Matt - you’re very wrong on this point. I get most of my traffic from generic terms like “discount codes”, “offers” and “special offers” - these are people just browsing online for great deals and will impulse-purchase when an offer is presented to them. So, my site and other discount code type sites DO add real value to the sector and my contribution to the sale is valid.

Each sale of an item is unique to that individual. How many people casually go to a discount code site and just buy “anything” just because there was a discount code??? Probably not many.

How many look for a specific item or type of item and use sites that aid in that sale for the hope of some kind of renumerance? i would bet a 1000% more than the other way round but because of a let’s find a discount code culture the people that contributed to that items sale won’t get paid.

Example, sony xyz player, customer researched, looked at price comparison sites etc (at a cost to everyone but discount code site) reviews etc. Now customer visits Kierons cashback inc with a measly “get xx off at pixmania”. Sorry Kieron but i think your contribution to that individual sale was next to nothing and should be rewarded in the same way.

It is not the job of a merchant to keep discount code sites alive (self invented mainly by the affiliate anyway) Surely it is in the interest of merchants to reward and promote genuine content sites and genuine affiliates that promote a sale rather than a discount!

My personal feeling is that both sides of the coin will throw scenarios at each other to justify their own existence whether right or wrong and in an industry where you can spin anything as you like it the rights and wrongs could be argued until doomsday. Personally i do not see any “value” in discount code sites to the merchant when they could reward content and genuine sales based sites to get their products into search engines etc and build up much more value in their affiliate scheme than a bunch of discount code sites that just want to hijack sales that were going to the merchant anyway via their affiliate cookies.

I’m concerned about the
“for the majority of decent merchants the whole voucher code site stuff stinks - they bring very few incremental sales and eat into margins”

Traditionally (pre internet), discounts & offers were used to stimulate incremental business and were distributed with some care and attention.

Foolishly, retailers stick the discount box in front of all purchasers so everyone knows that there is a 90% chance of finding a valid discount code if they search for five minutes.

The sooner retailers realise that e-commerce does not throw out established retail practice the better. It is plain stupidity to advertise to buyers that they could buy the same product from the same retailer cheaper if they can find a voucher code!

The big supermarkets don’t send money off pizza coupons to regular pizza buyers, they are sent to potential new buyers to try the product.

This gets to the heart of why Kierons comment piece is so obviously wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

I have content sites, a discount code site and merchant sites so I can see all viewpoints. I have ‘adapted’ to the competition as kieron suggests.

But…what you say is largely bollocks. no content site of any worth wants to clog up their site with a load of voucher code stuff - it can and does absolutely ruin a good content site. So telling content site owners to just deal with it isnt an answer at all.

far better for the whole ridiculous shebang of voucher codes to be brought into line - which is what will take place and what is evidently upsetting interested parties.

Furthermore, the dreadful business practices of many (NOT ALL) voucher code sites, such as myvouchercodes - who nick a cookie even when 90% of the time they know they damn well havent got a code for the customer……means that ultimately the voucher code sites are just starting to get what they probably deserve.

I also say that as an owner of a voucher code site and someone making quite a lot of money from the whole business. I can still see the bigger picture - for the majority of decent merchants the whole voucher code site stuff stinks - they bring very few incremental sales and eat into margins

Cheers

Marc

Merchants also need to continually refine the way they do business so I can understand Pixmania’s view. I just think they’re going about it the wrong way. However what is right for one merchant may be wrong for another. All depends on their business model.

Some merchants when faced with a difficult trading cycle (and the UK is certainly facing such a trend) will cut margins and offer reduced prices and discounts on those prices. Others offer a discount code. Some do both so they effectively offer a double discount. However those promoting the merchants do need to adapt to the business model being presented.

If a merchant wishes to control the manner in which they are promoted that is the merchants choice. From an affiliates perspective it may be the wrong choice but ultimately the decision rests with the merchant and if they get it wrong they only have themselves to blame.