Does it bother you when Clickbank merchants do this?

[Lowell Rieger]

Hello all,

I'm new here but not new to affiliate marketing. This topic was going around at Harvey Segal's Clickbank forum recently, and I wonder if anyone here has a view.

Does it bother you when Clickbank merchants display their affiliate sign up link right at the top of the page? Or even prominently at the bottom of the page? Do you think this can result in the loss of some of your commissions?

I am not pointing fingers as I know Rosalind does this for her SAH, and I am not posting this to rile her or anyone really. For the merchant it is beneficial. For the affiliate I don't think so.

I think we all know that affiliates lose the occasional sale from making those "make money from selling my ebook" links so prominent.

As a second part to this, what do you all think of brand new affiliates buying from their own link. Of course at Clickbank they have to make some other sales to get paid. I think many find this out the hard way

[Tino]

I'd like to comment on the second part of your question. I think that if you are researching on ClickBank for products to promote it is ok to buy their product through your own affiliate link. This gives you a chance to evaluate the product at a discounted price.

On the other hand if you find out about the product through the efforts of someone else you absolutely must use their link to buy the product. If they do the work that brings you to the product and you don't buy through their link you are STEALING their commission. No two ways about it. It is immoral and unethical and there is no excuse. I believe that "what comes around, goes around" and whoever play's the game that way won't be successful in the Internet business.

Just my opinion,
John T

[Lowell Rieger]

Hello John T

I agree with what you say, but many do the opposite. They don't see it as stealing at all. And here's a true story about the only time I used my own link.

Once not too long ago I bought a Clickbank product well recommended by many big names. People I usually trust. But I was sorely disappointed with the quality and the results that were actually possible with the method promoted in this ebook.

It turned out that it was only posible to get the results promised by the book if you bought three or four upsells that essentially tuned it into a $300 product. And many others tell the same story about the same product. I gave it a real effort with just the methods in the original product - that so many gurus recommended - but my results were poor.

Since so many big names originally recommended it, I couldn't figure out who to buy it through. So this is the only product I ever bought at Clickbank through my own link. Good thing too, as if I had bought it from anyone but myself I would have asked for a refund. And I have never asked for a Clickbank refund in my life.

If you are not a big name you are forced to buy a product you might want to promote at Clickbank to see if it delivers. As I have a policy of NOT recommending anything I haven't used myself, this can get expensive.

My favorite affiliate sellers only allow people who have bought their product into their affiliate program. That said, there are a lot of worthwhile Clickbank only offerings (and a lot of garbage too,) so you can't leave CB out of the picture entirely.

[larissa]