This is a BIG No No!
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned marketer, the chances are that Calll To Actions especially click here links are the life blood of your online business. So you can be forgiven for becoming irritated at the careless way many marketers and would be marketers treat them.
People who are kind and considerate and even helpful offline often treat other people's links as if they were the plague while being desperate for everyone to click their links.
Have you ever considered the origin of a link and how much time and thought has actually gone into creating it?
Of coiurse there are links created by unscrupulous people that lead to bad deals and you need to be wary of them. The vast majority of links lead to offers that may or may not be suitable for your circumstances and it is for you to make that choice or judgement. If a link is pointing you to a free trial but leads directly to a paid offer then it shows a lack of integrity and I would take it as a warning sign not to go any further.
If you have been searching for something online and you click a link and find it leads to a solution to your problem or the outcome you want then why not go ahead and order it especially if there is a free trial or a guarantee involved?
What you should never ever do is to find out the name of the product or company and -ignoring the link- go directly to them. This is a big no no for a number of reasons!
- Would you like someone to do that with your links?
- It's mean to pick someone's brains and then pay someone else for the knowledge you have gained
- You are likely to get much better support from the marketer who has probably got a lot more in common with you than the company or top guru
- You are not saving any money by doing this - the commission goes directly to the company while you may be depriving someone of their livelihood. Maybe that marketer is a single mom or someone who is struggling to pay their bills.
- No doubt you expect to be paid for YOUR work so why shouldn't an online marketer be paid for theirs?
- Have you ever received an email with the message "Here's Your Commission"? If you have then you will know what a great feeling that is. So why not be the one who makes it happen for the person who provided the link in the first place.
Just remember a single link can change your life - after all that's how you found WA!
Recent Comments
34
99.9% of the sale is about the relationship. Unless, the product or service is simply a commodity.
It’s very difficult to develop a authentic genuine sincere relationship via text.
This is why I advocate video communication or in person communication.
I think modern technology has changed how people buy. I find that you can develop genuine and lasting relationships via digital marketing. Of course there will always be those who prefer video or in person relationships but the fear of making videos and live streams is widespread on the internet. That is why they are so successful.
I agree with you. Personally, for me I am challenged with developing a sincere relationship if their profile picture is a cartoon cat and their username is StudlyQueen4375
LOL 😆
I suppose it's up to us to explain to the cartoon cats and studly queens why they should use a good photo of themselves if they want to be successful online 🐱
Most people online do not think about affiliate links. They are often doing research about a product or service before purchasing. Perhaps they prefer buying from Amazon or Chewy and your link sends them to Ebay. Perhaps they simply wanted to know more about a company like eClincher before they buy so they Google it and end up on the service themselves webpage.
It's not a no-no. It's the internet. It's the way it works. I didn't come to WA from an affiliate link. I did a lot of research before I did then ended up Googling WA and BBB, then ended up clicking on WA from Google. I probably saw 12 reviews for WA before I decided but I went even further in my research, so a link didn't lead me here.
Did I think about affiliate links at all? No. I was thinking about my problem and whether WA was a solution.
Yes, if I think about it, I will click people's links but it is NOT a requirement. In fact, to some affiliate programs having people 'pushed' to use their links is a violation of their policies. Especially if they are associated with us, like WA members.
It's a free internet and no one is required to purchase through my links, especially if they prefer a different retailer. My site is there to help people, not forcing them to buy from my affiliate programs as opposed to their preferred retailer or whatever.
Is it awesome when they do? Definitely. I appreciate each one. But I don't think those that don't buy OWE me anything.
This is definitely the wrong mindset to have. No one is required to click. Ever. Free will and all that.
You are quite right - most people don't think about links unless it is their own links and it's not about how the internet works, it's about how we work it. Most of us would also agree that our sites are there to help people and no-one is suggesting that we are not free to make our own choices. I would certainly not wish to judge you for your mindset. Maybe we should put a message below our links so that there is no confusion about them "You are not required to click this link - however it will be appreciated if you do so!" lol
Very true Hillary, Hope I spelled your name correctly. Work with the link/ person who helped you get to your solution and or knowledge. I am constantly on the hunt for new knowledge and I keep those pages bookmarked for later if I do not purchase at the current moment. I find it best to go with that person who created the page and lead me to where I want to be or am aiming to go.
It did take some learning to get there for I was that go around guy to begin with, however, I learned the hard way that it is best to go with the person/ page that got me to the information I was seeking.
I have also learned how other marketers are doing their work out in the field this way also so it was not a bad learning experience. So if I am interested in learning more about the trends marketers are using, then I simply research and click many links to see how they are writing up their material. But when I want something like a new guitar, for example, I already have found that page before since I have it bookmarked I go back to it, and make my purchase there.
Thanks for the post, the first thing I read this morning and here I am chatting you all up. Lol.
You Rock.
Cali
Thanks for your kind comment Cal - You got the spelling wrong - most people do - It's Hilary but you can call me Mrs Bassakaropoulos if you prefer - oddly enough most people get that spelling right. I suspect that's because they practice it 😀 BTW Enjoyed your morning humour - I think it was needed to lighten up some of these comments You definitely rock!!
Amazing post Hilary,Well done Congratulation. keep up the good work. All the best to you on your journey at WA. May you have continue success with your business.Have a wonderful weeken.
I agree to a degree...
There are a lot of times when I am considering a product that I will check out the JV page using Munch Eye or on Facebook, or the JV launch groups to find out more and this is AFTER I have seen a review site...
The reason is I want to find out if there are upsells, what do they do, what additional features do they offer, and at what cost? A lot of affiliate marketers will mention the upsells and not mention the cost (why?)...
So although I agree to a degree, I do think that due diligence means that you have to check other sources to see what you are going to get and at what cost...These days it is a must, there is too much lousy stuff out there...
As an affiliate marketer, in your review, I think you also need to include the cost of the upsells and what they do, and why it may be worth spending yet more money on what you thought was a fully functional product (but may not be)...
Then the second part of the equation comes into play: What kind of bonus is being offered? There are some affiliate marketers that offer not so good bonuses and some that have ones that are complementary to the product...
I guess that the old saying that you need to offer the best deal or lose the deal holds true for me. These days there are just too many ways to get to what you need...I am not so beholden to the first place I may look at a product...
I think a lot of shoppers are the same...That is a reality so that means you have to be thorough and give your reader no reason to look further...a little more work, maybe, but at the end of the day, you will get the sale and commission if you do the work upfront!
Cheers!
Dave : )
As it happens I was introduce to WA by my son but even if it had been a stranger I would not have been tempted to abandon the person who led me here by bonuses or up sells or anything else. I suppose loyalty is becoming an old fashioned attribute but I find that it always pays off in the long run.
Yes, unfortunately, this is somewhat true...These days you have to be on top of your game, there are sharks out there for sure!... I give loyalty seldom, but when deserved, do so...
There are a lot of people that seem to base it all on loyalty, but I am more of a person that looks at the underlying principles and actions I see versus blind loyalty...
It also depends on the situation and what we are talking about...
If it comes to life-threatening situations or someone asking me to be loyal while also asking me to break the law or morals versus "loyalty" I will take the right/morals over loyalty every time...
Point well taken...This does not come to that level of an event but is indicative of the bigger picture...
Cheers!
Dave : )
Maybe there is a little bit of military training coming into play here. Touch wood I haven't come across any life threatening situations here on WA but maybe I will if I write any more posts like this lol! So loyalty comes pretty high on my priorities - that's why I am not a politician ha ha!
See more comments
Thank you Hilary for your thoughtful sharing