I was curious, there FAQ or terms don't specify how much the user has to purchase to make a "sale" under your affiliate account. I know some hosting programs require the user to purchase a 12-month plan to earn the money. Anyone know for sure what hostgators is?
AFAIK, there is no need to purchase a 12 month hosting package to get paid for the referral. You just need to drive a customer who will be active at least for 60 days, then you are eligible for commission
Yeah, I have only been promoting Hostgator for a short while, but the sales I've been paid for only signed up for monthly accounts. One thing I'm noticing is that Hostgator records & shows you stats for fraudulent signups and other referrals that don't generate commissions - other affiliates tend to completely blank those out. So it kind of seems like a lower "success rate" but I think that's just 'cuz they're providing more stats in the report.
Are you joining their affiliate program direct or through commission junction? The payout is different. If you don't bring in much traffic then go with CJ, but if you bring in lots of sales then go direct. Hostgators own affiliate program is performance based.
So I had a related question. When Hostgator notifies you that you've made a commission, does that mean the person has already stuck around for 60+ days? Or do you get the commission immediately and then they'll take it back if they don't stick around?
They notify immediately - which is why it seems like a lot don't pan out. 2 months after you get notified, they'll send a check if the customer is still registered.