Impossible to make money from affiliate links?

I often click on what are obviously affliate links on web sites, but I never buy. The reason is that I always want to study a product in detail before I buy anything, so either I will remember it for later or more usually bookmark the product page to return to. I'll probably look at the product page many times before I buy, and then it will be from the product page itself not from the original affiliate link.

Cookies often last more than one day. Therefore you have probably unknowingly made commissions for affiliates with your purchases. Just because you don't click through the affiliate link *just* before you buy, does not mean that you haven't already been cookied, although the original affiliate's cookie may have been overwritten, or your browser/PC set up may have erased it.

Thus (in my case) the affiliate link on a web page will provide free advertising for the product and more affiliates means more advertising. But the product sale will always be directly to the product web site and never to the original affiliate link (which I will have long forgotten by the time I buy).

Because of this it seems obvious that people can easily offer huge comissions on products because they never (or rarely) have to pay them.

You pointed out that you were only talking about what happens 'in your case', then proceeded to jump from that logic to assuming that your actions are identical to every other potential buyer out there.

Do you see the incorrect assumption?

To answer your original question, it IS possible to make sales by putting affiliate links on web pages.

If I'm wrong then please tell me how many people are likely to buy a product from a click on an affiliate link rather than from the final product web page.

Impossible question to answer. How long's a piece of string?

I can tell you that the amount of people who buy increases in proportion to the amount of effort you put in to -

a) getting eyeballs to your page

b) giving them reasons to purchase

Hi dtrainer,

Everything is possible. All you have to do is to believe.

Can you elaborate on that? I have had experiences that suggest that this isn't the case. Or are you just trying to raise your post count by posting absolute crap, like you did in the 'sexism' thread I saw one of your posts in? Apologies in advance if it's not intentional and just appears to be that way.

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Roger Davis

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tknoppe

14 years ago

I agree with ExRat, most affiliate links are cookie'd for quite a while, depending on the link of course.

Another thing to consider is that not everyone has the same approach to buying online that you do. You are the cautious, non-impulsive buyer. However, many folks are just the opposite. So unless your niche where you're placing affiliate links is in the non-impuslive buyer market

, and your site is optimized to encourage sales, then your conversion rates on affiliate sales should not vary.

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Martin Avis

14 years ago

To the OP: Roger's response explains why your initial assumption is faulty.

However, to the main question - an awful lot of people here make an awful lot of money as affiliate marketers. That would suggest that it does work, don't you think?

I for one am looking forward to a very happy Christmas as a result of my affiliate marketing!

Martin

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Petronius

14 years ago

The point about cookies is interesting. Perhaps it is important to check with the link provider that a direct purchase will give commission on a sale provided a cookie is active. Perhaps I'll ask someone like clickbank.

I understand that not everyone is a cautious buyer although in a recession I would guess more people are.

Of course, it is obvious that the more hits a site or post with an affiliate link gets, the higher the chances of a sale, but I rather suspect that a very large number of hits will be needed for a decent conversion rate.

I'm sure that many people on this forum will make good money from affiliate marketing - and congratulations to all - but then some people have always had the gift of making money. I still suspect that far more have tried and failed, however much effort they put in.

It's no use generalising, there is no firm data on anything that I can see. Whether it's the ratio of cautious to impulse buyers or the number of hits needed for a sale.

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ExRat

14 years ago

Hi Petronius,

Perhaps it is important to check with the link provider that a direct purchase will give commission on a sale provided a cookie is active. Perhaps I'll ask someone like clickbank.

Just go to the site and search/read up on it.

Here

It's a 60 day cookie.

Of course, it is obvious that the more hits a site or post with an affiliate link gets, the higher the chances of a sale, but I rather suspect that a very large number of hits will be needed for a decent conversion rate.

Yes it's obvious, but it's the best answer to your question.

The number of hits you get won't affect your conversion rate

but then some people have always had the gift of making money

That's what's known as a 'limiting belief.'

It's no use generalising, there is no firm data on anything that I can see. Whether it's the ratio of cautious to impulse buyers or the number of hits needed for a sale.

If you search through the forum, you'll find quite a lot of data from warriors regarding their hits/sale ratio, hops/sale etc.

But at the end of the day it's just someone's comment here, and they might have an agenda. Much better to develop the habit of testing things out and finding out the answers for yourself. What have you got to lose?

But to re-iterate - it's not impossible at all.

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Petronius 14 years ago

I asked clickbank about cookies and they confirmed that you are correct: a click from an affiliate link will place a 60 day cookie on the computer. Good news then.
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Hesaidblissfully

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Petronius

I'm sure that many people on this forum will make good money from affiliate marketing - and congratulations to all - but then some people have always had the gift of making money. I still suspect that far more have tried and failed, however much effort they put in.

You could make the same argument about business in general, though. Lots of people try to start a business, but only a relative few succeed at it. Affiliate marketing is no different in that regard.

The title of the thread implies that it's impossible to make money from affiliate links, which you assumed was the case based on the fact that you yourself usually make purchases directly from the vendor's site. Several people have pointed out that the affiliate gets credited due to cookies being stored on the visitor's computer when they click on an affiliate link (at least when the system is working correctly). In addition, the fact that many people here on this forum make all or part of their income from affiliate marketing is proof that it works.

We always have to be wary of projecting our own habits and beliefs onto other people, as this can lead to assumptions that don't accurately reflect reality. It's the same thing that people do when they post threads asking if people actually buy information products because they can't figure out why people would buy information they could get for free. They figure "Hey, I don't buy information I when I could get it for free, so why would anyone else?" This ignores the fact that people buy information every day, both on and offline, that is freely available online.

The information in many "how to" books sold at Barnes & Noble or Amazon can be found for free online, yet they continue to sell "how to" books.

I could say that I don't understand how Amazon and Ebay make money selling physical goods, since I myself am more used to taking a trip to the store and purchasing physical goods in person. But that doesn't mean that Ebay and Amazon aren't hugely successful businesses. Obviously their success is proof that not everyone has the same beliefs about purchasing online that I do.

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Alexa Smith

Banned 14 years ago

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Martin Avis

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Over the last year or so, just in this forum (and even more so elsewhere), I've certainly seen several comments from vendors saying that they can afford to offer 75% commission on Clickbank products because in reality it costs them only 50%, overall, to do so.

I've never seen anyone seriously saying that. I seem to remember you saying it a few times though.

As a ClickBank vendor I can honestly say that I have not been aware of affiliates failing to be credited - either by looking at my own stats or by affiliates contacting me. I can't say it never happens, as any system can fail, but that I've never seen it.

As a very active affiliate I have similarly never been made aware of losing a commission. I often offer bonuses to people who buy through my links, but have yet to have someone ask for the bonus who didn't show up in my ClickBank stats.

Martin

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Sara Young

14 years ago

I do very well with affiliate marketing, though I don't really work with clickbank that much.

And I know others who do pretty good as well.

So I wouldn't say it's impossible....

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kevinfar

14 years ago

As others mentioned it takes 60 days for a clickbank cookie to be removed from a person's computer.

So if someone visits the product's website on the 59th day after clicking on an affiliate link (providing that he did not click on another affiliate link and that the product owner does not use different affiliate accounts himself), then the link which was originally click gets the sale (or rather the person to whom the link belongs)

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Adrianne_

14 years ago

In case you haven't notice, people are emotional beings and this is what fuels sales whether they are online or offline. As far as affiliate links, people don't generally buy the first time they come in contact with the link. The marketer has to keep his links in front of the same group of people multiple times before they consider making a purchase and this is where the cookies come into play. Some last 2 weeks and some last 60 - 90 days. Even if you back out of the site and go to the main domain, the affiliate will still make money if the cookies are set long enough. Keep in mind that if it did not work, no one would be doing it.

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peetred

14 years ago

I know it works because that's how I make my money. Why don't you try it sometime instead of being a skeptic

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JonMills

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Petronius

I'm not sure I believe money can be made from putting affiliate links on a web site. For example Clickbank hop links or similar.

I often click on what are obviously affliate links on web sites, but I never buy. The reason is that I always want to study a product in detail before I buy anything, so either I will remember it for later or more usually bookmark the product page to return to. I'll probably look at the product page many times before I buy, and then it will be from the product page itself not from the original affiliate link.

Thus (in my case) the affiliate link on a web page will provide free advertising for the product and more affiliates means more advertising. But the product sale will always be directly to the product web site and never to the original affiliate link (which I will have long forgotten by the time I buy).

Because of this it seems obvious that people can easily offer huge comissions on products because they never (or rarely) have to pay them.

If I'm wrong then please tell me how many people are likely to buy a product from a click on an affiliate link rather than from the final product web page.

It works because I make my living from it.

You are going to get people who come to a site

1. Dont click through
2. Do click through and dont buy
3. Do click though and dont buy and buy later
4. Do click through and buy

That is the life of any business online or offline.

Don't focus on worrying about it.

Just get building affiliate sites and the income will come.

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Trieu

14 years ago

affiliate or cpa marketing does work well, if you know how to do it. For instance, You can offer a free report on online dating and easily insert your own cpa link in there for them to sign up. You'll get comission, without them paying for anything

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Daniel Brock 14 years ago

Here are your options:

Be skeptical and never try(99% of the people out there) - No money for you.

OR

Do something, possibly fail your first couple tries, but keep building websites until you make money.

Out of the two options above, only one has a chance of making you money.

To be quite honest with you, based on your attitude, I don't think you will make money at affiliate marketing.

Reason: Your attitude it going to cause you to half-ass whatever it is you are trying to do, which of course won't make you successful.

If you want to do it, drop the attitude, empty your glass, and start building websites. That's the only way you will make money.
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fitz10

14 years ago

You know I thought the same thing at first because I personally am the type to hem and haw for a long time before buying a product but I'd like to point out a few things:

-Not everyone is like me (or you apparently) because a lot of people do make a split second decision to buy.
-You should be employing a call to action which makes it clear to the reader that he or she should be buying this product RIGHT NOW because the sooner he or she buys it, the sooner his or her problem will be solved.
-Cookies allow the person to get sales sometimes for months after the sale. So even if that person bookmarks your site or the sales page of your affiliate product they might come back and buy 30 days later and you'll still get credit.

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mr2monster

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Petronius

I'm not sure I believe money can be made from putting affiliate links on a web site. For example Clickbank hop links or similar.

I often click on what are obviously affliate links on web sites, but I never buy. The reason is that I always want to study a product in detail before I buy anything, so either I will remember it for later or more usually bookmark the product page to return to. I'll probably look at the product page many times before I buy, and then it will be from the product page itself not from the original affiliate link.

Thus (in my case) the affiliate link on a web page will provide free advertising for the product and more affiliates means more advertising. But the product sale will always be directly to the product web site and never to the original affiliate link (which I will have long forgotten by the time I buy).

Because of this it seems obvious that people can easily offer huge comissions on products because they never (or rarely) have to pay them.

If I'm wrong then please tell me how many people are likely to buy a product from a click on an affiliate link rather than from the final product web page.

1. When marketing, you always have to remember that you are not the majority.
2. Even if you click the link and go away, then return to the product page, the affiliates cookie is still there (unless you've cleared them)
3. People, for the most part, are impulse buyers and so long as the product isn't highly priced, don't require long decision making processes. There are the few that do, and you do lose a sale here and there due to someones cookies being cleared, or tracking being faulty or whatever... but that is not the case the majority of the time.
4. I make money every day from affiliate links. It's definitely possible.

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Hesaidblissfully 14 years ago

One other thing: You can always offer people an attractive bonus as an incentive to buy from your link. If they want the bonus, they have to buy from you. Just make sure that incentivized marketing is allowed with that affiliate network/offer.
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- Seattle Mike 14 years ago
  
  Definitely possible. I earn thousands promoting them every year. I get checks from Amazon, CJ, clickbank, paypal offers and a few others.
  
  To me affiliate marketing is a numbers game. The more links you have out there, the more visitors you get, the more products you try the better you do. Sometimes you only get 1 sale in 100 clicks. Sometimes you get 1 sale every 5 clicks. Sometimes you get no sales
  
  Are you giving them free advertising. Yes.
  Are affiliate programs and the commission tracking perfect. No.
  Is there a lot of competition. Yes.
  Can it be a lot of work. Yes.
  
  But you can earn money if you try long enough and test things out. You quickly learn what works and what doesn't. Which products sell and which don't. But you don't really know ahead of time, you have to test everything and see what happens.
  
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dsmpublishing

14 years ago

Hi guys

ive got a lot of my own products so i dont feel the same need as full time affiliate marketers to just make money as an affiliate through my websites. But its all about having a nice little link here and there that makes the difference.

For example i have a hostgator banner on the download page of my free wordpress tutorial. This sells like crazy because people are at the point of needing hosting and customers are like putty in your hands. I also have hostgator banners on my blogs but it has no way the same effect.

Just like at the end of all my ebooks i have something like:

"if you enjoyed reading this you will love......" and i also get a lot of sales from this

on some of my ebooks i have dsmpublishing recommends at the top and these two get me lots of sales from my viral products.

Its about a nice combination without you trying too hard to push your affiliate links.

kind regards

sam
X

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Impossible to make money from affiliate links?

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