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Bobby
Joined:
12 Jul 2003
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764
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 6:52 pm
Post subject: Removing/changing affiliate links
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Whenever you visit a site that sells some type of product or service for protecting affiliate links, you will find the usual text about affiliate commissions being lost or stolen when someone changes or alters your affiliate links. It's easy to get the impression this is a huge problem worthy of lots of time, energy, and money to protect affiliate links.
I'm sure this happens often on products that are sold to webmasters and others doing business online - people who know how to easily recognize an affiliate link and to change or bypass the link.
I'd like to get the opinions of others as to how often you think this happens with consumer products where the typical visitor probably knows little about links, web design, etc.
For example, suppose you had a site concerning Valentine's Day gifts and the site included affiliate links to various products and services.
100 people who visit the site decide to click on one of those affiliate links to learn more or make a purchase.
Out of those 100, how many do you think will know how to alter or bypass your affiliate information in the URL so that you will not earn a commission on a sale?
Of those who know how, how many do you think will take the time and effort to alter your link?
Bobby |
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Debs
Joined:
16 Aug 2003
Posts:
4296
Location:
NY
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:33 pm
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When it comes to non-webmasters? None will change your links, they don't know what's straight linking and what's affiliate.
If they are webmasters they will do one of three things:
1. They will appreciate your information, and use your link;
2. They are affiliated with the merchant in question (or a similar merchant) and will go use their own link; or
3. They will go sign up with the merchant and use their own link.
So ... none will change your link.
When it comes to parasiteware/adware however, that's a different story.
Debs
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Charlie
Joined:
22 Aug 2003
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3305
Location:
UK
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 11:33 am
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Hello Bobby.
| Quote: | | I'm sure this happens often on products that are sold to webmasters and others doing business online - people who know how to easily recognize an affiliate link and to change or bypass the link. |
| Quote: | | For example, suppose you had a site concerning Valentine's Day gifts and the site included affiliate links to various products and services. |
I think the point to bear in mind is that it's not the subject of the site that's important, but the source of the traffic.
In other words, if you advertise valentines gifts in a web marketing ezine, you'll probably have more of a problem (as a percentage of sales) with affiliate "theft" than if you promote a marketing product to newbies.
[This isn't a recommended marketing strategy, just a way of making the point about traffic source.]
| Debs wrote: | When it comes to non-webmasters? None will change your links, they don't know what's straight linking and what's affiliate.
If they are webmasters they will do one of three things: |
I think there is another category of informed, but "dubiously principled" individuals who object to affiliate programs per se...
They will go directly to the merchant.
Thankfully, I think this is a small group.
All the best,
Charlie.
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