Help with affilate marketing for a merchant

[Interiorsdan]

Hello,

I run a online store selling high end furniture and interiors accessories and have been thinking about affilate marketing for a while now. The set up costs are rather expensive and I'm not sure if it would have a positive or negative effect?

Obviously if it gets lots of sales then it is a good marketing move, but does getting affilate traffic not have a negative effect on SEO with links from low quality sites?

Also, who is a good affilate marketing network, and is it best the manage the program yourself or get it managed?

As you can probably see from my questions, I have no experience of being a merchant and using this type of marketing to drive sales.

Thanks,

 

[Tom @ Click Miners]

I guess Affiliate Window, CJ and Web Gains might be worth checking (my knowledge on them my be outdated though).

Big advantage of running your offer through networks will be their ability to find affiliates for you (not really finding- but putting your offer in front of many affiliate eyes). Success will depend on quality of your offer and commissions. If your offer converts (affiliates are actually making money on your offer) you will scale it up quickly.

Unless you are big brand you may have trouble finding affiliates if you host everything yourself. You have to look at this from affiliate's perspective. They will risk their time and money - you have to give them appropriate commissions and well converting offer. They will ignore you if they don't see potential. Even big brands run their affiliate programs through networks. So it gives you a clue.

So I would recommend approaching affiliate networks and see what they can do for you.

 

[Interiorsdan]

So I would recommend approaching affiliate networks and see what they can do for you.

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the advice.

I have contacted a few such as Affiliate Window, Web Gains and Affilate Future, they all claim they can do a lot for us but there is a large cost involved in terms of the start up fees are very high, so the isn't really on them.

Do you think if the affiliate scheme was account managed, then we may have a chance? We are a small brand though.

Thanks

 

[Tom @ Click Miners]

You may try to find affiliates on internet marketing forums but it will be difficult. It would require time for people to get to know you and trust you then slowly you could try to offer them your affiliate program.

You will see companies like yours running programs through networks and often giving up after a year or even few months because or the affiliates don't want to promote them or they get low quality affiliates who don't generate any sales. Anyway - you can try to advertise you offer here.

You can always look for alternative solutions. I would for example do 2 things right now:

1) Offer referral program to existing clients - I know it may be hard but if you build excellent relationship with them who knows?

2) I would look for all quality blogs in your niche and advertise there directly. Even you could pay monthly fee or talk to them about becoming your affiliates offering generous commissions. You could contact them directly. Some bloggers will place your ad for a minimum charge. Banners are damn cheap to create - you can do it on Fiverr and have your ads ready in week or so. I would then track this kind of advertisement with Google Analytics to see if it is actually worth doing.

These 2 options are not great but for the time worth considering.

 

[Interiorsdan]

Thanks for the sound advice again.

Both options sound like a good idea, especially with option 2. Blogs may be interested if we could make an agreement that they would get commission on the sales from their blog. Or like you say, just try some advertising.

Cheers for your help.

 

[bowcot84]

Would suggest a go with aflite, network aimed at smaller businesses

 

[LowPrices.uk]

I might look for some lifestyle bloggers on Instagram to boost your brand, or start an Instagram ac yourself.

Paid On Results is one of the lower fee affiliate networks.

PerformanceIn.com is the affiliate forum but it's quite quiet there these days in terms of affiliates that use it.

 

[rcaff]

hi Tom, thanks for the advice. we are still growing the RingCentral UK Affiliate programme and it has been a real challenge to get affiliates to promote for us, especially that we are into b2b market. We do offer competitive commissions though and we are hoping to get more tractions in the near future.