Affiliate association aims and objectives

[drivetowin]

OK - you've asked for it so here it is (can one of the mods make this thread a sticky please)

Please use this thread to put what you think the aims and objectives of the affiliate association should be - what should it be doing for you and for the affiliate industry as a whole

I want this to be a real open think tank so no flaming please - if you think an idea is wrong then say so but no personal insults or mud slinging - and please try to keep your ideas concise - I've got to try and collate this lot at the end!!

It would help me if you could put an indication in your post whether you are an affiliate, a merchant or a network - I know that I know most of you but it will still make it easier for me and everyone else to know which viewpoint you are coming from.

I will take all of the ideas a week from today (Monday 20th June) so get your points down here before then.

I am going to try to avoid commenting on this thread until then (difficult for me I know!!) but I dont want to influence anyones ideas.

Thanks in anticipation

Keith

[Qui Gon Jinn]

As an affiliate, i suggest:

1.) Firstly collate the various code or practices from each of the networks & any guideline requests from merchants which they feel affiliates should adhere or would like.

Draw up a list of unacceptable practices that are frowned upon in the industry & incorporate these

Then, precis all the reasonable suggestions into one reasonable affiliate membership guide which is workable for affiliates to adhere to closely.

Get overall approvable from mebers & recommendations from networks / merchants on any possible changes

In other words lets make sure we have the necessary guidelines to keep our own house in order.

[Rich]

Ok this probably isn't quite what your looking for but I've been thinking about it for a while and this seems the best thread for it.

I think, if the association is going to come up with guidelines/rules for affiliates to stick to, with them being removed from the assoc if the don't comply, then it also needs to provide them with individual benefits of membership that mean it is in their interest to stick to the rules.

For example, assume the association works to ensuring fair terms from merchants and networks. Say I decided I want to use spyware and was found out and thrown out of the association, I would still be benefiting from the fairer terms, so there is no downside to breaking the rules.

If the association provided me with some service that I found useful, I would be less likely to be willing to break the rules.

[Qui Gon Jinn]

Re: Spyware

There should be a watermark or logo from the affiliate association which shows that a merchant educates its consumers with regard to spyware & should be fairly visble on the site. Or do they deem this as scare mongering rather than a service which can actually enhance their brand and show that they really care?

Do any merchants actually educate their consumers on is it the ostrich impersonation again? I am quite willing to draw up copy for this, which I have been doing intermittently for a few weeks.

In fact would someone with creative skills like to come up witha logo & some banners to distribute amongst participating affiliates?

[Qui Gon Jinn]

Very simple basics:

Choice of quality creative or variable sizes but much more importantly, no telephone numbers or url's on the creatives, which networks must enforce too. Unless it is a CPM or CPC. No more free branding.

A move away from sterile banners & more towards content units / generators with product offerings, which does exactly what it says on the tin. More interactive content so that the consumer can start to engage with the brand from the publishers site. For example Loan calculators from finance related companies.

[Qui Gon Jinn]

If some price comparison sites can be demanding on the format of these, then so can the affiliate industry. Which will allow affiliates the data to create quality sites in any niche.

Networks have had enough time to sit around a table to acheive a common goal with regard to this. The association could take this bull by the horns and bang ther heads togther to form a log cabin.

[Qui Gon Jinn]

A look into the laws protecting small businesses for late payments by merchants to a network, where an affiliate can levy even an escalating fixed rate or % of sum. (we have done this a few times & got paid without hestitation on direct relationships with merchants)

If the networks collects this levy then it should be passed onto the affiliate.

An open book on which merchants pay networks in escrow too.

For any non payments, the network must prove to affiliates what they have done to try & retreive the debt...not just hearsay.

[Qui Gon Jinn]

For commission decrease changes - at least 7 days notice.

For commission increase this can be immediate.

Since we are not privvy to the third party agreements between network & merchant. Maybe re-examining these that a certain period of notice must be given say 30 days. And that any cookie period must be honoured.

[Qui Gon Jinn]

A body that an affiliate of any size is not intimidated by reporting a problematic merchant or network or unresolved dispute. With the reassurance that it will will be dealt with without the affiliate suffering any backlash.

Once again, how often has a problem been reported on the forum, thinking we are the only ones...only to find others are affected.

Unfortuantely, there still remains the problem, that even if they are...they still don't post..which is very unfortunate to say the least.

[Qui Gon Jinn]

Simple flagging systems to ascertain if a merchants site is up or down...why are affiliates normally the first to detect this.

The same applies to tracking...could a partial remedy be the purchasing of a product on nominal zero value?