Business Thread... What is the best software solution for affiliates?
 

Hi Guys. I've been seeing alot of threads with people debating and asking what is the best solution for affiliates to send to. There are two main categories, Processor run Affiliate programs (Ie Affiliate programs that use Ccbill and Paycom to report stats) and Affiliate Software programs (ie Affiliate programs using Mpa, Ps5, Nats etc).

I figured I'd take a poll to see what the average gfyer thinks. It's not a public poll so nobody will know what your vote was. Please vote before reading any replies. As the votes and replies start coming in I'll weigh in with my 2 cents. Those who know me know my position on this :winkwink:

What about programs with their own merchant accounts? We currently run with CCBill and always will, but will be adding our own Mechant Account very soon as an option for those who wish to use it. From what others doing this have told me they see nearly double the conversion rates from the same traffic, so I'm pretty excited about it!!

Congrats on the merchant account. I'm sure you'll see an increase in sales. I believe the same options exist with a merchant account. Go thru the processing company or buy an affiliate software.

I personally have a preference for Affiliate Software run programs.
WG

I don't like processor run aff. software. You lose on the declines, and the program can't change the primary processor when they're performing poorly.

They're good for someone's first paysite out of his basement, but that's about it.

That's just the beginning of it.

The sad thing is how uneducated our industry is. Look at the votes. Processing option should have no votes. From the affiliate point of view there is absolutely no benefit to using the processing solution.

CCBill is not bad at all. Its perfect for many affiliates because they are used to it, its easy and they have lots of accounts with them already so the sign up is a snap. We've been using them exclusively for two years now and they have gotten us to around 100k a month in processing so they can't be that bad. But that's the magic number to get approved for our own MA and we're jumping at it :winkwink:

Joey ccbill isn't bad for an entry level company. However send an email to them and ask how accurate their software is. I'm not knocking ccbill. Ccbill and paycom's job is to process sales. Not write and run affiliate software, they do that as a bonus to beginning companies. I don't think it is any coincidence that there is not a single one of the big boys that run on a processor run affiliate program.

If you think about it if you were an affiliate would you go with a company that is using FREE affiliate software or one that is using PAID for affiliate software?

Did it get you to where you are today? Yes. So it's not terrible. However I am confident if you switched to an affiliate software the sales your affiliates see would go up by 10 to 20% overnight and we all know if your affiliates saw a 10 to 20% increase in sales they'd send you more traffic and your sales would grow even more.

Another way to look at it.

If ccbill/paycom have x amount devoted to improving their backend and product. What do you think that will go towards? Processing or affiliate software?

On the otherhand if nats and mpa have x amount to devote to improving their product. What do you think it will go towards?

Aren't the processing companies still relying on cookies to track affiliate sales?

affilate run software programs of course

what about FTV

or nubiles

Several affiliates have told me they're glad ASC uses CCBill because it's a new program- so they can integrate, and test ratios quickly and easily. Also because it's virtually shave proof (3rd party).

So I don't think its a question of which is better... Or at least the size/age of the program should be a consideration.

I see it as more of an evolution... CCBill is best for my program/affiliates now, and I look forward to moving on to affiliate software, in the future.

Also, you mentioned that most large programs use affiliate software, which seems to be true. But what makes you think all affiliates want to promote large programs? I hear from many that they do better with less promoted sponsors.