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Common Mistakes Stagnating Your Affiliate Program’s Growth
Presented by: Geno Prussakov
CEO, AM Navigator LLCaffiliate program management, audit & consulting
URL: www.amnavigator.com
Tel.: (+1) 888-588-8866
Email: [email protected]
.
Using Good Building Material?
Afraid to Get Hands Dirty?
Outline
1. Merchant essentials (7)
2. Management components (7)
Merchant Essentials
1. Leak-free website
Leaks - Definition
Leaks – external links within your website that lead to sites which do not credit your affiliates for the work they perform.
Leaks - Types
1. Telephone number / Live chat
2. AdSense units
3. Amazon widgets
4. Links to “network” stores/sites
5. Affiliate links & links to other merchants
Leaks – Example (type 1)Telephone Number
Leaks – Example (type 1)Live Chat
Leaks – Example (type 2)
AdSense (Google ads)
Leaks – Example (type 3)
Amazonwidgets
Leaks – Example (type 4)Links to
“network”stores/sites
Leaks – Example (type 5)
Affiliate& other links
1. Leak-free website
1. Leak-free website
2. Program agreement
Don’t confuse with affiliate network’s agreement!
1. Leak-free website
2. Program agreement
Merchant naïvete -- loss of defensive behaviors and adaptations needed to deal with “predators”
1. Leak-free website
2. Program agreement
Program agreement
What to Cover?• Coupon & discounts policy• Trademark policy• Policies on loyalty affiliates• Disclosure recommendation
Program agreementWhat to Cover?
• Coupon & discounts policy• Trademark policy• Policies on loyalty affiliates• Disclosure recommendation
How to Word It?1. Foreword2. Summary3. Agreement itself
Program agreementWhat to Cover?
• Coupon & discounts policy• Trademark policy• Policies on loyalty affiliates• Disclosure recommendation
How to Word It?1. Foreword2. Summary3. Agreement itself
“How often do you read TOS?”
Program agreement
Get your free sample:
www.AMNavigator.com/TOS.html
1. Leak-free website
2. Program agreement
3. Dedicated landing pages
Dedicated Landing PagesWe’ve analyzed 50 randomly selected merchants
(from Internet Retailer Top 500 list) on 3 major affiliate networks (CJ, LinkShare, GAN)…
Dedicated Landing Pages
4 Points to Cover:
1. Reinforce promo/campaign's details
2. Provide detailed instructions (if customer needs to do something)
3. Spell out any restrictions
4. Have clear calls to action
1. Leak-free website
2. Program agreement
3. Dedicated landing pages
4. Competitive commission
…and performance incentives too!
1. Leak-free website
2. Program agreement
3. Dedicated landing pages
4. Commission
5. Fair cookie life
Short Cookie Life5 hours or under
•Sephora.com (4 hrs)•Toys R Us, Babies R Us•eToys.com•Miles Kimball Company•ShopNBC.com
12-24 hours
•Nordstrom.com (12 hrs)•Enterprise.com (23 hrs)•Chase.com (23 hrs)•Amazon (24 hrs)
3 Days
•Apple iTunes•Champs Sports•Dell•ESPN Shop•Foot Locker•Walmart
Return Days Analysis
Cookie Retention Data
1 day – 85%
2 days – 75%
3 days – 70%
4 days – 63%
45 days ~ 50%
340 days ~ 20%
Source: Web Analytics Analyzedblog by Paul Strupp
at blogs.sun.com
1. Leak-free website
2. Program agreement
3. Dedicated landing pages
4. Competitive commission
5. Fair cookie life
6. Safeguarding tracking code
1. Leak-free website
2. Program agreement
3. Dedicated landing pages
4. Competitive commission
5. Fair cookie life
6. Tracking code
7. Advance notifications
Notify affiliates at least one month
in advance
Management Components
1. Managing affiliates
1. Managing affiliates
… when, in reality:
we’re notaffiliate managers
but affiliate program managers
1. Managing affiliates
2. Failing to police compliance
Monitor Trademark Use
In Paid Search Campaigns:
• iTrademarkBidding – www.itrademarkbidding.com• Brandverity PoachMark – brandverity.com/poachmark• SearchMonitor – thesearchmonitor.com/affiliate_monitor• AdGooroo Trademark Insight – www.adgooroo.com
In Domain Names:
• CitizenHawk – www.citizenhawk.com.
1. Managing affiliates
2. Failing to police compliance
3. Approval email
1. Managing affiliates2. Failing to police compliance3. Approval email
Pattern to Follow1. Remind them of your program details 2. Include an activation promo3. Enclose performance-based incentive4. Pre-coded affiliate links (incl. coupons, feed, etc) 5. Detailed contact information
Create a Sense of Urgency!
“What’s the maximum acceptable affiliate program application response time?”
1. Managing affiliates
2. Failing to police compliance
3. Approval email
4. Hard-to-reach goals
1. Managing affiliates
2. Failing to police compliance
3. Approval email
4. Hard-to-reach goals
aka performance-based incentives
Unrealistic/Demotivating Goals
Important details: AOV ~$650 So, for 0.5% increase - 31 orders/mo …and for 1% bump - 91 such orders
Swimmer (illustration)
1. Managing affiliates
2. Failing to police compliance
3. Approval email
4. Hard-to-reach goals
5. Commission drops
Commission Drops
Commission Drops
As a valued [Merchant Name] affiliate partner, I wanted to let you know that we are currently working to make our program, and our partnerships, as successful as possible.
In order to continue to support the success of our current partnership we are unable to continue to offer you a flat 4% commission on all goods. Starting at the end of February, our new offer will be lowered to 1.5% on all goods.
Commission Drops
1. Managing affiliates
2. Failing to police compliance
3. Approval email
4. Hard-to-reach goals
5. Commission drops
6. Split-testing of landing pages
A/B Split-Testing
What to Test?
• Headlines• Calls to action• Page style & layout• Images• Descriptive copy• Pricing & promos
A/B Split-Testing
What to Test?
• Headlines• Calls to action• Page style & layout• Images• Descriptive copy• Pricing & promos
Tools to Employ
• Google Website Optimizer• Visual Website Optimizer• LiveBall• A/Bingo• PickFu• Vertster• Unbounce• Sitespect's A/B Testing• Five Second Test• Vanity
1. Managing affiliates2. Failing to police compliance3. Approval email4. Hard-to-reach goals5. Commission drops6. Split-testing of landing pages7. Proactive management
Proactive Management
Proactive – “Acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes” (Webster's Dictionary)
Thank you!
Got questions?
Merchant Manager
1. Leak-free website
2. Program agreement
3. Dedicated landing pages
4. Competitive commission
5. Fair cookie life
6. Safeguarding tracking code
7. Advance notifications
1. Managing affiliates
2. Failing to police
3. Approval email
4. Hard-to-reach goals
5. Commission drops
6. Split-testing of landing pages
7. Proactive management
Got questions?
Merchant Manager
1. Leak-free website
2. Program agreement
3. Dedicated landing pages
4. Competitive commission
5. Fair cookie life
6. Safeguarding tracking code
7. Advance notifications
1. Managing affiliates
2. Failing to police
3. Approval email
4. Hard-to-reach goals
5. Commission drops
6. Split-testing of landing pages
7. Proactive management
www.amnavigator.com/blog | 1-888-588-8866 | [email protected]