Can Networks Do More For New Affiliates? February 27th, 2007 11:20 pm

In the recent affiliate survey “some respondees felt that networks needed to do more to assist and guide new affiliates”. Well this respondee has changed his opinion and thinks that networks do need to do more to help new affiliates. All they have to do is provide systems so that newbies can get started!

Over the last few weeks I’ve been using a second account on most networks to develop some new sites. Aside from the knowing about some programs and how each network’s system works, it’s been quite eye opening just how difficult it can be to get started as an affiliate.

Pending Programs
Some networks require affiliates to apply for programs. In the main, acceptance has been within 24 hours, but on one network programs applied for over 7 days ago are still in pending. The message this sends out to the proactive new affiliate, desperate to start writing content, is that they are better off putting effort into the programs they are already affiliated too - and if the network/merchants aren’t that bothered about getting new affiliates accepted, they’re probably not bothered about the program.

Finding Programs
Here’s a test for you! Imagine you’re a new affiliate. Login in to a network and see if you can find a directory of merchants! Then see if you can find a directory of merchants that you can search, with say key words. Then see if you can search merchants by the content of the product feeds.

It’s not as straightforward as it should be - in fact as far as I could find, only Webgains has a suggestion tool based on a keyword search. As an affiliate I have to either know which merchants a network has (and most don’t have a sensible list or directory), trawl through lists, or be restricted to specific category. To be fair, Affiliate Future, Paid on Results and Tradedoubler do have categorisation, but that can be limited (try searching “John Lewis” at Tradedoubler for example).

Also as networks do have product feeds, how about a keyword search based on feeds. For example, let’s say for some insane reason I want to promote duck related products (this site is due to be revised soon) - wouldn’t it be great if I could type in “duck” at the network and be shown merchants who have possible products to promote?

Lack of Creative
We’ve now found our programs, been accepted, and hooray we’re ready to put up some content and links. And then here comes another barrier to new affiliates - lack of creative, lack of updated creative or creative which has the domain plastered all over it.

In the end as a “new affiliate” based on these three problems, I’ve been unable to promote some merchants and become increasingly frustrated. An affiliate brand new to the system may even consider just giving up on a project simply because they can’t get moving as their progress is being hindered.

Networks have grown at exceptional pace, so much so it’s almost impossible to know all the merchants available. Therefore, categorisation of merchants is a must, as is the option to be able to properly search in depth based on a merchant’s activities and product feed. Creative also needs to be available in all basic sizes, without being plastered with urls - and it should be maintained and up to date.

And most important of all… don’t leave your affiliate’s pending!

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