How many of you use a program like Commission Junction on your blog or website?
I have been using it for awhile. I can't say that I have ever hit their minimum payment amount though. I check it periodically, but it doesn't seem like there is much action going on.
When I decided to try a program like this, I really wasn't to concerned about inaccurate tracking. I figured they must have their system down pat to even offer a program like this. Now I am not so sure.
A few weeks ago, someone I knew decided to make a purchase through one of my affiliate links. This never showed up in my CJ panel. Looking on their website, I see the following posted in the FAQ in regards to this problem;
"The main thing to remember here is don’t spin your wheels worrying about one lost transaction. New publishers make the fatal mistake of becoming so obsessed with pursuing one missed sale, that they don’t focus on what really matters: finding ways to drive an ever-increasing, large volume of traffic through their web site or paid search links.
When a fisherman pulls his net out of the water, a few fish drop off the side and back to freedom in the ocean. The fisherman doesn’t fret about the one fish lost, but how he can cast a wider net to catch more fish.
Don’t lose sight of the big picture! The people who succeed in affiliate marketing are the ones who are able to attract and keep the attention of thousands—if not millions—of site visitors. And they don’t go to bed at night fretting about the one user out there that was blocking cookies."
I'm sorry, but I am very concerned about the one lost sale. Because one lost sale after another adds up. Most of us are not "big fish" and we simply can't afford to lose even one sale. Why would we even try to drive more sales to something that we can't even be sure we are going to earn our commission off of?
There was nothing wrong with the cookies or security settings on this person's computer. They weren't "set" to high. There was no reason for this sale not to show up. Yet it didn't.
So I sent an email to customer service. I was told to contact the vendor directly and provide them with a transaction number, date of order, and all this other information.
That's fine and dandy. What about the sales and people we don't know about? There isn't any possible way to know how many sales are slipping through our fingers.
At this point, I am seriously reevaluating whether or not I will continue with this company. Granted, I haven't even seen one payment. The big question is whether I simply haven't had enough sales through my links or whether they are reporting it accurately.
So what's your thoughts and experiences on this type of situation?







