1/27/20 Knock It Out of the Park: 11 Pro Tips to Improve Your Game 1 The Coaches Jeannine Crooks John LoBrutto Mike Allen @Jeannine_Crooks @JPL65 @mta1 2 1
1/27/20 Tip #1 Get the ball rolling: Start with the right program source Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 3 Tip #1 – The Right Program Source Network vs. In-House – Which should I choose? Interface • Technology • Minimum payout threshold • Program management • Which Network to choose? Support • Tracking • Interface • Features • Don’t just choose Amazon! Lowest commissions/shortest cookie • Weaker technologies • Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 4 2
1/27/20 Tip #2 Next man up: Improve your traffic & ROI Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 5 Tip #2 – Traffic & ROI Traffic = People Readers, shoppers, clients, etc. – they are investments! • Make sure you own the source(s) • Pay attention to their CR (conversion rate) – it’s like a “satisfaction rate” • Win with stellar customer support • Build your brand for the long game • ROI = Return on Investment Reality: Negative returns (losses) are unsustainable • Look for opportunities but “fail fast” • The direction things go might surprise you (embrace it if you can) • Predetermine “your number” for success • Application / Analogy: Goose & Golden Egg… • Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 6 3
1/27/20 The direction things go might surprise you! Image credit: Namecheap Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 7 Tip #3 Hit a home run: Recruit the right partners Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 8 4
1/27/20 Tip #3 – The Right Partners How to Choose the Right Merchant Product selection • Product promotions • Buying process • Technology • Publisher communication • Publisher support • Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 9 Tip #4 Game of inches: Deploy effective site optimization Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 10 5
1/27/20 Tip #4 – Site Optimization (Part 1) Spring Training: Learn to Optimize Establish what value your website provides to your audience • Define your website. Topic based, Promotion based, Product based? • Understand why your target audience will click to your website and what • makes them do it more. Understand the market and competition. Look for similar websites and • identify best practices. Add merchants that fit your business. Excites you? How can I promote? • Best way to find and drive the right traffic to my merchants? (Price, reviews, • unique offers?) Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 11 Tip #4 – Site Optimization (Part 2) The Fundamentals Traffic Does the traffic convert & is it a match to the campaign? • Are you using SEM or SEO and is it profitable? • Use Social Media, Email or other non-traditional methods? • Content Add value to the user experience and promotes the advertiser • Is it creating SEO relevance and improves organic search results • Does it provide the user with a unique benefit and create loyalty? • Review Review the metrics and determine if your traffic is converting • Compare your site’s conversion rate to the Advertiser's overall CR • Work with Advertiser for the best practices • A-B Test different links, products and promos. Develop new ideas. • Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 12 6
1/27/20 Tip #5 Par for the course: Enhance your toolset (use best practices) Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 13 Tip #5 – Tools & Best Practices Affiliate Tech Ultimately about relationships… but technology can help! • Marketing calendar • Coupon tracking • Premium Tools: FMTC, datafeedr, Skimlinks (alternatives), Affluent • FTC disclosure (it’s required!) • Site: Email newsletter, SSL, uptime, hosting, contact info, about/privacy pages • WordPress Tech Be careful what plugins and theme you use • Pretty Links (or Switchy.io or RocketLink.io) • SEO (Yoast, SEOPress, Rank Math) • WordPress-optimized hosting (staging, backups, updates, support) • Global blocks and calls to action • Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 14 7
1/27/20 Tip #6 Full court press: Maximize your conversions Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 15 Tip #6 – Maximize Conversions (Part 1) Watch the Replay How much am I making and who are the top partners? • What products or services are selling the most? • What is not selling at all or has a high cancelation rate? • Understanding where traffic is coming from and where it is going. • Is the Product or Service accurately described on my site and frequently • updated? Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 16 8
1/27/20 Tip #6 – Maximize Conversions (Part 2) Move the Ball: Why clicking to co-branded pages/promos are important Validates you as a referral source for the Merchant • They are usually the Merchants' highest converting pages • It creates SEO relevance and improves organic search results • Provides the user with a unique benefit and creates loyalty • Custom pages have competitive pricing and unique offers • Builds a closer relationship with the Merchant • Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 17 Tip #7 The ball is in their court: Negotiate commission Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 18 9
1/27/20 Tip #7 – Negotiate Commission (Part 1) How do you get paid? CPS/Rev Share – Cost per sale. Paid a portion of sale amount • CPL – Cost per lead. Usually paid a fixed amount • CPI – Cost per install. Paid when an app is successfully installed. • What is the EPC (Earning Per Click)? What products or services are selling the most & not selling at all? • Do I get paid on gross or net sale and what is the validation period? • How do cancelations & return rates effect my commission? • Am I getting paid on gross or net sale and what is the validation period? • Do you understand how Click-Through, Conversions and Cancelations effect commissions and revenue? Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 19 Tip #7 – Negotiate Commission (Part 2) Example A: EPC $5.40 Example B: EPC $1.60 High Volume (Optimized ) Low Volume Impressions 25,000 Results Impressions 25,000 Results CTR - Click Through 4% 1000 CTR - Click Through 4% 1000 Rate Rate CR - Conversion Rate 1% 10 CR - Conversion Rate 3% 30 CX - Cancelation Rate 10% -3 CX - Cancelation Rate 20% -2 CPA - Cost Per Action $200 8 x 200 CPA - Cost Per Action $200 27 x 200 Publisher Revenue $5,400 Publisher Revenue $1,600 Performance dramatically effects Publisher’s Revenue Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 20 10
1/27/20 Tip #7 – Negotiate Commission (Part 3) What is the current EPC for each Merchant? Is the reversal rate (cancelation/ fraud) low or high? • Are you seeing higher value orders and only paid a flat fee? • What is the current & historical click through rate? • What is the current & historical conversion rate? • What is the Average Order Value? • Create a compelling reason to increase commission: Develop ideas for a win-win joint venture • Established a relationship with the Merchant and discuss their model • Share the competitive landscape with your Merchants • Explain how more commission can be turned into increased sales volumes • Create an opportunity for an exclusive or premium placement • Participate and excel in Merchant Commission Boost Programs & Contents • Identify commission attribution model and discuss how it impacts you • Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 21 Tip #8 Monday morning quarterback: Use vital metrics Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 22 11
1/27/20 Tip #8 – Vital Metrics Affiliate Metrics Simple vs. Complex? (KISS wins!) • Key indicators: Clicks, Pageviews, CR, EPC • Affluent – tracks across multiple affiliate networks & programs • Site Metrics Your visitors: Google Analytics, Clicky, Visitor Analytics • Server load at web host • Page load testing (recommend GTMetrix) • Financial Metrics You have a business! • Bookkeeping: QuickBooks, Wave Accounting, Kashoo • Tax time – hire an accountant • Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 23 Tip #9 Don’t drop the ball: Communicate and participate Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 24 12
1/27/20 Tip #9 – Communicate & Participate Read merchant emails Specials • Contests • New products • Reach out to the affiliate manager or program manager Seasonality • Most popular products • Special opportunities • Raise your profile Special deals • Commission bumps • Tester • Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 25 Tip #10 Hail Mary: Take some chances Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 26 13
1/27/20 Tip #10 – Take Some Chances Always watch new merchant announcements for hot new opportunities • Quickly build a website about the “new hot thing” • Try out new technologies • Work with Merchants that you may not usually engage • Accept a lower CPA and work with a lower ROI at first • Invest in campaigns that look interesting or unique • Share ideas/collaborate/create something new (get NDAs signed first) • Get noticed by Top Merchants in your vertical • Walk away if not working even if you need it (free up resources) • Spend money on great ideas. Try to share costs when possible. • Look for co-branded opportunities to cross-promote • Is it time to hire help? • Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 27 Tip #11 Slam dunk: Enjoy profitable campaigns Slides at go.affgeek.com/asw20 28 14
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