Comments on: Next - An Affiliate Marketing Disaster http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html UK affiliate marketing news, views and podcast interviews. Sat, 17 May 2008 12:56:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Fionah http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81522 Fionah Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:52:34 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81522 Hi Fraser. Next paid 1% commission during the January sale period. This lasted between Friday 21st December 2007 at 5pm and Friday 28th at 6am. This is to take into account large reductions in pricing for sale items. Hi Fraser. Next paid 1% commission during the January sale period. This lasted between Friday 21st December 2007 at 5pm and Friday 28th at 6am. This is to take into account large reductions in pricing for sale items.

]]> By: Fraser Edwards http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81515 Fraser Edwards Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:56:32 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81515 Fionah - thanks for the clarification. Next did reduce their commission to 1% though didn't they? Fionah - thanks for the clarification. Next did reduce their commission to 1% though didn’t they?

]]> By: The arabian affiliate http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81504 The arabian affiliate Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:26:37 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81504 Hi thanks for the info about next, I do not know the program and I will never. I hope some day a new affiliate program will try to put it's affiliate at the top of it's priorities. they are it's free salesmen. and they need to have the best support, training and marketing material with the best commission could be paid. In reality affiliate programs are seeing their affiliate only as potential costumers. Hi thanks for the info about next, I do not know the program and I will never.
I hope some day a new affiliate program will try to put it’s affiliate at the top of it’s priorities. they are it’s free salesmen. and they need to have the best support, training and marketing material with the best commission could be paid.
In reality affiliate programs are seeing their affiliate only as potential costumers.

]]> By: Fionah http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81500 Fionah Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:02:31 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81500 Next also bonus affiliates £6 for new customer aquisition. Next also bonus affiliates £6 for new customer aquisition.

]]> By: Fionah http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81499 Fionah Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:57:52 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81499 Just to clarify Next have not reduced their commissions from 2% to 1%. The program is currently running at 2%. Just to clarify Next have not reduced their commissions from 2% to 1%. The program is currently running at 2%.

]]> By: Wayne Tully http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81289 Wayne Tully Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:16:01 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81289 It just goes to show that big brand companies are trying their hand at lazy bum marketing with all the added extras of a tramp on acid (no offence to tramps they add to the ecomony in some way!) Communication is important, but maybe they won an award and that went to their heads and stupidly thought that they would gain more affiliates as a result, but anyway in this game even the big guys have to market often and regularly, and that's the way it should be. Cheers for this blog by the way, it presents useful information targeted towards affiliates anywhere, and it targets towards affiliate programs that are linked to real retail companies, that is a huge step away from the usual internet marketing affiliate programs on other blogs. It just goes to show that big brand companies are trying their hand at lazy bum marketing with all the added extras of a tramp on acid (no offence to tramps they add to the ecomony in some way!)

Communication is important, but maybe they won an award and that went to their heads and stupidly thought that they would gain more affiliates as a result, but anyway in this game even the big guys have to market often and regularly, and that’s the way it should be.

Cheers for this blog by the way, it presents useful information targeted towards affiliates anywhere, and it targets towards affiliate programs that are linked to real retail companies, that is a huge step away from the usual internet marketing affiliate programs on other blogs.

]]> By: Lammo http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81238 Lammo Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:25:04 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-81238 Perhaps the advice should be "Reduce commissions at your own risk", and of course that old classic "don't give affiliates a label (such as grubby or polluting) that might come back to haunt you" Perhaps the advice should be “Reduce commissions at your own risk”, and of course that old classic “don’t give affiliates a label (such as grubby or polluting) that might come back to haunt you”

]]> By: Ralph http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80964 Ralph Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:02:22 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80964 excellent post fraser! excellent post fraser!

]]> By: Fraser Edwards http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80781 Fraser Edwards Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:45:24 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80781 Thanks Hero - I take your point and I think we are both saying pretty much the same thing :) I'll concede and amend my advice to Avoid reducing commission rates if at all possible and do it very carefully if you absolutely have to. We definitely agree about the attitude of big brands :) Thanks Hero - I take your point and I think we are both saying pretty much the same thing :) I’ll concede and amend my advice to

Avoid reducing commission rates if at all possible and do it very carefully if you absolutely have to.

We definitely agree about the attitude of big brands :)

]]> By: hero http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80779 hero Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:41:13 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80779 well, Fraser, it's either reduce commission now & do damage limitation by being honest why you do it and communicate correctly, or shut down your program in 3 months and possibly your business too, as you will be continuing a non-cost effective channel eating on your profits big way. Sometimes commission reductions are inevitable, provided they are substantiated. In my eyes, "hey, we're a well known brand and the numpties will continue promoting us cause they won't dare not list us for their customers, so why pay them more than we have to" is not good enough reason. well, Fraser, it’s either reduce commission now & do damage limitation by being honest why you do it and communicate correctly, or shut down your program in 3 months and possibly your business too, as you will be continuing a non-cost effective channel eating on your profits big way.

Sometimes commission reductions are inevitable, provided they are substantiated. In my eyes, “hey, we’re a well known brand and the numpties will continue promoting us cause they won’t dare not list us for their customers, so why pay them more than we have to” is not good enough reason.

]]> By: Fraser Edwards http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80773 Fraser Edwards Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:24:51 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80773 hero & HonestAM - thank you both for your comments. I agree that merchants may have to reduce commission rates at times but I still stand by my advice which is "Never Reduce Commission Rates" ;) I'm not saying it will suit everyone as Hero said ("The merchants, at least on our network, are very well aware of the damage the reduction can have on their program") reducing commission rates is damaging so I recommend you never do it! hero & HonestAM - thank you both for your comments. I agree that merchants may have to reduce commission rates at times but I still stand by my advice which is “Never Reduce Commission Rates” ;)

I’m not saying it will suit everyone as Hero said (”The merchants, at least on our network, are very well aware of the damage the reduction can have on their program”) reducing commission rates is damaging so I recommend you never do it!

]]> By: HonestAM http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80760 HonestAM Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:45:51 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80760 I agree with Hero. Merchants should be able to control their commission rate. There are often changes to margins which have a great affect on their business and they need to be able to adapt to make a profit. It works both ways, what if merchant were never allowed to increase commissions? I agree with Hero. Merchants should be able to control their commission rate. There are often changes to margins which have a great affect on their business and they need to be able to adapt to make a profit. It works both ways, what if merchant were never allowed to increase commissions?

]]> By: hero http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80750 hero Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:21:29 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80750 I agree 100% with you - apart from your first advice. Never reduce commission rates - that's not very realistic. I agree that merchants should make their calculations very carefully when deciding how much of their margins they can afford to pay affiliates, but that doesn't mean that the decision cannot be revisited later on. Additions to the product range, supplier changes, stock problems, increase in overhead costs, aggressive pricing policy, all these affect margins and can potentially lead to commission reductions. Always with the 30 day notice and with plenty of communication. The merchants, at least on our network, are very well aware of the damage the reduction can have on their program, so they do not take the decision lightly. However, reducing it to an insulting rate (from an already pretty awful one) is indescribable. And I particularly enjoyed the excuse "we convert very high, so you won't see the difference" - for me, that's an intelligence insult. I agree 100% with you - apart from your first advice. Never reduce commission rates - that’s not very realistic. I agree that merchants should make their calculations very carefully when deciding how much of their margins they can afford to pay affiliates, but that doesn’t mean that the decision cannot be revisited later on. Additions to the product range, supplier changes, stock problems, increase in overhead costs, aggressive pricing policy, all these affect margins and can potentially lead to commission reductions. Always with the 30 day notice and with plenty of communication. The merchants, at least on our network, are very well aware of the damage the reduction can have on their program, so they do not take the decision lightly.

However, reducing it to an insulting rate (from an already pretty awful one) is indescribable. And I particularly enjoyed the excuse “we convert very high, so you won’t see the difference” - for me, that’s an intelligence insult.

]]> By: fisker http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80656 fisker Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:18:55 +0000 http://www.affiliateblog.co.uk/next-an-affiliate-marketing-disaster.html#comment-80656 Nice post. This is the first time I visited your blog and through your blog I stumbled upon some more. :) Just a token of appreciation. Nice post. This is the first time I visited your blog and through your blog I stumbled upon some more. :)

Just a token of appreciation.

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