Why tackle cyberspace alone? Careful selection of Internet partnerships can boost your online prospecting and sales

By Reported Donna Loyle

“This is a bold move on Sharper Image’s part,” notes Swedlund. “They’re saying, in essence, ‘We’ll reward you, even if you don’t buy from us.’ This is truly a creative co-marketing solution.”

What You Need to Know

While you can run such Internet partnership programs completely in-house, Deneen and Swedlund recommend outsourcing. “If you do it yourself, you have to find, purchase and implement software to track affiliate sales; hire specialized personnel to recruit other sites; and hire technical troubleshooters to handle the inevitable problems,” says Swedlund. “It most cases, it’s just better to outsource.”