Comments on: The arrogance of merchants http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html Doug Scott's thoughts and opinions Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:38:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Jim Banks http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html/comment-page-1#comment-44 Jim Banks Sun, 09 Mar 2008 10:51:10 +0000 http://www.asapventures.co.uk/blog/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html#comment-44 In most cases as the affiliate network is making their margin they try to protect the relationship between them and the affiliate for fear the merchant goes direct. Larger merchants no doubt want to protect the integrity of their brand, even though in most cases they don't know why they should. In most industries now if you are the 800 pound gorilla you'll own the top spots for your brand term, but affiliates can often supplement that position if merchants let them and as long as it is not a bun fight. That is where the affliate - network relationship comes in. As Doug said NEXT wouldn't know him from Adam so an application hitting their desk is likely t be declined. Personally I think far too many merchants make the decisions on who to approve without consuting the network. The network has all the history of the affiliate and what they have done..... Don't pay for expert advice and then ignore it when it is given. In most cases as the affiliate network is making their margin they try to protect the relationship between them and the affiliate for fear the merchant goes direct.

Larger merchants no doubt want to protect the integrity of their brand, even though in most cases they don’t know why they should. In most industries now if you are the 800 pound gorilla you’ll own the top spots for your brand term, but affiliates can often supplement that position if merchants let them and as long as it is not a bun fight. That is where the affliate – network relationship comes in. As Doug said NEXT wouldn’t know him from Adam so an application hitting their desk is likely t be declined.

Personally I think far too many merchants make the decisions on who to approve without consuting the network. The network has all the history of the affiliate and what they have done…..

Don’t pay for expert advice and then ignore it when it is given.

]]> By: ukgimp http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html/comment-page-1#comment-14 ukgimp Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:11:27 +0000 http://www.asapventures.co.uk/blog/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html#comment-14 hmmm, bit of editing going on there, not sure i remember including the word "sexy" but nice and sly, i like that :-) hmmm, bit of editing going on there, not sure i remember including the word “sexy” but nice and sly, i like that :-)

]]> By: Doug http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html/comment-page-1#comment-11 Doug Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:25:44 +0000 http://www.asapventures.co.uk/blog/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html#comment-11 Max Our aff program was actually good in many ways, we paid much more than anyone else, we converted well and we apid out on time and gave lots of notice of any changes. The issue we had was we never actively managed our affiliates, which was bad. But we only had one major affiliate who delivered much business and I did make sure I called him and talked to him and even met him. If we had seen large affiliate business coming from any single company we would have atleast met them. My issues is most merchants who do have large affiliate business's dont even talk to them Doug Max

Our aff program was actually good in many ways, we paid much more than anyone else, we converted well and we apid out on time and gave lots of notice of any changes. The issue we had was we never actively managed our affiliates, which was bad. But we only had one major affiliate who delivered much business and I did make sure I called him and talked to him and even met him. If we had seen large affiliate business coming from any single company we would have atleast met them. My issues is most merchants who do have large affiliate business’s dont even talk to them

Doug

]]> By: maxd http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html/comment-page-1#comment-10 maxd Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:16:46 +0000 http://www.asapventures.co.uk/blog/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html#comment-10 Your aff program was crap as I remember. Hope your next one will be better. We are launching one now for the second time. First one failed because of an idiot incharge. So your post couples with mine, you need the right guy in charge if you want a successful aff campaign. Idiots will just cost you time and money. Your aff program was crap as I remember. Hope your next one will be better. We are launching one now for the second time. First one failed because of an idiot incharge. So your post couples with mine, you need the right guy in charge if you want a successful aff campaign. Idiots will just cost you time and money.

]]> By: Keir McConomy http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html/comment-page-1#comment-9 Keir McConomy Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:48:06 +0000 http://www.asapventures.co.uk/blog/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html#comment-9 Oh f**k, who gave Doug a blog! That's like giving plutonium to the Iranians! Oh f**k, who gave Doug a blog!

That’s like giving plutonium to the Iranians!

]]> By: Doug http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html/comment-page-1#comment-8 Doug Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:07:24 +0000 http://www.asapventures.co.uk/blog/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html#comment-8 Never knew you cared Rich, but when we were a merchant we had problems. Being very blunt about it I did not run the affiliate program and the guy who did did not understand and hence we did very little....but the thing we did do was auto approve everyone who wanted to give us money:) I thought that was a good idea Never knew you cared Rich, but when we were a merchant we had problems. Being very blunt about it I did not run the affiliate program and the guy who did did not understand and hence we did very little….but the thing we did do was auto approve everyone who wanted to give us money:) I thought that was a good idea

]]> By: Jason Duke http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html/comment-page-1#comment-7 Jason Duke Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:03:06 +0000 http://www.asapventures.co.uk/blog/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html#comment-7 very very sexy but fat :D very very sexy but fat :D

]]> By: ukgimp http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html/comment-page-1#comment-6 ukgimp Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:59:43 +0000 http://www.asapventures.co.uk/blog/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html#comment-6 What did you learn from being a sexy merchant Doug? What did you learn from being a sexy merchant Doug?

]]> By: GerBot http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html/comment-page-1#comment-5 GerBot Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:44:35 +0000 http://www.asapventures.co.uk/blog/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html#comment-5 As someone who has been on all three sides of the fence I understand your frustration here. I think the solution lies with networks vetting the affiliates before merchants see them so that affiliate managers do not sit with their fingers over the un approve button. I'v seen CJ try to introduce metrics to help with this but I don't think there is a perfect solution as of yet. As someone who has been on all three sides of the fence I understand your frustration here.
I think the solution lies with networks vetting the affiliates before merchants see them so that affiliate managers do not sit with their fingers over the un approve button.

I’v seen CJ try to introduce metrics to help with this but I don’t think there is a perfect solution as of yet.

]]> By: Smiley http://www.droug.co.uk/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html/comment-page-1#comment-4 Smiley Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:22:02 +0000 http://www.asapventures.co.uk/blog/the-arrogance-of-merchants.html#comment-4 The marketing execs hate the idea of some geek sitting in their bedroom making 10 times more money than them - but times have moved on, merchants should too....... The marketing execs hate the idea of some geek sitting in their bedroom making 10 times more money than them – but times have moved on, merchants should too…….

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