The internet is a free range area for anyone who wants to commit a crime to give it a go. That doesn’t exclude you if you are a merchant or an affiliate using an affiliate network.
If you are considering affiliate networking to promote your product or as an affiliate to make extra cash, it is imperative that you research and study the networks available before making a decision.
You need to determine that the network you are considering is legitimate; it has real customers and has good customer support and infrastructure. Often you will see adverts claiming that you will get paid without needing to work. We all know that this isn’t possible and money doesn’t grow on trees, so where is the catch?
Unfortunately a lot of fraudulent affiliate networks have given the industry a bad name, where good reputable affiliate networks are available and can offer you a pleasant and rewarding experience.
Warning for Affiliates
When considering whether to do affiliate networking for extra cash, you need to understand that it is hard work and it does take time. There is no such thing as getting anything for free when it comes to marketing, so immediately remove sites offering you these promises.
Another thing you need to ensure is that the network is reliable. If you join a network that when you try and get a payout claims that it is suffering technical difficulties, don’t keep on working. This is important especially if you try twice and get the same message, they have no intention of paying you for your efforts.
Lastly affiliates need to note when your account is cancelled or suspended for no apparent reason just before pay day. There is an issue here and you will do yourself a favor by not continuing work for this network.
Read the terms and conditions thoroughly and look to see the products offered through the network. Maybe even send them an email to their support team to see if you get a response and how quickly. Come up with a technical question that only a legitimate site would be able to answer.
Warning for Merchants
As mentioned the internet is an open zone for criminals and unfortunately there are going to be a few affiliates who are going to try and make money without doing the work. This is why joining a reputable affiliate network who closely monitors their affiliates is important.
One of the most popular frauds within the network is falsifying the traffic; an affiliate will set up a program to show that you are having ample clicks to your site through their link; only the clicks are not generated by people but rather a program. So if you choose to pay per click, take serious note of the affiliate who wants to market your products and the network you are joining.
Another fraud that affiliates have mastered is if they only get commission on sales, they will set up bogus accounts and buy the products using their affiliate link. You will know immediately if you double check the IP address against the credit card information or postal address. Often these don’t match, as the affiliate has no intention of taking receipt of the item, they just want their commission on the sale.
While there are so many scam and fraud stories to understand, the most important thing to understand is the network you are joining. Confirm that they are reputable, reliable and constantly monitor their affiliates. This way you can rest assured that any fraudulent activity will be quickly removed and you will only be paying for results.
