A discussion of earning with the Best Affiliate Programs, SEO, Wordpress Blogging and General Motivational Ideas for Internet Publishers and Affiliate Marketers.

It’s no suprise that through the two year course of authoring this blog that I’ve dealt with my fair share of affiliate networks and affiliate programs. I suppose it’s only fair that if I’m going to post an article detailing the 10 Best Affiliate Networks, there should be some award for the Worst Affiliate Programs and Networks.

NetKlix (www.netklix.com) - You’ve seen the ads on Shoemoney.com and JohnChow.com, that alone should be an indicator that NetKlix is as usless as tits on a bull. Obviously the people behind NetKlix put more thought into where to advertise their new network than to actually supporting the network and creating an interface for publishers. The signup process is horrible, asking you to input pages of data before even sending a confirmation email. After several tries to signup, I still never received a confirmation email and they don’t answer their support email. No problems, Zedomax pretty much summed this one up in the post NetKlix Needs Better Ads….

Exoclick (www.exoclick.com) - Exoclick is primarily a network that claims to handle adult traffic and other traffic that you can’t monetize with Adsense. I assumed it was going to be fairly professional seeing as it was recommended on several forums. Exoclick is so sorry it’s not even funny. From the awkward signup form to the poor publisher interface, Exoclick is one of the worst affiliate networks I’ve ever wasted the time signing up for.

RocketProfit (www.rocketprofit.com) - If you’re the type of affiliate who likes networks that don’t pay on time, always have excuses for not paying on time and are oblivious to publisher support, then RocketProfit might be what you’re looking for. If you’re in doubt about the dubious nature of this network, just have a look at what people are saying about RocketProfit.

Motive Interactive (www.motiveinteractive.com) - Simply no repsonse at all on signing up to Motive Interactive. From what I can see, they’re just another run of the mill DirectTrack affiliate networks so they probably don’t have anything that MarketLeverage, NeverBlueAds or Ads4Dough don’t already have. Self-Confessed “Super Affiliate” Zac Johnson is pimping pimping pimping Motive Interactive so my suspicion is that they’re another greasy palm network. I personally have no time for networks that don’t even bother to call potential new affiliates and see what they’re all about. Their loss, not mine.

ShareASale - (www.shareasale.com) - If you want an affiliate network with no publisher support, poor tracking and lousy offers, go ahead and join ShareASale. I had an absolutely horrible experience with ShareASale. I signed up for their network, got an email saying I was approved and to login and start finding offers. I logged in and added some banners to a few of my sites and then three days and 20K impressions later, I received another email stating my application had not been approved. My login stopped working, so I removed the ads and tried to contact support. Good luck contacting support, they just aren’t into it.

ClickBooth (www.clickbooth.com) - This company is just plain stupid. Worst publisher support ever. I signed up an account with them last year, input all my personal details, was supposedly approved and even emailed my login details. I went to login for the first time and I get an error. Tried to recover password, it sends me the same password I’m already using…Ok, on to contact support… Hahahah, like that is going to happen? Maybe CB owner John Lemp is too busy destroying his reputation trying to sue WickedFire for badmouthing ClickBooth.

Affiliate.com (www.affiliate.com) - This network is operated by Scott Richter’s Media Breakaway. The signup process is far too involved for average publishers and PPC marketers without a website but then again, I don’t know why anybody would want to give their personal information to a company fronted by the guy who paid $7 million to Microsoft for a settlement in a lawsuit alleging illegal spamming. Media Breakaway was also sued by MySpace for allegedly accessing member accounts and using them to send millions of spam messages appearing to be from users’ MySpace “friends”.

ClickBank (www.clickbank.com) - Hands down, ClickBank is the absolute worst affiliate network on the internet. Let’s forget that 90% of the e-books and “get rich quick” schemes marketd through ClickBank are downright scams, forget all the cookie stuffing and cheating that ClickBank ignores, forget their shoddy interface and reporting, forget ClickBank’s lack of support, forget ClickBank. ClickBank may suffice for PPC marketers who only need to cough up a landing page and can wipe their hands clean of visitors. For web publishers, the advertising on your site could cost you visitors, especially if the ads are low quality and for borderline scams.

One thing in common about most of these affiliate programs and affiliate networks is the lack of adequate telephone support for affiliates. I guess I’m used to PepperJam Network and NeverBlueAds where I can ring them up on the phone and get an answer within 15 minutes. It just doesn’t make sense to me that an affiliate network would have poor publisher relations or drop the ball on signups. After all, publishers are the bread and butter for these networks and you never know how a publisher will perform in the long run.

Other networks that deserve mention but are just to bad to waste a paragraph on include: AuctionAds, ShoppingAds, WidgetBucks, Clicksor, Obeus, Miva Publisher, Etology, clixGalore, RevenuePilot and Kontera.

If you have any experiences to share about the programs and networks listed here, please leave a comment.

Happy Publishing,
Dave

         

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If you’re serious about affiliate marketing and you’re looking for a top quality network, look no further than Market Leverage. The MarketLeverage performance marketing network provides publishers access to some of the most lucrative offers in the industry. The payouts rank amongst the highest in the industry which makes MarketLeverage and essential tool for publishers seeking to monetize their websites, blogs, search search engines or email marketing lists.

MarketLeverage is staffed an experienced team of affiliate managers who are well versed in assisting publishers at all levels of experience. They specialize in growing productive affiliates which is the backbone of any performance marketing network. If your affiliates and publishers aren’t earning, that means the network isn’t earning, which means advertisers aren’t getting their dollars worth. MarketLeverage has developed a successful strategy to cater to both affiliates and advertisers alike, which is a primary reason MarketLeverage has grown revenues by 5,642% between 2004-2007 according to independent audits conduted by McGladrey & Pullen LLP.

The MarketLeverage publisher interface definitely leaves something to be desired but that doesn’t mean offers won’t convert or that they don’t have some hot offers available. Unfortunately, the layout isn’t compact, it requires a lot of clicking to get to code and it can be daunting for inexperienced publishers to figure out how to navigate as seen in this screenshot of the “find offers” interface :

Here’s the basic rundown of MarketLeverage :

Overview : MarketLeverage was founded by CEO Michael Jenkins as PrecisionPlay Media in 2001. Since then, MarketLeverage has grown to one of the web’s largest “Cost Per Acquisition” (CPA) networks enabling web advertisers and publishers the ability to harness the power of performance marketing. MarketLeverage has delivered millions of profitable sales and leads to advertisers through their unique network of web publishers and promoters.

Fraud Prevention : MarketLeverage affiliates are pre-screened via telephone by an affiliate manager before acceptance into the network. My screening process was very quick and they responded to my application within 24 hours of submission. The screener was very helpful and informative and I was made aware of some of the more lucrative offers available on the network.

Tips : The best tip I can offer for maximizing your potential with MarketLeverage is to take some time and look through the offers before jumping in an promoting only a few. The publisher interface provides a lot of useful information from which a serious affilaite can gleam ideas and perspective niches if you open your mind to the different offerings.

Service and Support : MarketLeverage provides ample support, in fact the affiliate managers are willing to go the distance to assure publishers are treated like gold. In my opinion, that’s a healthy scenario that fosters growth for both publishers and the network alike.

MarketLeverage Payment Options: Affiliates can opt to receive payments by check, Wire Transfer ans Paypal. Payments are sent out on a Net 15 basis and there is a $25 minimum payout threshold.

Affiliate Best Programs Opinion : In my opinion, MarketLeverage is rapidly becoming one of the major players in the over-saturated performancing marketing industry but the one thing that will sepeate them from the rest is their hands-on approach to building a relationship with publishers and affiliates at all levels.

Other than the MarketLeverage being a bit aggressive, over-zealous and nepotistic, there are some really great offers and they have a boatload of email submit and lead based programs that are a killer for PPC marketing and email marketing. They also have a decent amount of incentivized offers which makes the network very well rounded for all types of promotion and marketing.

Discussions: MarketLeverage Discussion Forum

To join MarketLeverage : Click to Join MarketLeverage Now!! or click the banner below.

         

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Hydra Network is a CPA network that offers both advertisers and affiliates a highly structured, personalized, performance based solution for their marketing and advertising needs. Hydra Network is a virtual cornucopia for affiliates due to the wide variety of programs and offers available at your fingertips. Channels of promotion include email submit, search marketing, banner advertising, popups, contextual advertising, incentivized promotions and pretty much anything else you can think of as an avenue for promotion.

With Hydra Network, I pesonally find myself conjuring up new methods of promotion when skimming through the offerings listed on the network. More often than not, when I am looking for a targeted offer, I’ll incedentally stumble across a promotion that seems like it would perform well and adapting my marketing methods to match the newly discovered option. This is one of the greatest strengths of a high-performance affiliate network.

The other aspect of Hydra Network I find refreshing is the vast majority of offers require no pre-approval before you set out marketing them. There is nothing more frustrating than getting an idea for a new program but having to slow down and wait for an approval to promote the program. I particulary dislike that aspect in networks such as Commission Junction, where sometimes I’ve waited weeks for a slacker affiliate manager to approve my application to their program. Evidently they don’t realize most of us marketers work on impulse and slowing down a potenitally lucrative affiliate by making them wait for approval is a death sentence for any serious advertiser.

The Hydra Network publisher interface is very easy to navigate and I simply love the campaign listings where you are presented with all the necessary details to seek and choose campaings you might be interested in. One thing you’ll notice when browsing through the campaigns is the amount of $20+ lead generation programs that convert like crazy if you know how to effectively exploit the niches they fall into.

Here are some of the basics facts about Hydra Network :

Overview : Established by pioneers of the Internet marketing and advertising space in 2001, Hydra Network today is a leading performance-based advertising network, and named as one of the United States’ top ten fastest-growing private companies on the 2007 Inc. 500 list.

Fraud Prevention : All affilaites are pre-screened via telephone by an affiliate manager before acceptance into the network. My screening process was very pleasant and the rep who called me was very knowledgable and informative. In our conversation, she made aware of some of the more lucrative offers available on the network. How’s that for support!!

Tips : The best tip I can offer for maximizing your potential with Hydra Network is to take some time and look through as many offers as you can before jumping in an promoting only a few. There is quite a bit of information and a wise affilaite can gleam new markets and avenues if you open your mind to the different offerings.

Service and Support : Absolutely brilliant support is what keeps Hydra Network in my personal list of premuim CPA Networks. If a network doesn’t provide you with at least an account manager you can call on the phone or at least email for help, run away and find a solid network like Hydra where you are valued and treated equally regardless if you’re a big or small affiliate.

Hydra Network Payment Options: Affiliates can opt to receive payments by check, ACH, Paypal or Wire Transfer. Payments are sent out on a Net 15 basis and there is a minimum payment amount of $50.

Affiliate Best Programs Opinion : In my opinion, Hydra Network is on the fast track to becoming an industry leader because of their wide variety of high paying promotions, tremendous support and service, ease of operation and flawless tracking. If you’re a serious affiliate marketer and you haven’t at least checked out what Hydra Network can do for you, you’re missing out on one of the greatest networks in the industry. There’s something for everyone and if you can’t make a buck with Hydra Network, you’re in the wrong business.

Discussions: Hydra Network Discussion Forum

To join Hydra Network : Click to Join Hydra Now!! or click the banner below.

Happy Publishing !!
~Dave

         

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Program Overview :

NeverblueAds is a Cost per Action (CPA) network that only pays publishers for actions generated as a result of their promotion. If you’re like me and prefer CPA networks that feature a significant amount of lead based programs then NeverblueAds is definitely one network you will want to join.

Publishers are permitted to send traffic directly to most ads on the network. However, there are specific ads which require a publisher built landing page for certain promotional methods. This requirement, along with any other requirements or restrictions, will be outlined in the campaign Terms & Conditions or under the Search Marketing Restrictions for each specific campaign. If a campaign you wish to promote requires that you agree to any Terms & Conditions before gaining access to your links or creatives, please read all terms carefully prior to promoting. This question is often posed by SEM publishers who are under the impression that landing pages are required for Search Engine Marketing. Although landing pages are not a requirement, they can be very helpful for improving your ranking on some search engines.

When you signup you will be required to provide a valid phone number for a NeverblueAds Account Manager to contact and verify your information. On the site it says that they will contact you within a few days of your application but several people report that calling NeverblueAds at 1.877.LEAD.GEN will get your account verified much quicker than if you wait for the call from them. When I setup my account, it was on a Saturday night and on Monday morning I called and spoke to my assigned AM Craig and he had me setup within minutes of calling. I know many people will complain about having to validate a phone number but there is a significant upside to this. Once you’re verified in NeverblueAds, you won’t have to wast much time applying to programs that are manual approval like publishers are required to do in CPA networks such as Commission Junction. The majority of programs in NeverblueAds are automatic approval, however there are a few that require a publisher to agree to Terms & Conditions as previously stated above.

One of the exciting ascpects about NeverblueAds is that they’re garnering a very positive reputation for publisher support. When operating in a professional affiliate network of this calibre it is important that publishers never be intimidated or afraid to contact your AM (Account Manager) regarding any issues or questions you might have.

Payment Details :

The default method of payment is by cheque sent by mail. However, when you contact your AM (Account Manager) you can request payment via Paypal.

Referral Program :

NeverblueAds also has a great referral program that operates on two unique payment structures :

- Get Paid By Signup
  The Per signup referral program where you can get paid right away when you generate a signup. Each successful signup earns you a $2 lead commission.

- Referral Commission Program
  Refer affiliates to NeverblueAds and make money! Earn 2% of what your referrals generate in revenue.

Reporting and Campaign Tracking :

Generating reports about your activities is one of the most important features of any affiliate network. Here again, NeverblueAds has raised the bar and provides state of the art reporting and tracking for publishers. With the click of a mouse, publishers can obtain a report summarizing statistics by campaign, statistics by creative, statistics by date range, statistics by site and advanced reporting that allows you to create a report based on any criteria your heart desires. Reports are available in HTML, CSV, TSV and XLS formats. You can also save any report inside your publishers control panel for future retrieval.

If that’s not enough, NeverblueAds also has a Web Services/API which gives publishers the ability to run and display statistics reports in your current infastructure or tracking system using PHP, Java or .NET technologies.

If you’re ready to partner with one of the most professional affiliate networks and start making money, click the NeverblueAds banner below to join !!

Happy Publishing,
Dave

         

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