why most affiliates fail

37 replies
it is said that more than 90% of affiliates fail especially newbies, what is d major cause of their failure and what can be done 2 avoid it.
#affiliatemarketing #affiliates #fail #makemoneyonline
  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    Originally Posted by noraisabela View Post

    what is d major cause of their failure
    Not doing any work, making excuses for why they didn't do the work, and outright insulting anyone who points out it's really their own stupid fault they didn't do the work.
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    "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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    • Profile picture of the author Henry White
      Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

      Not doing any work, making excuses for why they didn't do the work, and outright insulting anyone who points out it's really their own stupid fault they didn't do the work.
      Zed (Rip Torn) in Men in Black:
      Gentlemen, congratulations. You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training. Now please step this way, as we provide you with our final test: an eye exam...
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  • Profile picture of the author Velant
    Originally Posted by noraisabela View Post

    it is said that more than 90% of affiliates fail especially newbies, what is d major cause of their failure and what can be done 2 avoid it.
    I think there are 3 main reasons:

    1. Information overload.
    2. Lack of clear plan.
    3. Lack of purposeful action.

    That's my view of it
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    • Profile picture of the author Matthew Loop
      Originally Posted by Velant View Post

      I think there are 3 main reasons:

      1. Information overload.
      2. Lack of clear plan.
      3. Lack of purposeful action.

      That's my view of it
      Agreed! ... Internet marketing can be overwhelming if you don't develop good habits from the get-go. Strategy is everything. Too many focus on the latest and greatest tactic without having a strong foundation.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mdeneen
        I think I've sort of overwhelmed myself with all the information out there.

        Having a hard time picking a niche that isnt a total failure, even when I buy WSO's with niche keywords etc. Yikes!

        But I'm not going to give up! I want to better support my kids and family. Hopefully the patience and perseverance pays off.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nick Lotter
      Originally Posted by Velant View Post

      I think there are 3 main reasons:

      1. Information overload.
      2. Lack of clear plan.
      3. Lack of purposeful action.

      That's my view of it
      I agree with this, for starters.

      I often see posts in here by people who have said that they started seeing results when they just got a solid plan to follow and stuck to it until they saw results. When I say stuck to it, they focused on that one business plan alone and didn't allow themselves to get distracted.

      Most newbie affiliates get easily distracted because they get 20 emails a day about 20 different new "systems" that will make them a ton of cash. The result is trying 20 different things and getting info overload because of all the new ideas you're putting into your head.

      And tomorrow you start the process again, until a year later you end up back at square one and realise if you had just stuck with the first business plan you would have made some good money by now.

      Obviously, there are other factors such as correct keyword research, competition analysis etc, as other warriors here have correctly pointed out. But you can learn all those things as you go along while following the ONE action plan you choose and stick to.
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  • Profile picture of the author Khoa
    Well, "Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up".

    Patience and Passion are keys here!
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  • Profile picture of the author DireStraits
    Originally Posted by noraisabela View Post

    it is said that more than 90% of affiliates fail especially newbies, what is d major cause of their failure and what can be done 2 avoid it.
    In a general sense, I suspect it's a combination of:

    (1) Picking the wrong products to promote.

    (2) Pre-selling ineffectively (or failing to appreciate the difference between selling and pre-selling, and therefore not pre-selling at all).

    (3) Insufficient volume of sufficiently targeted traffic.

    And as far as Clickbank and other specific product retailers go (especially e-product retailers / affiliate networks), add a further mistake (4), which is failure to build a mailing-list.
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  • Profile picture of the author JamesGw
    They're too easily discouraged. Online business can take a lot of time to build up, contrary to what some people like to say. Sure you can get lucky and be earning 10k/month after 6 months, but that'd only be due to a unique combination of luck and hard work. The latter is important no matter what, but the former is what grants quick success. That said, hard work (in time) will yield positive results.
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    • Profile picture of the author Troy Broussard
      Originally Posted by JamesGw View Post

      They're too easily discouraged. Online business can take a lot of time to build up, contrary to what some people like to say.
      Well said. I tend to think a lot of it is also because too many people have false expectations. It's like the gold rush, people think just "arriving" somehow entitles success.

      Affiliate marketing is a huge win once you start having success, but the Internet doesn't erase good business practices and strong work ethics.

      Lastly, there is so much "noise" - and by that I mean a cloud of overwhelming information (much of which is outdated and ineffective) that people spend too much time on learning and not enough on doing.
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  • Profile picture of the author tonydyt
    1 Try To much things at the same time
    2 Give up to quick when something does not work!
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    Rise and Grind

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  • Profile picture of the author Roey Pimentel
    Shiny object syndrome.

    However, there is a cure for it! Stay focused, and implement a plan. It takes work. You can't buy a cookbook and expect dinner to magically appear on the dinner table! :-)
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    • Profile picture of the author Gene Pimentel
      Originally Posted by Roey Pimentel View Post

      You can't buy a cookbook and expect dinner to magically appear on the dinner table! :-)
      It works for me!
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      • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
        Originally Posted by Gene Pimentel View Post

        It works for me!
        Gene, that's not the cookbook making dinner magically appear. It's the wife. The cookbook is just a plug-in to add further functionality.
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        "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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        • Profile picture of the author RobertoMejia
          Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

          The cookbook is just a plug-in to add further functionality.
          That is hilarious!! Ladies don't get offended, but that is funny stuff.
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          • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
            Originally Posted by RobertoMejia View Post

            That is hilarious!! Ladies don't get offended, but that is funny stuff.
            A wife is like an autoblog. They require significant attention and maintenance to continue working, and without it, you're likely to get slapped.
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            "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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    • Profile picture of the author Aussie_Al
      Originally Posted by Roey Pimentel View Post

      Shiny object syndrome.

      However, there is a cure for it! Stay focused, and implement a plan. It takes work. You can't buy a cookbook and expect dinner to magically appear on the dinner table! :-)
      I love that saying! so true as well - ha ha
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  • Profile picture of the author tgdrew
    I think discouragement about how hard it is to get started as a newbie is the main reason they often fail.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Magician
    I feel the reason many affiliates fail is that they do not take their Internet marketing business seriously. The barrier to entry is so low (compared to a brick and mortar franchise, a traditional biz-opp, or even a network marketing organization) that it's easy to fiddle around, instead of buckling down and making things happen.

    If you're serious about living the Internet dream, you've got to live the Internet nightmare first: spend every waking moment working on your web sites. Turn off the t.v., stay up late, get up early, and promote products like mad. Learn one new thing a week, and spend the other six days implementing it.

    Hope this helps,

    Jon
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    • Profile picture of the author azmanar
      Originally Posted by The Magician View Post

      I feel the reason many affiliates fail is that they do not take their Internet marketing business seriously. The barrier to entry is so low (compared to a brick and mortar franchise, a traditional biz-opp, or even a network marketing organization) that it's easy to fiddle around, instead of buckling down and making things happen.

      If you're serious about living the Internet dream, you've got to live the Internet nightmare first: spend every waking moment working on your web sites. Turn off the t.v., stay up late, get up early, and promote products like mad. Learn one new thing a week, and spend the other six days implementing it.

      Hope this helps,

      Jon
      Spot on, Jon !

      The first thing I need to know is " AM I SERIOUS ABOUT INTERNET MARKETING? ".

      And if I'm serious, someone may advice that I need a plan and act on it. This is fine.

      How about an effective plan? Not just any typical plan. Where can I get it?

      Here is this thing. We need to refer to Best Business Practices.
      From where? From Super Affiliates. Learn from the best IM'ers.

      When you learn from the best, you still make mistakes.
      But you make less errors and less costly ones too.

      And when you take steps, you're taking the best steps. Not just
      any plain step in the plan. The steps are proven ones that
      bring results.
      You don't have to waste time re-inventing the wheel.

      Don't grab all WSOs. Some of them are simply junks taken from
      FREE INTERNET RESOURCES. I had my fair share of Shiny
      Object Syndrome, initially. They are marketing. You need to
      be prudent not to fall for it.

      Here are more I wrote in my WF Blog about this matter.
      Could be useful for some.
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      === >>> Tomorrow Should Be Better Than Today

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      • Profile picture of the author rekerlolz
        Most affiliates fail because they give up or lose hope.

        I have been close to calling it quits at times where I haven't seen any profits for a while but quiting is the first step to failure so I knew I couldn't head in that direction.
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  • Profile picture of the author MatthewNeer
    1. Taking non-focused action/doing everything at once.
    2. Giving up after one campaign fails.
    3. Blaming others for their own failures.
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    • Profile picture of the author Josh Richardson
      I'd like to chime in with another contributing factor which i think plays a big role.

      Lack of direction.

      I'm going to say the majority of newbies dont know what they want to do - only make money.

      There are hundreds of ways! Pick one and stick to it!

      Done

      Josh
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  • Profile picture of the author Tang
    Originally Posted by noraisabela View Post

    it is said that more than 90% of affiliates fail especially newbies, what is d major cause of their failure and what can be done 2 avoid it.
    - Marketing purely for profit, rather than a genuine intention to solve a real problem for buyers
    - Not sticking with it long enough
    - Use of single-digit English substitutions, such as 'd' for 'the' and '2' for 'to'

    ...just having a little fun with you. But seriously consider the first two
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    • Profile picture of the author capitalalchemy
      If I hear one more person say "it's because they don't do the work" I'm going to go ape%@$. Honestly, that is the biggest cop-out answer for "I don't care and I don't want to answer this"...

      I spent 16 hours a day for a year before I ever made anything worth noting. So I didn't work hard? and I know some newbies who work harder than experienced marketers. You could say that it's luck, but really I think it's being open to what's around you and receiving "a-ha!" knowledge when it shows itself, because it's always disguised.

      Yes, information over-load is a BIG deal. Best thing you could do is unsubscribe to marketing newsletters and stop hanging out in forums like this one

      What I think the real secret to the sauce is, is how you come across to people. The slightest wording means death or sales.

      If you can get good at

      • competition analysis (knowing what's doable when you see it)
      • niche passion (knowing a niche that will pay for something when you see it)
      • niche psychology (taking the time to understand those people)
      • testing
      You can do it.

      I also think that not getting tight-casted into the belief that "I have to do it this way" is important as well. There are SO many ways to make money online, but people get stuck thinking that it has to be done with SEO, article marketing, list building, etc.
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      • Profile picture of the author RobertoMejia
        Originally Posted by The Magician View Post

        If you're serious about living the Internet dream, you've got to live the Internet nightmare first: spend every waking moment working on your web sites. Turn off the t.v., stay up late, get up early, and promote products like mad.
        Originally Posted by capitalalchemy View Post

        I spent 16 hours a day for a year before I ever made anything worth noting.
        Yup... That sounds very familiar.

        I would definitely say that a key take away is to not get discouraged. It takes a lot of time and effort.
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        • Profile picture of the author James Sides
          Gonna keep this simple.

          People fail in anything in life because they quit.

          If you make a commitment to choose one way to make money and then go for it until you reach your goal you wont' fail.

          Most people just flop from product to product looking for the "secret" to making money online.

          Ready for the secret? There is no secret.

          Cheers,

          James
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          "People will remain the same until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change."

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          • Profile picture of the author masmoola
            Not having a good mentor.
            Not doing enough homework.
            Not having perseverance.
            Not having patience.
            Wanting things fast and now.
            Looking for the easy button.
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            Masmoola

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  • Profile picture of the author omk
    The major cause of failure is due to newbies falling for the get rich overnight without even trying fantasy.
    It takes a good amount of work to get up and running when you're a newbie. You also have to know what you're doing or else you'll end up spinning your wheels.
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  • Profile picture of the author GeorgR.
    Originally Posted by noraisabela View Post

    it is said that more than 90% of affiliates fail especially newbies, what is d major cause of their failure and what can be done 2 avoid it.
    One possible reason might be unrealistic expectations and seeing IM as something "where you can easily make money from home, all you need is a web site". Ironically this can be true but it is a LONG, LONG WAY to get there and does take lots of work. And 90% simply might not that have that "stamina" to go through all the mis-attempts and fails and read up and learn and try and work until they are at the point where things finally fall in place.
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  • Profile picture of the author marcuslim
    I'd like to add one more thing and this is especially true for affiliate marketing and it is that because affiliate marketing has a low barrier to entry (you don't need to create product, provide support etc) everyone jumps on it. But the novelty and promise of quick easy money is not to be, because if everyone does the same thing, you really do need to put in the extra work and go the extra mile to be better than others. Most people starting out in affiliate marketing fail because they will never go this extra mile - putting out good content in a systematic fashion, sticking with it, getting backlinks methodically - and so they give up and go on to the next shiny object.
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    A quick look at a product of mine that has 52 affiliates signed up. It looks as a nice number... but.
    35 of them has 0 or 1 click sent to the sales page (that one is probably their own, checking out the link). You can call them all "failure" - they never made one single sale.

    From the remaining 17 - only 9 have sent referrals; and 4 had more than one sale.

    I am not going to analyze it, the numbers speak for themselves.
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  • Profile picture of the author Fazal Mayar
    Not having a plan that works. I have a plan that works but haven't put in into practice yet at 100%. Thats why affiliates fail.
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    Blogger at RicherOrNot.com (Make Money online blog but also promoting ethical internet marketing)

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  • Profile picture of the author michaeldoring
    Originally Posted by noraisabela View Post

    it is said that more than 90% of affiliates fail especially newbies, what is d major cause of their failure and what can be done 2 avoid it.
    The major causes of failure are:

    1. Thinking its harder then it is to make money online, its actually very simple, just monetize some online content and drive traffic to it, and you will make money. Very simple

    2. Dreamers, who always learn but never do

    3. Those people who will never succeed at anything unless they change their attitude and action. For example: Quitters, lazy-bones lotto ticket buying fools who think they can spend 5 minutes a month doing this and make money, etc.

    p.s. I buy lotto tickets, but I ain't no fool, I am not lazy and work hard. Furthermore, point 3 is not meant to offend anyone, just motivate you to change and take action if you fall into that category. Goodluck.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alan Ashwood
      "When I was a young man, I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures.
      I didn't want to be a failure, so I did ten times more work".


      George Bernard Shaw

      .
      Signature
      Now where did I put that pencil?

      Time for a cuppa.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kevin Tan
    I think its due to a combination of the following:
    1. Information overload
    2. Always looking for the next shiny object
    3. Not taking action
    4. Giving up too soon
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    Let emotions serve you and not enslave you.

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