merchants who have been temporarily offline for a while

I'm interested to know what you do with these merchants? I've had a couple who have been 'temporarily offline' for a while and I'm usually in a quandary as to whether to remove their links or give them the benefit of the doubt and leave them up for a week? I know some who come back online again but there's sometimes a gap of a week where those links aren't going anywhere but back to my home page...

Then there are others who seem to be temporarily offline for a really long time and I wonder if they are ever coming back online or if they are really just 'temporarily' offline? This is especially so with merchants who don't serve me any deactivation notice ie we are no longer with SAS etc...so I'm left wondering what do I do with these merchants?

Do I ditch them? Most of the merchants I work with are right on the ball and their time offline is minimal but there are a couple who have been 'temporarily offline' for a while now...do I just assume that they are never coming back?

Oscar

oscar,
No, some do not even know this happens. Try sending them an email and give them 48 hours, but point them to threads like this one so that they know many affiliates do care about this not happening to them and they know it's not just you.

You could assume that, when many stay off-line too long.

I suggest for anyone joining new merchants to always send them and email as soon as you join their program and remind them about what happens with 'temporarily offline', some do not really know this happens. I think they appreciate the notice. At least this way you can say they were warned beforehand.

Request to them that they implement Direct Deposit ASAP. It could be as little as $200.00 and helps everyone, so that this does not happen. Also suggest to them that if they deposit $200.00 they could be on their way to being a Premier Merchant, of course other restrictions apply, but they will be closer to being accepted by more affiliates.

You can point them to threads like this one Auto Deposit Merchants - Where You At and then depending on their reaction you can determine next steps.

__________________
Jorge Ramirez
Affiliate Program Management & Marketing
JRami.com - SHOPiMAR.com - SHOPiMAR.net
Featured Programs: TheFurnitureParadise Join GAN|EverythingFurniture Join GAN Join SAS|EverythingOfficeFurniture Join GAN Join SAS | Greekgear Join CJ Join SAS | Justirishstuff Join SAS | Christiangear Join SAS | Guidogear Join SAS | Tshirthub Join SAS | Designforyourwine Join SAS|Gearforgoldens Join SAS|Nationalityshop Join SAS

Bonuses and Commission Increases 4th quarter 2009 for GreekGear and EverythingFurniture

Thanks Jorge, I'll send them an email and see what happens.

Oscar

I've been sending internal SAS emails when I've detected they are offline, asking about it. Only one has fixed their account --out of maybe 7 lately-- so I usually wait 7 days and then drop them permanently. Oh, and no one ever answered me.

__________________
I earned something? Who screwed up?

I'm in complete wonder about this issue!!!! When I get an email from an affiliate I run around the room and do a celebration dance.....I can never imagine an affiliate not getting an email from me, it is always the other way around.

I am just an Affiliate Manager and not an affiliate, but if an Affiliate Manager was not responding to me then I would get rid of them. They should be contacting you and letting you know there site will be down for a bit if they are on top of their job, not waiting for you to ask what is wrong. For them to not even respond to your concerns just re-emphasizes this fact.

Best of Luck,
Amanda

if everyone only signed up with merchants
that were on auto deposit,,,
all the merchants would follow..
we made it a priority. and it helps get affiliates
and god!!! its not going to break the bank!!..

__________________
Find us at shareasale.com 12% commission
Shareasale Merchant 7191
PLAZAN SKIN CARE As seen on TV . Used by Jennifer Lopez

There should be a Spring cleaning of merchants that aren't even in the network anymore. Some are listed as temp offline when they're in fact permanently offline. Just delete them.

__________________
Yahoo Pro Football Pickem' 2009 - Details

they might just be left sitting..
to make the list of merchants look more attractive,
to potential new affiliate

__________________
Find us at shareasale.com 12% commission
Shareasale Merchant 7191
PLAZAN SKIN CARE As seen on TV . Used by Jennifer Lopez

I was thinking that they were left there so they can say we have XXX amount of merchants but i think it has the opposite affect to what you posted. I think it makes it look less attractive to have a bunch of offline merchants everywhere, they are a drag on the network, cut em loose.

__________________
Yahoo Pro Football Pickem' 2009 - Details

cut em loose,,,
I agree
but the affiliates don't know they are dead merchants,
until they have joined....

another scenario
lots of affiliates join, because they have lots of merchants!!!
then find out most of them are dead!!...
so they don't bother working that network..
NOW... we have a network with lots of affiliates AND lots of merchants.
but none of them are really working

just a thought

__________________
Find us at shareasale.com 12% commission
Shareasale Merchant 7191
PLAZAN SKIN CARE As seen on TV . Used by Jennifer Lopez

I've been a SAS affiliate for about 8 months now and have more than 100 SAS merchants (and adding) on my sites. During this time I have dumped about 25 merchants for being offline. I almost always contact the merchant and to date have only heard back from one (who did change to auto deposit).

Lack of response to offline emails only tell me merchants aren't serious about their programs. I think 7 days is way too long to wait for merchants to get their programs back online. I hate bad links! I give them 2 - 3 days tops. And if their programs go offline too much they are gone also.

I'm happy to say I'm seeing very few offline merchants now. You just have to weed them out. I'm also happy to say I have not had an offline merchant for about a week now. Sweet

Just my 2 cents...Good luck

__________________
Travelin' Man

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will lead you there." -- unknown

I just signed out of two that have been off-line for a while. One has high search engine rankings for a ton of the keywords (looks to me like an SEO runs the site), so I know they're not short on cash.

Makes me suspicious sometimes, wondering if some folks aren't just using affiliates to get their branding out there without having any kind of commitment to us.

I've gone through my list and deleted a lot of them. They've been offline for months...I guess if they were really serious about their affiliate program they wouldn't let it go offline. What bugs me is that I don't get notification when they do go offline and I have to manually scroll through the list daily...I guess it's time to write a script that will do that for me...

Oscar

I've brought that up before. SAS bought FineClicks and they have email notification when a merchant goes low on funds or offline. They could use that. I just don't use merchants that go offline anymore.

__________________
Yahoo Pro Football Pickem' 2009 - Details

Okay I've written a simple php script that anyone can use to send you an email when a SAS merchant goes offline. If anyone wants it, PM me and I'll send it to you.

Oscar

maybe you should send the script to the mechant LOL

sorry its no good to us ,,,we are on auto deposit

__________________
Find us at shareasale.com 12% commission
Shareasale Merchant 7191
PLAZAN SKIN CARE As seen on TV . Used by Jennifer Lopez

I'll second that. I went through and got rid of the ones I know have been offline for awhile. Now it would be nice if Brian did some chopping Clean em out

Are Plus Shop, Video Deals and Shoespot gone now?

Don't say Sh*esp*t!

>>>Makes me suspicious sometimes, wondering if some folks aren't just using affiliates to get their branding out there without having any kind of commitment to us.<<<

I'm very sure some do that. Mike/Charlie keeps reminding us of the "advertising mindset" prevalent among merchants. I believe it.

I also believe that the most equitable arrangement possible between us and the merchants is a hybrid (CPM + CPA + CPC) deal.

Fat Chance . . .

__________________
I earned something? Who screwed up?

Does anyone know if these are one of the Merchants that are being mentioned or thought about? I have brought them hundreds of hits with '0' sales and they have not answered 1 message!

Well guys I can't answer the question as to why merchants would not be extremely responsive to their affiliates. Speaking for myself, I know that without a strong and well taken care-of group of marketers that my business would have absolutely no chance of surviving. The reality of the situation is that merchants should go to their affiliates for direction on which way to continue development of the program.. You guys know more about what draws traffic and makes sales than I ever will...

Jamie T
CardSharkSupply.com