IMers, I may be your worst nightmare...

44 replies
I do a lot of shopping online.

When I know exactly what I want to buy, I'll search for the best prices on sites like Google Shopping or Pricegrabber.

If I need to do some research before buying, I pay $5 to consumer reports to give me access to their unbiased research on products I am interested in. This is especially true if I am going to spend more than $100.

So the question is, am I an anomaly? Is this not how consumers typically make decisions?

As an IMer, you probably do not have access to the latest prices of products I am interested in so you cannot fulfill that need. You also cannot compete with the likes of Consumer Reports in providing me with the information I need to make an informed decision.

Not only that, but sites like Consumer Reports are likely to out rank you on Google. So for those IMers who are particularly in the affiliate marketing business, are your efforts really paying off or are you fighting a losing battle?

-Samir
#imers #nightmare… #worst
  • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
    So the question is, am I an anomaly? Is this not how consumers typically make decisions?
    You're an anomaly. The vast majority of online purchases are impluse buys or purchases made based on emotion, not logical, well-researched decisions. While consumers are getting smarter and more of them are using websites such as Shopzilla to help them find the lowest price, you're not covering all the channels of distribution, nor the wide variety of products and services that people market online which have nothing to do with consumer reports or their ilk.

    For example, I sold 120 acres of land via the Internet a few months ago and the person bought it because it was exactly what they wanted. Nothing else in the area came close to what they were looking for which gave my land a very high inelastic demand. Consumer Reports wouldn't have helped this person one iota.

    Here's another example: some affiliates make their sales by having an authority website and building their own network of readers, and once they have built up trust and credibility, they will make a suggestion and refer them to the product via an affiliate link, banner, graphic, etc. A lot of people will buy based on their recommendation. These are just a couple examples of many I could give.

    You might some marketer's nightmare, but there are plenty of products and services in the market where you wouldn't be.

    RoD
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom Ryan
      I do not think it is a losing battle at all. Shoppers such as yourself are just a small segment of the shoppers online. Sure some people like yourself will use those sites to make their purchasing decision, but tons more base their purchasing decision on different factors.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gaz Cooper
    Your not normal

    Based on the Millions of Amazon Sales that Affiliates make each month your in the minority but of course nothing wrong with you doing it that way.

    And as for consumer sites out ranking me, not a chance :p

    If everyone did what you did then I and the thousands of Affiliates online could be in trouble but I wont hold my breathe.

    Kickin it on Amazon

    Gaz Cooper
    Amz Training Academy
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  • Profile picture of the author art72
    What's your point coming to an internet marketing forum to brag about being one of the few who actually researches their purchases? :confused:

    If it's to attempt to understand "how" most shopper's make purchases, I agree; it's an impulsive reaction triggered by an emotional connection to desire, need, or the; "I want this!" mentality.

    As far as consumer reports 'outranking' those concerned with SEO, the relevancy seems more an insult to internet marketer's as a whole, as opposed to bringing any value to your post or your point, which is what:confused:

    According to About.com in 2010, the population estimate, for mid-year 2010, was estimated at 6,852,472,823.

    Estimated online spending jumped 15% from 2009 to 26 Billion in 2010!

    So no offense, but you not purchasing from internet marketers is NOT at any great loss to us!
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    A few things.

    1. I wouldn't trust consumer reports to be any more unbiased than the average reviewer. To get a real feel for a product a smart shopper knows to read forums where users fo said product hang out.

    2. Price shopping isn't hard or special. Amazon is not always the lowest price but if the price is right people will buy from them because they know and trust them. The problem is a lot of low price places is you have to research them just to know if they are on the up and up. Which brings me to....

    3. Time is worth money. If I have to spend 3 hours of my time to say $50 bucks I lost money IMO. So true hard core research just isn't a good use of my time. That said I know how to find a fair low price pretty fast and I think most people do.

    4. If an affliate has a website that comes up in my search and I will likely end up buying from amazon than the numbers are in their favor. It simply makes sense for them to do it if the effort isn't high because they will get some sales at least from it.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

    So the question is, am I an anomaly? Is this not how consumers typically make decisions?

    -Samir
    Yep ... that's why we're all homeless and broke. Might as well pack up our toys and go home.
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  • Profile picture of the author joekoffi
    Maybe if all buyers do like you do, no one will ever be scammed and scammers will find themselves off the pitch
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  • Profile picture of the author jasonthewebmaster
    Banned
    Just the fact that you buy anything online at all means that an IM'er somewhere has made money off you! LOL
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  • Profile picture of the author louie6925
    You're not my worst nightmare, I'm still doing ok! Don't really see the point of your post!
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  • Profile picture of the author 36burrows
    No. You are definitely not my worst nightmare.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

    So the question is, am I an anomaly? Is this not how consumers typically make decisions?
    This is how my dad makes purchases but he's about the only person I know who does this these days.

    Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

    As an IMer, you probably do not have access to the latest prices of products I am interested in so you cannot fulfill that need.
    I'm not sure what you mean by this? Why do I, as an internet marketer, somehow have less access to prices of products? I can see everything you can see online.

    The majority of online stores have an affiliate program, too, which gives me affiliate access to programs - not to mention inside scoops on coupons and specials.

    Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

    You also cannot compete with the likes of Consumer Reports in providing me with the information I need to make an informed decision.
    My sites actually have far more detail than Consumer Reports on the products I promote - I've checked.

    Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

    Not only that, but sites like Consumer Reports are likely to out rank you on Google.
    They're actually very weak competition for review sites. I don't recall ever being behind them for a review of a product that I was actively promoting.

    Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

    So for those IMers who are particularly in the affiliate marketing business, are your efforts really paying off or are you fighting a losing battle?
    Paying off to the tune of a full time income that let me leave a six figure a year job to work comfortably from my own home. I can't complain!
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  • Profile picture of the author SamirRastogi
    It seems I've offended some people although that was not my intention at all.

    A couple of people have suggested that most online purchases are 'impulse buys' , but again, I may be a complete odd ball when it comes to shopping but if I am in an impulse buying mode, I would want what I purchased right away….not wait to have it delivered after 3-5 days. For example, if I find an interesting book at my neighborhood barnes & nobles, I don't wait to go home an order it from an online retailer because it will be cheaper, I pay the retail price because I want that book now.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

      It seems I've offended some people although that was not my intention at all.

      A couple of people have suggested that most online purchases are 'impulse buys' , but again, I may be a complete odd ball when it comes to shopping but if I am in an impulse buying mode, I would want what I purchased right away….not wait to have it delivered after 3-5 days. For example, if I find an interesting book at my neighborhood barnes & nobles, I don't wait to go home an order it from an online retailer because it will be cheaper, I pay the retail price because I want that book now.
      Samir - I don't think you offended people, either. Certainly not me, anyways. I think we're just rising up to tell you that your theory that people heavily research products and resort to Consumer Reports for information and therefore leave affiliate marketers struggling to be successful is incorrect. We're not pointing that out to be anything other than helpful, though.

      Lots of people (I mean LOTS!!!) just don't go to the level of detail you do when buying something.

      This puts you in a great position, though, to be a really great affiliate marketer. If you do the research others don't and consolidate your information into a website, YOU could be the source that buyers go to before making their purchase decision. YOU could be the one who says this is where you can get the best price, this product is better than that one, and this is the product that will fit your needs if you're looking for a, b, and c. While many people don't want to go to that level of effort themselves, you can do that for them and be rewarded with affiliate commissions for the products you recommend and the information you've gathered for other consumers.

      On top of that, there are loads of products one can promote as an affiliate marketer that don't get researched before they're purchased. These are products that are purchased based on how they look - towels, lamps, vases. Lots of money to be made in these niches, too, and Consumer Reports is not an issue.

      I think we're just trying to say "Hey, the water is pretty darn nice - jump on in!".
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    • Profile picture of the author Bekah Howard
      Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

      A couple of people have suggested that most online purchases are 'impulse buys' , but again, I may be a complete odd ball when it comes to shopping but if I am in an impulse buying mode, I would want what I purchased right away....not wait to have it delivered after 3-5 days. For example, if I find an interesting book at my neighborhood barnes & nobles, I don't wait to go home an order it from an online retailer because it will be cheaper, I pay the retail price because I want that book now.
      I have two arguments to this:

      First of all, you are making the assumption that anything you want to buy on impulse will be readily available locally. This is definitely not the case in many situations, especially more rural areas.

      Secondly, you equate "impulse buying" with impatience. They are often coupled, but not always. Someone could impulse buy something online because they feel it will be better quality, more helpful, custom made, etc. In these cases, they are fully prepared to wait for them. Also, the impulse buy isn't always instantaneous. I would still consider anything you purchase at least partly because of a "it's new/cool/shiny" type of feeling an impulse buy (no matter how long you wait to buy it).

      I have a good personal example of both of these points. I love the store Teavana. Before we moved I was about 45 minutes away from multiple stores, but now the closest stores are 700 miles in one direction and over 1000 miles in two other directions. I obviously can't just drive to the store to pick something up anymore. Shortly after we moved, I found a Yixing clay teapot set I loved on their site. I wanted to buy it, but decided to wait because I was too busy to research a couple questions I had. I ended up waiting almost 4 months (constantly looking forward to having it even though I had not ordered it yet). When I finally found the time to really dig for the answers to my questions (there was basically no info on any of them), i discovered that the teapot was not at all what I wanted. I almost impulse ordered it more times than i care to count in those 4 months, but I am glad I didn't.

      My point is that in the case of the teapot, I couldn't have just picked it up. Also, I would have considered it an impulse buy if I had purchased it. The purchase would have been based purely on excitement, the feeling of "It's so cute/pretty", and misinformation.

      No, most people don't put off an impulse purchase for 4 months, but the point is that impulse isn't just another word for impatience.
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    • Profile picture of the author JennySweets
      Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

      It seems I've offended some people although that was not my intention at all.

      A couple of people have suggested that most online purchases are 'impulse buys' , but again, I may be a complete odd ball when it comes to shopping but if I am in an impulse buying mode, I would want what I purchased right away....not wait to have it delivered after 3-5 days. For example, if I find an interesting book at my neighborhood barnes & nobles, I don't wait to go home an order it from an online retailer because it will be cheaper, I pay the retail price because I want that book now.
      For most people, impulse b uying means the impulse to spend the money right then. Delivery is a second wave of "shopping high" and a LOT of people actually enjoy the UPS man coming to the door as much as the initial purchase.

      Yes, you are the oddball. :p
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    • Profile picture of the author Rach72
      Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

      It seems I've offended some people although that was not my intention at all.

      A couple of people have suggested that most online purchases are 'impulse buys' , but again, I may be a complete odd ball when it comes to shopping but if I am in an impulse buying mode, I would want what I purchased right away....not wait to have it delivered after 3-5 days. For example, if I find an interesting book at my neighborhood barnes & nobles, I don't wait to go home an order it from an online retailer because it will be cheaper, I pay the retail price because I want that book now.
      Oh, shoot you mean that Bon Jovi DVD that I hit the 'buy' button for just because it was on special and I was getting another DVD wasn't an impulse buy? :rolleyes:

      In the real world do you refuse to buy a product because the salesman gets a commission? No, if you like the product and the pitch is good then you buy it happily.

      People buy online all sorts of ways for all sorts of reasons and I would wager that they don't really care who gets what commission (if any). They would rather have the product at the best price.

      My husband is the researcher from hell but that won't stop him buying through an affiliate link if it is the site that he likes best.
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      • Profile picture of the author SalmaR
        Originally Posted by Rach72 View Post

        Oh, shoot you mean that Bon Jovi DVD that I hit the 'buy' button for just because it was on special and I was getting another DVD wasn't an impulse buy? :rolleyes:

        In the real world do you refuse to buy a product because the salesman gets a commission? No, if you like the product and the pitch is good then you buy it happily.

        People buy online all sorts of ways for all sorts of reasons and I would wager that they don't really care who gets what commission (if any). They would rather have the product at the best price.

        My husband is the researcher from hell but that won't stop him buying through an affiliate link if it is the site that he likes best.
        You're not making any sense. I don't think OP has any issues with clicking on affiliate links or with people making commissions.
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        • Profile picture of the author Rach72
          Originally Posted by SalmaR View Post

          You're not making any sense. I don't think OP has any issues with clicking on affiliate links or with people making commissions.
          No, he is asking if IMers can survive in a world where consumers do research and are competing for SERP spots with places like CR.

          I am merely pointing out to him that I don't think that anyone cares where they buy the product from and that IM will have a place regardless of how much research the consumer does (or does not do)

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  • Profile picture of the author louie6925
    Not offended at all, like I said I don't see the point to your post! Fair enough if everyone on this forum was struggling!!!! But tons of people on here are doing very well marketing products online! Your statement is the equivalent of me saying "I like beer from a bottle, so I don't see the point of people selling it in cans!!"
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    • Profile picture of the author SamirRastogi
      Originally Posted by louie6925 View Post

      Not offended at all, like I said I don't see the point to your post! Fair enough if everyone on this forum was struggling!!!! But tons of people on here are doing very well marketing products online! Your statement is the equivalent of me saying "I like beer from a bottle, so I don't see the point of people selling it in cans!!"
      I am sincerely glad to know many here are doing very well. I felt that affiliate marketers are always fighting an uphill battle. They're at a constant tug of war with the authority sites, the wiki's, the ever changing Google algorithms, etc. It didn't seem it would be possible to make a meaningful income with so much working against you but I've been proven wrong as many here seem to be making a living off of affiliate marketing.
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      • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
        Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

        It seems I've offended some people although that was not my intention at all.

        A couple of people have suggested that most online purchases are 'impulse buys' , but again, I may be a complete odd ball when it comes to shopping but if I am in an impulse buying mode, I would want what I purchased right away….not wait to have it delivered after 3-5 days. For example, if I find an interesting book at my neighborhood barnes & nobles, I don't wait to go home an order it from an online retailer because it will be cheaper, I pay the retail price because I want that book now.
        Hey Samir,

        Well, you did not offend me one iota.

        An impulse buy refers to the transactional purchasing component of the actual purchase, not the delivery. Some exceptions to this would be digital products where a customer might be swayed to buy because of the instant delivery / download component. Anytime someone takes out their wallet (or virtual wallet) to make an purchase based on emotion it's known as an impulse buy.

        Another good example of this is the home shopping network, which lives off of impulse buying. They also are the masters at scarcity. People end up buying stuff they don't need even though it might take 3 to 7 business days to get it in the mail.

        Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

        Consumer Reports is actually the largest subscription based website in the world. They have 3.5 million subscribers. One advantage I can see Affiliate marketers having over CR is that they don't always have ratings and reviews of the latest models.
        The online market place has about 4 billion buyers, 3.5 million subscribers is a drop in the e-commerce bucket.

        Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

        I am sincerely glad to know many here are doing very well. I felt that affiliate marketers are always fighting an uphill battle. They're at a constant tug of war with the authority sites, the wiki's, the ever changing Google algorithms, etc. It didn't seem it would be possible to make a meaningful income with so much working against you but I've been proven wrong as many here seem to be making a living off of affiliate marketing.
        Three things come to mind:

        a. Not all affiliate marketers rely solely on SEs for their traffic.

        b. Many affiliate marketers are actually hybrid marketers and also have their own producuts.

        c. Getting ranked on Google, Yahoo, and Bing isn't very hard; it's one of those things that people tend to over complicate. Most people aren't willing to study even basic SEO methods and then be consistent in their SEO / SEM efforts.

        RoD
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  • Profile picture of the author SteveJohnson
    Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

    If I need to do some research before buying, I pay $5 to consumer reports to give me access to their unbiased research on products I am interested in.
    I blew coffee all over my screen when I read this one.
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  • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
    Consumers Reports??? unbiased??? good one!

    These are the guys who finally admited to giving perfect ratings to cars that they had never even sat in before! They've been caught in various scandals for decades.

    I also have to point out that a lot of what CR observes is statisticly unsound when they have a sample size of ONE.

    Back on topic.. some things that come to mind:
    a) an seo fight with CR is not unwinnable,
    b) a lot people will continue to look for reviews even if they did go to CR,
    c) a lot of people would trust an independent and in depth review of camera's by a photographer (ie, niche/specialist reviews) vs a more corporate reviewer . - I did
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  • Profile picture of the author Palusko
    Obviously, the more expensive the product, the more research people tend to do. But even then, a lot of the research is done through reviews.

    But after reading this discussion, the questions I have are - would it be still possible to do affiliate marketing effectively, if people did their research more thoroughly or at least if they understood, that a lot of the reviews they read are written by affiliates who often do not even use the product?
    I know I do my research quite differently and read the reviews "with different eyes" than I did before I got involved in affiliate marketing.

    So, is a smart shopper a nightmare to affiliate marketers, or are affiliate marketers nightmare to unsuspected shoppers?
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    • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
      Originally Posted by Palusko View Post

      Obviously, the more expensive the product, the more research people tend to do. But even then, a lot of the research is done through reviews.

      But after reading this discussion, the questions I have are - would it be still possible to do affiliate marketing effectively, if people did their research more thoroughly or at least if they understood, that a lot of the reviews they read are written by affiliates who often do not even use the product?
      I know I do my research quite differently and read the reviews "with different eyes" than I did before I got involved in affiliate marketing.

      So, is a smart shopper a nightmare to affiliate marketers, or are affiliate marketers nightmare to unsuspected shoppers?
      This is the reason that smart shoppers read forums related to the products they are interested in. Even fan boys will often tell you more of the negatives then reviews will because reviewers have two issues. One they spend little to no time with the product. Two they have some kind of bias.
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      • Profile picture of the author Michael Shook
        My father-in-law was a devoted Consumer Reports fan. He would do as much research as he could pack into a day before he bought almost anything.

        He also never rented cars from anywhere except Rent-A-Wreck type places and I had to pick him up stranded in bad parts of town a bunch of times.

        He would also drive a half hour out of his way and then a half hour back in order to save 3 cents on a gallon of gas. And it did not matter to him how much money in gas he spent as long as he got a bargain.

        There are always going to be people who are going to price shop. And there area always going to be people who don't.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    If you want to buy my Kindle book you don't even have to travel to the bookstore. You can sit at home, find what you want, and have it delivered in less than a minute. Personally, I love bookstores...my only point is people CAN feed their impulse buying on the internet. Not everything is delivered by the postal service.

    My worst fear is still the zombie apocalypse...

    Rose
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  • Profile picture of the author moonzombie
    No, you're not an internet marketers worst nightmare, you admitted to spending $5 online anytime you make a major purchase. Consumer Reports uses internet marketing, and you are their best friend.
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    Find out why I get hired by other article writers to help them when they're busy. Premium content, reasonable prices. PM me if you're interested.

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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Worst nightmare? Or disqualified prospect?

    And moving on...
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  • Profile picture of the author PPC-Coach
    You're not my worst nightmare. You're a segment of the population. How big or small? I have no clue, nor do I care to find out as you are not my target market. That does not mean there are others who don't do it like you do out there. There are and plenty of them.

    You mentioned it being an uphill battle. Please show me ANY business in the world that isn't. I'm going to assume you think those products promising you riches overnight by pushing a button are true? They're not. They're complete scams.

    Affiliate marketing IS work. Just like owning any other business is work. It's a different kind of work, but it's work. There is no free lunch.

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  • Profile picture of the author J Bold
    If you are an affiliate for a site which is consistently giving the best deals or close to the best deals you will not be too hard done by even those who like to do a lot of research before buying.

    For example, I often find good deals on Amazon and I think a lot of people have the impression you can get great deals on Amazon for the most part. Now, because I don't research loads as a shopper maybe there are places to get better deals, I don't know. But I know I am a segment of the population, as PPC-Coach said, so I know that others like me in my segment will not always bother to go search on another site if I "feel" like I'm getting a good deal on Amazon.

    Not every buyer is the same but I agree with Rod Cortez that most people probably buy on impulse.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Samir, I took no offense, either...

      Actually, I love shoppers like you. While CR may be your 'drug of choice' when it comes to researching potential purchases, it's not so for others. And some, while weighting CR's ratings, are not willing to spend money on them.

      In my chosen markets, I don't want to compete with Consumer Reports. I want them to have to compete with me. And it never hurts my credibility to be able to say something like:

      "While CR gave this a 'Best Buy' rating, feedback from actual buyers on multiple sites tells a different story..."

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      • Profile picture of the author ConvertingTraffic
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        Samir, I took no offense, either...

        Actually, I love shoppers like you. While CR may be your 'drug of choice' when it comes to researching potential purchases, it's not so for others. And some, while weighting CR's ratings, are not willing to spend money on them.

        In my chosen markets, I don't want to compete with Consumer Reports. I want them to have to compete with me. And it never hurts my credibility to be able to say something like:

        "While CR gave this a 'Best Buy' rating, feedback from actual buyers on multiple sites tells a different story..."

        yes i was thinking of that too.

        love ur sig though.

        haha

        anti vegetarian ? haha
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  • Profile picture of the author ConvertingTraffic
    yes.

    i some times do that too.


    U are normal in a way because there are people doing it.
    And there is nothing wrong.

    On the other hand its not the majority of people doing this.

    so its not a matter of normal or not. Its just minority.
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  • Profile picture of the author Nathan2525
    Originally Posted by SamirRastogi View Post

    I do a lot of shopping online.

    When I know exactly what I want to buy, I'll search for the best prices on sites like Google Shopping or Pricegrabber.

    If I need to do some research before buying, I pay $5 to consumer reports to give me access to their unbiased research on products I am interested in. This is especially true if I am going to spend more than $100.

    So the question is, am I an anomaly? Is this not how consumers typically make decisions?

    As an IMer, you probably do not have access to the latest prices of products I am interested in so you cannot fulfill that need. You also cannot compete with the likes of Consumer Reports in providing me with the information I need to make an informed decision.

    Not only that, but sites like Consumer Reports are likely to out rank you on Google. So for those IMers who are particularly in the affiliate marketing business, are your efforts really paying off or are you fighting a losing battle?

    -Samir
    Hey Samir,

    What comes to my mind is that through lack of dis-trust
    you may be wasting a lot of time and not leveraging people.

    While you are spending all your time and money buying
    un-biased reviews,

    I have been told about the course that I must consume
    and implement immediately.

    While you are spending hours looking through all of your
    un-biased reviews,

    I have consumed the course and began implementing it
    in to my business.

    While you think you may have come to a decision, I am
    now in profit.

    I also believe you are in a minority, so it doesn't really
    worry me. Sorry.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kal Sallam
      Originally Posted by Nathan2525 View Post

      Hey Samir,

      What comes to my mind is that through lack of dis-trust
      you may be wasting a lot of time and not leveraging people.

      While you are spending all your time and money buying
      un-biased reviews,

      I have been told about the course that I must consume
      and implement immediately.

      While you are spending hours looking through all of your
      un-biased reviews,

      I have consumed the course and began implementing it
      in to my business.

      While you think you may have come to a decision, I am
      now in profit.

      I also believe you are in a minority, so it doesn't really
      worry me. Sorry.
      well it pays off to RESEARCH don't you think?
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  • Profile picture of the author Daniel Deegan
    Great point by John McCabe. That's a much better line of thinking if you want to be an affiliate.

    On the whole many affiliates are lazy and follow the path of least resistance. But not all affiliates are like that. A good affiliate looking to promote something for the long haul is going to have a point of difference benefit associated with purchasing through them. A good affiliate is going to look for market gaps or ways to gain leverage over the competition.

    Obvious examples are... Various bonuses, coupons or discounts, price comparison charts (there are scripts that automate this which make it easy to appeal to shoppers such as your self). Bonuses are really powerful motivator if your not lazy about it and can work really well in most markets. Ideally you want to combine elements when possible (coupon+bonus).

    Regarding consumer reports, What if you find a summary of what consumer reports said combined with quotes from reviews from niche specific magazine along with snippets of user feedback? Or insights into the companies history with past or similar products?

    Note to affiliates - Consumer reports is a great place to subscribe to for your own research and niche ideas.

    Much love, wealth, health & happiness,
    Daniel.
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    • Profile picture of the author SalmaR
      Originally Posted by Daniel Deegan View Post

      Obvious examples are... Various bonuses, coupons or discounts, price comparison charts (there are scripts that automate this which make it easy to appeal to shoppers such as your self). Bonuses are really powerful motivator if your not lazy about it and can work really well in most markets. Ideally you want to combine elements when possible (coupon+bonus).
      Can I please know what script you use to automate the price comparison charts?
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      • Profile picture of the author Daniel Deegan
        Originally Posted by SalmaR View Post

        Can I please know what script you use to automate the price comparison charts?
        Hi Salam, the tools I tested personally (mind you this was quite awhile ago) where Datafeedr and a stand alone script that worked with files from the vendor. There was also a service I was planning to try geared toward amazon affiliates from Frank Haywood (think thats his name). It was specifically designed to compare prices against amazon for IPK sites. I never did get to try it but it could work really well if your an amazon affiliate looking to add some leverage to your campaigns.

        Heres the link - Vendiva.com - Price Comparisons

        NOTE - I have no experience with the service nor do I know if its working well, but I think its worth looking into...

        If your looking for other options just search on Google for "price comparison script" or "datafeed script".

        I know datafeedfile and price tapestry have been around for awhile. Datafeedr is also a solid option, they even had a wso back in the day. Jeff Johnson also had a service & in house script he was using a few years ago

        Hope this helps.
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  • Profile picture of the author Vlad Romanov
    How could you even assume affiliate marketing doesn't work? It is literally everywhere... I've had friends that did the cliche job of selling knives door to door... If your assumption was true none of these vendors would ever make money... But based on how an object is presented to the consumer it can influence their descision even tho they had intention to purchase the said product.
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