The ten biggest brakes on success in affiliate marketing

What does successful affiliate marketing look like? Löwenstark Onine-Marketing GmbH provides ten tips.Affiliate marketing offers a more effective return on investment (ROI) than any other online advertising measure, measured against the capital invested. The greatest advantage of this Internet-based commission system between a merchant and a website operator (affiliate/publisher) lies in its performance-based structure: only valid success is remunerated, whether it is a generated sale or another profitable action, e.g. a lead.However, many merchants make a number of mistakes, especially when starting out in affiliate marketing, which cost a lot of potential. Elena Korovyakova, Head of Affiliate Marketing at the online marketing agency Löwenstark, explains where affiliate marketing newbies have the greatest reserves and how best to avoid the typical mistakes.Success brake 1: Approve publishers in the affiliate network without prior verificationTo get started in affiliate marketing, it is advisable to use affiliate marketing networks. These act as intermediaries between registered merchants and publishers and provide the necessary infrastructure, including for commission brokerage or tracking website visitors. If the online merchant decides to put an affiliate program live on the network, potential partners can apply for it. "However, inexperienced entrepreneurs in particular often make the mistake of releasing all applicants. It is essential to check whether the website is of high enough quality and actually fits the theme before approving it," explains expert Korovyakova from Löwenstark.Success brake 2: Never release publishers once rejected againAnother stumbling block: Many affiliate marketing newcomers are not aware that they can approve a once rejected publisher again. "But especially in the affiliate networks, this can be done in a jiffy and is even recommended in some cases after the publisher has been rechecked," Korovyakova knows. This applies both to partners who have been rejected by mistake and to publishers who have developed in the meantime and could be considered for cooperation at a later date.Success brake 3: Not keeping an eye on competitors' affiliate commissionsIt is important to think outside the box. The store operator sets the commission level - often between three and ten percent of the net merchandise value - for his publishers himself. But this is not purely a matter of choice, as Elena Korovyakova explains: "Most affiliate newcomers try to keep the commission level low in order to save money. But this is the wrong approach. A look at the competitors shows what the usual commissions are on the affiliate market. This is what you should orientate yourself on. If they pay a higher commission, then you will have to follow suit yourself. Otherwise, you won't find a publisher.Success brake 4: Set equal remuneration for all partnersAffiliate marketers often pay the same commission to all publishers. But they are not obliged to do so - the entrepreneur can determine the commissions differently for each publisher group. "For example, there can be five percent for all coupon publishers, and eight percent for all content publishers. In addition, staggered commissions can be offered," says Korovyakova. If a partner generates an above-average number of sales, he or she receives a higher payment, depending on the agreement.Success brake 5: Ignoring the market situation when setting the commission levelWhat many do not know: The fixed commissions are not set in stone and can be adjusted to the respective market situation. For example, in the booming Christmas business, the commission can be increased to ten percent, as sales increase accordingly. From January, the commission should then be lowered again. "Even if there is a small lull in sales, the remuneration of publishers can be adjusted. It is important here, however, to ask the affected partners whether they agree to the reduction. From experience, however, publishers prefer to accept a lower remuneration than to terminate the cooperation," explains the affiliate marketing expert.Success brake 6: Pay commission for cancelled ordersIf you're not vigilant, you pay the price: if an order is canceled by the customer, the store operator must also reject the canceled purchases in the networks. Korovyakova says: "If the order is not cancelled in the affiliate networks, the entrepreneur pays a commission for nothing. This is very annoying and also completely unnecessary. Therefore, it is important to regularly check the sales in the affiliate networks and reject any cancelled purchases there."Brake on success 7: Use outdated advertising mediaFor successful affiliate marketing, the store owner must provide the publisher with suitable advertising materials. "A big beginner's mistake is to believe that you don't need to update the advertising materials. When a store operator adds a new product group to its range or launches a new store promotion, this should also be accompanied by suitable advertising materials," explains Korovyakova. New sales partners and customers can only be acquired if the advertising materials are well-maintained and always up to date.Success brake 8: Promote store promotions only one-sidedlyGet rid of tunnel vision: The affiliate network is not only used to place programs and find publishers. The network is another channel that should be actively used for self-promotion, as the affiliate marketing expert knows: "It's wasted potential if you run a promotion via your homepage but don't additionally promote and push it on the network. Because that strengthens brand awareness and increases the attention of affiliate partners."Success brake 9: Do not check statisticsIs analysis the be-all and end-all? Not in the eyes of most affiliate newcomers. They often underestimate the statistical analysis options that the affiliate network offers them. "It is very important to regularly look at the statistics per affiliate, per advertising medium and the overall statistics in order to analyze developments and react accordingly," says Korovyakova. Especially at the beginning, it can be determined in this way where there is a need for optimization.Success brake 10: Do not actively pursue affiliate marketingIf you think affiliate marketing is a no-brainer, you're sorely mistaken. "Unfortunately, affiliate marketing is much more time-consuming than most store owners think at the beginning. To achieve the best results, the affiliate program needs to be looked after. Ideally, you approach publishers proactively and always agree on new promotions," Korovyakova recommends. It's simple: the more an online entrepreneur does for affiliate marketing, the more sales he can generate.