Merchants dropping Coupon Affiliates – Follow the Discussion on Abestweb
I wanted to share my thoughts and experience about coupon sites from a merchant, affiliate network and affiliate’s perspective, this is how I see the coupon world within the affiliate marketing industry and why it still remains a hot topic.
From my research (please feel free to jump in and correct me) Asa Candler started the US coupon phenomena in 1895 and American has had over 100 years in which to turn this into an American institution, coupons are nothing new and most if not all online and offline businesses here in the USA have “special offers”, all the coupon sites are doing is using technology to advertise what is, mostly, already in the public domain.
The merchant’s perspective (true examples)
Here is where conflict can occur and can still be seen happening today.
1. Coupon sites that rank above the merchant in the search engines. I have heard a number of merchants complain about this as and when it happens. Whilst it is clear to us that the merchant can’t blame the coupon site from out ranking them, I can see how some merchants would not be too happy. What this tells me is that the Merchants had not researched or been advised about the impact it may have on their natural page ranking by working with a strongly positioned coupon site. I wonder… did the merchant know at the time that he/she had the option not to work with coupon sites. This raises another question, should the role of an affiliate network be advising “new to the industry “merchants about the impact they may have on their own search engine listings. I’ll be generous and assume that all outsourced affiliate agencies would be advising their clients of such a possibility.
2. The coupon site that goes ahead and lists the merchant’s website without having joined the merchants program. Why would a coupon site do this? The competition between coupons sites is fierce, that’s a given. A strongly positioned coupon site in the search engine can list a new merchant’s offering within minutes. The coupon site now having out ranked the merchant is in a position where by they are essentially bullying the merchant into giving them a coupon “It’s better to work with that coupon site if they are coming up before you”, I have heard being said. “new to the industry” Merchants have very little recourse and of course this will sour their views on coupon sites.
Follow this discussion on AbestWeb.com – One of the best US Affiliate Marketing forums to bite back!
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