What's the best Affiliate Programme for Merchants? (UK)

I would appreciate QUALIFIED advice.

[Martin_H]

I'm close to putting a client's ecommerce site on an Affiliate scheme as a merchant. I wondered if anyone had any first hand experience as a MERCHANT of which one seems to perfrom the best - or ultimately, which one produces the best number of sales/service in your opinion?

Many Thanks

M

[tigger]

Hi Martin

I can't help you but I would also be interested in this as I've got a meeting with a client next week and he's already asked about this over the phone so it would be nice to have some background knowledge

[George]

I cannot give much advice, but hopefully a bit! There are many here with more experience than me, however if it helps:

First I assume that your client can pay out real cash for sales, not just 50p per sale. If not forget it. It seems all the good affiliates focus on the high value end, (surprise), so more normal % can get left the dregs. (Don't laugh Ian).

I personally have had a bad experience with CJ, but that was possibly me, it was nearly 3 years ago and they were US driven. Despite the assurances at the time that they handled loads of UK affiliates I did not do well.

Having just signed up (ready to get burnt again) with AW, I can say they are very helpful, but cannot say how the sales will go :) hopefully well! I know people who do well with them, and some that don't.

I suspect it has more to do with your product and site, than it has the Affiliate Programme, and of course the work that is put into managing it!

George

[tigger]

Me! laugh never :)

I had a look at the AW site but couldn't see the running cost?

What about running your own independent program, obviously the first problem is getting other sites to sign up to the program, but I think I can remember seeing a site were new affiliates could post details of stores.

This is all very new and I've now had another client ask about this is someone doing a big mailing

[George]

Ill Sticky you

[webdiversity]

We've got an affiliate scheme bought with Affiliate Future and have also sent clients to them.

Because they are UK based and comparatively late into the market they have developed a product that has probably adopted a lot of the good points of other providers and introduced other things that both merchants and affiliates need in order to make the thing work.

One thing they have loads of is enthusiasm to promote the schemes, I am constantly getting nudged to get going because they have a lot of affiliates always on the look out for new schemes. The affiliate scheme is really going to be launched for the new site, but they have helped with banners, with telling their super affiliates about the company and scheme, given advice on what to do and not to do.

Good chaps all round!

[tigger]

thanks for that, I'll drop them a line

[Smiley]

I think it depends on your client. Niche merchants can do really well on the smaller networks with less overheads and sometimes more personal service, whilst larger companies prefer the "perceived" more professional nature of the big ones.

Choices are:
Tradedoubler
CJ
UKaffiliates
Affiliate Future
Affiliate Window
Affinity Arc

They all have access to the best affiliates - but that is the key, getting the best affiliates signed up. Make sure that your chosen network agrees to actively promote you to the top performing affiliates.

If you scheme is going to be attractive to affiliates then the networks will want you and you can get better terms as their residual income is in over ride commissions.

I have merchant experience on TD, its OK, but I'd probably go for ARC, UKaffiliates or AF in the future depending on the terms.

[tigger]

Thanks for the feed back I presume Affinity Arc are also considerable cheaper than TD

[Smiley]

Arc are much much cheaper - but the deep linking options are a bit more limited than TD and UKaffiliates. CJ is not really that great for deep linking either.

[lloyd]

This is an interesting string as I have just started to look into affiliates.

I have been in touch with TradeDoubler to set up a Merchant account. My word not cheap.

My question is who has the best reach - total number of affiliates. TD claim they are number one in the UK, but they would. I can only pick one.

So should it be TD, ARC UKaffiliates or AF. Please advise.

[Smiley]

Whatever network you choose if you offer the affiliates a really good deal then they will come.

Its not the total number of affiliates on your scheme its the quality. You may have 1000's of affiliates but only 30 produce results.

[tigger]

If you can afford it TD would be the one to go for, although I hear the costs are very high

[lloyd]

Tigger

Thanks for the advise.

[Robber]

Most of the active affiliates will check across each of networks anyway (and its only the active ones that matter)so really your reach should be pretty much the same whichever network you choose.

[Rod_Smith]

Have you tried Commission Junction ( many good uk sites featured including Expedia TRavel?.

Rod

[edited by: IanTurner at 4:42 pm (utc) on Mar. 8, 2003]

[supercod]

I have been an affiliate for sometime now in the UK. I am a "super" affiliate on most networks and here is what I would pick from Affiliates point of view.

UK Affiliates aka DGM
TradeDoubler
CJ
Affiliate Window

- Lesser Known Networks

Paid on Results
Affiliate Future
Buy At

Stick to them and you can't go far wrong.

[edited by: IanTurner at 4:44 pm (utc) on Mar. 8, 2003]
[edit reason] Self promotion removed [/edit]

[supercod]

"Self promotion removed" Yeah sorry about that, will go give the TOS a full read over ;) Long time lurker, just getting in to posting here and made botched first reply LOL

[talk4]

As someone who earns a full-time income from Affiliate Marketing in the UK I just can't fault CJ. Their UK office are brilliant and the quality of the system is pretty unbeatable. There is room for improvement on some of the stats but just the fact that we know the EPC makes it so easy to target performing merchants from the 1000's available. So if your program is going to perform then choose CJ, if you want to pull the wool over affiliate's eyes choose someone else!
Affiliate Future, UK Affiliates and Tradedoubler are all solid networks and I'm sure Paid on Results and Buy.at, both newcomers to the scene, are going to be strong contenders too.