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Surviving the Affiliate Apocalypse

So you've got yourself signed up for a spiffy new affiliate program, put together a strategy that is definitely going to work this time, you picked out all your shiny new banner and got all your marketing materials together and ready to publish.

You've got everything figured out and you set off on your path to internet riches. The articles are published and the banners are flashing. The emails got sent out and you even tweeted a few tweets for a little extra leverage. You sign in to your affiliate program to look at your stats and that same sinking feeling hits you as you find yourself wondering what's gone wrong. Below, you'll find a few of the most common issues that can greatly affect your sales commissions and lead generation strategies.

The Cookies Are Soggy

Most merchants use some form of cookie to track their referrals. The problem is that the majority of customers do not make a purchase on their first visit, the cookie will then allow the potential referral to be tagged with your ID. That way if they purchase later you will still get credit for the sale.

It is important to be aware of the duration for the cookie, as durations vary from merchant to merchant. There are some cookies that will last as little as one session and other that will last for years to come. Also note that if a visitor clears out their cookies regularly, or has cookie blocking software, or it could be that the merchant's program is not operating correctly, and there is nothing at all you can do about it.

Multiple Payment Methods

It's not unheard of for merchants to offer multiple methods of payment for their products. This is especially true if you joined the affiliate program through a network that processes payment on behalf of the merchant. This is great for customers, for affiliates...not so much.

You are going to want to check the merchant site very carefully before beginning any advertisement campaign on behalf of a product or program. If there is any doubt in mind, be sure to contact the merchant before proceeding.

Monitor Your Arrangement

Even the most well meaning of merchants is going to have some difficulties with their affiliate software at some point. This being the case, it is especially important to regularly monitor your cookies and their merchant site for any and all changes that will affect your pay.

The sad truth about affiliate marketing is that 95% of affiliates fail to make anything close to decent money with it. The one factor that will make or break your affiliate marketing business is a having a good product to promote. You need a product that converts well and is genuinely helpful to your visitors. This is the one area that you cannot skimp on or do poorly. If you've found the right product and can get in front of the right people the commissions will take care of themselves.

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