CASE STUDY

From ShareASale to a Fully Launched AWIN Affiliate Program

How a European software and digital-products brand transitioned its affiliate infrastructure, implemented AWIN tracking across WordPress and WooCommerce, resolved technical integration issues, and launched a functioning program ready for publisher recruitment and growth.

The Clients

Client Snapshot

Industry

Software & Digital Products

Market

Europe, with UK & US targeting

Original Platform

ShareASale

New Platform

AWIN

Engagement

Platform Transition, Setup, Technical Integration & Affiliate Management

Role

Affiliate Manager & Program Implementation Specialist

Engagement Length: 6+ months
Starting Point: Existing affiliate activity requiring stronger infrastructure and expansion

“The client was selling software and digital products and wanted affiliate marketing to generate qualified traffic and sales through additional publishing and affiliate channels.”

RESULTS AT A GLANCE
ShareASale → AWIN

Affiliate Platform Transition

June 25, 2024

AWIN Program Went Live

Tracking Resolved

AWIN + WooCommerce Integration

20% / 10%

Affiliate Commission / Customer Discount

Recruitment Started

Publisher Outreach Activated

5.0 ★ — Client Rating on Upwork

This case study focuses on implementation and launch outcomes rather than revenue attribution. Historical sales-performance data was not retained, so no revenue, ROAS, or sales-growth figures are claimed.

THE CHALLENGE

More Than Moving From One Affiliate Network to Another

The project was not simply about opening another affiliate-network account.

The brand needed the technical and commercial infrastructure required for an affiliate program to function properly.

Key requirements included:

  • transitioning affiliate activity toward AWIN
  • completing AWIN advertiser setup
  • configuring WordPress and WooCommerce tracking
  • testing affiliate transactions
  • resolving tracking and checkout integration problems
  • creating an affiliate-facing landing page
  • adding the affiliate program into the website journey
  • establishing commission and customer-discount structures
  • creating promotional banners and assets
  • preparing the program for publisher recruitment
  • supporting ongoing affiliate management

The engagement therefore combined affiliate management with hands-on technical program implementation.

THE OBJECTIVE

Build a Program That Was Actually Ready to Operate

The objective was not simply:

Create AWIN Account → Go Live

The real process required:

Configure → Integrate → Test → Fix → Build Assets → Launch → Recruit

Every stage depended on the previous one working correctly.

A publisher recruitment campaign would have little value if transactions could not be tracked reliably or if affiliates lacked the landing pages, promotional materials, commissions, and program information required to promote effectively.

THE STRATEGY

Build the Operating Infrastructure Before Scaling Recruitment

AWIN Account Setup

The advertiser account was taken through the setup process required to prepare the program for launch.

WordPress & WooCommerce Tracking

AWIN tracking needed to work correctly with the brand’s ecommerce environment.

Tracking implementation and transaction testing were therefore treated as core launch requirements rather than post-launch tasks.

Commercial Structure

The program used:

20% affiliate commission

and

10% customer discount

to create a commercially attractive affiliate proposition while giving partners a customer-facing promotional incentive.

Affiliate Landing Page

A dedicated affiliate landing page was created on the website and linked from the footer so prospective partners had a clear destination for understanding and joining the program.

 

Promotional Assets

Banner creatives and other promotional materials were prepared before launch so publishers would have practical assets available when recruitment began.

Technical Validation

The program was not pushed live immediately.

Transactions, tracking, promotional assets, and other setup components were checked before go-live.

EXECUTION

From Platform Transition to a Live Affiliate Program

01

Platform Transition

02

AWIN Account Setup

03

WordPress / WooCommerce Integration

04

Commission & Discount Structure

05

Affiliate Landing Page & Assets

06

Transaction Testing

07

Technical Resolution & Go-Live

08

Publisher Recruitment

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION

When Affiliate Management Required Working Directly With Development

Tracking Issue

AWIN + WooCommerce

Developer Coordination

Technical Collaboration

Resolved

Transaction Tracking

During transaction testing, a technical issue appeared between AWIN tracking and WooCommerce.

AWIN could detect activity, but the integration was not recording transactions correctly within the expected advertiser workflow.

The problem required coordination with the client’s developer rather than treating it as a purely affiliate-network issue.

The issue was diagnosed collaboratively, the required integration behaviour was explained to the developer, and the problem was resolved.

If tracking fails, the commercial channel fails with it.

THE LAUNCH

AWIN Program Live — June 25, 2024

After account configuration, integration work, transaction testing, technical troubleshooting, and launch preparation, the AWIN program went live on June 25, 2024.

AWIN Account: Configured   |   WooCommerce Tracking: Implemented & Tested
Technical Integration Issue: Resolved   |   Affiliate Landing Page: Live
Commission Structure: Configured   |   Promotional Assets: Prepared
Program: Live on AWIN

RECRUITMENT ACTIVATION

From Technical Launch to Publisher Outreach

Launching the program was not the end of the engagement.

Once the infrastructure was operational, publisher recruitment and outreach began.

Affiliate invitations were sent and the initial response was positive.

The recruitment scope also expanded geographically.

The client subsequently asked for the program not to focus exclusively on the UK, but to target the United States as well.

Technical Setup → Launch → Recruitment → Market Expansion

The Engagement

WHAT THE ENGAGEMENT DELIVERED

Platform Transition

Affiliate infrastructure progressed from the existing ShareASale context into a functioning AWIN program.

Technical Implementation

AWIN was integrated with WordPress and WooCommerce, including transaction testing and issue resolution.

Launch Infrastructure & Developer Coordination

The affiliate landing page, commission structure, customer discount, banners, tracking, and affiliate-facing foundation were prepared before go-live. Technical problems were worked through directly with the development side until the integration issue was resolved.

Recruitment Readiness & Geographic Expansion

Once the program became operational, publisher invitations and recruitment activity began. The recruitment brief expanded beyond the UK to include the U.S. market.

EVIDENCE FIRST

Evidence First, Attribution Second

5.0-Star Client Rating

5.0 ★
Client Rating on Upwork

No testimonial or quote has been invented or rewritten.

Implementation Backed by Project Records

Affiliate Landing Page: A dedicated affiliate page was created and added to the website/footer structure.

Commercial Structure: The program established a 20% affiliate commission and 10% customer discount structure.

Tracking & Technical Resolution: AWIN/WooCommerce transaction tracking was tested, a technical issue was identified, and the integration problem was resolved with the developer.

AWIN Launch: The program was confirmed live on AWIN on June 25, 2024.

Recruitment: Affiliate invitations began after launch, with targeting expanding to include UK and U.S. opportunities.

Verified Outcomes — No Revenue Claim

Historical revenue-performance data is not available for this engagement. DES therefore makes no revenue, sales-growth, ROAS, conversion-uplift, or affiliate-sales-volume claim.

Migration. Integration. Tracking. Infrastructure. Launch. Recruitment.

Need More Than Just an Affiliate Network Account?

Launching an affiliate program successfully requires the platform, website tracking, commercial proposition, publisher assets, and recruitment process to work together.

DES can help build the technical and operational foundations required to take an affiliate program from setup to launch and ongoing partner development.