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Digital Marketing Manager at Provident
07 September 2006 17:05pm
Please can you give me some advice - I'm a merchant and I currently work with 3 affiliate networks. Is their a valid reason why I should not sign up with numerous networks, in order to increase affiliate lead generation ? I get the message that this seems to be frowned upon, however I never get a straight answer why. Please can someone shed some light on the matter.
Thanks in advance
E-Business Assist UK Ltd
07 September 2006 18:46pm
In my personal opinion, as one of the top UK affiliates, there is little if any added value in a merchant belonging to any more than 2 affiliate networks.
Most, if not all, affiliates earning significant revenue are members of all of the affiliate networks anyway, so the extra coverage you get from being a member of multiple networks is negligible.
The more networks you use, the higher your costs, the extra the complexity of your tracking, and ultimately, the thinner you have to spread your affiliate management resource.
However many networks you are with two things I would say are critical:
1. Ensure consistency of offering - do not be tempted (or persuaded by the network) to offer a higher rate of commission on one network than another - I simply do not have time to go chasing offers and changing links on a whim to follow the best offer - a golden rule here is that it is less effort for an affiliate to simply delete a link to a merchant than it is to change that link for another link for the same merchant on an alternative network - there are many reasons why I may choose one network over another, but level of commission payment should not be one of them.
2. Ensure that you offer the same creative in the same formats over all networks which you are a member - as above if I am promoting you on network A - I don't want to visit the site of another affiliate who is promoting you via network B and has creative which I do not have access to.
Hope this gives you some pointers - if you need more clarification please don't hesitate to ask.
CEO at Affiliate Program Advice
07 September 2006 21:53pm
I agree that 2 networks is really enough...
In my personal and professional opinion the case for multiple networks will depend on a few factors. Example where the product or service can be shipped to other countries.
In this particular instance, for the sake of finding new affiliates and again depending in what sector you operate, for example lets say fashion… rule of thumb, by the nature of what affiliates do, if they have signed up to one network, chances are they have signed up to them all where other fashion merchants have their affiliate program. There is a huge myth that by signing up with multiple networks you are going to get more affiliates, its not so much about the number of affiliates but quality. The buck stops with the merchant, if you have a good converting website and fair affiliate program in terms of commission structure, cookies and communication (basic requirement), affiliates will gravitate towards you anyway. My advice is be proactive and go source for affiliates. There are no short cuts :0)
I confess to using two networks and for the simple reason of not putting all my eggs in one basket. I think about the what ifs… what if one network has software failure, what if one network changes their terms and conditions and my clients cant comply, what if one network changes all their linking methods or embraces spyware. Never have I ever chosen more then one network based on the reasoning that I may be able to get more affiliates. Which is why, I no longer am keen to launch an affiliate program without some one driving the affiliate management side of things. Its just my perspective. There can of course be occasions where by the nature of your business, for example if it were the finance sector, where having multiple networks may be necessary as there are finance specific based affiliate networks, for example Online Media Group or smart quotes, but even under these circumstances I would still only choose two networks. One finance related and one mainstream.
The other disadvantage of having multiple networks, you have to repeat various processes and tasks multiplied by the number of networks you have joined.
On 17:05:14 7 September 2006 sarahbacon wrote:
Managing Director at AMWSO Co Ltd
08 September 2006 05:34am
I believe one is enough. There are many issues when you start rolling out across multiple networks.
Firstly tracking, how do you control who gets commission for a sale if a consumer gets tagged 3 + times, how do you even know and check that, whose commission do you cut?
Support, you need to support multiple link types, varios interfaces, every emil sent out has to be custimized for each network to ensure the links inserted are correct.
The work load increases massively and the chance for error and over paying on sales does like wise.
Cheers
Chris
CEO at Affiliate Program Advice
08 September 2006 08:55am
"Firstly tracking, how do you control who gets commission for a sale if a consumer gets tagged 3 + times, how do you even know and check that, whose commission do you cut?" You would use a local cookie, ask your network about this, they should be providing this information.
On 05:34:39 8 September 2006 ChrisSanderson wrote:
E-Business Assist UK Ltd
08 September 2006 13:17pm
I would argue that there is a good case for two networks instead of one.
One is fine unless they have a major problem with their tracking, in which case your whole affiliate channel is dead for the duration the tracking is down (and all networks have problems with their tracking at some time or another)
Digital Marketing Manager at Provident
11 September 2006 11:50am
Thanks for all your advice, we currently work with 3 affiliate networks - and we have quite complex tracking - so we should never pay for /or count duplicate applications. I'm currently working on our existing programme, improving communications, introducing Prize Draws, attending network events etc. I'm hoping this will be more beneficial than simply adding another network to our programme. I do get asked from time to time - why don't we just get another network onboard surely more networks mean more new doors?? so at the moment I'm trying to gather evidence to convince colleagues that more networks is not the answer.
Managing Director at AMWSO Co Ltd
12 September 2006 04:51am
One is fine unless they have a major problem with their tracking, in which case your whole affiliate channel is dead for the duration the tracking is down
Affiliates are hardly likely to be able to find, change and update all the pages that would be effected to be able to react to this if you had two networks. It would likely take more time update their data feeds, content, text links, banners etc etc... than it would take for tracking to be fixed. That's if they even noticed it was down or read the notification that it was down.
And if a merchant is working with a network that is constantly going down... then why work with them.
Cheers
Chris
Bharath & CO
11 December 2007 12:59pm
Hi!
I agree with you that we should sign up to a numerous affiliate networks. It works a lot to earn money. I have been through another site which offers an affiliate program with great advantages and it helps to earn a lot of money.Dream and win is a raffle site which offers you great kind of benefits. There are a lot of reasons to join the affiliates program. We get a wide range of payments options as well and you can earn them in no time. Register and earn the benefits.
Dream and Win
Manager at OnePlace
14 December 2007 21:02pm
We have researched this topic for some time and in the maize we struggle to find networks supplying for the recruitment, headhunt and hr sectors. Any suggestions?