Father’s Day is around the corner which means I am feverishly searching for the latest gadget that will make my husband/awesome dad smile on Sunday June 16th. He gave me the not so subtle hint that he wants an old school boombox to hook up to his smartphone. So off I go to read reviews. Enter my affiliate marketing voice that refuses to be quiet.

I found a great content affiliate who provided me with invaluable information. I made my decision based on these reviews! They did their job of getting me to their site with basic keyword phrases, building trust and convincing me to purchase the product. This is every affiliate manager’s dream. EXCEPT, this affiliate is not going to get my commission.

 

Here is what happened. The page was covered with distracting banners. Everything from swimsuits to kindles to battery life extenders but nothing about the product he is reviewing. Once I made my decision to buy, I had no idea where to go. I am looking versus a standard user who may just copy paste the product name and move on.

boombox

There is one link to the product but it is not a deep link. It goes to the Amazon home page. Now, there are lots of deep links to what the reviewer refers to as inferior products…not sure why I would want to go there.

boombox2

In the last paragraph, there is one deep link but not to the product I have just been sold on. Instead, it links to the overpriced product the reviewer is steering me away from.

boombox3

What disheartens me about this post is the fear this affiliate will now declare affiliate marketing does not work. If this was my affiliate, here is the advice I would give.

  • Ditch the retargeting/adsense ads. In a world of multi-tasking ,your page must be focused.
  • Include side banners with the product you are discussing. Make it easy for me to buy at any time. I was sold in the 3rd paragraph when he talked about bass quality.
  • Include multiple deep links to the product in the merchant of your choice.
  • Really want to increase conversions? Discuss how Amazon is the best price or other reasons why he selected this merchant.
  • Have links in the beginning, middle and most importantly the end.
  • Don’t send your user to the video that does not have a call to action on another website…no matter how cool you think the video is. Trust me, the review is much more valuable than any manufacturer video.

Now of course I clicked on the Amazon link to do my best to give this guy credit. What I hope is this post serves as an example for my content affiliates of what not to do and how to improve your conversions no matter if you are writing about a boombox, pair of etnies, online software training or Cleatskins.

What are your favorite tips for turning awesome copy into a beautiful commission check?









Share This