My First Text-Link-Ads Sign Up!

Well, it's finally happened, one of my referrals to Text Link Ads has actually signed up and earned me some commission!

As you may have read previously, I've had my doubts about this particular affiliate program and, despite my first sign up, I'm still not exactly over the moon with it.

As of today, I have sent 453 referrals and only one of them has converted. That's a conversion rate of 0.22%. I don't think I'll be retiring just yet!

Tags: text link ads

Issues with Michael Cheney's AdSense Videos Affiliate Program

I am an affiliate for Michael Cheney's AdSense Videos. This is a pretty decent affiliate program and I like Michael Cheney. However a slight problem with this particular affiliate program came to light over the weekend.

Whenever someone purchases the AdSense Videos via my web site(s), I am emailed a confirmation to let me know a sale has taken place. Between Friday 20th and Sunday 22nd April, I received X of these emails. I also checked my stats via Michael's own web site, which also indicated X sales. However, when I checked my stats on Clickbank, through whom the sales were made, I was only credited with exactly half X sales.

I contacted both Clickbank and Michael Cheney's support desk and received some interesting replies.

First, Clickbank assured me their stats were correct (despite opinion across the web that Clickbank is understating sales). Surprisingly enough, Michael's reply read as follows:

Thanks for letting me know. I can assure you that ClickBank is 100% accurate - the discrepancy lies at fault with the tracking software we use unfortunately.

For the definitive sales figures always refer to ClickBank.

Thanks,

Michael Cheney

So, at least Michael Cheney is speaking up for Clickbank. However, if you're also promoting his products don't be surprised if you end up getting inconsistent sales stats.

Tags: michael cheney, clickbank

Text Link Ads Affiliate Program - Even More Unhappy

As I've written about here and here, I'm pretty convinced that something major is wrong with Text Link Ads' affiliate program.

As of today, I have now sent 410 referrals to Text Link Ads and not one of them has converted. You would definitely think that at least one out of 410 would have "place[d] an order with us or . . . [become] a publisher and install[ed] the ad script on their site."

So, even if referral number 411 does finally convert (which I doubt, somehow), that would be a conversion rate of 0.2433%. Pretty crap, doncha think?!?!?

Tags: text link ads

Problems with Perry Marshall's Affiliate Program: An Update

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you may recall I wrote a while ago about problems I was having with AdWords guru Perry Marshall's affiliate program.

Since I wrote about it, I contacted Perry S. Marshall & Associates at the email address listed on perrymarshall.com (info@perrymarshall.com) in order to get their feedback on the issue.

Not surprisingly, I have heard nothing from them. That is a great shame because they used to operate a great affiliate program that was very popular with both affiliates and buyers.

I shall try contacting them once more and if I don't hear from them again, I will have no choice but to drop his affiliate program entirely.

Technorati Tags: perry marshall, affiliates

Text Link Ads Affiliate Program Update

As mentioned in my previous post, I was contacting TLA to find out what an affiliate referral has to to in order for me to actually earn any money. This is the reply I received:

Once the referral takes place you can earn money two ways. One, if someone places an order with us or two, if someone becomes a publisher and installs the ad script on their site.

So, it would appear that of the 321 people that I have referred to TLA, not a single one has decided to advertise with TLA or publish TLA's ads on their site. I have really only promoted the latter program and, given that TLA is supposed to be one of the best-paying programs after AdSense, I find it hard to believe that not a single referral has placed the TLA script on their web site, particularly when you consider that it's a way of earning money that costs the publisher nothing. What's more, there's not even a minimum earning requirement.

Furthermore, supposing the very next person I refer does sign up, number 322. That's a 0.31% conversion rate.

I still think something's not right. What do you think?

If you've had experiences with TLA's affiliate program let me know about it by leaving a comment.

Technorati Tags: text link ads, TLA

Does the Text Link Ads Affiliate Program Actually Work?

Back in July of 2006 I became an affiliate for Text Link Ads (aff). Since that time, according to my TLA stats, I have referred 321 people to TLA but guess how much I've earned as an affiliate? Zip! Zilch! Nada! Nowt! Not a single cent has been added to my balance.

You would think that at least one person out of 321 would have done whatever is necessary to earn me at least a cent, wouldn't you?

I have written to ask TLA what a referral has to do in order for me to earn anything and is it correct that no-one has actually done so. This is the second time I have written, the first time I received no reply.

I will keep you posted.

Technorati Tags: text link ads, TLA

Perry Marshall: What's Up with His Affiliate Program?

Perhaps it's just me, but I think something's up with Perry Marshall's affiliate program for his "Definitive Guide to Google AdWords."

In the 3rd quarter of last year, this program was my most successful affiliate program. Of those that signed clicked on the affiliate links, 49% of the people signed up for his email mini-course and 5% purchased products. However, after some changes were made, a weird thing happened in the 4th quarter. Since that time, only 24% of people clicking on the ads are reported as having signed up for the email mini-course and less than 1% (0.89% to be precise) have purchased products.

So, signups have dropped from 49% to 24% and the conversion rate for purchases has dropped from 5% to 0.89%.

Doesn't that seem like a rather odd drop to you? What's more, no product has been sold at all for months now.

Well, I just took a detailed look at Perry's affiliate interface and found that in the area where you generate your links, the drop-down box from which you choose the affiliate program you're promoting no longer shows "Definitive Guide to Google AdWords" (or whatever it used to display), instead it has "AdWords > test redirect for tracking stats."

So, were we supposed to update our affiliate links, is the affiliate program now ended, are we simply meant to use this new link, even though it indicates it's merely a "test?" I don't know but I do know that no-one has contacted me about this in order to let me know what's going on.

One final thing ... I didn't get paid when I should have last year so I tried contacting Perry Marshall, or the people handling his affiliate programs, and had a job doing so. For ages, no-one responded to any of my emails, even though I used the link provided on his page. In the end I had to do some detective work to find out his company's phone number. When I did eventually get to speak to someone they were very helpful but, all in all, the ability to communicate with anyone regarding the affiliate program was sorely lacking.

I earned some good money from this program, which meant I also earned Perry some good money. However, I am now having to consider dropping his ads entirely.

Before I do that though, I shall try contacting them again and ask what's going on. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Technorati Tags: perry marshall, affiliates