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discuss Do you click on affiliate links?

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Kuffy

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I try to be a helpful guy, so, when somebody asks me for the name of a good sponsor, registrar or other service, I try to reply with a helpful comment and a link. I include my affiliate code in the link, as it doesn't cost the new affiliate anything, and it can provide an extra few dollars of income for me. Providing details of a good sponsor increases the competition for me, and may result in a reduction of my sales commission, so I think it is fair that I should receive the minimal bonus that one can get from downline sales. So far, not one person has used my affiliate links to sign up despite me replying to requests for sponsors via pm. I'm now considering keeping quiet about monetising names, and just getting on with building sites.
 
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Honestly,

I just copy the affiliate link, then remove the part of affiliated person eg; /referral/jack121/, & visit the site.

So my answer is no, I don't click on any masked link but I click on unmasked affiliates links.
 
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Well the reason we use "masking", or replacing the link with text, is to encourage clicking, or to get some SE juice. So how wouyld you react if I used my shortening site, and posted a link like this - http://g8s.com/health-sponsor
 
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Well the reason we use "masking", or replacing the link with text, is to encourage clicking, or to get some SE juice. So how wouyld you react if I used my shortening site, and posted a link like this - http://g8s.com/health-sponsor

That is what I tried to tell you, always use some trusted URL Shortener services & make your affiliate link masked.

There are some great URL shortener services which even give you cool insight of tracking.
 
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That's my own hosted site, so I have full access to the traffic analysis.
 
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That's my own hosted site, so I have full access to the traffic analysis.
Nope,

I am not talking about the site which you have won, I am talking about URL tracking.

Let me explain,

You are very active in two forums & you have inserted your affiliate links on both forums but how you will knew on which forum you are getting more click?

Then the solution is to use


In short, have look at bitly
or some other shortener services which allow you to track your affiliate links.
 
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Well this is one table of stats I got from another of my links -

g8s-stats.jpg
 
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Well this is one table of stats I got from another of my links -

g8s-stats.jpg
Here we are talking about your affiliate link not about your own domain & website.
 
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If you do get on to building sites there should be full disclosure that you are receiving a small commission even if your affiliation is hidden in a text link. If you can't tell people you honestly use or recommend that product or service you are referring them to in the link-- why bother? Long term financial gain is easier if people find you credible and you have a good online reputation according to Google, etc.

It's considered good SEO and business practice --as you are probably aware. Good consistent quality content of value to fellow human beings on any topic and good backlinks is the way to get real traffic and quality ad revenue .

If I see a link of any kind I generally go back and type it in without the person's affiliation attached to it. If I hit a site with a bunch of ads (I have blockers anyways) I go elsewhere as its spammy. I understand the need to make money though just saying that I as a consumer or a fellow domainer will not click on an affiliate link unless I really like and trust the person or the site.
 
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Here we are talking about your affiliate link not about your own domain & website.
Well if the stats are for the shortened URL, then that is effectively my affiliate link.
 
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If you do get on to building sites there should be full disclosure that you are receiving a small commission even if your affiliation is hidden in a text link. If you can't tell people you honestly use or recommend that product or service you are referring them to in the link-- why bother? Long term financial gain is easier if people find you credible and you have a good online reputation according to Google, etc.

It's considered good SEO and business practice --as you are probably aware. Good consistent quality content of value to fellow human beings on any topic and good backlinks is the way to get real traffic and quality ad revenue .

If I see a link of any kind I generally go back and type it in without the person's affiliation attached to it. If I hit a site with a bunch of ads (I have blockers anyways) I go elsewhere as its spammy. I understand the need to make money though just saying that I as a consumer or a fellow domainer will not click on an affiliate link unless I really like and trust the person or the site.

Well if I don't like a sponsor, or find promoting it is profitable, then I don't use them, and wouldn't post a link.

If I do find them profitable, then I don't really want to increase the competition for my sales. It's hard enough on the net anyway.
 
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If affiliates allow domain forwarding I will use a domain in place of the affiliate code so that people wont just cut off the rest of the code and just type it in. Great if actually shorter or better than the actual site good for typo domains.
 
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Thanks for the replies guys, they have helped me to decide how to handle this. I've got the code for the G8s site, so I may have a look at improving the stats. There are already some basic reports in there. Of course most sponsors allow campaign codes, and these are useful to find out where your converting traffic is coming from.

I once had a discussion with someone who felt that supermarkets should not make a profit from food, and should sell it at the price they pay the growers. I feel that cutting out links is a similar attitude. It may also mean that a buyer pays more, as some affiliates negotiate discounts for their customers, and without the association, you don't get the discount. Another thing I've done in the past is to work with webmasters in my downline to help them gain traffic, and to provide supplementary resources.
 
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Please realize, in A number of countries you are REQUIRED to disclose that you are receiving affiliate commission, especially if you are recommending it in an article or posts.

Furthermore a number of affiliate programs are now also looking at your sites to make sure you have the affiliate disclosure somewhere there.
 
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Well we are talking about posted sponsor links here, and I think most members will assume that the poster includes an affiliate link. I'm sure that if he doesn't, members will question his business acumen. As far as I know, the UK doesn't require you to disclose affiliate codes. In view of the controversy over Google giving search preference to their sites rather than non-associated businesses, I assume the same is true in the US.
 
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Well we are talking about posted sponsor links here, and I think most members will assume that the poster includes an affiliate link. I'm sure that if he doesn't, members will question his business acumen. As far as I know, the UK doesn't require you to disclose affiliate codes. In view of the controversy over Google giving search preference to their sites rather than non-associated businesses, I assume the same is true in the US.
Stop Assuming.

http://www.ipage.com/affiliate/ftc-disclosure.bml

And there is also EU.

BUT to answer your questions, If I do not see the disclosure... I will not click affiliate links.

I don't have a problem clicking on them if the information was helpful.

More often then not, I would just go to say Amazon and search for the item myself, then to click on a spammy link for the item.

It is just good business practice to disclose it, and if people really value your content.... they will CLICK on it to make sure you get credit.

I run a major forum and I promise you, most do not know about affiliate programs, but the one who do... will NOT click your links if you do not disclose it.

Beyond that, as I said... don't get a sponsor reason to ban you and not pay your fees if you did not follow guidelines.
 
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Thanks for that link. I'm English, so I don't consider the Keiser Reich (EU) as binding on me. I use American hosting, so I do need to comply with US laws.

I may just stop suggesting sponsors on webmaster boards. The meagre returns don't really compensate for the increased competition.
 
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