I certainly wasn’t suggesting you were one such affiliate – who doesn’t grasp their place in the grand scheme of things – as affiliates who write quality blogs are rarely unaware of the “big picture”. It is however, a prevailing attitude that really puts a damper on our industry. When I ran Big Company X’s affiliate scheme, some of the communications from even our top 20 affiliates (many of whom earned £10,000+ weekly) were flat out rude. For every professional business person, there was a “product X is missing a photo….get it sorted….and get your act together you idiots” when one image in a data feed of 50,000 products was missing for 48 hours.

Do we issue a first strike to someone who brings us in £80,000/week? Or just accept that some very successful people, running one-man shows, have never been through the interviews that weeds those with no social skills out of the “bricks and mortar” workplace?

Of course, hitting a gold mine in affiliate marketing by finding the under-exploited niche can change a lot of people….going from a £22,000 a year office job to suddenly realising you made triple your previous salary in a month working 3 days a week in your pajamas can make some think they’re Rupert Murdoch.

I just wish so many wouldn’t act like it.

Thanks for the clarity. I agree with almost everything you say, especially the fact that we are a long long way from the perfect network, however, it is something over the coming years we may one day achieve.

Whenever I have meetings with networks, they are always receptive to my suggestions on how they can improve their service to me, as an affiliate. Nowadays the level of service from one network to the other differs and its easy enough for me to switch my links, for the same program in many cases, to another network.

Why should I use Network#1 for MerchantA who pays monthly, is late chasing invoices, when I could use Network#2 for the same Merchant, who pays twice monthly? This is available to me as an affiliates, and its something that some networks need to realise and look at offering the same if not better service.

I agree that affiliates count for a small proportion of sales (when looking at well established companies such as Tesco), however many merchants see us as an ever growing channel as onlines sales continue to increase. Other merchants see us as a major part of their revenue stream (such as ASOS) and without the affiliate channel would not be where they are now.

This post wasn’t meant to be a ‘networks take note and change’ type of thread. After years of being in the industry and seeing how its evolved, it was a case of how I would introduce a new network having had lots of experience and exposure. Hindsight… wonderful thing…

Eurovision – without it, lots of online gambling sites would miss out on some substantial income…. therefore its a good thing ;o)

I agree it would be a lovely network indeed. But it’s a long long way from realistic.

I’ve worked on both side of the fence: I’ve run an affiliate campaign for a large company, and also run my own publisher network. The problem with many affiliates is this idea that Merchants almost owe them a living. Affiliates are a great ROI for Merchants….but for 95% of companies, they’re mainly a “side project” – the vast majority of new customers are brought in through their own PPC/SEM, or off-line techniques.

Affiliates have to appreciate that they’ll never be No.1 priority…. Ideas like pre-paid floats, to ensure prompt affiliate payment (such as with Paid on Results) are not viable in many companies, when they can just choose a network where that money can be in cashflow until needed. £50,000 floats aren’t to sniffed at (and are what a lot of major companies would require)

And as for Eurovision….most countries have to either come in the top 20 the previous year or get through a system or rounds. the UK, France Germany don’t. Because we pay ;P

You might want to have a look at a network we’re working with at the moment. Tradetracker, based in the Netherlands have just launched their first UK campaign – shoestring.co.uk. Early days yet as far as the relationship side goes (though what I’ve seen so far has been very quick to react to whatever we’ve asked for).

The reporting side and general ease of use is really nice though. All the referrer URL’s whether it’s a sale or not are there, and a nice and clear ticketing interface for any support issues. I even managed to figure out how to pick up deeplinks while it was all still in Dutch!

Go have a poke about and let me know what you think?

Nick
I don’t like shouting so please, Caps Lock off :)

This post was what a perfect network, in my eyes, would be. Its quite obvious to me, and many others who have read it, that this level will never be achieved, however it shouldn’t stop networks from striving towards it. This thread isn’t a ‘too big for your boots post’ as you mention, it is merely a personal view, of what I would have implemented if I had setup a network with unlimited cash and unlimited technological know-how.

I would love to know which of the ‘many points’ I have mentioned show the ‘classic boots’ syndrome too. Maybe you could expand?

OK, just to correct a few points;
- I don’t get paid by check, its all BACS over here (oh, and it’s a Cheque too!)
- 72 hours was merely a figure picked out of thin air. What I think needs to addressed are those merchants that will check applications pending every couple of weeks at most.
- I am not dictating any terms to any merchants and I am not sure why you have asked me, who I think pays for the program. Who do you think? Personally, it’s the sales and leads so in the long run, the end customer pays for the program.

Oh, and as for the Eurovision every year, I think its because we are part of Europe… the clue is in the name! ;)

You may think your weekly check for $1000 from a specific merchant is biggish. It’s absolute peanuts to a large Merchant. Yes, affiliates are important as a channel for Merchants. But they are often a tiny sliver of the big picture.

72 hours until auto-accepted? Do you realise how many applications some Merchants get?

Merchants pay the bills. You don’t get to dictate terms. A major Merchant will never be kicked from a program. Who do you think PAYS FOR THE PROGRAM?!?

Put it this way: there’s a reason the UK is on Eurovision every year, regardless how crap. We pay for it.

Who is the middle man, the affiliate network or the affiliate? If you don’t have proprietary data and tools then you are. The future of the middle man is not looking so bright right now (take a peak at Google’s Conversion Optimizer if you have access to it in your Adwords account.)