Most people claim that doing an iGaming affiliate platform migration is a nightmare. But what if you’re wasting your program’s potential with the wrong platform?
Some of the concerns our migration team hears often from business owners are potential downtime, affiliate pushback, and data loss. These are valid fears that can cause anyone with an established affiliate program to hesitate switching even when it’s clear that they should.
However, if you have taken the time to find the best affiliate management software for your needs and have an expert team to guide the process, the benefits of affiliate platform migration can far outweigh the potential risks. You may get better transparency, real-time data, more satisfied partners, and increased revenue.
At Cellxpert, we have proven this time and time again as we carry out seamless migrations for various clients each year. In this guide, we cover what you should know about switching affiliate software to help you see the opportunity and you can decide for yourself.
What is Platform Migration?
In iGaming, platform migration is the process of transferring an affiliate program from one management software to another. It involves moving various components of your program, such as affiliate profiles, ongoing and past campaign information, conversion data, and financial records like payouts.
The common reasons for switching affiliate software are improving performance, accessing better features, and enhancing data management. Some iGaming operators also seek affiliate platform migration when they feel the costs aren’t justified by the services they receive.
This means affiliate platform migration is all about upgrading an existing ecosystem to a more advanced one. As such, consider transitioning only to a more robust and scalable solution that can handle and adapt to the specific needs of the iGaming vertical you operate in.
Common Fears and Challenges of Switching Affiliate Software
Most people dread affiliate platform migration because of the possibility of experiencing downtime. No business owner wants to watch revenue slip through their fingers because of something they initiated. If the downtime extends, there’s also the risk of broken affiliate links, which can mean lost traffic and commissions for affiliates. This can damage relationships and trust between operators and their partners.
Other fears and challenges include data loss and operational disruptions. If data is lost or corrupted during the process, there may be huge operational issues, like inaccuracies in tracking affiliate performance and user accounts.
Worse still, affiliates might resist the transition because of the changes they might have to make.
Strategic and Seamless Affiliate Platform Transition
Those who dread switching platforms aren’t paranoid. Migrating data to a new affiliate software can be overwhelming, especially for well-established programs. But it can be smooth and efficient with due diligence, key steps, and expert guidance.
So, successful transitions aren’t blind leaps. Instead, they are well-planned and strategic moves that seek to anticipate and mitigate the potential risks. Some of the migration planning tips include:
- Creating a backup of all current or old data before migrating to new software to avoid unexpected issues;
- Exporting existing data in an easy-to-understand format;
- Testing the new system with dummy data to ensure everything works properly during the transition process;
- Monitoring metrics such as clicks, conversions, and revenue in real-time to identify any issues post-migration;
- Clear communication with existing affiliates during the migration process.
Why Operators Delay Migration
Business owners sometimes delay affiliate platform migration because of not weighing the potential risks vs. benefits and failing to understand the true cost of the hesitation. Here’s a more detailed overview of these reasons:
Perceived Risks vs. Actual Benefits
Many operators in the iGaming industry hesitate to make affiliate software switches because of the potential downsides they have heard repeatedly. However, the claim that switching affiliate software is too disruptive is more of a misconception that often overshadows the actual benefits.
In reality, while migration can have short-term challenges, the long-term gains are worth it. A seamless iGaming affiliate platform migration can result in:
- Streamlined operations;
- Increased affiliate satisfaction through improved tools and support;
- Better compliance with regulatory requirements;
- A higher return on investment (ROI).
So, every moment spent avoiding migration is time lost to inefficiency, limited insights, and missed revenue opportunities. A risk-averse mentality also conceals the harsh truth that outdated or inefficient platforms silently take away competitive advantage. Learn more about Cellxpert’s advanced reporting capabilities.
The Cost of Staying with an Outdated Platform
Most of the time, staying with a platform that no longer adapts to your business needs means accepting limited tracking capabilities and a lack of transparency in affiliate reporting. Don’t underestimate anything that affects your ability to get comprehensive performance analysis. After all, those are the insights you need to avoid missing opportunities and get rid of inefficient marketing strategies.
Also, outdated systems often struggle to scale. Such issues make it difficult to meet modern iGaming demands like increased user traffic, operating in emerging verticals, and regulatory compliance.
They also make managing multiple iGaming verticals a complex puzzle while it is actually supposed to be a strategic advantage. Why remain in a trap where you struggle to scale, adapt, and meet the evolving demands of iGaming affiliate partnerships?
In short, the true cost of delaying affiliate tracking software migration shows up in various ways, like lost opportunities, frustrated partners, and diminishing market responsiveness.
Benefits of Migration: Why Now is the Time
Online gaming businesses often switch to new affiliate platforms for better features and analytics. These include access to real-time data, increased transparency, and improved scalability. Let’s take a look at the benefits of switching affiliate software.
Enhanced Transparency and Real-Time Data
Real-time reporting means you’ll have a crystal-clear dashboard that shows every affiliate interaction, conversion, and performance metric as it happens. The immediate access to performance metrics gives you an opportunity to swiftly identify which affiliates are driving traffic and conversions. In turn, such insights can help you make timely adjustments, including reallocating resources to more effective channels or affiliates.
For your marketers, real-time data helps them capitalize on trends and optimize their efforts for best results. Transparent affiliate tracking also ensures affiliates have access to clear, accurate data regarding clicks, conversions, and commissions. This helps build trust between affiliates and operators.
When they can see how their efforts translate into results through clear and accessible reporting, it reinforces their confidence in the partnership. This is important given the competitiveness of the iGaming space. High-performing affiliates tend to engage more with programs that have robust affiliate tracking software and transparent tracking.
Improved Integration and Scalability
Another notable benefit of switching affiliate software is the enhanced integration and scalability capabilities.
- Integration with Multiple Systems: State-of-the-art affiliate management platforms support seamless integration with various tools and services to enhance operational efficiency.
- Management of Diverse Verticals: Whether you’re managing social and sweepstakes casinos, sports betting platforms, real-money online casinos, or other emerging gaming verticals, an advanced software like Cellxpert will handle them all under one roof. So, your affiliates can diversify their offerings and reach broader audiences.
- Adaptation to Changing Regulations: Modern affiliate software has in-built compliance algorithms and utilizes technology that allows for quick adaptation to evolving regulatory requirements.
Future-Proofing Your Business
Change is indeed constant, especially in the iGaming affiliate business. There are always emerging trends, such as mobile gaming and crypto gambling, that affect player preference and data privacy regulations. A modern affiliate management platform offers the capabilities to adapt to such changes.
Therefore, upgrading to a truly up-to-date platform that utilizes modern technology like blockchain and artificial intelligence means you’ll be well prepared for the evolving iGaming space. It will protect your program from potential disruptions and also position you to seize new opportunities as the market changes.
Cellxpert’s Solutions for a Seamless Migration
At Cellxpert, we understand the migration process can be overwhelming for operators. But we promise anyone switching their iGaming affiliate program to Cellxpert a seamless migration. That’s because we have specialized and advanced tools to minimize downtime, protect data, and choose what information categories to transfer.
Minimizing Downtime and Ensuring Continuity
Cellxpert’s platform has several advanced features that minimize downtime and ensure continuity during affiliate platform migration.
One of the standout features is our click-proxy technology, which allows for uninterrupted tracking even while migrating. What happens is that the existing affiliate links are redirected to Cellxpert’s tracking links. That way, affiliates don’t have to update their referral links right away.
To further reduce downtime, Cellxpert utilizes another solution called parallel system operations. It involves running both the old and new affiliate tracking systems simultaneously. Having the old system remain functional as the new one is set up and tested means no disruption to ongoing campaigns. As a result, you protect revenue and maintain affiliate trust.
Data Security and Integrity
Your data is completely safe with Cellxpert. Here’s how we ensure your data isn’t lost or corrupted in the migration process:
- Structure: We use a specific format for data in every vertical with clearly defined fields.
- Single-File Rule: The data for each section is submitted in a single file to avoid inconsistencies that occur in multiple file situations.
- Mandatory Fields: To ensure no information is left out, we mark certain fields as mandatory.
- Character Limits or Format Requirements: Particular fields with specific formats, like email addresses and usernames, have limits and rules that help in maintaining data integrity.
Our system also has advanced encryption and secure protocols to safeguard sensitive information. This minimizes the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access.
Customizable Migration Tiers
Our iGaming affiliate program migration services are also flexible to meet the needs of different operators. We have three tiers of data migration, each with its own benefits in terms of level of detail and technical capabilities.
Base Information
The Base Information tier is for those who want to transfer just the essential data quickly. It allows operators to maintain core functionalities without overwhelming complexity.
Aggregated History
This one is like the middle ground. It’s suitable for those who want to transfer historical data in a summarized format. So, you’ll get comprehensive information to understand for instance, the overall performance during the previous affiliate program but without granular details.
Granular History
The third and last tier is for operators who wish to take advantage of every nuance of their affiliate performance. The Granular History tier meticulously transfers detailed historical data to empower businesses with comprehensive insights into past campaigns and trends.
Overcoming Migration Challenges with Cellxpert
Discover how Cellxpert can help you overcome the various migration challenges. We have tools to help you deal with affiliate resistance, capabilities to handle multiple verticals, and automated compliance technology.
Affiliate Pushback and Adaptation
Affiliates may have concerns about how the transition will affect their existing campaigns and commissions. To address these concerns, give them consistent updates on the migration timeline, features of Cellxpert, and how these changes will enhance their experience.
Once the migration is set and done, consider providing your partners with educational materials, including videos, tutorials and webinars. It’s proven that comprehensive training for affiliates on new software increases adoption rates.
Also establish dedicated support channels where affiliates can ask questions and receive immediate assistance. This helps build trust and reduces anxiety about the transition.
Handling Multi-Vertical Complexity
You don’t have to worry about multi-vertical support with Cellxpert at all. We offer vertical-specific tracking capabilities to help in optimizing performance across different sectors. Each iGaming vertical has unique metrics that need to be monitored, including:
- Conversion Rates: Understanding how each vertical converts can help tailor marketing strategies.
- Player Lifetime Value (PLV): This metric allows operators to assess the long-term profitability of their affiliates in different segments.
- Net Gaming Revenue (NGR): Tracking NGR helps operators gauge the financial success of their affiliate partnerships.
Besides, we also offer flexible commission structures. These include revshare, hybrid, and CPA models. You are free to use whichever structure will increase affiliate motivation and engagement for each vertical.
Regulatory Compliance
We also don’t want you to get in trouble with regulators and pay hefty fines or risk business closure. Therefore, we have inbuilt compliance tools to keep track of and adhere to iGaming-specific regulations for each vertical in different jurisdictions. Adhering to GDPR compliance ensures your affiliate program remains secure and trustworthy during the migration process.
Cellxpert’s robust tools also support promotion management and compliance monitoring. This makes it easier to track if your affiliates are violating any rules and regulations in their promotional messaging.
Recognizing When It’s Time to Migrate
Still not sure whether it’s time to make an affiliate platform switch or not? See the key signs below and discover how to decide without hesitation.
Key Signs You’ve Outgrown Your Current Platform
There are several signs that can show that it’s time to migrate from your current affiliate management platform. They often arise when your business is expanding but the software isn’t matching up.
- Difficulty Managing Multiple Verticals: If you struggle to effectively track and optimize affiliate performance across different sectors, it’s a clear indicator that your platform lacks the necessary capabilities.
- Affiliate Complaints: Frequent complaints from affiliates regarding reporting delays or inaccuracies can undermine trust and hinder performance. If affiliates are frustrated, it’s time for an upgrade. You should also go for software that has a user-friendly interface to retain affiliates.
- Compliance Challenges: If your current system lacks advanced features to ensure regulatory compliance, you risk facing legal issues. A robust platform is essential for navigating the complexities of the ever-changing iGaming regulations.
If you’re experiencing these challenges, consider migrating to a more advanced solution to enhance efficiency and support your affiliate program’s growth.
Making the Decision
Deciding whether to migrate your affiliate program involves weighing short-term disruptions against long-term benefits. While transitioning to a new platform may initially cause temporary challenges, such as training affiliates and adjusting workflows, the potential for enhanced tracking, reporting accuracy, and compliance far outweighs these hurdles.
The best part is that you will not be doing this alone. Cellxpert has migration experts to facilitate this transition. Our comprehensive support ensures a smooth migration process, minimizes downtime, and addresses any technical issues swiftly.
Switch to Cellxpert iGaming Affiliate Software Seamlessly Now
Affiliate platform migration is an opportunity to switch to more advanced and capable software that will allow your business to grow and outperform competitors. At Cellxpert, we have managed to dismantle the misconception about affiliate data migration being too disruptive with innovative solutions.
So, don’t let fear of migration prevent you from achieving exceptional results. Cellxpert offers a personalized migration experience that turns potential challenges into strategic opportunities.
Ready to see how seamless migrations happen and start utilizing powerful tracking and reporting tools? Schedule a demo now and we will be informing you about all the details right away.
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