Hi Durk,
As I look at yet another almost incomprehensible affiliate program site it occurs to me that those managing these programs and all the potential affiliate promoters in the world could greatly benefit from some wisdom in this area. If you could share my email message in your blog or in articles, or rewrite it you will be doing us all a great service.
As you know I worked for IBM for 23 years in a technical field, built my own Web sites starting in 1996, and work full time managing Keyword Advertising programs at numerous PPC engines. I mention this so that affiliate managers can understand that I am NOT a Newbie online and quite capable of figuring out what I choose to spend time on.
Almost all affiliate programs are simply too confusing for most people to easily implement. Some people cannot figure them out and others like me are too busy to want to spend all the time it will take to determine what to do by trial & error, or trying to contact someone to find out what it is they really meant.
There would be a lot more success in affiliate programs if they were simple and easily implemented. Most people could send a link via email to their friends and family so EVERY affiliate program should GIVE THEM ONE first thing as soon as they join.
The people who set up affiliate programs appear to be geeks who live and breathe affiliate programs. Do they not realize the enormous benefits that could be reaped if they would provide just a simple SHORT link embedded with an affiliate code that anyone could use in an e-mail? Ideally that would be a protected link that isn’t obviously an affiliate link.
They could also provide a step-by-step SIMPLE process with html code to be pasted into an existing Web site. All the fancy options they currently present a new affiliate with are great for super-affiliates and the prime reason most people never have any success in their affiliate programs.
They should follow the advice in Steve Krug’s brilliant title: Don’t Make Me Think. Yes, make all the fancy stuff available for those who can use it. But FIRST give new affiliates simple, easy ways to get started that require no prior knowledge of promoting an affiliate program. Don’t leave ANYTHING out that they need to know. Make it step-by-step and tell them what to do next.
And one more thing: always give us a short text message link option. Some of us know that text messages work well and we prefer them. Many people also object to sharing anything that includes the over-the-top sales hype common in affiliate banners. Provide a straight-forward option for those who are willing to share the information but not the hype.
Those new affiliates who see some results will then invest time in learning the fancier stuff. Every affiliate program that does this will have far more happy, productive affiliates and see a far greater return.
Rose Sylvia
Internet Strategist
Keyword Advertising Specialist
www.equineinfo.com/ppc
And then a further response from Rose:
I’m not sure what form of attribution you wish to use. I normally use some combination of the following:
Rose Sylvia, Internet Strategist
Keyword Advertising Specialist
You are welcome to use whatever aspects of the above your normal attribution format requires. Thank you for putting the word out on this important issue. So often I log into an affiliate area and cannot find a simple text link or something I can email. Every one is different and most are obviously the work of people who are experts in affiliate programs.
I am sure they are proud of the complex offerings they present and feel their programs are terrific and then bemoan the fact that most affiliates don’t do anything. I see this same situation in many areas of life; people don’t realize that everyone has different aptitudes and assume that if they understand their own site others will too. That is untrue.
There are many programs that shorten urls and hide them. Here are a few I found on a search for “hide affiliate link”:
http://www.affiliateprograms.com/community/forums/post/1048.aspx (No idea how he created that url but he may have used one of the following)
http://www.codeproject.com/useritems/ZetaTinyUrl.asp
http://websearch.about.com/od/dailywebsearchtips/qt/dnt0529.htm
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/126/
Hopefully you’ll find something on one of the above sites you can offer to your client. That would then make a good follow-on article. Another reason many are not gung-ho about promoting affiliate programs is their fear of not getting paid for their work. Hiding the URL addresses that fear and provides a further incentive for someone to promote your affiliate program.
The more a company wishes ordinary humans to promote their product the easier they should make it. The Spiritual Cinema Circle affiliate program is what prompted me to email you. Their affiliate site is at http://spiritualcinemacircle.com/affiliates.shtml.
Everyone who enjoys their movies will want to share them with friends and family but there is no email link and no easy way to enjoy the benefits of their affiliate program. Most will either do nothing or will give up and just send the URL.
Sometimes I wonder if affiliate programs intentionally don’t provide a link you can email so they won’t have to pay the affiliate. But if their program is effective that would make no sense. More likely they either don’t think of it or are concerned with SPAM. They are missing the fast, easy sales they could be making by that obvious oversight.
Thanks again Rose for all of your insights and thoughts.
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