In May 2008, JupiterResearch analyst Patti Freeman Evans published a study on affiliate marketing that indicates online marketers will spend $2.1 billion on affiliate marketing fees, with U.S. online affiliate marketing spending reaching $3.3 billion in 2012. That figure includes the aggregate cost of running an affiliate program: affiliate network fees and affiliate … [Read more...]
Crossing the Line
The roles played by each of the key parties in the affiliate marketing space are very clearly defined. Just like a well-oiled machine, each component has its job to do, each ensuring that the industry as a whole functions, if not in harmony, at least in synergy.Affiliates should drive value added traffic and consumers to a merchant's site.Networks are considered to be the … [Read more...]
Commission Junction: Putting the Pieces in Place
Kerri Pollard took over the helm of Commission Junction as general manager over a year ago. Pollard's rise through the ranks - starting at BeFree back in the day and then at CJ as director of publisher services - gives her a wide variety of network experience to draw upon. Since Pollard took over, CJ has undergone some changes.Lisa Picarille: You've been running Commission … [Read more...]
Out of Commission
How to Limit Commission Theft Find a trusted network and merchants. Ask other affiliates about their experiences with network partners, and if you are not being protected, take your business elsewhere. Likewise, if a merchant partner advertises via adware that is known to facilitate commission theft, you may be better off without them. Study your reports yourself for … [Read more...]
Being Ben Edelman
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone more knowledgeable or dedicated than Ben Edelman when it comes to the evils of spyware. The 24-year-old assiduously tracks the proliferation of adware from his own computer lab. He's a fierce critic of spyware practices and has testified in several high-profile adware-related lawsuits.Talk about overachievers: Edelman is a Ph.D. candidate … [Read more...]
Stumped About Stopping Spyware
Tuan Le is mad. And when he's upset, he speaks quietly, deliberately and very thoughtfully. He's hardly a hothead. But nothing gets him more riled up, if you can call it that, than knowing he's losing a large percentage of revenue from his two affiliate Web sites to other affiliates that are acting in unethical and unfair ways. Le, who's been an affiliate for the last few years … [Read more...]
The Way To Ebay
To state the obvious, eBay has become a household name, at least in the US where everyone recognizes the brand as the largest online auction site. What may be less obvious is that eBay also has one of the largest affiliate programs. That may seem odd given that most merchants use affiliates to sell goods or services, and eBay doesn't sell goods or services. Instead, it's a … [Read more...]
Wooing the Lonely Hearts
With thousands of dating sites on the Web, it can be as hard for surfers to find the right site as it is to find the right mate. Affiliates are the matchmakers of the online dating world, bringing lonely hearts to dating service merchants who can light the path to true love, or at least some warm companionship. In a space Jupiter Research projects will more than double to … [Read more...]
Should I Promote This Merchant
There are thousands upon thousands of affiliate programs offered by various Internet merchants. Deciding what programs to promote can be a daunting task. Let's explore the factors most successful affiliate marketers consider when faced with this decision.First and foremost, you must consider your site visitors' propensity to purchase the product or service or take the "desired … [Read more...]