Who Do Paid On Results Think They Are?
When it comes to affiliate marketing, I’m as guilty as the next affiliate of devoting most of my time to promoting merchants on the bigger, more established networks. Affiliate Window, Tradedoubler, Affiliate Future and Buy.at benefit most from this inertia, not necessarily because they are the best at what they do, but because of familiarity.
This year though I’m making a more determined effort to venture further afield and to work more with other networks. Credit for this falls at the feet of Darren Newmark at Linkshare. While I regularly wait days, weeks (and forever in certain cases) for replies to support requests from some affiliate networks, Darren offers instant support on any Linkshare issue via msn. I try not to pester him too much, but every time I have contacted him, he has offered me real time solutions or has immediately contacted the relevant merchant on my behalf to get answers. There’s nothing worse than waiting and waiting and waiting for a reply to a support issue. And that’s why there’s nothing better than the Dazzer.
My positive experiences with Linkshare started my journey that led me to another network that has really impressed me so far this year – Paid On Results.
It can take time to find your way around a new network’s website, but for me Paid On Results have one of the cleanest and easiest to navigates site around. As soon as you log in you are given a very clear picture of how you are performing and anything else you might need is rarely more than a very obvious click away.
The range of merchants is good too, particularly if you are looking for niche merchants to promote. What’s more, some of the merchants have fantastic creative available. Take LoveHoney for example – no less than 55 different 120×600 banners to choose from! Incidentally, LoveHoney’s 16% commission and 120 cookie is also the best I’ve found for adult related items and conversion rates should be good given the quality of the LoveHoney website.
The only disappointment to date has been with Econsultancy, a merchant that is dedicated to “best practice digital marketing and e-commerce”. I thought they would be a perfect match for Entrepreneur.co.uk as well as for promoting on the Get Out While You Can website once the book is out and the site properly activated. So I signed up.
Now, if I am to promote a merchant properly, it helps to understand what they offer. If it’s bras I obviously don’t need to try them on, but when you are selling memberships that start at £195 a year, it makes a big big difference. There was nothing in Econsultancy’s affiliate terms and conditions to say that affiliates couldn’t join and benefit from earning commission – indeed you would think it was in Econsultancy’s interests to have as many affiliates signing up as possible. Selling 101 – it’s much easier to sell a product or service you yourself believe in.
Indeed, for a company like Econsultancy, allowing affiliates to become members with the carrot of a 20% discount (ie the commission paid on membership) should be a no brainer. After all, much of what they offer is downloadable so the cost of servicing each new member is close to zero. That’s why so many merchants selling digital products via the likes of Clickbank offer 50% commission, even 75% commission.
My money was taken and my membership accepted, but then almost as quickly my commission was marked VOID. The reason?
“In our experience, new affiliates who use their account to gain commission on their own Econsultancy purchase, with no other sales made, often neglect to promote our services any further.”
Firstly, if that is Econsultancy’s experience then why isn’t it stated in their terms and conditions? Why wait until an affiliate has signed up, you’ve pocketed their money and then trot out an excuse for voiding the commission?
Is this really the “best practice” Econsultancy preach?
And talk about getting off on the wrong foot. No wonder it’s their experience that affiliates no longer promote their services. By voiding the commission they are virtually guaranteeing that the affiliate will never promote them again! I’ve already removed all of their banners from this site.
That one episode aside, I think I’ll enjoy working with Paid On Results and would recommend you take a look at some of the networks that up until now you might not have considered.
Otherwise, I’m working hard at getting Get Out While You Can completed. Yesterday I put the finishing touches to a chapter on search engine optimisation and marketing that I’m sure will raise a few eyebrows.
Some of the advice I offer goes against the grain of mainstream SEO thinking and it will no doubt surprise quite a few people, but the truth is a lot of the information currently in circulation regarding SEO is out of date or regurgitated nonsense – and that includes information being shared by so-called SEO professionals who should know better but probably don’t. This past week alone I’ve come across two SEO blogs by people working for blue chip clients whose advice borders on the laughable.
Actually quite a lot of the book is devoted to advice that goes against the grain so if you are one of the people who have signed up to buy a copy of the book this year, you’re in for an interesting ride. I don’t claim to be an expert on anything, but I do write from experience and with honesty. Like I’ve said before, I’m hoping it will help change people’s lives. Quite a claim and one I fully intend to live up to.
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Cheers for the kind words George “for me Paid On Results have one of the cleanest and easiest to navigates sites around”
however guess what, we are going to launch the new interface today so it’s about to become even more clean and easier to use plus the interface design will match our new look. Most reports have been improved and the overall feel and use ability is just that little bit more classy. I will post, blog and tweet about it later today (or Wednesday if we find any more bugs that need quashed) so hope you check out the new improved interfaces when they come online 
Sounds good Clarke – can’t wait to see it.
We have just recently joined Paid on Results as a Merchant and I must say the user interface is great and we are looking forward to adding some extra banners in addition to Paid on results great content units.
Keep up the good work guys
Good to hear from a merchant, Jon. I did see you had joined Paid On Results and will definitely be taking a look at what you’re offering.
George, sorry you’re unhappy with the response you got from Econsultancy – I appreciate it’s not the best start to get your first commission from us turned down. However, I believe the other part of the original message you should’ve received from us (and which isn’t mentioned in this post) was that if you did make any further sales, we would of course honour the commission you made on purchasing your own Econsultancy membership.
It might not count for much as far as you’re concerned, but you were actually the first person we declined on this basis – obviously with unhappy consequences! However, my belief is that testing is an important part of discovering best practice – so a learning for us here, and apologies that it was at your expense. We are now updating our T&Cs as a result which is something we’d overlooked till now.
As for affiliate marketing, we do have some best practice guidance based on our own experience as a B2B e-commerce site that you may find useful Here’s what we’ve found works for a handful of very successful affiliates we work with:
- Successful affiliates tend to be individuals who are respected in their field, with some sort of following, whether through a blog, Twitter, business they run etc.
- They also tend to be familiar with our research, reports and training, so they can draw on them in the relevant context (as you’ve said you intend to on this site and once you start promoting your book – so we’re agree on that.).
- Most importantly, they act as guides for their audience, taking them to the content they feel is relevant for them. With this in view, text links in a contextual setting always, always win over banners.
- Though it’s not always possible, we would generally recommend declaring it’s an affiliate link. (For discussion on this topic, see post/comments on our blog – http://econsultancy.com/blog/3805-social-media-and-affiliate-marketing-a-slippery-subject.)
- And finally, our experience of what works in affiliate marketing is close contact with the affiliates. You are welcome to contact us (as a member and/or an affiliate) to discuss what your particular interests are, and we will always guide you to what we offer that is most relevant to you.
All the best,
Clare
Really appreciate the response Clare.
The full reason I received was as posted. If it had also said “if you did make any further sales, we would of course honour the commission” things might have been different.
I did query the void commission via Paid On Results on 27th of February and full credit to POR, they responded the same day despite it being a Saturday. I was told that any response I sent would be forwarded to the merchant and I did respond saying that it was unacceptable to void a commission when there was nothing in the T&C regarding affiliates buying membership through their own links.
The first I have heard back from EConsultancy is your comment above.
For the sake of a few pounds, you have lost a potentially good affiliate.
Ah, the perils of indirect communications! The first I heard of this matter was actually in an email from POR this morning. Although out of the office I responded immediately because we’re not in the business of upsetting people!
I did explain to them about the full response you should’ve received from us, and if you didn’t then apologies again – it should’ve been there. (The person who was managing our affiliate scheme left Econsultancy on 26 Feb, though I was involved in the decision to go with this approach as it was the first time we’d done it, as I mentioned before. That’s not intended as an excuse, BTW – simply how it happened)
Anyway, good to talk. I’ve learned that people do in fact read T&Cs which are now in better shape, thanks to your input. And I hope that if not acting as an affiliate, you’ll at least enjoy the benefits of Econsultancy membership which I trust will serve you well over the next 12 months. Good luck with the book too.
It is indeed good to talk Clare.
I’ve learned a lot too and now that I can I see exactly where you are coming from I can completely understand why you still won’t be paying me the commission due:
Your company values “best practice”
Your T&C were wrong
A daft affiliate wanting to promote a merchant properly took them at face value
You then void the commission based on what the T&C SHOULD have been
You don’t reinstate said daft affiliate’s commission but thank him instead for pointing out incorrect T&C
Your company values “best practice”
I am gobsmacked by the eConsultancy response.
Why should George pay for eConsultancy’s learning … you expected George to pay for his training materials.
You acknowledge that your T&C did not allow you to void the commission and simply say sorry without offering to reimburse.
Come on, it doesn’t matter whether the sale was TO an affiliate or BY an affiliate .. you budgeted for the commission and had no legal right to claw it back.
Claire – The honourable thing would be to reverse the decline and only decline sales made after the new T&Cs came in .. or is eConsultancy saying that they are not bound by agreements?
What;’s next? retrospective halving of commission rates? ….. because eConsultancy decided that’s what they needed to do?
I am amazed that you talk about the best sales coming from ‘Affiliates… with respect’. The most sales will be made through businesses with respect …. and this behaviour hasn’t earned any respect for eConsultancy from me.
C’mon Claire – to say that you are sorry the retrospective change is at George’s expense is ridiculous. I would encourage George to submit a claim for a refund … after all, there were two parts to this agreement to purchase and you didn’t honour the contract terms. Instead you varied them after the event. Would you be happy is a till operator came running down the street afterwards and asked you to hand over more money because the store had decided to jack up its prices but hadn’t reflected them at the till?
The deal was done based upon a set of T&C. There is no question that you should honour them – you admit that it is eConsultancy’s mistake and then don’t put it right?!
Ridiculous!!
Any update on this George? I can’t believe Econsultancy think they can get away with this and what are Paid On Results doing about it? Great blog!
@ Dave – really appreciate the support and apologies again for the problems you had contributing
@ Dan – no, nothing to update really. No sign of the commission being paid. Some companies talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. You live and learn with merchants. To be fair to POR, I understand that they did ask for the commission to be paid.
Hi George,
Were it me, then I would ask for a refund now.
In open forum, they have acknowledged that they didn’t meet their own T&C attached to the sale. If they don’t want to pay the commission, then they should at least offer to terminate membership and refund in full .
It can’t do eConsultancy much good with potential customers researching them and coming across this unethical behaviour.
Changing the permalink to ‘who-do-econsultancy-think-they-are’ might prompt some moves and more potential customer visits here … lol.
Oh dear .. I assume that “no news is bad news”.
@Clare & eConsultancy .. given that you said that “I responded immediately because we’re not in the business of upsetting people! “, then don’t you think that you should resolve the clear upset that that already been created by eConsultancy … either by commission or by offering a refund?
How are you demonstrating best practice otherwise if you tear up your own T&C and make it up your own retrospective tems as you go along?
This must damage eConsultancy as a brand as their credibility goes up in smoke.
@David and those who have e-mailed me regarding this.
I’ve still not received the commission due – and in all honesty don’t expect to now.
It sometimes beggars belief how some merchants treat affiliates and I have simply added eConsultancy to the list of merchants I’ve no interest in working with now or in the future.
Others can make their own minds up. I’ve stated my case above. I obviously believe that the commission should have been paid. EConsultancy obviously see things differently. They presumably need £39 more than they want me as an affiliate – which tells me everything I need to know.