Sponsor 'gift' signups - am I paranoid? - GoFuckYourself.com

jake_pa2001 · 06-13-2005, 10:27 PM

Hi all
Seems to me that there's a recurring pattern almost whenever I sign up with a new sponsor (now 4 times out of 7) - within about a day I get one or two signups, then nothing for ages.

I have a feeling (call me paranoid) that the sponsor gives you a fake signup quickly so that you think they're a great site and you'll focus on them. They have nothing to lose, since you won't make the $100 payout just with that 1 or 2 signups they give you. Then maybe when you get your first real signup they ignore it, then after that they proceed legitimately..

Is this a well-known trick? Seems like it should be cos it certainly works on me - I get one signup and I'm excited and I divert all my resources to that sponsor, then I send them 1000 more unique hits and nothing..

Anyone else noticed this or am I paranoid?!
Thanks guys
Jake

After Shock Media · 06-13-2005, 10:28 PM

Never. Have you not noticed honesty prevails in this biz.

SmokeyTheBear · 06-13-2005, 11:01 PM

your too paranoid ... but not such an unusual thought as i have also thought that with 1 or 2 sponsors.. either way it doesn't hurt you..

although if your that paranoid they might also be shaving the first 2 sales to make up for the one free one they give you..

bawdy · 06-13-2005, 11:05 PM

perhaps you are introducing sponsers content into your traffic streams that isnt saturated yet... and you get a few signups because of that and then its back to normal conversion rations

woj · 06-13-2005, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

either way it doesn't hurt you..

sure it does, it tricks you into thinking the sponsor converts better than it really does, so you end up wasting time promoting that sponsor...

JulianSosa · 06-13-2005, 11:13 PM

Its Called Padding. Happens all day long. They will also re calculate the retention of your sales to work out your conversion ratio.

SteveLightspeed · 06-13-2005, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bawdy

perhaps you are introducing sponsers content into your traffic streams that isnt saturated yet... and you get a few signups because of that and then its back to normal conversion rations

bingo. New sites rock at first too, then some crash, good ones stablize, although usually at a lower level.

I'd also add that 1000 uniques isn't really a large enough traffic test to really see how a sponsor does. Our rule is generally 10k uniques, or 1 month. If it works or not, you'll know in a month.

Steve Lightspeed

Alex · 06-13-2005, 11:14 PM

2-3 sales is enough to reach payout anways.

SmokeyTheBear · 06-13-2005, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woj

sure it does, it tricks you into thinking the sponsor converts better than it really does, so you end up wasting time promoting that sponsor...

If you get "tricked" into sending a bunch of traffic based on a ratio from your "first" sale then your prob not wasting your time heh

xclusive · 06-13-2005, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woj

50...

But seriously i'm sure that are a few programs that would try and trick you into sending more signups thier way but it's not that bad in this industry as many would make you think.

SteveLightspeed · 06-13-2005, 11:19 PM

Its also not smart for the sponsor to do this. He'd be giving you bad information about your traffic, and the odds are you would think that kind of traffic works, and send even more.

Why would a sponsor want more of traffic that wasn't converting in the first pace?

Its like when a woman fakes an orgasm. Her lover will do the same thing that didn't work for her the next time too, she trained him to do it wrong. Think she will want to stay with that lover for long?

Steve Lightspeed

edit: lol, not that any woman has ever faked an orgasm with me, just an analogy!

kernelpanic · 06-13-2005, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Its also not smart for the sponsor to do this. He'd be giving you bad information about your traffic, and the odds are you would think that kind of traffic works, and send even more.

Why would a sponsor want more of traffic that wasn't converting in the first pace?

Its like when a woman fakes an orgasm. Her lover will do the same thing that didn't work for her the next time too, she trained him to do it wrong. Think she will want to stay with that lover for long?

Steve Lightspeed

edit: lol, not that any woman has ever faked an orgasm with me, just an analogy!

That makes perfect sense. Thanks.

chadglni · 06-13-2005, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Its also not smart for the sponsor to do this. He'd be giving you bad information about your traffic, and the odds are you would think that kind of traffic works, and send even more.

Why would a sponsor want more of traffic that wasn't converting in the first pace?

Its like when a woman fakes an orgasm. Her lover will do the same thing that didn't work for her the next time too, she trained him to do it wrong. Think she will want to stay with that lover for long?

Steve Lightspeed

edit: lol, not that any woman has ever faked an orgasm with me, just an analogy!

You speak as if all program owners know their ass from a hole in the ground.

jake_pa2001 · 06-13-2005, 11:42 PM

Thanks for all the replies - seems some think it happens, some say it doesn't..

At any rate, I think there is good motivation for sponsors to do it. I just signed up with 3 sponsors. Guess which one is given the most prominence on my site right now - yep, the one that gave me a signup almost immediately - maybe it is fake, but it's the best choice to go with since it's 1 more than the other sponsors.. I like your orgasm analogy, lightspeed, but I don't think it's so applicable here. If an affiliate has decent traffic, all sponsors are competing for it, so if you can make the affiliate think you convert better than the other sponsors, you have motivation to do that.. In your analogy, if the guy wanted a woman he could make come and he'd buy her gifts and shit if she did, and all she wanted was the money, it would make sense for her to fake it, cos she's competing with all the other women out there who are going to fake it too. It's also never happened to me of course :-)

SteveLightspeed · 06-13-2005, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadglni

You speak as if all program owners know their ass from a hole in the ground.

I can say for certainty the big ones do, they would have never made it this far without some smart people at the helm. There are some very impressive sponsors out there. I seriously doubt many big programs even bother looking much at affiliates with under 1000 hits and no joins.

Steve Lightspeed

basschick · 06-13-2005, 11:47 PM

i post galleries, and i post them to the same tgps. also i list avs sites at link lists - usually the same ones. so i always see a burst of sales from a new sponsor, because the regular surfers from those tgps and link lists haven't seen my sponsors before.

after the honeymoon period, the regulars from those tgps and lists who really wanted to buy already have.

the same thing happens on my own paysite, and i don't think i'm shaving myself

SteveLightspeed · 06-13-2005, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake_pa2001

Thanks for all the replies - seems some think it happens, some say it doesn't..

At any rate, I think there is good motivation for sponsors to do it. I just signed up with 3 sponsors. Guess which one is given the most prominence on my site right now - yep, the one that gave me a signup almost immediately - maybe it is fake, but it's the best choice to go with since it's 1 more than the other sponsors.. I like your orgasm analogy, lightspeed, but I don't think it's so applicable here. If an affiliate has decent traffic, all sponsors are competing for it, so if you can make the affiliate think you convert better than the other sponsors, you have motivation to do that.. In your analogy, if the guy wanted a woman he could make come and he'd buy her gifts and shit if she did, and all she wanted was the money, it would make sense for her to fake it, cos she's competing with all the other women out there who are going to fake it too. It's also never happened to me of course :-)

Touche. Ok, I'll say that this comes down to trust too. If you believe sponsors are GIVING you joins, its only a small leap until you believe they are TAKING your joins too. Work with honest sponsors. Ask GFY who can be trusted, you'll get a million replies. If a company is pulling shady shit, it always comes out sooner or later on these boards.

Steve Lightspeed

06-13-2005, 10:27 PM	#1
jake_pa2001 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 11	Sponsor 'gift' signups - am I paranoid? Hi all Seems to me that there's a recurring pattern almost whenever I sign up with a new sponsor (now 4 times out of 7) - within about a day I get one or two signups, then nothing for ages. I have a feeling (call me paranoid) that the sponsor gives you a fake signup quickly so that you think they're a great site and you'll focus on them. They have nothing to lose, since you won't make the $100 payout just with that 1 or 2 signups they give you. Then maybe when you get your first real signup they ignore it, then after that they proceed legitimately.. Is this a well-known trick? Seems like it should be cos it certainly works on me - I get one signup and I'm excited and I divert all my resources to that sponsor, then I send them 1000 more unique hits and nothing.. Anyone else noticed this or am I paranoid?! Thanks guys Jake

06-13-2005, 10:28 PM	#2
After Shock Media It's coming look busy Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn". Posts: 35,299	Never. Have you not noticed honesty prevails in this biz. __________________ [email protected] ICQ:135982156 AIM: Aftershockmed1a MSN: [email protected]

06-13-2005, 11:01 PM	#3
SmokeyTheBear ►SouthOfHeaven Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: PlanetEarth MyBoardRank: GerbilMaster My-Penis-Size: extralarge MyWeapon: Computer Posts: 28,609	your too paranoid ... but not such an unusual thought as i have also thought that with 1 or 2 sponsors.. either way it doesn't hurt you.. although if your that paranoid they might also be shaving the first 2 sales to make up for the one free one they give you.. __________________ hatisblack at yahoo.com

06-13-2005, 11:14 PM	#8
Alex So Fucking Banned (YEA!!) Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 10,963	2-3 sales is enough to reach payout anways. __________________ Care about me? Who? Me! Who?

06-13-2005, 11:19 PM	#11
SteveLightspeed Confirmed User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Lightspeedworld Posts: 7,940	Its also not smart for the sponsor to do this. He'd be giving you bad information about your traffic, and the odds are you would think that kind of traffic works, and send even more. Why would a sponsor want more of traffic that wasn't converting in the first pace? Its like when a woman fakes an orgasm. Her lover will do the same thing that didn't work for her the next time too, she trained him to do it wrong. Think she will want to stay with that lover for long? Steve Lightspeed edit: lol, not that any woman has ever faked an orgasm with me, just an analogy! __________________ Abra-cadabra! Last edited by SteveLightspeed; 06-13-2005 at 11:22 PM..

06-13-2005, 11:05 PM	#4
bawdy Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 1,424	perhaps you are introducing sponsers content into your traffic streams that isnt saturated yet... and you get a few signups because of that and then its back to normal conversion rations

06-13-2005, 11:13 PM	#6
JulianSosa Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 3,042	Its Called Padding. Happens all day long. They will also re calculate the retention of your sales to work out your conversion ratio.

06-13-2005, 11:42 PM	#14
jake_pa2001 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 11	Thanks for all the replies - seems some think it happens, some say it doesn't.. At any rate, I think there is good motivation for sponsors to do it. I just signed up with 3 sponsors. Guess which one is given the most prominence on my site right now - yep, the one that gave me a signup almost immediately - maybe it is fake, but it's the best choice to go with since it's 1 more than the other sponsors.. I like your orgasm analogy, lightspeed, but I don't think it's so applicable here. If an affiliate has decent traffic, all sponsors are competing for it, so if you can make the affiliate think you convert better than the other sponsors, you have motivation to do that.. In your analogy, if the guy wanted a woman he could make come and he'd buy her gifts and shit if she did, and all she wanted was the money, it would make sense for her to fake it, cos she's competing with all the other women out there who are going to fake it too. It's also never happened to me of course :-)

06-13-2005, 11:47 PM	#16
basschick Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: el lay, ca usa Posts: 2,540	i post galleries, and i post them to the same tgps. also i list avs sites at link lists - usually the same ones. so i always see a burst of sales from a new sponsor, because the regular surfers from those tgps and link lists haven't seen my sponsors before. after the honeymoon period, the regulars from those tgps and lists who really wanted to buy already have. the same thing happens on my own paysite, and i don't think i'm shaving myself __________________ Got Gay and For Women Traffic?