Call for Action: Improve Affiliate Support Now
On a weekly basis I receive literally dozens of emails from ClickQuick visitors such as
yourself asking for advice on affiliate programs or commenting on experiences they have
had. As you can imagine, I receive far more complaints about particular programs than I
receive praise, since usually those experiencing difficulties are much more vocal compared
to those that are satisfied with success.
I am alarmed to say that a
growing number of email complaints I receive are asking for my assistance in resolving
disputes with individual programs. Sometimes an affiliate will have their site canceled,
other times a sale was reported incorrectly. As the number of affiliate programs and
affiliates grow, you can imagine more and more of these problems coming to light, even if
statistically they occur at the same rate.
However, what really
concerns me about these requests is how many ClickQuick visitors have difficulty in even
reaching the operators of an affiliate program to resolve their difficulties. In almost
every case, ClickQuick visitors which write me mention that they have emailed Program XYZ
several times about their problem, and have not received even a response, let alone a
solution.
So, with this article I am
making a call to action for ALL Internet merchant's that operate affiliate and
pay-per-click programs to improve their affiliate support efforts. A network of affiliates
can become a company's most productive resource if each affiliate is treated with
respect--as valuable members of a team. Unfortunately, many programs continue to see their
affiliates as simple assets, numbers in a spreadsheet. If one affiliate has a problem,
there are 10,000 others, so what's the big deal if one is unhappy, right?
Even more, it is in the
merchant's best interest to help their affiliated sites mature into an able and willing
sales force, provide affiliates the tools and knowledge they need to succeed, as well as
work with affiliates when difficulties arise. All too often I have seen emails describing
where an affiliate was producing a fair number of referrals on a monthly basis for a
program, only to see the program experience some difficulty with tracking or checks being
issued. When the affiliate then writes to inquire about the problem, they receive no
response from the program, and quickly switch to a competing program, or simply drop them.
Continue
|
