The Four Types of Affiliates and Methods of Handling Each

After examining the structure and make-up of our various affiliate programs, I came to the conclusion that most affiliates can be segregated into four different categories. First, there are the Desirables. These are the affiliates who produce high-quality traffic at high-volume. Usually, Desirables only account for a small percentage of total affiliates yet they tend to bring in the highest percentage of hits, leads and sales. Following Desirables are the Wasters. I classified these affiliates as Wasters because they produce a high-volume of traffic, yet the quality is low. This usually translates into wasted dollars, especially if you have a pay-per-click program. Potentials are the affiliates that may someday turn into desirables. They usually produce a low amount of traffic but the traffic they do send is high in quality. Last but not least, there are the Undesirables. Undesirables are the affiliates who produce low-quality, low-volume traffic. They can account for a high percentage of total affiliates if not kept in check and tend to be personal web sites.

DESIRABLES

Desirables are easy to spot as they are the affiliates who produce the most leads or sales. If your affiliate program is only pay-per-click, you can determine the quality of an affiliate’s traffic by looking at the average number of steps in your logs that their users take throughout your site.

In order to maintain Desirables loyalty, special attention to each is needed. Sending promotional materials such as T-shirts is an excellent way to say thank you and make them feel appreciated and special. Spending a total of $100 on sending out promotional items is far less expensive than losing one of these valuable affiliates.

You may also want to consider raising Desirables rates above the rest of affiliates. This creates a “special” feeling and gives them an incentive to produce even more quality users to your site.

Encouraging Desirables to make suggestions about the program and/or your site, keeps the lines of communication open. Just be sure that you are readily accessible and these affiliates have both your e-mail address and a direct number to you.

WASTERS

Wasters should be removed from the program as soon as possible if your model is pay-per-click or a mixture of pay-per-click and pay-per-lead or sales. These affiliates rarely generate leads or sales but send a number amount of users to your site. Several of these affiliates may later be found out to be scammers and traffic they send only takes one or less steps throughout your site. If you are only using the pay-per-lead or pay-per-sale model, keeping Wasters enrolled in the program is not as threatening to your dollars, however, in principle they should still be removed.

POTENTIALS

As much attention that is focused on the Desirables, should also be given to the Potentials. Potentials produce high-quality traffic but their volume is low for one of two reasons or a combination of both. The first is that their promotion of your site is flawed. This can usually be fixed by providing them with the correct information, text links, and banners. If you are not sure what works, just take a look at your desirables. Guide the Potentials to follow their lead.

The second, and more likely reason that Potentials produce a low amount of traffic is that their own site receives a low volume of users. They may need help in promoting themselves or they may be a start-up company. Either way, Potentials would benefit from a monthly newsletter of tips on promotion and marketing. You could write the article yourself, or recruit other professionals’ previously written articles.

As with Desirables, the lines of communication should always be kept open. Make sure Potentials know how to reach you and are aware that you are available for advice on the affiliate program or the promotion of their own site.

UNDESIRABLES

Undesirables should be removed from the affiliate program but the need for removal is not as urgent as it is with the Wasters. Although the traffic they produce is low in quality, they also produce a low amount of traffic. Wasters can earn $5.00 a day in a pay-per-click model that pays $.05 per click, whereas Undesirables would earn less than $5.00 a month. The number of undesirables should still be kept down, however, to avoid becoming one large Waster of $5.00 per day.

In summary, relationships with Desirables and Potentials should be fostered. Communication with both should be open and constant and incentives should be plentiful. Wasters and Undesirables should be removed from the program so that only Desirables and Potentials dominate. In doing so, you will create a beneficial and long-lasting affiliate program.

About the author


lori@gradschools.com
http://www.lori@gradschools.com