Am I Outraged!!!? …
Posted on May 8, 2008
Filed Under Affiliate Marketing, Internet Marketing
Here’s an excerpt from an email I just received
from Allan Gardyne.
> =============================================
> 1. Beware of this sneaky new affiliate tactic
> =============================================
>
> Occasionally we receive some nasty smelling submissions to our
> affiliate directory.
>
> Here’s one I want to warn you about…
>
> It’s called Affiliate List Controller.
>
> The salesletter recommends a deliberately deceptive tactic.
>
> Affiliate List Controller is software that creates a pop-up which
> appears on top of ANY website you care to choose.
>
> free ringtones for verizon wireless cell phone free alltel music ringtones free ringtones maker download cell free phone ringtones verizon wireless ringtones software free cingular mp3 ringtones free motorola ringtones tracfone free samsung ringtones?????? cingular free mp3 ringtones cell free phone ringtones verizon wireless 24 tv show ringtones ericsson polyphonic ringtones sony virgin mobile phone ringtones hot new ringtones free metro pcs phone ringtones sony ericsson ringtones download free midi ringtones download free tracfone ringtones cell phone ringtones new ringtones Here’s how it works…
>
> Let’s say you’re an affiliate vendor and I’m an affiliate
> directing potential customers to YourSite.com. I can now make a
> pop-up appear on top of YourSite.com asking people to sign up to
> MY newsletter.
>
> Some affiliates place a squeeze page between their links and a
> vendor’s site. That’s OK. It’s a legitimate way of building a
> targeted list. There’s normally nothing deceptive about it.
>
> This is quite different. Sneaky.
>
> Here’s the salesletter…
>
> http://imxfiles.com/alb
>
> (That’s an affiliate link for X - not Allan)
>
> I hope you’re as outraged as I am.
My reply to Allan . . .
========
Allan -
re: Sneaky affiliate tactic.
Yes, but isn’t that site STILL GETTING FREE
TRAFFIC? Would you:
A. Prefer that I send traffic to your site
but build a list in the process of doing it.
B. Prefer I not send traffic to your site
at all.
I think we both know the affiliate marketing
game well enough to know that in most cases
the merchant is the real winner - especially
if they have any kind of a back end. And I
should build THEIR list too? Shame on us
affiliates for getting smarter.
This sounds like you’ve been spending too
much time with Rosalind Gardner, who’s pious
on the surface but I’ve caught her pulling
some of the sneakiest shit I’ve ever seen.
All the best to you - X
PS - Always enjoy your information - thanks for
a great newsletter.
================================================
Tell me what you think about this - I want to hear your comments.
================================================
I haven’t used this software, but I’ve been using another like it for a while now. If I’m outraged by anything it’s all of the outright thieves in IM who can’t come up with an original idea of their own.
Or maybe, I’m just upset that my own sense of integrity hasn’t allowed me to clone someone else’s software and call it my own . . . not yet. Maybe I am getting a little tired of playing the game “the right way” and it’s time to cash in regardless of who likes it.
Agreed. This script/technology is not new, I came across one 1-2 years ago.
I do affiliate marketing most of the time.
But as a small product vendor as well, I’d love you to send me the free traffic and I’ll cherish you like gold!
Unless you’re really doing something that wrongly represents us, I don’t see anything wrong with that.
Alfred
Nope! This doesn’t outrage me in the least. The affiliate is the one sending the traffic to the vendors’ sites. Why the heck shouldn’t the prospects be on the affiliates’ lists.
What “does” outrage me is the Vendor who sells to the affiliates’ referrals on the back-end, without giving the affiliate a piece of the back-end action.
My own affiliate program has always given my affiliates a piece of the back-end (70%) actually so, it’s more like, the lion’s share of the back-end.
This product is good for affiliates. It could actually work in the favour of cheap-assed Vendors too, who would normally not have the support of affiliates like me, who have stopped promoting for Vendors who don’t properly compensate the affiliates, who are making them all their money.
My 2 cents (CAN).
Mark
It is a excellent script but actually affiliate list controller is a resell rights product od popupbandit.om. I’ve owned it for awhile it’s not really new.
That seems like a tatic that could backfire.
If a merchant already has a popup, wouldn’t a second popup showing up at almost the same time infuriate the person you’re attempting to sell to?
Two popups showing up like that would seem to be a sure fire browser closer when the clueless twit see that happening…and thinks it’s some kind of spyware.
Either that, or I’m missing something.
-Floyd
Actually I’m not such a big fan of this software - not because I think it’s “unethical”, but because in most cases the merchant ALSO has an optin box on their salespage.
I prefer to just replicate their page, get rid of their pop up scripts, etc. & put in mine, & plug in an IP in the process
it does take longer, but I won’t have the visitor getting confused by seeing two optin boxes.
I agree with those of you who have concerns about visitors seeing multiple popups. Remember that when using an IP you have control over which pages you send people to - you don’t have to send them where the affiliate link defines for you.
In other words, skip the squeeze page and go direct to the sales letter, the order page, etc.
I would never advise asking for an optin, then having them see another optin request on a merchant site. Of course that’d be annoying.
PS - I’ve been using a tool like this in other ways that don’t always involved an optin. First, you should know that we’re not talking about a new window opening - it’s not that type of “popup”, but instead a DHTML-type flyover. Second, I sometimes put a message in there depending on what I want to do. In one case I point out what a piece of crap my competitor’s offer is (it is). In other cases I’m pointing out benefits that aren’t clear or that they can claim an unadvertised bonus when they contact me after buying.