What Are Your Thoughts About Buying Through An Affiliate Link?

13 years ago

Affiliate offers make up a lot of the traffic on the internet, no one should be afraid of buying thru an affiliate link.

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ladywriter

13 years ago

Since many people in this forum are affiliate marketers, I think you're gonna find most of them don't mind.

And there are thousands of affiliates making good money so my guess is that a lot of 'regular' people don't mind either.

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Josh Richardson

13 years ago

If your providing an insight into the product, giving advice, writing a HONEST review and you've actually used the product - people shouldnt mind at all.

It works 2 ways, if someone has given me some honest advice about a product or a personal recommendation from a friend, i will ASK for their affiliate link because they have done me a favour.

Just my 2 pence.

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Bradley J Anderson

13 years ago

I've always wondered about those people that are 'afraid' to use affiliate links, or will remove the affiliate link then go buy the product. The only thing I can figure is that maybe they think the price is marked up to cover the affiliate's commission? (Notice that's a question, not a statement of fact. lol )

But that's why you cloak your links.

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Mkj 13 years ago

Well you can make the link appear less like an affiliate link by using php and various stuff in the htaccess file. For an example my buy now links on my software site (new) are like this:

Merge Excel Files

The above is the link that appears on mouse over on the task bar. It don't mention anything about affiliation.

The user is sent too:

https://www.regnow.com/softsell/nph-...ort_order=true

when they click on the link.

An easy way to do this, believe it or not, is to use a wordpress blog as a addition to your site but don't allow the search engines to crawl it or index it. Also you can call the directory where you install the blog as something like 'products'. You then use a wordpress redirect plugin and create posts that link to your eventual affiliate landing page. You use the wordpress post urls as your initial buy now or affiliate links. This is the easy alternative to messing with php and htaccess. Neat eh!
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Jamie Drew

13 years ago

I actually prefer to buy through an aff link, because mostly affiliates will offer some bonuses to choose them over a competitor, plus there is sometimes a genuine mark down in price if you buy through an aff link. (Not just the marketing trick of "the price of this will go up soon", but always stays the same, but a genuine mark down for an top affiliate offer.)

There are some perks to buying through an affiliate link.

I think sometimes though, it's the fact that they might be added to two lists rather than one. Some people don't want that, because sadly there are plenty of affiliates who just pitch offer after offer, day after day, hour after hour to their lists. People don't mind being pitched to occasionally if you have what they want, but some people take the biscuit!

So there are pro's and con's to buying through an affiliate link, it's just a case of what outweighs the other.

Only my thoughts though!

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Sheryl Polomka

13 years ago

I think outside of the IM niche many people don't realize they are buying through an affiliate link. Within the IM niche there would be some people that will change to their own affiliate link to buy the product.

Personally, I'm quite happy to buy through an affiliate link, if someone has recommended a product to me then I think they deserve the commission. I certainly wouldn't get rid of an affiliate link just to buy the product direct under no affiliate.

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magnates

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Sheryl Polomka

I think outside of the IM niche many people don't realize they are buying through an affiliate link. Within the IM niche there would be some people that will change to their own affiliate link to buy the product.

Personally, I'm quite happy to buy through an affiliate link, if someone has recommended a product to me then I think they deserve the commission. I certainly wouldn't get rid of an affiliate link just to buy the product direct under no affiliate.

I think this days you have to create a lovely bonus package and be upfront and direct about the extra goodies they would get through your affiliate link . Even those that would consider using their affiliate link would buy through you if your bonuses are worth more than the product you are recommending

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talfighel

13 years ago

Most people don't really know that they are buying through an affiliate link.

For those who do, it is OK to but through an affiliate. That is how people make money and it is health for everyone.

Unless you don't really like the product and want a refund. That is another story.

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asnorth 13 years ago

I don't think the "general public" even know they are buying through an affiliate link.
As others have said, if the affiliate has provided value in their content then I have no problem buying through their link.

Tony
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Alexa Smith

Banned 13 years ago

Originally Posted by vickybabe

Hey warriors, just wondering what your thoughts are on buying through an affiliate link? I have heard a lot of talk about people that do not like to buy if they know it is an affiliate link.

Two things are for sure ...

(i) In this way, as in so many others, customers are completely different, overall, from marketers (apart from in the IM-advice niche, I suppose!);

(ii) The current FTC affiliate-disclosure rules are only the start, and in the long run it'll be more difficult, and less desirable, to conceal anything than it is now.

I strongly suspect (in fact I know) that some customers' reluctance to buy through affiliate links is because they imagine they'll pay more, that way. In the wording of all my affiliate disclosures, I make it really clear that that isn't so.

I'm not in the US, and most of my sites aren't hosted in the US, and I don't have to use affiliate disclosures on them, but I choose to, partly because experience has taught me that if you word them carefully, you can sell more with them than without them.

People really do like honesty and disclosure, as long as they don't think they're paying extra.

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vickybabe 13 years ago

All really good thoughts guys, i am glad people seem happy to buy through an affiliate link.
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redfieryheart

13 years ago

I don't see any reason why anyone should be afraid to buy from affiliate marketers. They don't get any discount from the main company that affiliate marketers are not being offered too.

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Alexa Smith Banned 13 years ago

Originally Posted by redfieryheart

They don't get any discount from the main company that affiliate marketers are not being offered too.

And you think that they know that? That they don't pay extra, to cover the affiliate's cut, if they buy that way? You know it and I know it. Our customers often don't.
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kamalmix

13 years ago

Anyway if you think that someone is afraid to buy from an affiliate link, you can shorten it with service such as bit.ly

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Alexa Smith Banned 13 years ago

Originally Posted by kamalmix

Anyway if you think that someone is afraid to buy from an affiliate link, you can shorten it with service such as bit.ly

A Libyan link-tracker/forwarder/url-shortener?

The best link-tracker/forwarder/url-shortener to use is really any one that you own and control yourself.

It's not so good to rely on the continued availability, goodwill, reliability and changeable terms of service of any third-party URL-shortening/tracking service. There were a few hundred Warriors here last year who would have told you the same (and in fact did) when all their Tinyurl links suddenly disappeared overnight!

Have a look at this recent post on Ben Metcalfe's blog: The .ly domain space to be considered unsafe | :Ben Metcalfe Blog.

Really, it's good to be in control of your own business and not dependent on unnecessary third-party services (in countries like Libya!) and their reliability and longevity.

Many people here use it, but that doesn't make it "good" ... nor "safe", unfortunately.

If you talk to a turkey who gets well fed every day and well looked after for 3 years plus, before being killed for Thanksgiving, he'll tell you on every day of his 999-day life that everything's absolutely fine, because that's his experience at that point. Try talking to him on the 1000th day of his "life". The problem with using services like the one you're asking about is that you can't tell what day of their life it is (and neither can they).

"Well, I've been using it for 998 days and I've never had a problem".

Whatever you're using bit.ly for, there are far better, far safer solutions readily available.
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Mike McAleer

13 years ago

I personally don't think it matters but it depends on the type of offer and who is promoting it if i know them or not.

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vickybabe 13 years ago

Thanks for the thoughts guys, i personally use bit.ly a fair bit, but i think it has negative results. Because when i use a domain that is forwarded to the same offer it seems to convert a lot better, and yes same ad and traffic source
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richgrad

13 years ago

I think that if you're doing internet marketing but you go way out to avoid buying through others' affiliate links then maybe you will attract prospects that go way out to avoid buying through your links too =)

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Jeremy Banks

13 years ago

I only like to do it if the person is honest and sincere. If they give a raving review and are REALLY pushing the product I look elsewhere to double check.

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Jkhurramov

13 years ago

I don't care if it's an affiliate link or not... I buy if I like the service.

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Simmvee 13 years ago

It actually annoys me whenever I see something like:

Here is my affiliate link - myaffiliatelink.com

If you don't want to go thru my link then here is the non-affiliate link:
nonaffilitaelink.com

Whenever I see that, I go to the non-affiliate link because I see it as being ashamed to be an Internet Marketer. I know this is probably a misconception but it's just how I feel. If you are afraid to ask for the sale then in my beady little eyes, you don't deserve it!
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- vickybabe 13 years ago
  
  thanks simmvee, seems like a waste of time if you do that. I couldn't be bothered promoting something that will not pay me.
  
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  vickybabe 13 years ago
  
  Has anyone had worse results using bit.ly or tiny url compared to using a domain that is forwarded?
  
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  Alexa Smith Banned 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by vickybabe
  
  Has anyone had worse results using bit.ly or tiny url compared to using a domain that is forwarded?
  
  Yes.
  
  Thousands of people have had "worse results" from using Tinyurl when all their links suddenly went offline.
  
  It's not only about short-term (or even longer-term) results ... it's about safety, security and being in control of your own business, too ... there's an element of "disaster avoidance" which just doesn't quantify.
  
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H.Miller

13 years ago

I don't mind at all. I like to help out fellow affiliate marketers.

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Shazia Mirza

13 years ago

I don't mind buying through an affiliate link, especially if the money is going to a good guy. I always thought people don't buy through affiliate links because they don't want to be sold to? :S

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JohnMcCabe

13 years ago

Originally Posted by vickybabe

Hey warriors, just wondering what your thoughts are on buying through an affiliate link? I have heard a lot of talk about people that do not like to buy if they know it is an affiliate link. Personally being an affiliate myself, i actually like to buy through one. I think that if the affiliate has done the right work to get the product in front of me, then they deserve their commission. Anyway please share your thoughts on this subject. Cheers.

I've communicated with a few of the people who don't like buying through affiliate links. Their major objection was a feeling of the affiliate cheating or taking advantage of the product owner. Especially Clickbank products where the commissions tend to run 50-75%.

When they cut the affiliate ID from the link, they think they're doing the product owner a favor.

Even when someone explains that a) the marginal cost of a digital product is near zero, so that even the 25% is almost all profit and b) it's the product owner's choice to offer high commissions to get sales that may not have come any other way, they still think commissions that high 'just aren't right'.

Personally, I'm with the majority here. If the affiliate has fairly earned their commission, they are entitled to it.

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LynneCarey

13 years ago

Usually I prefer to buy through an affiliate link... helps two people, not just one! But aside from that, if someone has alerted me to a good product and sometimes if they offer a good bonus (but not always) I think they deserve me to purchase via their link.

I really don't understand why anyone would not want to buy via an affiliate link... unless it is just sour grapes because they are not making affiliate sales themselves!

I guess for some, they might feel they could pay more and it sounds like a good idea to point that out in your affiliate terms of service perhaps.

People are funny creatures who have umteem million reasons for doing things or not, sometimes their reasons are not conscious (maybe a lot of times) so it is an interesting one.

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What Are Your Thoughts About Buying Through An Affiliate Link?

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