Now most retailers don't compare the actual Timestamps (date & time) of when the customer was at the checkout basket on their website … with … when the Voucher Affiliate’s tracking cookie was placed on the customer's device. The Affiliate Network should hopefully provide this information of the Timestamp of the Voucher Code Affiliate for the retailer. These basic analytics would give the retailer a huge insight on how much money they are needlessly paying to Voucher Code affiliates when maybe they shouldn't be. Which comprehensively outweighs any benefits (for which granted there are a also some advantages with Voucher Affiliates) they might perceive in any sales pitch from an Affiliate Network / Agency representing their brand or Voucher Affiliate has presented to them. The wool might have been either pulled over the retailer’s eyes or the whole picture not revealed.

An Affiliate Network might not be always giving the retailer the full picture on Timestamps of a tracking cookie drop where the retailer should cross reference with their own analytical data like when a customer is at their checkout or on their website. Note not all Affiliate Networks are like this. Beware of those networks who appear impressive with their sales pitch, corporate spiel & persuasion in their favouritism of Voucher Affiliates. If a network is boasting they have this or that Voucher Affiliate and not providing plenty of examples of Content Affiliates, then ask yourself why.

These Voucher Affiliates are probably signed up to most networks, so if most of your sales are coming from Voucher Affiliates why are you paying through the nose on Network fees when a lesser known, yet equally reputable networks has the same Voucher Affiliate on their network? Like us, You could be saving some money there too.

As a side note, don't be hoodwinked into how Affiliates networks claim to have on a network. It's more informative to know how many Affiliates actually meet the minimum threshold per month to receive payment. If you top & tail this by 5% which eliminates to payments to Voucher Affiliates, what really is the average Affiliate earning?

Also, an agency representing a retailer brand, might want to make themselves look better than what they actually are from the overall marketing of the retailer, especially from the Voucher Affiliate channel. Why would they? when it makes them look like they have been generating sales when in effect they might be just as culpable either by ignorance or by not being fully transparent. Note, not all Agencies or Networks are intending to deliberately mislead. However, some could be getting a taste of the commission too for this low hanging fruit. Perhaps, for some agencies representing brands they manage, their loyalties possibly lie with their pockets?

Overall, the retailer could be paying commission on at least 25% of those sales in addition to the discount to the final price. It is believed by some that a vast majority of the revenue for a Voucher Affiliate is accrued via this exploitation and also that of the Affiliate Network. Why does it feel there is a lot of silence & impressive rebuttal (spin) whenever these problems are brought up directly with them. It is important that all the decision makers of retailers are aware, especially those with Affiliate Programs.

Some agencies, merchants, affiliate networks & affiliates have claimed these percentages are considerably higher.

We & others unwavering believe Voucher Code websites in these situations (not all situations) often add NO extra value to the brand (retailer), because they are targeting customers that have already decided to purchase by already at the checkout. But they shouldn't be excluded if the appropriate remuneration / attribution model is in place.

This can be likened to match of football, they (the Voucher Affiliate) act like a goal poacher or a goal hanger whereby the ball was already going in the net, but they (the Voucher Affiliate) deliberately (not nefariously) get their toe on the ball to claim the goal from somebody else together with the bonus money for scoring a goal. Where the Affiliate Network (not all) and/or Agency (not all) are likened to a bias referee who turns a blind eye.

Now let's expand on elements from on above which can affect retailer profits and the disadvantages of Voucher Code websites. 

Let's assume for the sake of simplicity that Affiliates fall into two main groups, “Voucher Affiliates” & the rest we can generically call “Content Affiliates”. 

Now whilst, this effect might be less than that in the aforementioned about timestamps, it will have an overall effect on the affiliate program.

These Content Affiliates usually earn significantly less revenue than Voucher Code websites but do exponentially more in the pre-sell of the products / services / brand exposure of a retailer. 

Now, this next scenario is similar to the original aforementioned except that a tracking cookie on a customer’s device is already in place and attributed to a Content Affiliate who did the groundwork in promoting the retailer or a product which led the customer to retailer’s website. Granted there are various touch-points, but this is article is purely for simplicity. 

However, going back to the scenario where the customer pauses their purchase and goes off to a Voucher Code website to collect a code. 

What happens here is that this dropped tracking cookie of a Voucher Affiliate over-writes the tracking cookie of the Content Affiliate & thus the Content Affiliate loses out on the commission, when it was the Content Affiliate who did the groundwork that led to the customer deciding to make the purchase in the first place. They introduced the customer to the brand earlier during the buying cycle, but they lose out.

As long as the retailer gets the sale, why would they care?

Well their profit margin is already reduced by the discount applied at the basket due to the Voucher Code, when customer was originally committed / satisfied with the price, BUT also,they will lose the loyalty of the Content Affiliate. Resulting in their affiliate program being a left-over husk as ONLY Voucher Affiliates will promote their affiliate program and they’ll have to keep offering Voucher Codes. 

Content Affiliates won’t vacate the space, they are entrepreneurial & resourceful. Instead they WILL promote competitors of this retailer.

Some networks have made strides to re-address this, but not enough. Placating Content Affiliates with the odd nickle here or there, is not enough for a network to sit on their laurels for so many years without reinvesting in the tools Content Affiliates have been requesting.

Voucher Code Affiliates & their websites in these situations add NO extra value to retailers’ brand, because they are targeting customers that have already decided to purchase. 

Unfortunately, this problem has been going on for quite a few years, maybe a decade. As a result many Content Affiliates left the industry. Some (not all) Affiliate Networks won't do anything because at the end of the day they still receive their over-ride on commission as part of their income. Some networks have failed miserably in creating an adequate solution or supporting Content Affiliates on this matter in addition to lacking the development of affiliate tools beyond a reporting interface. Some networks might also guilty of pulling the wool of merchant’s eyes to the full picture of Voucher Affiliates, because they want their share of the commission the merchant/retailer needn’t had paid.

Well there are many which should be adopted.