LeeMcCoy

Stuck in the Dark Age

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:32 GMT

We can longer say affiliate marketing is now in an embrionic period, but has now reached only reached infancy with reagrd to the direction is could be projecting. It could quite easily cataplut time to reach a teenage era, not of the adolescent varity but socially consios attuture & briming with ideas and innovation. However how we been held back by over zealous parents in the guise of some networks who have't been innovative enough in provising some not all of the tools to assist affiliates / publishers ( i prefer affiliate & any stigma that goes with it). They seem to be stuck in the dark ages

CJ EPC’s

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:46 GMT

Perhaps, one of the solutions CJ could adopt when calculating EPCs, is a top & tail effect by not including the extreme figures towards both the top & bottom end of individual affiliate EPCs to establish a more realistic figure. This could be anything from 10% to 20%. Or maybe looking at the mean EPC. Or analysing the the top 20% percentile to provide a figure of what EPC is acheivable. Some of the above may prevent affiliates being rejected from programs who are generating sales but with a lower EPC.

I would like CJ to bring back trend graphs for EPCs illustrating two graphs. One showing a daily scale & another a rolling 1000 click scale along one of the x-axis, which if a trend falls unusually below a recognised threshold, it may help identify problems like lost tracking.

“The truth is different publishers send different types of traffic in different way”

Very valid point. Potentially there could be different EPC's based on those derived from brand bidding, direct to merchant from recognised ppc search engines & those from registered affiliate sites using product feeds or normal directory listings (again adopting any of the following effects - top & tail, mean, percentile). All in all providing greater data for affiliates & advertisers to make their own inferences from.

All in all I am in favour of EPCs being published, and experienced affiliates will know how to interpret these. However some information is better than no information.

The data is readily available for networks to provide more meaningful EPCs varying on the forms of traffic being generated. Maybe we should be grateful that at least some networks provide this information, whilst others are reluctant to publish these and/or merchant contact details.

Lifting the Lid off the Lack of Disclosure on Closed Groups

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:15 GMT

Commencing from A to Z we will soon be lifting the lid on typical examples of lack of disclosure of closed groups within one certain network and in our personal opinion we feel cartel style operations are in place.

There is quite an abundance of programs to choose from and it would take several pages to go through most of them where not only is it plain to see but also domain names are being purchased with the brand name in them.

The easiest way to present this would be screen grabs, viewing the link properties on search engines or landing pages & printing whois on domains & soon you'll start seeing a pattern emerging.

Now this one particular network has been asked to be forthcoming with the closed programs and from the networks we asked they were the only one to outrightly refuse to tell us or unwilling to publish within merchant information pages.

Some networks neglect affiliates who were among the top earners for a merchant, where when a closed group is formed or found out these previous top earners on generic & product terms are not given a fair opportunity.

However it should be disclosed on a merchants information page whether there is or isn't

My philosphy is that I don't mind at all if i am in a closed group or not, however any programs with closed groups we are not in, I don't bother preselling to any significant degree.

One of the reasons is because, if I have done the presell on a product or merchant, that potential customer may not purchase straight away, but will remember the brand. When they are ready to purchase (like after they have come home from work) they remember the brand type it into a search engine, and there they see the advert from an affiliate who is within the closed group. Effectively, another affiliate has done the presell on behalf of the affiliate who is within the closed group to reap the benefits. Anyone here might argue “well what % is that then”. To those I would say, its our time, effort & money & we are not giving any of it away, we are not a charity .. and if we were charity, well charity begins at home.

One of the other reasons is the cartel like, bias ways in which closed groups are “sometimes” selected, whereby a fair & measured tendering process is required with zero interference from a network. The problem is a merchant or agency may ask the network for suggestions of suitable candidates, and this is where it can sometimes fall down with bottom buddies or suffocants being selected over those who are really willing to put in considerable effort into products & generics & preferential placement on their websites, over and above the low hanging fruit of just brand.

One of the solutions is, if you feel that you can get the same returns by pushing the same of similar products to another merchant then do that by voting with your links. Obviously you don't wish to be out of pocket, “cutting off the nose to spite the face” … however when this has happened to us, not once have we been out of pocket, in most instances we have found a better alternative merchant or revenue driven route, sometimes ones we had never previously thought off. So the only losers were the original merchant & the network because they have now lost out on the override, as well as trust .. and as we know trust is hard to repair once lost.

Keith Budden Says:

“Just to give a different perspective on this - I spent a fair bit of time this week with one of the affiliate agencies who operate a number of programmes with closed groups for ppc.

Their view was that they would be very open to other affiliates joining those closed groups - their problem is finding the affiliates who would be appropriate and for this they are very dependent on the network(s) concerned - bear in mind that on some networks the merchant/agency sees very little about you - just a reference number, no url, no email address, no contact details - zilch (although for some reason one of the networks will give merchants your postal address but won't give them your email address - er hello!?! - aren't we all supposed to be focused on Internet marketing!!)

So if a programme has a closed group the best approach may be to contact the affiliate manager of the merchant directly (if you can't find their details then try to find the name of the sales/marketing director and speak to them) - let them know you are there and they may well let you join the closed group. I appreciate this may require a fair bit of work in some cases but hey whoever said life was easy…”

I've been down a similar route as Keith has suggested before, you'll not be surprised how the odd network is very reluctant to provide these details, granted you can circumnavigate the network to find out the contact details if not available on the interface. A couple of networks will not even let you know which programs have closed groups when asked (one in particular outright refused and some on the forums think the sun shines out of their derriere).

One solution is that if an agency or merchant is genuinely looking for suitable candidates then they should also circumnavigate the network to get an email out to their affiliate base or post on the forums, so that both parties can meet in the middle somewhere.

By circumnavigate, I am not suggesting leaving the network out re usage of links as in my personal instance I prefer to use a networks links, but if they are not looking after you (since they are meant to be a trusted 3rd party) & favouring their minion pets, then why should the affiliate use that particular networks links, since the network hasn't earned the override.

Some closed groups has been unhealthy & unethical in a “few” quarters for quite a while, I've made my comments quite known on who I think the culprits are both networks & affiliates (like jesus and the mary chain gang or the playboy group as I've read it being refered to as), foolishly they have only thought about the upside of override from a low hanging fruit, rather than the downside of those moving business away who have equivalent ad spend to pump into ppc.

Now there are a few ppc'ers who probably feel this way or something similar, if they had the intent or inclination, they could quite easily go steamrolling in and take quite a bit of business away from those affiliates AND the network, by forming their own little cartel, by fighting fire with fire. Maybe one day the endless provocation could lead to this, who knows. There are multiples of other prosperous opportunities away from this, but it could happen purely out of principle. To succeed in that its more about leverage of business to & fro & dangling the carrot. For the time being they haven't succummed.

The problem won't dissipate, it's part of any business and unfortunately it just has to be taken on the chin.

An affiliates time is possibly his most precious commodity, how many affiliates here always have endless notes on scraps of paper or written on the back of cigarette packets with ideas & “things to do lists”? so all I do is work with the programs & networks I deem more trustworthy, even if that does mean I have to occasionally get on my soapbox.

Oh I forgot to mention, the network in question is & will be Buy.at

Revenue Article

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:14 GMT

blah blah blah

Google, Yahoo, Bing & Others Do 4th Of July Logos

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:13 GMT

It's the 4th Of July! Happy 4th to those celebrating today, and here's a look at how search engines are recognizing the holiday in logos: Google went with a cookout theme for its logo: Yahoo had a small eagle next to its logo, which produced fireworks-stars if you hovered over it: Bing went with fireworks exploding behind the [...]

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Meet the Problem Solvers at Affiliate Summit East 2009

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:17 GMT

There is going to be a new feature in the exhibit hall at Affiliate Summit East 2009 in New York City this summer – a booth dedicated to getting free advice from experts from various areas.

This new booth hybrid of speaking and networking will be called “Problem Solvers” and there is a schedule of 60 minute slots during the time the exhibit hall is open on the Monday and Tuesday of the conference.

The “Problem Solvers” booth at Affiliate Summit is going to be a spot where you'll be able to get your burning questions answered by experts in various areas.

Take a minute to review the slots below and pencil in the experts you want to meet during Affiliate Summit. Then swing by booth #2118 during their scheduled times and get the advice you need.

And if you like what they have to say, leave them a tip in their tip jar. The money that is raised at their booth will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City, the official charity of Affiliate Summit East 2009.

Monday, August 10th

10:00am-11:00am: Mason Fok, Local.net
Expertise: eBusiness Strategy, Domain Names, Basic Website Review

11:00am-12:00pm: Andy Rodriguez, Andy Rodriguez Consulting
Expertise: Affiliate Program Management

12:00pm-1:00pm: Mike Peters, Software Projects, Inc.
Expertise: Email Marketing, PPC Management, Software Development, Product Launches

1:00pm-2:00pm: Patrick Grady, RhinoFish Media
Expertise: Pay-Per-Click Advertising

2:00pm-3:00pm: Leland Kroll, Kroll Direct Marketing
Expertise: Direct Marketing, List Management

3:00pm-4:00pm: Jim Kukral, TheBizWebCoach.com
Expertise: Online Marketing, Making Money Online

4:00pm-5:00pm: Theresa Farmer, UnsubCentral
Expertise: Email Compliance

5:00pm-6:00pm: Jonathan Miller, Forge Media
Expertise: Affiliate Network Selection, Multi-Network Integration, Network Fraud & Analytics

Tuesday, August, 11th

11:00am-12:00pm: Lisa Picarille, LisaPicarille.com
Expertise: Dealing with Media and Getting Journalist's Attention

12:00pm-1:00pm: Brian Littleton, ShareASale
Expertise: Business Startup, General Business Advice, Affiliate Network Issues, Program Development

1:00pm-2:00pm: James O'Brian, LashBack
Expertise: Global Email Compliance, Email Reputation

2:00pm-3:00pm: Michael Buechele, MikeBuechele.com
Expertise: Affiliate Marketing, Online Advertising, Ad Serving

3:00pm-4:00pm: Tom Cohn, Venable LLP
Expertise: Compliance and Enforcement Issues Facing Affiliate Marketers Including FTC/State AG priorities

Thank you to all the experts who have volunteered their time to staff the Problem Solver Booth. Check the Affiliate Summit East 2009 agenda for other sessions and networking activities.

Thinking Outside the Box of Wine

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:10 GMT

This week I was the lucky recipient of a “Boozeness Card” from Fraser (affiliateblog.co.uk), a handy wine carrier was delivered to my office with a printed out letter to tell me about Fraser’s two latest sites RedWine.co.uk and WhiteWine.co.uk. Each bottle a Merlot and a Sauvignon Blanc had its own label promoting the site, so [...]

Making a John Q Public account on Google

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:43 GMT

One of the advantages of working at Google is that you get to see neat products and features before the rest of the world does. But that can also be a disadvantage. Sometimes I'd like to talk about a fun Gmail Lab or a new Calendar feature but I'm honestly not sure whether the outside world can see the new feature. I don't want to leak something that the outside world can't see, so I usually I play it safe and end up not talking about any Gmail Labs, for example. I'd enjoy giving more Gmail tips but I also don't want to show my actual email that might contain secret stuff.

I think I've figured out a way to solve this issue. I've created a new Gmail account, siliconvalleyuser (at) gmail.com. Let's say it belongs to John Q Public, a power user living in Silicon Valley. Feel free to send John non-Google-related emails about fictional events: “Hey John, want to come to the party on Saturday?” or “John, here are those pictures from the fireworks this past weekend.” or “Hey John, I saw in the newpaper that you won the California lottery--congratulations!” Then when I want to do a screencast or demo some power feature of a Google account, I'll have some realistic email to show.

Just one note: please don't email anything to John about Google. I get way too much email about Google already, and the purpose of this account is to show different features of Gmail or Calendar. To keep this email address completely separate, I created a filter that deletes any emails that mention Google or me:

Again, please don't email about Google-related stuff, but feel free to email John about interesting fictional things at siliconvalleyuser (at) gmail.com! I'm hoping that I can do some blog posts or videos with good tips.

iPhone Siddur Version 4.0 HD Demo

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:19 GMT

Today, we released an update for the iPhone Siddur, which Apple has to approve. The changes include:

Added Mizrach Compass (iPhone 3GS Only)
Added Luach Calendar Subscriptions & Alerts
Revised Luach Event Management
Revised Map Feature using Native Apple Maps
Setting to Turn Off Nekudot in Siddur (for speed)
Setting for Turning Off Sleep Mode in Siddur
Force Portrait Layout for Luach & Mizrach Compass
Cleaned up Benching in Ashkenaz and Sefard
Shows Tachnun After Shavous by Default
Bug Fix for Rosh Chodesh
Bug Fix for Nusach Ari text in Benching and Al Hamichya

Also, here is a video demo of the 4.0 iPhone Siddur.

561 Planes Landed in Flight Control

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:15 GMT

I thought 189 was a good score. Well, today I played the game and I scored a 561!

This game is more than just a game. I play against clients and colleagues for bragging rights.

A Case for Free Enterprise

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:20 GMT

As a North Carolina resident, I was disheartened to learn of our legislators’ decision to tax Internet affiliate marketing revenue. While the state may be an early adopter of such a practice, it does not bode well for the future. States are like dominoes – if one state finds a successful way to generate tax revenues, it’s only a matter of time for the others to fall in line.

From a practical perspective, it’s not hard to understand the current financial mess the states are in. The federal government has all but abandoned them. When businesses aren’t making money and consumers are keeping their cash instead of spending it, tax revenues dry up. It’s simple: States need to find new and creative ways to get money in their coffers. Never mind the fact that they may waste funds on questionable projects or allocate dollars for politically motivated reasons.

But here’s the problem: The Internet is not merely a sales channel – it has become the repository of our nation’s and the world’s information, and the engine of our nation’s and the world’s economy. As such, its value must be recognized as above and beyond something a state should be able to arbitrarily tax.

Harvard Business School Professors John Deighton and John Quelch, writing in AdAge, offer some startling statistics from a study they prepared with Hamilton Consultants for the Interactive Advertising Bureau:

Roughly two percent of Americans are directly or indirectly employed in jobs that support the Internet. The dollar value of their wages is about $300 billion.
The Internet directly pours about $175 billion into the U.S. economy – but it influences economic activity that creates an annual value of $444 billion.
About 190 million people in the United States use the Internet an average of 68 hours per month. The value of this time, conservatively speaking, is about $680 billion.

Deighton and Quelch also discuss the Internet’s impact on job creation, telecommuting, and society through social networks and online communities. The implications go far beyond the economic impact of the Internet.bDeighton and Quelch conclude with this point:

“When regulators start trying to constrain the Internet, let’s be aware of its enormous and ever-increasing economic and social impact. The Internet is an economic powerhouse that drives U.S. competitiveness and productivity.”

Each state and the federal government should think long and hard before they mess with that.

Affiliate Fatblogging: Building Stamina and Battling Plateaus

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:04 GMT

Now that I'm working on building my stamina to run the 4th Annual Amber Pizzo Memorial 5K on July 12, I needed to calibrate my Nike + iPod Sport Kit that I use with my iPod Touch – this is a neat tool on my Touch that tracks distance, speed, calories burned, etc.

I went to the local high school to run around the track and get it exact, so I can hit some paths to run and always know where I am in a run.

In the past, I had it calibrated for walking.

Last week, I was alternating running and walking a quarter mile at a time, but now I'm just running. I'm just going a mile and a half currently, so I have to accelerate that distance quickly to reach 5k for the race.

I'll be running pretty much every day, in addition to other exercise, leading up to the 5k. I need to get drastic, because I'm sick of being at a plateau for weeks. I see that Tim Jones fatblogged this week about the same issue, and he started at the same weight as me and is stuck at the same amount now.

Well, as I polish off an entire P'Zone from Pizza Hut — I can tell you that I've almost completely fallen off the diet wagon…I have, however, been much better about working out and exercising on a consistent basis' though. Therefore, I haven't gained too much weight back. I'm currently at 218lbs., which is still 7lbs. under my starting weight, but also 18lbs. from my goal.

I feel bad for Tim – when he breaks away from his diet, he is eating that Pizza Hut stuff. At least I get the real thing from my north Jersey pizzerias when I'm packing on the pounds.

Starting weight: 225
Last week: 218
This week: 218

Paid on Results Rebranding

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:15 GMT

Just a short post to comment on the smart new look over at Paid On Results. Shame to see the back of POR man but it's a nice fresh new design.

Clarke Duncan, Director and Shareholder, spoke about the company’s new identity:-

“This is an exciting time for Paid On Results as we continue to grow steadily and recruit additional staff in the face of the global recession. The rebranding reflects this excitement and optimism. The future for Paid On Results sees further growth aided by an increased emphasis on sales and marketing. Today Paid On Results can look to the future with confidence, largely because of its strong background in bringing to the fore innovative technology and in employing knowledgeable, friendly staff. We will continue to build our independent business based on these strong foundations. “

Sponsors

Get in touch if you would like to advertise in this space!

US Justice Dept. Formally Confirms Google Books Inquiry

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:34 GMT

It's not really a surprise or even news that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed yesterday it was formally investigating the terms of the Google Book Search settlement. This was known as far back as April and essentially confirmed last month by various publications reporting that formal requests (called “civil investigative demands”) had been [...]

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The 3 SEO/SEM Conference Personas

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:14 GMT

I recently returned from the successful SMX-Advanced search engine optimization and advertising conference, and I had an epiphany: as a speaker, usability principles are applicable to these conferences. Which usability principle, you might ask? Before usability professionals create an information architecture and corresponding interfaces, they must identify and address various personas or profiles. The primary persona [...]

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