated through the merchant's links on their website. Affiliates are paid a commission every time a valid customer or visitor is referred through their website and generates a transaction for the merchant. It's that easy!
  • What is a referral/2nd tier affiliate program?
    As a Share Results affiliate, you are entitled to additional commissions when you refer a new affiliate to a program through your link for Share Results merchants. You will earn a percentage of the commissions paid to the website (sub-affiliates) that you recruit. Referral commissions can also be a onetime payout for sign-up. There is also a referral program by the merchants, which consists of referring affiliates to specific merchant programs, in which additional commissions can be earned as well.
    Merchants who implement this program are giving incentive to their affiliates to encourage other affiliates to sign up. And with more affiliates promoting your product, you’ll have increased exposure in the marketplace as well as a greater chance of creating revenue.

II. About the Share Results Affiliate Network

  • What is the Share Results affiliate network?
    Share Results started as an affiliate network in 2004 and continues to be a growing network for retail affiliates and merchants. We facilitate mutually beneficial relationships that help our affiliates and merchants earn money. Affiliates can sign up and use one username and password for multiple affiliate programs. Share Results is a trusted third party providing retail merchants and affiliates with reliable and accurate tracking and the flexible technology that they need to be successful.
    Share Results affiliates send traffic to our merchants’ websites. When this traffic generates referrals or sales for our merchants, the affiliate earns a commission.
  • How do we connect merchants and affiliates?
    Once a merchant or affiliate joins Share Results, they become a member of our own Share Results network. Merchants will have access to affiliate profiles, demographic statistics and performance metrics that help them decide which websites best complement their own.
    Share Results plays an active role in fostering mutually advantageous partnerships betweenmerchants and affiliates. New merchants are introduced in our regular affiliate newsletter, and like-minded sites may be contacted individually with opportunities especially relevant to their users. One-on-one, Share Results can help merchants with affiliate recruiting, on a startup, ongoing or ad hoc basis.
  • Can I participate if my site is outside North America?
    Some countries may have restrictions on Internet products and services. As a merchant or affiliate, you need to be informed about your home country's legislation. If you have any questions, please contact our team and we will be happy to help you determine if you are eligible to participate.
  • What is the Share Results policy on spam?
    In accordance with the recent "CAN-SPAM Act of 2003" legislation, Share Results strictly prohibits affiliates from sending unsolicited mass emails or spam, whether via email, Usenet or any other form. Any affiliate using spamming techniques for soliciting referrals will be in automatic breach of our affiliate agreement and will be immediately terminated and legally pursued for any resulting damages.
  • Can I allow multiple people to access my account?
    You can create an unlimited number of users and designate access levels for each. As an affiliate, you may have more than one team member, and they will all have the ability to access the account as needed. Merchants can also set up multiple access to an account so that members of the accounting, marketing and administration teams will all have access.
  • What does Share Results do to protect against fraud?
    Share Results adheres to responsible business practices. If kept unchecked, website fraud and careless marketing such as spam or misleading advertising will harm affiliate programs and the Web marketing community as a whole. For our part, we monitor websites for bogus, obscene or hate-inciting content and review statistics for any unusual results or practices. We screen affiliates before they come into the network to verify identity and quality. We expect our merchants and affiliates to do the same, and ask that you report any questionable practices to info@shareresults.com.

III. Affiliates

  • What are the requirements for becoming an affiliate?
    By joining the Share Results affiliate network, a publisher agrees to avoid spamming and adhere to generally accepted standards of good business and Internet practices. An affiliate should have a working site or communicate to the network how they promote, and be reachable by phone and email. Most countries have adopted directives and guidelines regarding spam. All publishers should familiarize themselves with local spam laws. In addition, please review our Terms & Conditions.
  • How much does it cost affiliates to join Share Results?
    There are no costs associated with joining Share Results. Click here to apply.
  • How many merchant programs can I join?
    You may join as many merchant programs as you like, provided the merchant accepts your site into their program.
  • How do I get paid, and how can I be sure the payment is accurate?
    Share Results functions as an unaffiliated third-party. Merchants upload or post their sales and revenue data to our system. Our software tracks and calculates your commissions and earnings based on this data and we issue you a check.
  • What additional resources are available to affiliates?
    Share Results distributes regular newsletters with the latest merchant additions and promotions, as well as tips and guidance for increasing traffic and performance. In addition, you can sign up to receive helpful email newsletters from specific merchants you are interested in. Our technology support department offers 24-hour turnaround service. We also have promotional tools that help merchants provide affiliates with their latest creatives and our affiliate marketing team is available at every step of the way to provide them with tips and valuable resources. And our blog is regularly updated with industry trends and tips as well as recent promotional offers from merchants!
  • How do I get the code to link to merchant sites?
    Once you have signed up with Share Results, you can log into the affiliate system and access our library of merchant creative links and automatically generated code. Usually it is a simple cut and paste procedure.
  • Do you support a referral program (tiers)?
    Yes, assuming a merchant chooses to offer this option to its affiliates. You can earn commission on the earnings of affiliates whom you refer to Share Results. For example: WebsiteABC is an existing Share Results affiliate. WebsiteABC refers Website123 to Share Results. Website123 signs up with 3 merchants and earns $X in commission. WebsiteABC earns commission, which varies depending on the merchant program, on the commission earned by Website123.

IV. Merchants

  • What are the requirements for becoming a merchant?
    We evaluate a variety of factors including company size, e-commerce practices, number of years in operation, and marketing budget. Details vary depending on industry; we are looking for serious businesses and brands that maintain responsible business practices as we are interested in developing long-term partnerships. Fill out an information request online and a member of the Share Results business development team will contact you.
  • Can I choose which affiliates I partner with?
    We encourage you to play an active role in your program's affiliate recruitment. Our affiliate management software allows you to manually review and approve affiliates after viewing their websites, statistics and site offerings.
  • Can I offer different payment structures (commissions)?
    Yes. Share Result's software supports tiered or flat percentage rates (calculated from revenue or sales), individualized percentages, flat/CPA fees and referral commissions. We can also help you determine the right commission model for your industry and business, or create special rewards and incentives for affiliates with excellent performance.
  • Can I offer promotions or partnerships with only select affiliates?
    Of course. The system allows you to offer commissions to select affiliates or groups of affiliates. You can control the amount, time period and type of commission offered.
  • What sort of contact will I have with Share Results staff?
    Account management staff will be assigned according to the services you require. Depending on the services a merchant requires, they will be assigned a dedicated affiliate manager who will manage the day to day operations of the program, optimize advertising campaigns and communicate closely with and leverage our existing relationships with affiliates. In all cases, your satisfaction is our priority and we are committed to giving your company and program the resources it needs to succeed. Unlike some other businesses, we actually pick up the phone.
  • How do I get information on how my affiliate program is performing?
    Once you partner with Share Results, you have access to our proprietary web-based affiliate management software. You can track results and create reports, analyzing data by creative, campaign, affiliate or time period. Our dashboard allows you to see many of these reports at one quick glance.
  • What resources are available to merchants?
    We encourage you to take advantage of our online services and reporting features, which will give you an indication of what areas to focus on in your affiliate program. Our self-help resource area can address many of your concerns and troubleshoot common problems. Most importantly, our technology support department offers 24-hour turnaround service and will be able to help you with any additional questions that you may have about the program. In addition, you can contract our services, and a Share Results account manager or marketing consultant can help you develop strategies to meet your goals.
  • How do I update creative (banners, links)?
    If you choose to create your own advertising, a simple step-by-step process, similar to attaching a file to a document, helps you load creative into the system for affiliate use and ensures that you have the appropriate corresponding tracking code attached.

V. Affiliate Marketing Software

  • What systems does your software support?
    Since our affiliate management software does not directly interface with your backend or server, it is compatible with all common payment systems and shopping carts, including PayPal and XCart. The software is optimized for Internet Explorer and Firefox on all PCs.
  • How do you ensure that my customer database isn't compromised?
    Merchants only provide required information to Share Results—individuals are identified on an anonymous basis and personal information is discarded—ensuring that your customer database is not compromised in any way.
  • Can I run my affiliate program independently (i.e. do you offer a white label option)?
    Share Results gives you the option of licensing our software and running your own branded affiliate program. We recommend you have dedicated resources and experienced affiliate managers if you choose our white-label option. You can also discuss with us using our affiliate management services to manage your white label affiliate program.
  • How often does the software get upgraded?
    The software is updated regularly, generally every month. Our teams of software specialists are always on the lookout for new and engaging ways to enhance the product. Share Results is a relationship-based brand, and many of our upgrades come as a direct result of client feedback. Share Results conducts regular surveys, and our managers are in constant contact with our partners.
  • Do I need to pay for these upgrades?
    No. The software upgrades are absolutely free, and are available to all of our clients. If necessary, Share Results will give clients training on new features, all included in monthly fees. Share Results values the partnership with our clients, and we want them to have the best quality product.
  • How easy is it to migrate my existing affiliate program?
    Migrating your affiliate program to the Share Results Network is easy. Virtually any data that you need to see in your reports can easily be accommodated. Share Results works with you to assess the needs and then sets the detail level of data reported to the affiliate system.
  • What if a visitor isn't accepting cookies?
    The majority of web users have enabled cookie use. If by chance a visitor has chosen to block cookies, any sales he or she generates after visiting your site may be recorded, but sales made in future sessions will not be able to be tracked.

VI. Tracking and Getting Paid

  • How do I keep track of my earnings and referrals?
    By logging into our reporting interface area, you can monitor your daily traffic, earnings and referrals. Our quick glance dashboard enables you to view summaries of all your campaigns, including your month-to-date commissions.
  • How often are my stats updated?
    Each merchant updates their stats at various frequencies: Share Results stats can be updated in real time or daily, depending on the merchant. At minimum, your affiliate stats for each merchant are updated daily.
  • How do I know how much I am owed by each merchant?
    Log in to your Share Results affiliate account and select "Reports". On the Reports menu you will find a Payment Report. The Payment Report is a statement summary of commissions earned and bonuses issued during a specified date range for a specific merchant. If the total commission earned does not meet the payment threshold for the merchant then the commissions will be rolled over. If the threshold has been made the payment becomes due to be paid.
  • What commission structures do you support?
    The Share Results system can support virtually any commission structure, including (but not limited to):
    • Flat or tiered percentage revenue share
    • Flat or tiered CPA
    • Hybrid arrangements (combination of CPA and revenue share)
    • Up to five levels of sub-affiliate referral tiers
    • Use two different revenue share commission structures at once, with different commission bases (e.g. net sales, gross sales).
    • CPL
    • Product-Based Commission structures

    With the Share Results software, you can place individual affiliates on special bonus commission rates, offering either an ongoing increase or decrease, or a one-time performance bonus.

  • By whom do I get paid?
    Affiliates receive one payment a month on behalf of the merchants of the Share Results network.
  • When do I get paid?
    Affiliates get paid for approved transactions each month, as long as their combined commission exceeds their payment threshold. Payments are issued by the 10th working business day of the next month for approved transactions for the previous month.
  • How do I get paid?
    Share Results combines all merchant payments into one simple sum per affiliate. As long as the monthly sum reaches the threshold for that payment method, the affiliate will be paid.
    Affiliates choose just one method of payment.
    The consolidated threshold depends on the payment method chosen (see below).
    Payment method Available currencies Threshold
    Wire Transfer USD, CAD $ 500.00
    Cheque USD, CAD $ 60.00
    PayPal USD, CAD $ 20.00
  • What happens if I do not reach the threshold for that month?
    As before, the affiliate commission will be carried-over to the next month until your Affiliate commission total reaches the threshold.