Hugh Durkin - Affiliate Marketing & SEO
An affiliate marketer, seo, and internet marketing professional. This is my blog.
From the category archives:
I’ve noticed quite a lot of emails coming through over the past few weeks from various merchants – mostly UK based to be honest – cutting commission rates by a couple of percent, some with a particular focus on cashback sites, but more often than not the commission cuts are across the board. But why?
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If you’re an affiliate of any kind, chances are you’ll need to regularly download datafeeds from on or many affiliate networks to keep your information up to date. This can be a complete pain in the rear end for even the most seasoned developers – solutions to the problem include manually downloading each feed and then uploading it to the server (not a happy situation with hundreds of feeds), to writing complicated shell scripts with hundreds of lines, which you’ll have to execute server site via cron and take up heaps of memory in the process. Several months ago, I found a great solution to a boring problem – FTPiggy.
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I like it when programs launch and CPAs have been determined well from the off. Two recent additions to Tradedoubler Ireland – O2 and Perlico – have pretty much nailed it on the head with their initial offer CPAs to affiliate publishers who drive sales. No doubt it was a big step for both these providers to take the leap into affiliate marketing in Ireland, and I really hope their efforts are being paid off handsomely. So what makes a good CPA offer for affiliates? Why are some programs more appealing than others?
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Following my post yesterday about Screenclick and the possible effect their recent changes may make to affiliate earnings, they’ve taken the very mature approach to my unease – they’ve banned me from being an affiliate with them anymore. That just leaves Moviestar on the Compare.ie DVD rental comparison page then. My post, along with Micheles (also a Screenclick affiliate – has he been banned I wonder) provoked some debate about the issue, particularly on Micheles Blog. Alas their response to it all? Just to simply ban the very affiliates who promote their product on the basis that they’ll be compensated when users actually sign up to the service.
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Like a lot of publishers, i’m signed up to Screenclick.com as an affiliate. Conversions are few and far between – no matter what i’ve tried – but links to them exist on Compare.ie for the purposes of allowing users to choose between them and Moviestar (who i’m a paying customer of myself). Today I logged on to Screenclicks’ new website and was rather annoyed. Not only is it totally useless for consumers, it’s sure to piss off plenty of affiliates they’ve signed up through Tradedoubler. Why? Microsoft Sliverlight, that’s why.
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I check in with most affiliate networks i’m a member of probably once a day – to view earnings, see whats selling (and from that, know what to keep pushing), and also to join new programs that might be of interest to me. Over the last week or two i’ve been amazed at the level of new program launches, and on one of the larger networks, a dozen new campaigns have kicked off in the last week and a half. Am I totally surprised though? Not really.
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I’ve been keeping a close eye on Compare.ie and some other more niche sites I own, and over the last two weeks or so there’s been an astonishing increase in fancy dress and other such halloween related fare. Halloween costumes are basically outselling any other category by a factor of 3-1. So much for a recession! If thing really were that bad, would people be forking out between £20-£100 on halloween costumes? I don’t think so. Just goes to show that parties, fun, and boozing are – for the most part – recession proof.
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Tradedoubler Ireland seem to have been focussing on a particular vertical of late, and it seems the fruits of their labours are being paid off. Carphone Warehouse have already launched on the network, and O2 are coming soon, with a launch party for the program coming up in the next few weeks. So what are my inital thoughts on it? Whilst it’s good that big brands like these are trying affiliate marketing in Ireland, some elements of the equation just don’t add up.
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I thought it might be interesting to invite UK and Internationally based affiliate networks to ‘sell your wares’. Affiliate marketing is still in its infancy in Ireland – for no good reason – so perhaps if you could respond below with your details, it might be a handy point of reference for Irish ecommerce retailers to give affiliate marketing a closer look.
For those of you who don’t know the Irish market, we ARE in fact huge spenders online – people outside of Ireland seem to think we’re in the dark ages and are scared of buying online. We’re not, so don’t let that be a reason for you to ignore us!
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It feels slightly crazy, but i’m actually already doing work on various bits and bobs in preparation for Christmas 2008! I’ve just put the finishing (nearly) touches to eToys.ie, so any feedback would be appreciated 
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