optimising online revenue

Optimize your working methods!
Make sure you know exactly what your affiliate program can do for you

January 2008

 

At clickspiration, we know that while many, many affiliates and advertisers have rewarding and profitable relationships with their chosen affiliate networks, others feel disappointed by their results or even conned - although this is extremely rare.

No doubt there are occasions when real misunderstandings or even errors occur, but we also know that many of these can be avoided just by taking the right amount of care with the affiliation process itself.

 

Read before you sign!

Something we're particularly aware of is just how few affiliates read the TOS - the Terms of Service - before signing up to a new program.

Sure - in some ways it's understandable that you'll want to get all that tedious form filling over and done with, but the TOS agreement, which you 'sign' (AND agree that you've read!) the moment you click the appropriate checkbox, is the basis of a legally bound business relationship with your chosen affiliate company.

So it's essential that you DO read it to make sure you're clear about the scheme you're about to become part of.

After all, just because the vast majority of your transactions and negotiations are carried out online, at a distance, shouldn't mean that you'll want to treat your new business partnership any less seriously than any other commercial venture.

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What exactly does your program offer YOU? Find out in the FAQ

I'm afraid we're going to be recommending yet more reading here! But answers to the vast majority of the questions we get asked here at clickspiration are found either in a company's TOS or FAQ.

And the great thing is, by getting a handle on all the extra services your program might offer, you can actually increase your earning possibilities from day 1, as well as avoid any confusing situations.

In other words, it's a really good idea to take a good look at the help and admin areas before you jump in and grab that code!

Let's give you a few examples as to how this can help.

 

I'm not making enough money!

One of the most common complaints is that affiliates feel they're not earning enough for their clicks.

But did you know that many companies allow you to set your own rate?

That's right - although the standard procedure is for your affiliate company to automatically supply rates for ads on your site, several allow you to change this. AdBrite, for example, lets you specify your own rate before accepting their advertising (note that this model is not generally available for PPC ads).

It's certainly worth trying, but important to be realistic about your site's earning potential, too. Remember that you're competing with thousands of other sites for advertisers' attention and if you charge a higher rate, that extra expense will need to be justified somehow!

But if you feel that your site can attract advertising at the kind of rate you require, why not give it a go? You can always change it again if need be.

 

Ad replacement codes - optimizing your ad performance

The good news is that, even if you raise your prices, it doesn't mean you'll necessarily end up with no ads at all.

Many affiliates don't realize that quite a few programs offer special coding options to ensure that if they can't provide ads, another of your affiliate networks can fill the space instead. (Or, even better, they'll supply ads only if they can provide a higher-paying option.)

It's really worth checking out these settings because they allow you to experiment with prices without any real risk. Even Google allows you to replace 'empty' ad spaces with paying ads from a different provider. You can do this at set-up, but if you wish to add the feature later, edit existing ads via the Manage Ads section of the Google Control Center then specify to "show non-Google ads from another url if no ads are available" (the default setting is to display public service announcements.)

Again, we've provided links to these topics below:

AdBrite's 'Reserve Pricing' feature

 

Any other ways to improve earnings?

While not all programs supply the alternative ad option specified above, many provide various other ways to improve earnings. Google AdSense, for example offer simple coding options to improve ad relevancy by excluding any text you don't want ads to appear about. Likewise, most inline text ad providers have similar, simple code settings that allow you to flag up text sections you want targeted with ads - and those you don't.

Something else that publishers often forget is that many companies encourage you to use the "Your Ad Here" text that commonly appears on ads as a marketing tool. That text is a personalized link to your account, and if you can convince advertisers of the benefits of choosing your site by including this link in a promotional blog, say, or mail-out, that's good for everyone!

 
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