Affiliate Marketing Programs -
Tips for Merchants
Just imagine having a large sales force scattered around the world, promoting your products of services?
That's what an affiliate program can do for a merchant... and makes a lot of sense. But how well does it work for the merchant?
Well... in the vast majority of cases, most of your salespeople (the affiliates who publish your ads on their web sites) create VERY FEW sales for you (to find out about a "typical" experience as an affiliate publisher, please start here).
What can you do, as the merchant, to help your affiliates perform better? How can you get top performing affiliates to market your products?
Here's some food for thought!
Commission Rates
Offer a commission rate of around (or under) 5%, and you won't attract much interest from affiliates. Merchants who offer a higher percentage (10%+) are more likely to attract my involvement :)
Click-Through Rates
If possible, offer a good click-through rate (around $0.10) instead of a commission on sales. To maximise the sales from click-throughs, make sure your site is doing its job properly.
Advertising Creative
Offer a range of creative to your affiliates - NOT just low conversion rate banner ads. Include tested button ads in a range of sizes, and well thought out text based ads.
Accurate Tracking
Provide accurate, real time tracking of all creative employed, so your affiliates can see what is working, and what isn't.
Cookie Duration
Once a visitor reaches your site, you set a cookie to track them (especially with sales on commission, or for lead generation programs). Make that cookie last AT LEAST 90 days... or even longer.
Pay Regularly
Pay all your affiliates the full amount due every month... even if it's only a couple of dollars. If you must have a minimum payout amount... make it around $10.
Use a Good Program
If you want to run your own program, use good software to keep track of everything. With CyberTrakker
for example, you get the whole tracking system to integrate into your web site (or your clients sites).
Or, use the services of affiliate program managers such as Australia's Commission Monster.
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Let Other Web Sites do the Marketing For You
Commission Monster
Australian site for both merchants and affiliates. More...
ClickBank
An online distribution center for over 10,000 digital products and services delivered entirely over the Internet. For both merchants and affiliates.More...
CyberTrakker Tracking Software for Merchants
Take total control of your affiliate and marketing tracking
with CyberTrakker. You get the whole tracking system to integrate into your web site or your clients sites. More...
The Service Sellers Masters Course
An intensive 10-DAY e-mail course on building a Web site that attracts potential new
clients from around the world (ex., copywriter)... or around the block (ex., fitness trainer). How? By building a site with content that inspires trust and that leads to that all
important first contract... and contract! Just send a blank email
The InfoProduct Masters Course
An intensive FREE 5-day e-mail course on creating and selling your very own infoproduct online... Just send a blank email
Clix Galore
Affiliate and Merchant Management Network Site. More...
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