Note: This is the first installment in a new series of Affiliate Network reviews that we will feature here from now on. If you have a specific affiliate network that you’d like us to review, please feel free to comment below and we’ll consider adding it to our list of future reviews if it is not already planned. Keep checking back for this series and look for the Affiliate Network Review Series tags to make it easy to find.
I am a member of quite a few affiliate networks. Since joining up with an affiliate network is typically free, it is in my best interest to diversify. I urge you to do the same. Seriously, why limit your possibilities for income to just one network when you can choose the ads that work best for your website from a plethora of suppliers?
The fact of the matter is, you are not necessarily going to find every advertiser you may want for your website in just one affiliate network. As a matter of fact, the only way you may have access to every advertiser that might work best for you is by joining multiple affiliate networks.
What I’ve found is that each network tends to have a niche market all their own in terms of the programs they offer. For example, I’ve found LinkShare.com to be my go-to for many of the big name brand advertisers such as Dell, Apple, etc. In the same token, I know I can count on Clickbank.com to keep a large pool of “work from home“, “Free iPOD / iPhone /PS3 / Wii / younameit” type of ads as well.
So where does Shareasale fit in?
I have been a member of Shareasale for well over a year now. I tend to think of them as my go-to for programs that have a lot of potential but maybe aren’t as well known - yet. A good example of this is a company called stuffedanimals.com. I see them as an online company with a lot of potential - despite not being a household name. And you should seriously consider advertising for some of these smaller companies. Why? Think about it, does it really do you much good to advertise for Dell, Apple, etc when just about every other site out there is too? Not to mention you compete with the fact that anyone knows they can go to Dell.com and buy things so why click on your link? But if you tell your customers about a site they may not have heard of before then your chances for success are greater. This doesn’t mean you can’t legitimize the look of your site by adding ads from Dell, Apple, etc. But don’t expect great things from those links unless you’ve found a good way to get people to act on those types of ads. In which case, share your experience!
I’ve found Shareasale to be reliable in terms of the tracking of orders placed via my ads and they have been friendly and easy to work with every step of the way. If I had one complaint where they are concerned it’s that I would like to work with them more but they do have a smaller (but growing) list of affiliate programs to work with. This can actually be a good thing, however, if you only run a single website because you don’t necessarily need a huge list of advertisers to work with.
Overall I am extremely happy with what Shareasale has to offer and I urge you to check them out. Click here or on their banner below to join today for free! Tell ‘em Mr Beach Bum sent you!
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