Our Affiliate Program Wish List (continued, part 3)
3-Improved commissions
If a merchant chooses to not implement a process as described above, then I wholeheartedly believe that commission rates need to be raised. If the merchant looks at that initial commission as a cost to acquire a new customer, surely 10% or 15% is a paltry sum, assuming the product for sale is of the type that facilitates repeat purchases. For example, if the commission rate on a book is 10% of the sale price, and a customer buys a $20 book, the merchant has effectively paid a $2 'bounty' to acquire a new customer. If none of these customers ever purchase again, that may be a fair sum, but if say even 25% go on to make future purchases, the cost is VERY minimal since there are no additional costs to keep the customer.
In the case of products which promote repeat visits and purchases, a commission of 50%, or even 100% would not be unreasonable if the merchant trusted their ability to provide good support, and retain that visitor as a future customer. Again, increasing commissions would be a win-win situation, helping vendors expand their affiliate network, acquire more customers, and keep their most productive affiliates working with them.
4-More professional site design and ordering processes
One of the many factors I evaluate when reviewing a particular affiliate program is the professional appearance of the merchant's site, and the ease of ordering from the viewpoint of the customer. This also includes factors such as name brand, since many online shoppers are becoming familiar with, and trusting in, strongly branded Internet retailers.
This is a very important aspect of an affiliate program, and one that is often overlooked. In the end it doesn't matter how well a program is designed, what commissions it provides, or what extra benefits it offers, because if the customer doesn't feel comfortable making a purchase with the vendor, a sale will not be made, and no commission will be earned.
Although not every site has the same design abilities, or the same budget for that matter, a professional, clean, and well-designed site can be had for minimal cost. It is a must if the merchant wants to attract not only paying customers, but also a strong affiliate network.
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