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We've come to the last day of the course, and it's time to tie up the loose ends and cover some advanced topics.
As you know by now, affiliate marketing can be incredibly rewarding when done properly. There are also a lot of pitfalls you need to watch out for as well. One of these is merchant fraud.
Merchant fraud, unfortunately, does happen. Merchants can use any number of clever tactics to cheat you out of your commission. One of these methods is to offer multiple payment options to customers without linking each one to their affiliate tracking software.
For example, let's say that a merchant offers credit payments, payment via Paypal and payment via check to the customer.
The merchant tracks your affiliate ID up to the point of sale and credits you if the customer chooses to pay via credit card through the merchant's main payment gateway. However, if the customer chooses Paypal or check, your affiliate ID is immediately tossed.
The only way around this clever trick is an exercise of caution on your part. When you evaluate a potential affiliate program, check to see how many payment methods the merchant offers. Secondly, after you sign up for an account, examine you referral links. In fact, if you have the budget to spare, follow your own link and choose one of the alternate payment options and purchase a product.
Did you get credit for that sale? Great! If you didn't receive credit, though, it's time to can that merchant and move on to more ethical waters.
Here's another 'advanced' tip to consider: use affiliate networks like Commission Junction to evaluate potential merchants. Joining programs via a network is often a better choice than signing up at individual, non-networked sites. The reason is simple: membership in an affiliate network imposes stricter standards on merchant behavior.
You also have access to a wealth of data on the overall performance of other affiliates in that merchant's program.
Last but not least, you need to focus on building trust among potential customers. If your merchant site doesn't do a very good job of this, then send your visitors to your web site. Make it clear what products and/or information you have to offer.
- File Size:170 KB
- License: Resell Rights
- Category:Ebooks
- Tags:2008 Ebooks Free Resale Rights