ReferOn The Hidden Cost of Legacy Affiliate Platforms
Legacy affiliate platforms may still function, but the hidden cost of technical debt is becoming harder to ignore. ReferOn COO David Harris explains why outdated infrastructure is slowing onboarding, limiting scalability and restricting commercial agility, and why modern API-first technology is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage for operators looking to grow their affiliate programmes.
David, many operators still rely on affiliate platforms that were built a decade or more ago. Why do so many businesses continue to accept the "it still works" mentality when it comes to affiliate technology?
Simple answer - because it's easy. Tey’re comfortable and do not want to change. It is also possible that they have created workarounds in their operation to compensate for the shortcomings. Moving back to more efficient workflows while learning a new platform can seem disruptive in the short term, even if it saves significant time in the long run.
Technical debt is a phrase that's widely used in software development but less so in affiliate marketing. How would you define technical debt in an affiliate platform, and where does it begin to impact commercial performance?
I think technical debt is much more for software than marketing as it directly relates to code and loading. As software expands and adds more and more, the code must also have the support structure behind it to lift the code without breaking. Imagine you are building a tower and it becomes top-heavy with new floors that are wider and wider. It will eventually fall. Technical debt is the equivalent of that.
As features are added, the foundations also need to be strengthened to keep the platform stable. Resolving technical debt isn't particularly exciting from a client's perspective, but it's essential. To give a Referon example here, the most recent case is the role engine.
To allow the functionality of roles and privileges in the system, every endpoint, every button had to be reviewed. Tat work then has to continue as new functionality is introduced.
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What are some of the hidden costs that operators often overlook? Is it simply slower technology, or does it extend into recruitment, retention and day-to-day operational efficiency?
I think this is a big topic that can fall into many things, but let's focus on the topic of technology here; yes a slow, cumbersome technology can of course slow things down and create frustrations. Having quicker technology with easy features frees up time for higher-value tasks - performance analysis, negotiating deals and onboarding partners etc. Such examples could be creating campaigns or deals when a simple target is needed or perhaps reviewing data in reports and you can't access the level of reporting you actually need.
Affiliate managers increasingly expect to launch campaigns, create deals and onboard partners almost instantly. How have expectations changed over the last five years, and are legacy systems keeping pace?
As with everything nowadays, everybody wants things quickly. Tere are more programmes, more affiliates and more data points than five years ago and everyone is fighting for positions and communication lines. Affiliates need immediate access to tracking links and everything required to begin driving traffic.
Te quicker an affiliate can be set up, the quicker they can use the brand’s link and start pushing traffic. If a programme experiences delays and has problems with links or postbacks for example then it is simply wasted time. Te best example here is postbacks and real time data demands in the market. More affiliates are demanding postbacks - real-time server-to-server notifications of key events - with richer data fields and more frequent updates, enabling them to analyse campaign performance and optimise traffic as quickly as possible.
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