suede-referrals

Design the referral loop in four steps: identify trigger moments (after the first aha moment or milestone), choose a share mechanism (in-product sharing converts best), pick an incentive structure (double-sided rewards convert higher), and define the referred-user conversion flow. Then set fraud thresholds and a launch checklist before announcing.

Referral programs reward existing customers for recommending your product to their network, offering higher trust but lower volume. Affiliate programs pay third-party promoters like creators and bloggers ongoing commissions, giving higher volume and reach to audiences you do not already have.

Combine technical controls (email verification, device fingerprinting, IP monitoring) with policy controls (reward clawback on refunds, per-period caps, manual review above a set dollar amount). Always tie rewards to a qualifying downstream event like a paid conversion, never to signup alone.

Track active referrers, referral conversion rate, viral coefficient (K-factor), CAC via referral versus other channels, and LTV of referred customers. Calculate program ROI as revenue from referred customers minus rewards, tool costs, and management time, divided by program costs.

Size the maximum reward as customer LTV times gross margin minus your target CAC. Typical ranges are $10-50 or 10-25% of first purchase for B2C, and $50-500 or one to three months free for B2B SaaS.

No. The skill only produces analysis and recommendations; it does not enable programs, create affiliate accounts, issue links, execute payouts, or change billing objects without verified live state and explicit user approval. Tax, privacy, and incentive compliance decisions are surfaced for jurisdiction-specific review.