Turning Affiliate Intent into Revenue

Refersion - B2B SaaS

Amazon Integration

Problem: Shopify brands sold successfully on Amazon but flew blind—affecting $50M+ in annual GMV—unable to act on performance.

What we shipped: I led research with 10 enterprise customers and analyzed data from 50+ affiliates to design an Amazon integration that turned opaque data into clear signals and next steps.

Impact: The result was 3× higher conversions, stronger affiliate economics, and a new revenue stream projected at $2M in ARR.

User Problem

“I manage data, track conversions, and pay commissions for my direct affiliates in my Shopify store. I need the same functionality to scale on Amazon, which feels like a black hole with no data.”

Context

Refersion helps e-commerce brands manage affiliate programs with publishers. As Refersion’s partnership with Shopify expanded, the company grew from 30 to 100 employees in 2021. I led end-to-end research across multiple product teams, translating customer behavior into product strategy..

TL;DR

Shopify brands sold successfully on Amazon but flew blind—affecting $50M+ in annual GMV—unable to act on performance. I led research with 10 enterprise customers and analyzed data from 50+ affiliates to design an Amazon integration that turned opaque data into clear signals and next steps. The result was 3× higher conversions, stronger affiliate economics, and a new revenue stream projected at $2M in ARR.

What we shipped

Methodologies → Analytics, Generative and Evaluative interviews, Ethnographic studies, Card sorts, Design workshops, Journey mapping, Usability, Beta testing

Amazon API integration:
Timely performance signals from Amazon to Refersion that created visibility and built trust, decreasing wasted ad spend.

Role-based dashboards:
Manager and growth views with recommended “next best action”, helping customers make faster, more confident decisions.

Cohort & performance summaries:
Signals that highlight where to double down and comparisons to help customers more confidently reallocate budget, improving return on ad spend.

Outcomes

The change was tangible. Campaigns optimized with these tools saw 3×+ conversion lift. Affiliates moved into higher-paying, direct relationships. Refersion unlocked a new revenue stream and attracted Amazon-first brands. Customers felt in control again—NPS climbed, churn risk dropped—and internally, I became the person people turned to when they needed to understand Amazon and make smarter growth decisions

How I Drove Alignment

  • Decision-ready readouts: Insight → decision → shipped change, always tied to revenue impact.

  • Lunch & Learns: 10-minute updates that kept execs and ICs moving.

  • Prioritization matrix: Made trade-offs explicit