The problem facing networks, affiliates and merchants is who to reward for sale when a sales process is essentially “hijacked” at checkout by the consumer suddenly remembers they might be able to get a discount (or even cashback – lets’ not let them entirely off the hook here merchants!). They type in “voucher code + Merchant” and end up on a directory and end up purchasing with that cookie and not the sales channel of origin, whatever that may be! Bearing that in mind … now read the following:

[affiliates] should not be rewarded for sales made to customers that we have attracted though other channels who are already in our checkout process and see an empty field for a voucher code and then Google for voucher codes for us.

and then this one:

in the vast majority of sales attributed to a voucher code site, the customer was already in the checkout before visiting the code site and coming back to complete the sale.

Firstly, if you have a “enter voucher code here” box on your checkout isn’t that like sticking a sign up to your customer and saying “voucher codes are available, if you haven’t got one why not go and find one”? You’re facilitating the problem and it’s not solved completely by dropping VC site commissions or removing them from your program!

If you stand in a City Centre every day with a sign around your neck saying “kick me and take a tenner” you can’t complain a week later you’ve got loads of bruises and are down a few thousand quid.

If you’re a merchant who doesn’t issue codes – code out the voucher code box! Perhaps replace it with a link to your own deals. For example “spend another £10 and qualify for free postage and packing”. A bit of time sorting out your own site may well improve your affiliate program.

Secondly, if merchants are aware that they’re losing the vast majority of sales to a VC (or cashback) site at checkout then surely this calls for some kind of technological involvement where the last cookie isn’t over written for a period once the consumer has reached a certain point within the sales process?

Alternatively bring in “click link – set discount” systems that have been used successfully by a couple of merchants – e.g. Figleaves! There’s no need to issue a code (so need for click to reveal – just straightforward good old click link go to website), the consumer’s discount is automatically applied, and there’s no need for a box at checkout telling the customer to swan off for a short time and find one!

These sound so simple a solutions, and are perhaps better options than chucking out affiliates? However, simple solutions usually means it’s impossible to do or people aren’t keen to do it!

I fully appreciate that there are issues with the “sales journey”, and it’s only until we’re all privvy to extensive data about the effects of VCs & cashback on where commissions head too that we can fully get to grips with them, but at the moment some of the blame and responsibility for the current VC situation actually lies with the merchants themselves.

They’re the ones issuing codes, they’re the ones who can sort out their sites in terms of code boxes and influencing the consumer to go a searching and they’re the ones who can implement new voucher management systems.

If sales are changing channels at checkout then check out the checkout, don’t chuck out your affiliates!

I’ve spent the last few days in search of 125×125 buttons – in one case a bit too specific (duck related buttons) – but apart from that buttons for generic topics like gadgets, broadband and charity.

But blimey! What a palava and what an amazing amount of time wasting!

Some merchants have 125x125s (hooray), but unfortunately many don’t (booooo). Of the merchants that do have this creative size some of is is woefully out of date (booo some more). For example, Seatwave are promoting Rugby World Cup Tickets – just days before the Six Nations kick off and the mighty Wales look to beat everyone again.

Now costs will be cited as a reason for the lack of standard creative or up-to-dateness! As an affiliate I’d hope that networks are reminding merchants to pull their fingers out and on top of updates and that they’re telling clients “please provide these sizes”.

However, there seems to be little or no standardisation from merchant to merchant in terms of sizing plus very poor housekeeping in making sure that things are up to date – and that’s across all networks. It’s all incredibly frustrating.

Yes I could devise my own or resize the creative that is available – but time is a commodity and given the choice between playing with graphics (which no doubt would need to be given the ok by the merchant anyway) or picking up a 125×125 from a different merchant – guess which is more favourable?

On affiliates4u, recently, there was a discussion asking affiliates why sign up and not promote?

Well the answer is incredibly simple…

… because some merchants do their best to make it as hard as possible to get promoted at even the basic affiliate level of adding a banner. There should be a standard suite of creative (why some can create a 150×150 button but not a 125×125 I don’t know) and that creative should be kept up to date.

As affiliates we want to promote merchants – but please can you try and make it easier for us?

Sadly affiliate marketing life isn’t like that – and there are times when an affiliate reaches an end point and feels an issue is so important that it needs a right good airing in the public domain. John for example is mightily miffed with a network and has awarded them another Muppet of the Week title, and I’ve recently commented on an issue regarding revshare calculations!

In these cases the merchant (or network) can usually react in a number of ways.

1. They can dismiss the affiliate and say “ah, but they always complain – ignore it”!
2. They can bemoan the fact they’ve been “outted” and feel all issues should be kept private.
3. They can take the comments onboard and react positively to improve things.

Before choosing 1,2 or 3 above – wonder to yourself “blimey, this affiliate is really annoyed with this issue – in fact so much so they’ve gone public – let’s get it sorted asap”.

The fact is most affiliates would prefer to extol the virtues of merchants, affiliate managers and networks. However, when things aren’t working, and after exhausting the proper channels for answers or solutions, where else can the affiliate turn?

The answer is usually no where!

So how can you avoid a public flogging on the affiliate blogosphere?

1. Listen, understand and be sympathetic towards your affiliates!
2. Respond to their enquiries and make sure they’re happy with your answers.
3. Make sure you pay them – and they understand the commission structure.
4. Don’t take the michael with terms and conditions (e.g PPC, cookie changes).
5. Remember they’re working with you – don’t treat them badly!
6. Don’t be over demanding – don’t phone them at 2am.
7. If you realise your affiliate is annoyed – deal with it sooner rather than later!

And finally….

8. Remember that if you end up in the public eye for the wrong reasons, that the affiliate is probably felt compelled to do so due to failures occurring in any or all of 1 to 7 above!

However, the loss of chill factor is mainly attributed to a merchant trying to convince me to promote them because their conversion rate is around 73%!

Now let’s for a minute assume the merchant isn’t telling porkies, my personal feeling is that they are, what exactly does this 73% conversion actually mean?

It means nothing!

So why is this stat not making me jump on board the bandwagon of promotion for this bingo merchant?

1. Conversion could mean click to registration, but I don’t get paid for that… so it’s meaningless!
2. Conversion could mean registration to depositing players.. making the CR highly questionable!
3. It doesn’t tell us where conversions come from. E.g. Email, PPC, Cashback etc. or timescale!
4. It doesn’t tell us if those conversions generate commission!
5. It’s not my site!

And (5) is the key point here.

Just because Fred & Brenda’s Bingo Emporium is converting well for a particular merchant doesn’t automatically equate it will do well for another affiliate, and I really wish affiliate managers wouldn’t waste my time with pointless unqualified stats.

Fred & Brenda may only promote one merchant, they may have a bought in list of bingo players, they may be SEOed in a specific position and they may even be PPCing…. another affiliate may not be doing the same, and therefore their conversion is likely to be different.

Without qualification, statistics and conversion rates are just fancy numbers that mean nothing!

So What Do I Want To Know?

Firstly if I’ve been promoting you for sometime, I’ll have an idea of how well you convert for me. As mentioned in my previous blog there’s a pecking order, so all I want to know is… what you have available for me to consider promoting you more.

Perhaps a solus email creative did well, how about suggesting I use that?
Perhaps you’ve started a new competition or promotion, how about suggesting I write some content?
Perhaps you’ve figured out xml jackpot feeds, tell me about them?

In fact tell me anything useful so that I can promote you – the only figures I’m interested in are my conversion rates and the amount of ££’s that they generate.

As we work with a multitude of merchants, run a time intensive website, do other sites etc. that means your “bees knees” program is not always our priority – put simply, take a ticket and get in line… we’ll be with you shortly!

Promotion may happen, but in our time and our way….

Like all affiliates we have our favourites and established partners. These will usually get our top priority and attention. The reason for this is quite simple – they convert, they pay, they provide us with methods to promote them and they also have affiliate/merchant partnership history.

That’s not to say there’s no room at the inn, new merchants can come along and depose established encumbants in the prime positions.

So How Can You Climb The Charts & Head Towards No.1 (ish)!

1. Convert at Lower Positions!
A merchant might not get high priority on our sites until it’s shown life in a lower position. Put simply, if you convert then you will get more promotion. (Also see Flogging Dead Horses)

2. Tell Us About Your USPs!
Tell us why we should be promoting you and give us an angle to promote you. Perhaps you have a discount code, a competition, a freebie or a special offer?

3. Be In The Right Place at The Right Time!
This is pretty much out of a merchant’s hands, but sometimes you just get lucky and we might be looking for something to update on a particular subject for one of our sites. So make sure you’re posting on Affiliates4U or using blogs/emails to tell your affiliates what’s going on!

4. Send Us Content!
Press releases, content units, articles, links to items that might be of interest. That may sound lazy, but time is short and we’re busy, so it saves time if you actually highlight things about your program/merchant. Any headstart you can offer may be useful and get you noticed.

5. Don’t Hassle Us!
As mentioned earlier I’ve had a some emails asking about promotions – none particularly polite or inspiring a desire for a working relationship I must add. One, from a major bookmaker with a bingo site, even asked “when are you going to start promoting us”, even though they’ve been sending us cheques for the last 12 months. (Also see Are You Happy To Be Bought…)!

6. Do Hassle Us
But this contradicts (5) doesn’t it? Yes, but hassle us in a polite way and perhaps mention those USPs as in (2) or send us content as in (4) and it becomes a different kettle of fish. A few words of encouragement and information can make a lot of difference to any promotion you may get… and if you earn us commission, you’ll get more exposure!

7. Be Realistic!
If you have no promotions, competitions, discounts, offers or content… don’t expect to jump the queue ahead of other merchants that have them. Likewise, if we’ve only ever earnt £5 from you, the chances of getting favouritism over a merchant who’s earnt us thousands are quite slim.

8. Remember You All Can’t Be No.1
As much as it would be nice if we could fit everyone in the top spot, it’s just not possible. We have our priorities and they relate to us actually trying to earn a living.

Finally, don’t be upset that you’re not No.1 and that your banners are not plastered everywhere! That’s how it is, but do all the above and at least you’ll be noticed & noted, giving you the chance to be heading up the charts.

Not only has Kalim responded on the blog, he has emailed, apologised and made some generous offers in an attempt to build bridges. So thank you to Kalim for doing that – and good luck with your program. If you do decide to promote Xopic then Kalim has promised not to phone you at 2am!

The issue was raised with Webgains, and they too have been swift and positive in their response. So thanks also to Emma – some networks wouldn’t have replied until Monday, but there was a reply to my ticket within 30 minutes of it going in on saturday morning.

So all’s well that ends well – and all down to good network customer service and immediate merchant action!

Other networks and big brand merchants could learn from this!

Jasper & Claire at Jackpotjoy: To celebrate Loquax’s 10th birthday they kindly sent us a bottle of champagne and a congratulations card. A lovely gesture that speaks huge volumes.

Zak & The Prezzybox Team : Valentine’s Day wasn’t even over and Zak was encouraging affiliates to get Mother’s Day promotions up and running. Although our retail sales are never that strong, during our 15 minute MSN chat, the Valentine content we had was removed and Mother’s Day stuff added… promoting Prezzybox!

Tara Moar at Eqtr: We were lucky enough to pick up a £25 BHS voucher as part of a get a banner up and start promoting competition. The voucher will be offered as a prize to one of our users and we’ll try and see what we can do to promote BHS too.

Bruce & Mark at Existem AM: We often can’t do much with their clients, but they always ask. Voucher codes are regularly sent and both make working in AM a lot lot easier for affiliates. Always great to chat to them both too.

The Webgains Team: Always helpful and always responsive! When we’ve asked for discount codes or had feed issues, they’ve always got things sorted.

Figleaves: They’ve already had a blog of their own, but anyone who has the “inspiration” to send knickers and a rose to their affiliates should be applauded!

Apologies to anyone “obvious” who has been missed off.. there’s always another time as hopefully, I’ll remember to do this more often – perhaps every month or two – unless of course a mention on OLD (One Little Duck) encourages more networks and merchants to send freebies or provide us with help above and beyond the usual service.

So a big thanks for the chair. I can now sit in comfort whilst waiting for those Christmas sales to come in… what’s that? Mega Monday? Just gone…. oh dear… we’ll be having roast yellow rubber duck for Christmas dinner then!

If you would like a nice comfy chair then either wait for another pen counting competition or head off to Pen n Paper and select a Sonix Syracuse Leather Black Armchair! They also have an affiliate program which you’ll find over at Paid on Results!