Comments on: How NOT to run an affiliate programme

By: Ann Summers affiliate

Ann Summers affiliate — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:11:33 +0000

There’s a point i’d like to add to your list of how not to run an affiliate program.
Ann Summers is one of THE worst programs to push now. We already have trouble getting anyone to advertise our site but damn we still work hard at it.

Last year Ann Summers stopped updating their product feed, which just so happens to be the backbone for our site. Although users are able to search and find the products they want on a well optimised search engine, every link is now outdated and resolves at the Ann Summers homepage, instead of the product page.

The consequences? Well, we went from a conversion averaging around a very respectable 26% per month down to a measley 0.08%

We had one sale over the Christmas period and with Valentines day looming heavily (our busiest period) we’ll be lucky to pull in a tenner!

If a program starts supporting a product feed, they have to realise that those of us with the brains to use and optimise it properly are going to do just that. Don’t for God’s sake pull your feed (in this case with no warning or explanation) or we’re likely to send all your traffic to a competitor.

Ann Summers, you’ve got till the end of this week before it all goes to BeCheeky!!

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:02:22 +0000

Just weighing in from the merchant side. Previously I’ve been at companies where the person dealing with affiliate networks is the only one who understands them , so if Nike’s affiliate manager was on a long holiday that might explain it somewhat? Not a good excuse I know, just saying some companies think affiliates are approved by magic and all are big names like their own, and don’t know the way it actually works. If the network savvy person is busy or away affiliate approval can be slow - but in the case of Dave waiting since July maybe the application as been changed from new to pending/on hold and those in this staus are not being checked or have been forgotten about. I’ve inherited programs before with affiliates on hold for 2 years!

How long do affiliates expect it to take for approval from a big name brand?

By: Edinburgh

Edinburgh — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:22:31 +0000

I have had similar problems with my site it took over 5 weeks to get approved for the hilton program! I think the longest wait i had was 3 months and then got declined. Both were with TD.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:56:12 +0000

I agree whole heartedly with your post Kieron, it frustrates me too! Its a real shame because some affiliate managers bust their balls to keep us affiliates happy, I just wish they were all like that

By: Cyrus

Cyrus — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:57:51 +0000

Thanks for the rant Kieron. I’m definitely not one of the big guys, but I am launching my first attempt at offering a CB product, so any education at all in what pisses off potential affiliates is useful to me.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:28:15 +0000

I win - Tesco Mobile and Jamster on buy.at - been waiting since July 2007.

Tick, tock, tick, tock

By: Chris Mockford

Chris Mockford — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:16:47 +0000

Hi,

ian-d and any other affiliate who has long term outstanding applications for the buy.at network please drop me a line on chris.mockford@buy.at and I will try and get these chased up

On a general level as Paul says earlier on some programs the responsibility will be with the merchant, sometimes it will be with the agency and some with us. So whilst we try and chase the approvals as quickly as possible delays can occur.

Cheers

Chris Mockford
Affiliate Development Manager
buy.at

By: ian-d

ian-d — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:21:05 +0000

Waiting on an application to go through from buy.at too. Now been 4 weeks! Likewise on TD too, had a decline for a site thats being using the same merchant through AW for years and gets a lot of traffic, no explanation, just the standard response. Disappointing!

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:31:17 +0000

Mate my heart is with you.

1. I drives me nuts when I apply for a programme specifically with the idea to push it during a seasonal promotion, only to hear nothing for weeks on end. And as in your example, the standard TD Denied email just makes me want to look at alternative programmes on other networks constantly.

2. I have noticed more and more spam heading my way courtesey of networks too. Infact earlier this week I received something through the POST that was addressed to my PO Box address! Thats it… now I am on a list somewhere I can expect lots of recycling to take place, or I start my old tricks again…. I put Tesco credit card details into the free reply envelope of Capital One Credit Card - and viceversa

4Mb attachment is a bit of a P take though! I’d go mental!

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:35:25 +0000

Keiron, I know the feeling. My applications to a few big high street brand names have been in “pending” for weeks on Affiliate Window. AWIN did very helpfully email them to get them to hurry up and some of them responded but I am still waiting for the others. It usually seems to be the big high street brands that do this. AWIN did say to me that it is because they receive a lot of applications. Really? They must have hundreds of people trying to sign up if that was the case.
I believe that in general big brands don’t seem to “need” or value affiliates as much as smaller Internet only companies.
Great blog BTW!
Tony