Our marketing resources are designed to help affiliate publishers make the
most of their affiliate programs and referral schemes. So as well as providing
you with a great visual directory of affiliate programs, we strive to provide
updated, informative info on a range of topics of interest to both affiliate publishers and advertisers. Check back frequently for new marketing articles, affiliate marketing tips and tricks - and, of course, new affiliate programs.
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.
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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.
Both AdToll and AdBrite, for example, let 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
To help you look into this further, we've provided links to these topics
on the AdToll and AdBrite sites. (Note that they will open in the ad layout window above.
AdBrite
pricing
AdToll
pricing
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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
AdToll's
'Default Ads' feature
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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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Check your stats
It probably goes without saying that you'll want to check your earnings from time to time, and all
of our featured affiliate companies offer excellent online facilities for
making that easy.
But they offer a range of other statistics, too, and although these
differ slightly from program to program, all allow you to view the number of clicks or impressions (views) generated in a given time period.
Which is something you should at least
keep an eye on, too. Not simply because this gives you further information as to how your ads (and even better specific ads) are performing, but also because it will alert you quickly to anything unusual that might be taking place.
Click levels naturally fluctuate, but if they 'spike' in an obvious and unexplained fashion, this should be cause for real concern. You can be sure that your company is keeping an eye on your account in their efforts to track down click fraud, and if they have any reason to believe you might be connected with illegal activity will terminate your affiliation - usually without paying you. (Surprised? Again, that's often stated in the TOS).
All of which means that it's really worth your while to stay vigilant, and if you notice something strange, do yourself and your company a favor by reporting
it as soon as possible.
By the same token, it's also a good idea to provide advance warning if
you know your clicks are likely to rise unexpectedly - you might be planning
a mail-out or some other campaign, for example, and it's always worth mailing
your company just to let them know (Google provide a mail link specifically
for this purpose).
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Click adjustment
If you've read the TOS, you'll also know that companies almost invariably
reserve the right to 'adjust' clicks - which essentially means discount
them altogether - if they judge them to be invalid. The basis for such
a decision would usually be something like repeated clicks by one user
on the same ad; or several clicks on different ads in a very short
time frame; but the point is that click adjustments do happen,
and generally you'll have no real way of knowing they've taken place unless you are also
tracking your traffic independently - which is our next point. (Some of
our companies, such as WaveRevenue,
do list clicks they have decided not to accept, but this is generally
an exception.)
Be aware, too, that even if clicks are valid, they're subject to adjustment
if too few satisfy an advertiser's needs by converting into sales, etc
(Google calls this policy 'smart pricing').
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In that case - how can I be certain a company isn't cheating me?
The short answer is that it's almost impossible to prove something like this for certain,
which is why it's important to sign up with an affiliate program that has
a well-established reputation amongst its users.
In our case, for example, the clickspiration team makes a huge effort to ensure that the companies we
showcase here not only produce exciting advertising options, but that they're
trustworthy too. We do this in various ways - through feedback from users,
online research, and also by visiting specialist forums where we can check out opinions and complaints.
If you're ever uncertain about an established affiliate scheme, these methods are recommended as a way of finding out more.
If the company is a new one - and they do appear regularly - try to establish
if they have been set up by a business group with recognized expertise
in the area. Many apparently independent affiliate programs are, in fact,
part of umbrella consortiums specializing in online advertising.)
Nevertheless, it's probably a good idea to run your own stats, too, just
to check for any inaccuracies. Mistakes can and do happen, and in the
worst case scenarios, unscrupulous schemes certainly could attempt to
undermine your earnings.
Most major hosting companies provide detailed online site statistics
as part of your hosting package; there are also several excellent free
stat services available online (we feature a couple in our Tools
resource section). Or you could invest in your own statistical software.
If you notice continuous discrepancies, contact your company to discuss
it - and remember that you'll want to include screen shots or other records
of your own data to back up your claims.
If you don't feel that the response is adequate and you remain unhappy
with your affiliate company, the best thing is probably to close your
account and take your business elsewhere.
But be assured that this will very rarely happy to anyone - and that
you're much more likely to have a great time earning money with the help
of affiliate networks that are fully aware of your value as a publisher.
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Our affiliate marketing directory and portal is designed
to make it easy for affiliate publishers to choose reliable affiliate internet
advertising programs and referral schemes. As well as creating a great visual
directory of links to top programs, our aim is to provide plenty of key information
about affiliate programs and online marketing. So check back frequently for
new articles on marketing, affiliate program marketing techniques - and, of
course, new affiliate schemes.
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