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Keep on Checking... Vendors are deceiving your eyes!

by Chris Lengley
10 replies
Not all. most of the vendors are trying to deceive the affiliates.

If there isn't any opt-in form, then from where it suddenly appears for 2 to 3 days and then disappears again? And, this thing happens again and again.

And, in case, somehow you (vendor) successfully earn few subscribers with this hard work, then why do you use your own affiliate link?

I promote around 10 to 12 ebooks... And, unfortunately, 6 out of 10 were trying to deceive the affiliates.

If this will keep on happening, then I think, eventually, affiliates will turn into vendors too.
#checking #deceiving #eyes #vendors
  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    Chris,

    They may not be trying to deceive you. It may actually just be a result of your research or lack therefor.

    Lots of popups can be set to only show x amount of times or x amount of visits to a page. So you will not necessarily see a popup every single time.

    As an affiliate it is up to you to do your research beforehand. For me that would involve going to a page numerous times over the period of a week to see if anything changes. If you don't do that type of research before promoting products well unfortunately there is no one to blame apart from yourself... that is unless the vendor has specifically stated there are no popups used... otherwise they are free to use popups as little or as often as they like. Just as you are free to promote their product or not.
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    • Profile picture of the author Chris Lengley
      Originally Posted by WillR View Post

      Chris,

      As an affiliate it is up to you to do your research beforehand. For me that would involve going to a page numerous times over the period of a week to see if anything changes. If you don't do that type of research before promoting products well unfortunately there is no one to blame apart from yourself...
      Yes! That's my mistake. I accept it. I will be careful now. But, I wasn't expecting this from professional vendors.
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      • Profile picture of the author khay
        Originally Posted by Chris Lengley View Post

        Yes! That's my mistake. I accept it. I will be careful now. But, I wasn't expecting this from professional vendors.
        I always buy the product I'm promoting first - to check if both the product and the merchant are favourable. You'll soon see if your email address gets sold or you're hammered with upsells or anything else that would negatively impact a buyer.
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      • Profile picture of the author Shaun OReilly
        It's better for the vendor and affiliate to have opt-in forms
        that hard code all follow-up e-mails with the affiliate links
        for the affiliate.

        (Assuming that the vendor and affiliate both trust each other).

        That way, the affiliate get the commissions they deserve (for
        longer) and the vendor makes more sales too.

        Win-win.

        Vendors who try to short change their affiliates are very
        short-sighted.

        Dedicated to mutual success,

        Shaun
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        • Profile picture of the author Chris Lengley
          Originally Posted by Shaun OReilly View Post


          Vendors who try to short change their affiliates are very
          short-sighted.
          Exactly! You are right.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Chris Lengley View Post

    If there isn't any opt-in form, then from where it suddenly appears for 2 to 3 days and then disappears again? And, this thing happens again and again.
    They may be split-testing, Chris?

    (Especially if they're new-ish products, perhaps?).

    Originally Posted by Chris Lengley View Post

    I promote around 10 to 12 ebooks... And, unfortunately, 6 out of 10 were trying to deceive the affiliates.
    The last time I methodically tested this (which was a while ago, now - but I can't be bothered to do it again because it's too much work, and I already learned what I needed to know about this subject!), 85% of the vendors with an opt-in were at some point in their email series sending out to some subscribers a new affiliate-link which overwrote the existing affiliiate's cookie. Not all the time, and not to all of them, obviously (they wouldn't have any affiliates left, would they?!), just sometimes, to some of them. They have a great incentive to do this: if they pay 75% commission, then acquiring just an extra 25% of the sales for themselves can double their income, and usually without any affiliates even knowing that they're doing it. :p
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    • Profile picture of the author Chris Lengley
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      They may be split-testing, Chris?

      (Especially if they're new-ish products, perhaps?).
      Yes Alexa. That was split-testing. And, those aren't the new products. The vendors, and the products, are professionals. You don't expect this kind of mellifluous behavior at least from professional vendors.

      I don't know much about other affiliates' strategies, but personally, I don't promote products with any opt-in form. Because, if I am preparing subscribers' mind for buying something, they won't buy at all if they would see some free gift.

      And, plus, these days it's very tough to find good products without any opt-in form. I have seen, and searched, hundreds of products. And, almost only 5 out of 100 are good and without any opt-in form.

      I think when affiliates go older, they become vendor.
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      • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Chris Lengley View Post

        personally, I don't promote products with any opt-in form.
        Nooooo ... of course not. Very few serious affiliates will.

        Good, experienced, professional vendors understand this, and know that they can't hope to attract serious, pro-affiliates without also providing a sales page without an opt-in.

        Some already have this available, without mentioning it in their Marketplace listing.

        Some will make it available for affiliates who ask (it's easy enough for them to do).

        If there's a product I really want to promote, I ask the vendor for a sales-page without the opt-in. (If they really won't provide one, even on request, it's pretty clear what they're really telling you! :p ).

        The other option, of course, is to replace their sales page (without their opt-in) on your own hosting (with their permission) and then link directly to their order-page. But not everyone wants to do that, understandably.

        Originally Posted by Chris Lengley View Post

        I think when affiliates go older, they become vendor.
        I'll tell you in another decade.

        For the moment, I find there are many big advantages of being an affiliate which avoid some of the problems of being a vendor. Here are ten of them.
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        • Profile picture of the author Chris Lengley
          Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post


          Some already have this available, without mentioning it in their Marketplace listing.

          Some will make it available for affiliates who ask (it's easy enough for them to do).

          If there's a product I really want to promote, I ask the vendor for a sales-page without the opt-in. (If they really won't provide one, even on request, it's pretty clear what they're really telling you! :p ).

          The other option, of course, is to replace their sales page (without their opt-in) on your own hosting (with their permission) and then link directly to their order-page. But not everyone wants to do that, understandably.

          For the moment, I find there are many big advantages of being an affiliate which avoid some of the problems of being a vendor. Here are ten of them.
          Thank you Alexa! That's a very valuable advice. These idea din't come in my mind. I will do it now.
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  • Profile picture of the author djleon1
    The short sited vendors figure that if they are not going to get a sale (either trial offer or reduced price) by the third exit redirect they may as well just have a final redirect offering a free bonus for their email - I guess this offer is goodwill.

    I do not mind (in a few cases) the redirects by vendors I promote but it should not end up in an optin. I understand why they do it but I do not need to help them build their list. If 95% of the traffic I send them does not convert (or whatever the analytics are) then even if the product does not sell it is still worth their while to increase there list.
    Just avoid vendors with optins.
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