Refunds are bothering me. Frustrated and planning to quit Internet Marketing. Please help.

Here is my guess, most of the new launches for IM are bunch of hype and dont deliver what they promise. This is why people request refunds.

Try going into a different niche, weigh loss etc..

I don't promote anything related to IM even though i havent had a lot of sales to judge it correctly but i have had more 7 sales and 0 refund.

People do make money with IM niches but they have HUGE lists so at the end the profit is still there.


Lea

Very good insight Lea. You wont recognize success unless you met a struggle.

You should quit.

Selling crappy products with hugh refund rates that is.

If by IM you mean make money online that niche if famous for high refunds. Pick a niche with buyers who will be happy to get products and not feel buyers remorse after.

Unlike what some others said above, this doesnt mean you need to get out of the IM niche.

YOU just need to do more research and work in finding a product that actually provides value and gets positive REAL reviews.

An easy alternative too would be to seek out IM products that come with hard copies that are shipped to the buyer. These are refunded far less than ebooks and digital products..simply due to the fact that the buyer has a feeling of value by having something legitimate in their actual hands....and because they would have to go through the effort of shipping to back to get a refund.

Take that for what its worth.

Stay with clickbank but change your niche. I sell my own niche product via clickbank and I have a refundrate of around 2%.

I think you have so many refunds because of the way IM products are promoted. Mostly the products don't deliver what was promised. I bought only 1 IM product via clickbank and I instantly requested a refund because the product was not even close to the promised product in the salesletter.

STAY AWAY from Amazon. The numbers just suck. You sell something for 50 bucks and get 5.

Just my personal opinion of Amazon.

Already been said, but bears repeating. Need to stop selling crappy products and sell products that have a lower refund rate. There are plenty of products ... Amazon, other affiliate networks (other than clickbank) that have good products that you can do a review site on. Don't promote a product unless you know it's a great product.

I know it sounds obvious, but for the most part, a refund - assuming you have a 'good product' - is due to a misalignment between the front end (sale/promise) and the back end (fulfillment).

Too many people overlook this. If you ordered a pizza and a salad came instead, you would obviously want a refund. If you ordered a pizza and a pizza showed up - now you are just justifying is THIS pizza worth the price? Salad = ALWAYS a refund - it is not what I ordered and NOT what I was promised.

Make sure your "pitch" matches your "fulfillment" - then tweak all other items to lower your refund rate even further!

You don't have to quit just because of it!

Just promote things that are not junk. I promote only useful products to my list and the refund rate is usually very low.

You've done the hardest part which is selling a product. Now, finding products that are worth your effort shouldn't be hard.


W

I have to agree with the majority here.

Selling crappy products (in general) whether it be as an affiliate
or something that you own isn't going to get you far. You said you said
you want to set up a 'business' and that's no way to run a business- atleast
with longevity.

As Lea mentioned, the products you've been promoting seem to be the hyped
crap that all of the 'gurus' promote. The problem is, you're not a guru. And they're
able to promote them and live with high refund rates because they usually have
a sizeable list and other means of income to make up for it.

You, on the other hand..

Need to watch what you promote. Ask for review copies or even purchase the
product if need be. There's no point in investing time, money and energy promoting
a terrible product that everyone is going to return.

Would you build a business around beautifully packed chocolate with dirt inside
it?

And why not?

One great option to consider is researching and creating your own products to sell. You'll find some excellent WSO's on this subject to guide you in the process.

The main advantage here being that you have full control over the quality of your product. If you find you're getting refund requests you can ask for information on how you might improve your product and eventually refine any problems out of the equation.

Of course, the other great advantage is that you make all the money for yourself too!

You don't necessarily have to stop promoting products on Clickbank...just avoid new product launches because these programs have no proven track record. Instead promote niches and products that are proven winners. Check out cbengine.com or cb-analytics.con to learn the best niches to go into with Clickbank.

Also know that there are many other ways to make money with Internet marketing. Trying to earn with product launches is just one option. Read through the forum here to find other methods that may be more lucrative for you.

Sell better products! WSO's are great to promote!

You're right. It really isn't as simple as most people think. Sure, it sounds nice on a sales page to hear that you can "make million of dollars, working from home in your PJ's." Unfortunately, it's just not true (or else everyone would be an internet millionaire! ) Luckily, though, you've learned that lesson early.

Now that you understand the kind of work that IM really takes, you can move forward.

Instead of just leaving Clickbank and heading to Amazon, you need to look at WHY people want refunds on your products. Do they not live up to the expectations? Are they really just not very good? Are they too difficult to use?

Whatever the problem is, learn from it - and look for new products that don't have those types of issues. Learn all you can about a product before you try to sell it. If you would feel comfortable using it yourself, that's a good thing. If not, keep looking.

Please tell us more...

Try promoting products that supply a desperate market, people who urgently need a remedy for a health or personal problem. Physical products of this nature are easier to sell than IM products with the possible exeption of software, and have a much, much lower return rate. You obviously have skills in marketing otherwise you wouldn't be earning commissions, so why not use these skills to promote goods people really, desperately need and want. You can find products by typing keyword + affiliate in your google browser e.g. hemorrhoids + affiliate

There are also companies like Market Health that offer high commissions on health products. Do a search for these and direct those skills towards promoting solutions to problems. The market is huge and there are plenty sub-niches with low competition if you do seo marketing or ppc.

Well, the best thing you have by now, is knowing those customers on your list who are willing to pay for the product you are marketing and know which of them are more likely to ask for a refund. That's some valuable info + $50!

Start promoting WSO's..It is a better option..

this si a testament to why you should actually review what you are selling, by review I mean actually look at the product and see if it's any good.

If you promote crap offers, you will get high refund rates and damage your reputation.

Don't ever give up, try shareasale or kontera, or start promoting physical products in desparate niches- try a place like markethealth.com- refunds aren't ever apparent there. Great job making sales already, you just have to try another niche. Some people online haven't made money at all and they've been at it for years. You're a real inspiration, I'm in college too and I'm 20 and I'm trying to find products that convert with low refund rates. I heard Dan Brock's super affiliate and lazy internet millionaire are great IM products to promote since they're effective and have low refund rates.

I agree with so much of what has been highlighted here. I have found when I switched from affiliate marketing to product creation, my results improved. Now I have affiliates promoting for me and my refunds are very low.

Once you have a list of subscribers and you want to promote a launch, this gives you more leverage to get a review copy before launch so you know if it is a quality product. I agree fully with all of the comments about IM product launches being very hype filled(tried for hypie, but not sure that is the spelling :-) ) these days.

John

Pick a good offer and promote that. Don't just go around promoting every new launch that comes out in the IM niche. Just because it has huge numbers of people promoting it, doesn't mean its any good. Even gurus are guilty of promoting some of these crappy products.

You're only 19 years old, you have no business giving up already. You've already shown that you can make money, so that is a start - now you need to replicate it, with a good quality product & then upscale it.

thanks to all of you, you've also helped me...i'm just starting out in IM.

Hey there,

I feel your pain.

IM is not an easy option for sure.

You've had some good advice but you need to decide for yourself what is right for you.

You will always get people who tell you that you should stay in IM and try other products - sometimes this is just because they're still struggling themselves and this is their plan, so they will tell you to do the same because they're still hoping it will work for them. Often it is not a good idea.

Brad gave good advice about choosing markets where there is more demand and lower refunds.

However, creating a successful online income is not like having a hobby that you play around with - and it's not something you can easily do on your own unless you are provided a high ticket service/item.

My advice to you is this:

Pick one of these options depending on what you feel suits you:

1 - Stay in IM but do not base your business on affiliate marketing alone.

Affiliate marketing is a great way to learn how to sell products with very little risk and cost.

However, unless you have a really solid model and are building your own lists it is an endless cycle and not easy to keep a regular income from it. If you do want to do it - focus on higher ticket items and recurring billing products/services so that you're not having to make new sales every month just to earn something.

It's not true that you have to have big lists, but you do need a strategy that gets you access to your target audience. This may be PPC or advertising in ezines, but you should look at building your own lists for the long term.


2 - Choose a niche that you're interest in and passionate about that already has a lot of products selling well and selling regularly and focus in on one area of that and become a go-to resource for people in that niche.

This is much easier than IM because with your IM skills you have a lot to offer that most people want. You can interview experts in that niche, create information products and reports to add value to whatever affiliate products you're promoting and you can partner with product owners to help them reach their audience.

Either way - have fun.

Don't be ashamed to get a job while you're building your business. It's NOT normal to create a full time income in less than a year in any business - that includes IM.

Andy

The refund problem is definitely with the IM niche. I've been promoting meditation products in Clickbank for two years and have never had a refund.

Did you actually BUY the product yourself and check it to see if it was great value for your customers. I think too many people are promoting IM products they have NO idea if they work or not... SOLUTION... Buy the product, do an honest review and only give to your list if you are 100% sure it ROCKS!.... anything less - BIN it...

It's NOT about which Payment processor or affiliate network you're working with, but the product itself that is at fault.

Switch to offline and start a real business. Trust me.

There are other areas of IM, including the broad 'affiliate marketing', in which you would not have to deal with refunds as much. Especially Amazon and Ebay, but also Commission Junction and Linkshare.

I would personally stay away from the heavily saturated weight loss niche. Aim for areas that are emerging, such as new products, and mobile device apps.

Hey,

Well if you are promoting only newly launched IM products, you are bound to have some refunds. Most of the IM products coming out these days are full of hype and empty promises so the refund rates are quite high. My advice would be to move into other niches as well and promote products in them. You don't have to quit IM niche altogether as there is lot of money to made in it.

Andy has offered some good advice regarding using your skills in other niches so use it to your advantage. Look for products that are selling well consistently with low refunds and you are bound to make good money without facing the problem of high refund rates.

Anup

Sounds like you have a nice strategy, but just shift your focus to a different niche and promote products that actually help people!

Why not just create your own product? Then you can have affiliates selling for you!

Plus, you won't be at the mercy of someone else's affiliate program.

You can sell digital products and don't offer any refunds. Paypal has no buyer protection on digital downloads, so the customer is only entitled to a refund if you offer one.

Of course, the better the product, the less refunds. I have never had a refund request on ANY of my products or services.

Why? Because I ALWAYS over-deliver and under-charge.

Hi,

Well, to quit the Internet Marketing that means you will quit the Internet Profit,
You still Young ( 19 Years old ),

If you are an Internet Marketer it doesn't mean you have to promote IM products ? Only Guys with Lists do, and only guys with lists make profit from IM products,

You have to learn what works and what not, Learn SEO and the effective Internet marketing strategies and then use it to promote real products that convert well, such as Amazon Products etc... or even create your own product.

This is what the internet marketing is all about, You learn from the industry and you use it in another industry

Do you think Product reviews is an effective Method nowadays ? i my self i do not believe on it, even never tried it,
you are a warrior here and you have many options in this forum, you will even get help if requested,

Try to build a list, you have to start by posting some WSO for FREE, give them an ebook or so, and take them to another page to download after they put their Email addresses, do it many times, and then go to Swap with other list owners and grow your list, it may take you a lot of time but believe me in the end you will make a lot of money.

Thanks
Thanks

You don't need a list to sell in the Internet Marketing niche. Proof of real income helps having a bonus to the product your promoting increases your rate of return.

You need to review the product first before even thinking about promoting it, I never promote anything I can't see myself. I do have a list that I built all buyers when I promote something I rarely get a refund because I did my research on the product first.

A few things I look for in a product.
Is it a real business model?
Can it be replicated to make money if you put in the effort?
Does it have real value to the people that I am promoting it to?


If it says a few clicks in the sales letter I don't even bother promoting. If they video on the sale page doesn't even tell me what the product is I don't promote it.

Expanding to other niches is probably best especially since your new to the game. IM Niche is swimming with the sharks you need to know how to swim around them to get the best products to promote.

Physical products right now are harder to promote as an affiliate since Google favors e-commerce stores some keywords you won't even rank for anymore (since Panda). Don't get me wrong promoting stuff on amazon is still viable just need to learn the right keywords to go after.

As for clickbank products there are a lot of products you can promote that have a low refund rate.
Hell Promote Niche reaper that's a good product that just came out. (I'm not affiliated with them) It's just a good product.

There are few products being released in the next few months that are good.
Just do some research on here for prior releases of what people reviewed their previous products usually you will get a good vibe of the person behind it if it's worth promoting or not.

I rarely post in this forum since I'm to busy with other projects but don't despair I've been doing this full time for two years now. It can be done.

You've done well on promoting digital product, I think you can move to non-refundable product like amazon or stuff like that.

Keep doing what you're doing, you're in the right track.

As has been said, dont jump on the latest and greatest push button riches crap. Take a look at the marketers name who is coming up on the launch, if you have heard of them and know they deliver value, go for that launch. Easier said than done, but there are other ways of making money online other than launch jacking too

Dont quit! Success is right around the corner!

Good luck,
Josh

Hey college student,

First off good for you for being bold and trying to make money online. Get yourself set up right and maybe you wont have to use that degree. Affiliate programs are great for beginners. I would make sure what you are promoting is actually a high quality product though. Do some research and find out what is selling really well and promote that. If you really want to successful you need to be building an email list with aweber or getresponse. This entails setting up your own sites, and getting people to opt in to your list for a free gift. You then follow up with them through email to build up your trust with them. Then start preselling your offers through your follow up. People will buy from you over and over again if they know you, like you, and trust you. Work on this and those returns wont happen. I would also go to ericstips.com and sign up to receive his video instruction on how to setup a successful online business. Tons of good information on there for FREE. Also have you tried selling PLR products? Check out Paul Counts, Jeff Wellman, Liz Tomey, Eric Holmlund, and Keith Wellman. These are people who care about the success of their clients and put together unbelievable value in their products.

You only fail if you give up. Don't get discouraged and remember this:
Thought + Feeling = Manifestation.

Research The Law of Attraction to learn the formula for success in ANYTHING in your life.

I know this info will help you get back on track!

Peace and Love,

Anthony Spencer

You may be better off with different types of products. Take a good look at what you are promoting in CB. With most people, the sheer volume of offers they promote, tends to make the refund thing not a big deal. But to really keep your refund level low, just try and find good quality offers. Offers that are a little scammy or in the biz op niche, tend to always have a higher refund rate.

Look for products that have been around awhile, rather than new launches, especially in the IM field. Just my opinion, but I think IM products get snapped up because they have such great promotions and launches, but anyone who buys them probably already has purchased similar products. They're hoping to find something new, but there really isn't much new. When they discover that the product contains 90% what they already know, they return it. And as someone already says, the launches are pretty impressive and convincing.

It's also possible that people are buying those launches once, forgetting, and buying again then asking for a refund.

Here is some of the criteria I use to find good affiliate products to promote:

1) smaller niches with less competition
2) sales pages that appeal to me and convince me to buy, but are not overly hyped. The good ones offer insights and solutions to which I can relate. They hit home, in other words. I have the problem, or have experienced it, or know someone who has, and the sales page makes sense.
3) product reviews - by searching "(name of product) review" See what people are saying. If a lot is good, it's a go. If a lot is bad, it's a no.
4) look outside Clickbank. There are a lot of other affiliate networks and programs. Run a search to find them. You can find private affiliate programs by searching for your niche and "affiliate programs". Because you have to manually look for these programs, there's a good chance of finding some with lower competition.

Hope this helps.

Sylvia

its all about what you love to do, and what you r directed to do.
do what you love to do , and you ll be all fine earning huge money.
Dont go with trends. go with interest

Guys! This was my first post here on warrior forum and it felt so good to see so many people replying out to help me. Thank you guys for your wonderful advices and comments. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all!

And I have surely learnt my lesson and guess what, I am back on track! Thanks to you all!

Hey there,

I thought maybe I could provide an alternative point of view that may interest you. I see plenty of people saying things like "Don't quit" and "Don't give up" and they mention these things in a negative or derogatory way, but should they?

Sometimes the BEST thing you can do is quit. It's not like you're quitting at life. It's not really "giving up your dreams" especially when that particular dream has turned into a nightmare. Quitting something that isn't working can sometimes be the smartest move you ever made. How much more time, money, and resources would you have put into a loser idea? How many winners are you passing on chasing after a loser?

I'd also add that at 19, maybe there's some non-IM work you could be doing that would significantly impact your views on things later that you'd miss out on by focusing on IM now. Nobody knows the future and any path you take from this minute on will be uncertain, so feel free to make mistakes...but if you begin to hate what you're doing and no longer feel like you're learning/growing, maybe it's time to move on to the next bigger/brighter project?

5 refunds and you want to quit???????

This is the problem with selling other people's products, you are never sure how your customers may feel about it, they may have bought a similar product, or the product may not be up to par, and with many people trying to sell the same product, the profit margins just gets smaller for the affiliate, it is one of the reasons many affiliates after a while launch their own products, and get others to deal with the hassle of refunds

Pretty much what everyon'es sauid.

Don't promote IM products!
Don't do it.

Everyone who buys from clickbank knows the easy refund routine...
And most of these guru-doo-doo products are just that.
Combine those two and you have a recipe for refund disasters.

I agree, promote products which have a good level of interest but are not associated with hype.