catch 22 question

[Yogi62]

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Hi guys,

As I understand it, the process of publishing a site is to first build a site, join a network (eg CJ) and then choose a merchant to promote. You then register with that merchant, who checks out the site before hopefully accepting it in their programme.

Catch 22:

In developing a shopping site, by definition you must surely be embedding links to merchants sites/products prior to joining a network. So will the inclusion of links to the merchant cause you to fall foul of the merchant when you request to join their programme, given that they haven't had the opportunity to 'vet' the site for suitability, before you linked to their site?

If someone could go through the general process of how they would publish a site I would be extremely grateful.

[ianm]

Not really sure why you've posted this in the AW forum, as they have very few (if any) merchants that aren't automatically approved.

The approach I take is add on merchants from the networks that don't review sites (i.e AW, DGM and AF) then once you've got some content start adding in the TD and CJ ones.

I tend to put the links in place and then wait - if I haven't been approved in a fortnight the links come out. But then I've got a good content management system - so removing links isn't a major problem. If you're doing it manually, you may prefer to wait until you are approved

Of course if you're planning on having sites with just affiliate links and no content you may want to think again - there are already a ton of general shopping sites around.

[Darren]

Just to let you know that I since ianm posted, I moved this thread from the 'Affiliate Window' forum, to here.

[SillyJokes]

As a merchant I always have a look at the site the affiliate intends to promote SillyJokes on.

If it is in development but is clearly a shopping directory in the making then that is OK.

Reasonably often I check out a site to find that the main thrust of its content is 'high res streaming video' of 'farm workers'.

Then obviously I have to say, "Perhaps you would like to contact us again when you have a less 'adult' site."

There really has to be a site there to be approved, I can't take the risk that a proposed site is going to have questionable content.

[Yogi62]

ianm / sillyjokes, thanks for the replies.

ianm,
Just to clarify - I wasn't refering to the networks reviewing the site, only the merchants before they accept the site into their programme.

also if I'm reading your post correctly:

Quote: 'I tend to put the links in place and then wait - if I haven't been approved in a fortnight the links come out.....'

you seem to be building a site and then waiting for the merchants approval. Don't you have to request their approval or have I misunderstood your post ?


the catch 22 question is, if an affiliate is not supposed to include links *before* getting the merchants approval, how do people build their sites if the sites content is almost nothing but a brief text description of the merchants business and a link to the merchant.

eg 'baby clothing and more' > link:w*w.baby.com

If he obeyed the rules and removed the link before submitting he'd have no site!

My site is a proposed affiliate 'financial site' with well balanced content - not an information site or shopping. Nevertheless, visitors will be expecting links to merchants the moment I publish it on the web or the site is pointless - what would you suggest I do?

[watcher]

With TD you can usually put the links up while waiting for approval. If you make any sales while waiting and then are not approved you will lose the commission.

[ianm]

Sorry, bit of confusion from the way I worded things.

Just to clarify - I wasn't refering to the networks reviewing the site, only the merchants before they accept the site into their programme.

On certain networks (AW and DGM) you are automatically approved for any merchant you apply for. On others (in particular TD) merchants review your site individually before approving or declining you and as watcher says if you're declined you lose any commission you might have earned. CJ is a combination of both - some merchants auto approve you and others review manually.

you seem to be building a site and then waiting for the merchants approval. Don't you have to request their approval or have I misunderstood your post ?

I apply to the programme, put the links up and then wait - if I get declined then the links come down straight away. If after 2 weeks its still under consideration I remove the links anyway - if I get approved later on I think about putting them back.

At the end of the day, no one is stopping you from sticking a link up for a program you are not approved for - it is just up to you to make sure you don't end up generating lots of commission that you later lose due to being declined (I don't think in 3 years this has actually happened to me).

I would say get the site set up, apply to all the programmes you want to promote and put all your links up - but don't use PPC or any of the paid listing services to advertise your site until you are approved for all your programmes. And make sure you keep an eye on who's declined you so you can dump them straight away.

Also as I said above you will at least have links from DGM and AW that you are automatically aproved for and some CJ ones - so there will be links for your visitors and a potential for income.

[Yogi62]

ianm,

The speed and fullness of your response is much appreciated, many thanks.