affiliate marketing program conversion optimization tips

Affiliate Program Performance – a Shared Responsibility

Affiliate Program Conversion Optimization Tips

Geno PrussakovCEO & President, AM Navigator LLCwww.amnavigator.com Founder & Chair, Affiliate Management

Dayswww.affiliatemanagementdays.com

(+1) 888-588-8866geno@amnavigator.com

@ePrussakov .

Whose Responsibility is Conversion?

One person’s?

Whose Responsibility is Conversion?

Everyone’s!

Crucial Truths (5 to mind at all times)

Conversion Boosters (10 to explore)

Outline

5 Crucial Truths

1. Don’t Manage Affiliates

1. Don’t Manage Affiliates

… in reality:

we’re not affiliate managers

but affiliate marketing/program managers

Common Consequence

Treating affiliates as employees

⇒ Motivating by threat

Motivate by Opportunities!

Even in traditional management “threats are generally counterproductive” and “always demotivating.”

“We can motivate people to their highest levels of potential by presenting them with opportunities to succeed instead of telling them what to do” [underlining mine]

Source: Alexander Haim, Streetwise Motivating & Rewarding Employees

2. Don’t Treat Them as Guinea Pigs

3. Affiliate Marketing ≠ Channel

“…but, rather, a way of remunerating a marketer… hence, affiliate marketing really exists on the crossroads of a number of online marketing channels and works with nearly all of them.”

Source: Affiliate Program Management: An Hour a Day (p. 24)

It is a marketing context, based on the principle of performance-based compensation.

It is integral to understand this for ensuring proper/healthy co-existence (not conflicting, or cannibalizing, but complementing) of affiliate program with all channels of marketing that the merchant is employing.

3. Affiliate Marketing ≠ Channel

4. Don’t Cruise on Autopilot

As any serious marketing campaign, affiliate program must be managed supporting these 5 pillars.

5. Strive to Perfect Conditions

10 Conversion Boosters

1. Leak-Free Website

Leaks - Definition

Leaks – anything that may lead to a course of action for which affiliates will not get credit.

Leaks - Examples

1. Phone Number2. Live Chat3. AdSense Units4. Affiliate Links5. Links to Related Stores/Sites6. Links to Other Merchants7. Links to Other Affiliates

Leak #1 – Phone Number

Leak #1 – Phone Number

Leak #2 – Live Chat

Leak #2 – Live ChatA different answer:

….are you more likely to purchase from a site that has a phone number …on each page?

Psychological Assurance

Source: Online Shopping Through Consumers’ Eyes (p. 53)

Don’t Remove.

Track!!

Leak #3 – AdSense

Leak #4 – Affiliate LinksAmazon widget example:

Leak #5 – Related Stores/Sites

Leak #6 – Other Merchants

Leak #7 – Links to Affiliates

Go Leak-Free!!

2. Optimize Creative Inventory

Banners• Cover common sizes (incl AdSense unit ones)• Analyze what works for competitors• Create affiliate-friendly banners

Text links• Deep-linked to boost conversion

Data feed• Well categorized, regularly updated

Banner Sizes• 468×60 px – 2-5 banners (AdSense too)• 125×125 px – 2-5• 120×600 px – 2-5 AdSense size• 88×31 px button – 2-5 overlooked opportunity!

• 160×600 px – 2-3 AdSense size• 120×240 px – 2-3• 234×60 px – 2-3• 254×331 px – 2-3• 728×90 px – 2-3 AdSense size

• 720×300 px – 1-2• 300×250 px – 1-2

Study Competitors’ Banners

Do analyze, but beware of skewed metrics!

BannersGood Examples

Creatives

Video Ads

Creatives

Video ads vs Non-video ads:

Dwell Rate increases 29%

Conversion Rate increases 45%

We’ve analyzed 50 randomly selected merchants (from Internet Retailer Top 500 list) on 3 major affiliate networks (CJ, LinkShare, GAN)…

3. Dedicated Landing Pages

3. Dedicated Landing Pages

Targeted campaign-specific landing pages = commonsense technique for increasing conversions.

Real-life situation:

Example #1:

Example #2:

4. Competitive Intelligence

Analyze program terms (payouts, cookie life, lock dates,tiered payouts, bonuses)

Become their affiliate (creatives, policies, newsletters, promos, tools)

“Friend” and follow them

Remember: “the real purpose of competitive intelligence is to learn and to act” …not to merely gather data or “develop information.”

Seena Sharp, Competitive Intelligence Advantage (p. 100-101)

4. Competitive Intelligence

5. Promos & Coupons

5. Promos & Coupons

Be

creative

Offers/Coupons To Run

1. Year-long - 1-2

2. Monthly - 2-3 (make dynamic links available)

3. Short-term - e.g. weekend

4. Holiday - e.g. to encourage "early bird" sales

5. Exclusive - true or vanity

6. Free Shipping - over certain amount

7. Deal of the Day

Problem of Last-Minute Coupon Search

6. Marketing Calendar

6. Marketing Calendar

Consider also dynamic creatives!

7. Co-Branded Initiatives

Three- to four-fold increase in conversions (from 8.56% to 23.21% for a cashback affiliate, 2.5% to 10.9% for a coupon affiliate) upon introduction of co-branded landed pages

Affiliate Window - http://blog.affiliatewindow.com/?p=1789

66.45% conversion increase, nearly 44% revenue boost, and 132% difference in new customers acquired

Rakuten LinkShare - m.www.linksynergy.com/share/pdf/linkshare_case_study_smartbargains_072310.pdf

“Creating co-branded landing pages… to align an advertiser’s brand with the publisher’s brand” increases the “likelihood of a transaction or action”

Google Affiliate Network – “Affiliate Optimization Center”

Examples:

3 C’s of Affiliate Co-Branding

(1) Connect (affiliate logo, wording, colors)

(2) Convince (exclusive promotion, urgency)

(3) Convert (auto-apply promo, call to action)

Example:

8. List(s) of Top Sellers

8. List(s) of Top Sellers

It’s a tool. Equip affiliates with it!

• Newsletter• Banner / creative• Widget

(dynamically updating)

Newsletterexample:

9. Demographic Data

9. Demographic Data

Where? Program bio/signup page Welcome/approval email

What?o Basics (gender, age, income)o Details (children, religion, ethnicity, etc)o Geographic data

10. Continuous Motivation

Lesson in Motivation

10. Continuous Motivation

How?

In their language

Equipping them with what they need

Employing all available means (program bio, approval email, regular newsletters, social)

In Conclusion…

...don't repeat the mistakes of others!

Thank you! Questions?