Based on a scale of 1-5; five being the best possible score, one being the lowest. Ratings are based in comparison to other networks similar to the network being reviewed.
Incent Reward
*** Customer Service
*** Selection of Offers
*** Conversion Rates
*** Payment Options/Speed of Payment
*** Site Layout, Ease of navigation
*** Reliability
Incent Reward is a CPA network that focuses on offering the highest payouts and exclusive campaigns for your website. And, so far Incent Reward has kept its word.
One of my favorite things about Incent Reward is that they WILL beat any network's rate. Period. Every time I have emailed an affiliate manager, they have matched or beat the competitor's rates. And, the conversations are reasonable.
The past few months my biggest gripe (if I could even call it that) with Incent Reward was their lack of customer service. However, it seems the network has made every effort to become readily available to their clients with just recently adding online support to their website.
There aren't as many new offers as I would like to see, but I am hoping this would be something they would work on for the near future. Incent Reward has always paid me and has been easy to work with.
Overall Rating: ***
Check out Incent Reward here.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Affiliate Network Review: Incent Reward
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Affilate Network Review: Instant Dollarz
Based on a scale of 1-5; five being the best possible score, one being the lowest. Ratings are based in comparison to other networks similar to the network being reviewed.
Instant Dollarz
* Customer Service
**** Selection of Offers
**** Conversion Rates
**** Payment Options/Speed of Payment
**** Site Layout, Ease of navigation
*** Reliability
Instant Dollarz was one of the networks I joined because of the number of offers available to me as a publisher. Variety is important especially as an incentive publisher as many of the networks have a lot of the same offers. The great thing about Instant Dollarz is that they do have new offers consistently on a weekly basis.
There are a few things about Instant Dollarz that one should know when choosing them as a network. They do pay considerably less than the other networks simply because they do get a lot of their offers from other networks. Thus, they have to pay less in order to make a profit for themselves. However, if you have been with them long enough, it is possible to try to get a rate match or increase. It certainly doesn't hurt to ask.
Instant Dollarz pays on time and the one feature I like is the confirmation of payment. You must log into your account in order to confirm your payment to be sent to you. I like this feature simply because it makes me feel like my account is secure and you can double check your stats to make sure that everything is accurate.
One thing that Instant Dollarz needs to work on is their customer service. I do know numerous times I have tried to contact them and did not get a response. There also were a few times that I did get a hold of them and then preceded to ask them questions and there was no response. So, either hopefully you know someone who also uses them as a network to ask questions to or you are very persistent! Customer service is one aspect Instant Dollarz lacks in considerably.
Instant Dollarz Site
Overall Rating: *** 1/2
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Affiliate Network Review: COPEAC
Based on a scale of 1-5; five being the best possible score, one being the lowest. Ratings are based in comparison to other networks similar to the network being reviewed.
COPEAC
** Customer Service
**** Selection of Offers
*** Conversion Rates
*** Payment Options/Speed of Payment
*** Site Layout, Ease of navigation
**** Reliability
Average: ***
COPEACis a CPA Network that focuses on the bottom line. Money.
Since the day I signed up, which was about a year ago, until now I have noticed a significant improvement in a variety of areas of COPEAC. One specific area would be customer service. COPEAC's affiliate managers have been making sure they are accessible to their publishers and are now offering advice as to what campaigns would work for the website's target market.
COPEAC's affiliate managers want to help you make money. Plain and simple.
One thing I really enjoy about COPEAC is the variety of offers they have. Because COPEAC is a large network, there is something for everyone when it comes to offer selection. Email/zip submits, Ringtones, Education, Auto, Coupons, you name it.
Another great thing about COPEAC is that the affiliate managers will work to find you the best rate possible for offers. If you find an offer somewhere else on another network, they mmore than likely will match or beat that rate for you.
COPEAC always pays on time and is a very reliable network. COPEAC would be one of my top picks for the novice affiliate marketer.
One drawback of COPEAC is that new offers do not seem to come in very often. Hopefully finding new and exclusive offers will be one thing they look to improve upon.
CHECK OUT COPEAC HERE
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Affiliate Network Review: Commission Junction
Based on a scale of 1-5; five being the best possible score, one being the lowest. Ratings are based in comparison to other networks similar to the network being reviewed.
Commission Junction
** Customer Service
***** Selection of Offers
*** Conversion Rates
*** Payment Options/Speed of Payment
**** Site Layout, Ease of navigation
**** Reliability
When I think of Commission Junction, I think leader of the pack. Commission Junction definitely sets the standards when it comes to affiliate marketing.
There are hundreds of merchants to choose from including some major retailers like Best Buy and Overstock.com.
What I really like about Commission Junction is the ease of navigation. All merchants are categorized according to their niche. There are a lot of categories to choose from so you are sure to find a merchant to promote.
When you find the merchants and/or programs you wish to promote, there are a great number of ad tools (banner, text, etc.) to select from. And if you are needing any additional assistance, many of the merchants have an affiliate program representative in which you may contact. Also, when new offers are available you have the option to be notified through email and this is helpful especially if you are a member of many affiliate programs.
The one thing I feel Commission Junction could improve on is their customer service. I have had some difficulty getting help with my account and it took longer than it should to get everything straightened out. There is no phone number or any other method of contact rather than email. I feel if they had messenger or their phone number displayed, this would help publishers and advertisers. Also, payment has also been a little slow, however, I have been helped and I have been paid so I really can't complain too much.
http://www.cj.com
Commission Junction has a ton of merchants to choose from, easy site navigation and lots of great features.
Overall Rating: ****
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Marketing = Advertising?
Nope.
Many people say that marketing is advertising and advertising is marketing. Only part of this is partially true.
Advertising is only a small part of marketing.
Advertising is the part that involves getting the word out concerning your business, product, or the services you are offering. I had a college professor reiterate that fact over and over again. Having it drilled into your head does help to remember the difference!
Not only that but, advertising involves the process of developing strategies such as ad placement, frequency, etc.
Advertising includes the placement of an ad in such mediums as newspapers, direct mail, billboards, television, radio, and of course, as affiliate marketers, the Internet.
According to About.com, the best way to distinguish between advertising and marketing is to think of marketing as a pie, inside that pie you have slices of advertising, market research, media planning, public relations, product pricing, distribution, customer support, sales strategy, and community involvement. Advertising only equals one piece of the pie in the strategy. All of these elements must not only work independently but they also must work together towards the bigger goal. That definitely makes sense to me.
Now when you think about marketing, it does involve a lot of work! No one ever said anything was easy. And, so it goes for affiliate marketing.
Marketing does NOT = Advertising, but
marketing + advertising + hard work + patience = $$$$$$$
Friday, February 29, 2008
Affiliate Network Review: MaxBounty
Based on a scale of 1-5; five being the best possible score, one being the lowest. Ratings are based in comparison to other networks similar to the network being reviewed.
MaxBounty
*** Customer Service
*** Selection of Offers
*** Conversion Rates
*** Payment Options/Speed of Payment
**** Site Layout, Ease of navigation
**** Reliability
MaxBounty is a Canadian affiliate network and states on their website that they offer "cost-effective solutions for performance-based affiliate marketing". MaxBounty offers service for both Merchants and Affiliates.
MaxBounty was one of the first affiliate networks that I signed up with and am still with today. Not only has MaxBounty been accomodating to my needs, but they present themselves professionally.
Ease of navigation is one of MaxBounty's stronger points. Their site is simple and to the point. One of MaxBounty's features is being able to communicate with the advertiser if need be. This helps to build your relationships with the advertisers and maintain those relationships as well. I rarely see this with networks.
MaxBounty pays on time and I have been paid by this company several times. They are reliable, have a ton of offers to choose from, and good customer service. And, although when I first started I had a wonderful affiliate manager who would give me higher rates and checked in with me everyday, I rarely hear from him now. I understand he probably has more things to do than check in with me everyday, but I miss that one on one attention that he provided.
Overall Rating: ***
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Work At Home, Family, and Managing It All
Everyone has their own story, their own situation. For me, it is a challenge to manage my time. There never seems to be enough hours in the day. I'm sure many of you can relate.
Now, there is no denying that I absolutely love working at home. I can sit in my pajamas all day if I want to. I can stay home with my kids, take them where they need to go and enjoy my time with them.
Here are some great ideas for managing your time when you are working from home. This was taken from Solve Your Problem.com. Enjoy!
Working at home can cause a number of problems with regard to workers having to integrate work and domestic responsibilities in one arena. Because there is not a physical removal from your domestic situation when you begin work, it is essential that you care for your work time and space, otherwise chaos in the home workplace environment is quite common. There are five simple ways to set boundaries between work and your personal life while working at home.
The first way to set a boundary is through adequate and accurate communication. Because working at home is often confused with being at home, your work must be a family effort. It is essential to communicate with every member of the family, including children, the boundary of your work time and space. It can be difficult for children to understand that you aren't available even though you're sitting right there at your desk or at the computer. As a result, it is very important that you talk with them to help them learn respect for your time and space boundaries with regard to your job. The best way to do this is to communicate limitations as early as possible. Create rules and any reminders, like posters or signs that might help the children understand your work needs. Spouses can also misunderstand your needs. Be sure to effectively discuss your work hours with them so they know you are off limits during that time to run errands or help them with their tasks as well.
Another way to set an effective boundary is by setting limits for your self. You can start by setting a rigid work schedule. Not only do you need to set a work time, but you also have to stick with it without fail. It might be helpful to publicize your work hours on your website, in your newsletter, or find some other way of letting your clients and bosses know when you will and will not be working. It is also essential that your family understand your schedule. This will help keep them from interfering with your work time. You might also consider setting limits with regard to distractions you know you are likely to face. For example, if your teenager is constantly playing his stereo too loudly during your work hours, set a no television or stereo rule during your posted hours. If you are likely to work on laundry instead of meeting your deadline, set the limit for yourself that you will not leave your office once you have entered. Moreover, it might be worthwhile to have a few things on hand in your office like a mini fridge stocked with water so you won't have to leave your office to get a drink. Leaving your office might distract you from your work tasks at hand.
Setting effective boundaries can also mean setting physical and mental boundaries. The first way to do this is to consider your ideal office space. If the space available in your home works with this, make it happen. If it does not, adapt your space. Many folks who work from home simply do not have the space for a private office. Lots of people share a common room, a section of a bedroom, or another area that is used for a variety of purposes in the home. If you can't have a closed office, it is important to make the space functional for you. Some of the best home offices aren't private, but make excellent use of items like shelving, plants, and curtains to make their office space feel more like an office. If you are lucky enough to have an office, be sure that it has a door. Also be sure that you communicate with your family that a closed door means you cannot be disturbed.
A fourth way to set an effective boundary is to minimize phone interruptions. You can do this by screening your calls with an answering machine, purchasing a second line or a cellular phone, or investing in a software program that helps you decide whether to terminate your dial-up connection to take a phone call.
One final way to set an effective boundary is learn to say no. If you need someone to call you back during your leisure time, say so. This is also true of a client who needs something during your leisure time.
Being able to manage your time and everything else from home can be a challenge. Be positive and incorporate these guidelines into your day and you'll soon be able to manage your time more wisely.
