Affiliate Programs

[Chalky]

HelenB,

I note that you've signed up with holiday extras. I contacted them and was a bit taken aback by the 13-page contract agreement they want me to sign. I'm still thinking about it! How have you found your dealings with them?

[Hells Bells]

I've had nothing from them since.

[mpprh]

Hi

I've been playing with affiliate schemes for a few years.

I don't list gambling, get rich quick schemes, etc

You need a very large number of visitors to make much money.

You need to change the products & locations to get attention.

As an example, I tried cheap mail order ink cartridges for 2 weeks last month. The ad was seen 16,000 times, but no clicks. It'll be replaced soon !

Other affiliate agencies are :

tradedoubler.com
cj.com

I've been more succesful with google adsense and Amazon than affiliate schemes.

Peter

Hi

Well, just an update. When I got round to changing the cheap inkjet ad, it had had 30,000 views without one click.

And I targetted it at photo pages thinking "printing photos uses lots of ink" !

What have been the experiences of the others who tried affiliate schemes ?

Peter

[paolo]

I've been running a page of Amazon links across a few sites for a week and not had a sniff. Elsewhere I think Tony said he had made £100 in 6 months through Amazon - very impressive!

[livinginitaly]

Just 'double-checked' my Amazon figures and yes, 103.23GBP in 8 months (oops, did I say 6?). Apparently with a conversion rate of 17.8% which is much, much higher than the finance affiliates I run with, these generally average around 2 - 3%.

A few of the things i've found that 'work for me' are ...

1 - use text links. Flash 'banner ads' just don't work.

2 - sell in context. If you write a page on the importance of using 'widgets' of the highest quality ..... provide a link where people can buy 'top quality widgets'. Makes sense really.

3 - think task. I buy a lot of things online, but ink? ....... no. I actually 'enjoy' driving down to PC World and browsing for my 'consumables'. Insurance? now that's a whole other thing, i'd buy that online.

So, things that work (for me).

I sell a lot of finance, but I have 30 finance related websites and use various 'ppc' marketing methods, adwords, overture etc. I have links on my other sites, but the conversion is not worth mentioning.

Travel insurance, a pretty good 'spin-off' from travel sites. Not great though, i'll put this on the 'must try harder' pile.

Amazon books it seems. I really must get around to replacing the link pages!

[thisfrenchlife]

I think it is important to ensure your affiliate links are kept in context with your site.
For example, if using Amazon then make sure you have guide books for your region featured.
I've also found simple text links work best and not flashing logos or graphics.
It's the location that is key. Place the links where your potential customer's eye is likely to go.
Try and blend them in naturally with your words and pictures.
If people have any questions just post a message and I'd be happy to chat.
Regards
Craig
____________________________
http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/

[paolo]

I have a page of Amazon links for books and films to do with my area - nobody has bought any, but today I see I earned $19 because someone bought a dinner set! It is a Provencal themed set, so presumably they followed a link for a book and ended up browsing through to dinner sets. I still got the same commission for providing the shopper.

I didn't read the terms and conditions of being an Amazon affiliate too closely so it is a pleasant surprise that you get commission on anything bought if they got to Amazon via your link.

[thisfrenchlife]

I should have added that a real way of improving sales is to do an actual review of the book and then provide an affiliate link.
Obviously don't write it up as this best thing you've ever read, if you find something you don't like mention it, people will respect this honesty. I wonder if you could even claim back the cost of the book as a business expense!

Technically, Amazon will register someone buying an item within that session on their site - so yes they could click on a book, but eventually buy a coffee machine and you'd get the commission.
But you won't make any money if someone leaves Amazon and then heads back a day or so later to buy the book after having a second thought.
Or if someone buys an item from the second-hand sellers that Amazon now promotes, which is a bit of a blow.

All the best

Craig

[paolo]

I should have added that a real way of improving sales is to do an actual review of the book and then provide an affiliate link.

Absolutely right.