Why would a merchant DO this?

Changed website so conversions tanked!

[JollyK]

Has this happened to anyone? I was promoting an affiliate program that was working out to about a 5% conversion ratio. The merchant changed the site, added some popups, and now it's like a .01% conversion.

Why would they DO this? Anyone had any luck saying "Put your freaking website back the way it was?"

Grr.

Okay, end of rant.

:-)

[Hawkgirl]

A few possible explanations:

1. they changed the site to optimize for products other than what you were promoting through your affiliate deal ...

2. they're playing around with trying to increase conversion overall and made some big mistakes ...

3. someone high-up who has NO experience with web design mandated a bunch of stupid changes and the rest of the team was powerless to stop them ...

All of these things are a bummer. Numbers 1 and 2 are fixable ... number 3 is terminal. ;)

[ogletree]

Number 3 may not be terminal. I have had this happen. After a lot of work to prove point I have had success of fixing number 3.

[Hawkgirl]

> After a lot of work to prove point

But I'm guessing that as an affiliate, he won't have any luck arguing that kind of stuff. :)

[JollyK]

Heh. Yeah, no one listens to affiliates.

I tried, anyway. Emailed off a note that said something like, "Hey, I sent you 2,000 clicks and gave you 50 sales. You changed the page and now I've sent you 2,000 more clicks for only 1 sale. Would you please consider putting it back the way it was?"

I doubt I'll hear anything, but worth a try, IMHO.

Sheesh. These wacky merchants! :-)

[Shane]

JollyK,

If you get no response from your first e-mail try "After careful consideration I am going to support "insert competitor's name here" due to falling revenue. Please respond within <say 14 or so but you chose> days if you have reason for me continuing with your affiliate program.

Might work. Might not. But it looks like you have little to lose.

..... Shane