Some clickbank products use an 'in-page popup' to offer the visitor a free guide when they submit their email address... I'm sure this tactic gains the vendor many email addresses, but as an affiliate, do we gain anything from this, or are we simply losing sales to this technique? Do you guys recommend staying away from products that employ this method?
You gain if the vendor keeps your affiliate cookie in the emails they send them but if they remove them, then it hurts you
/\ so can we simply submit our email, click on one of the links he sends, and see if our AFFID is still intact?
That is what you should do if you promote any product with an opt-in option. From my experience though. I have noticed that most vendors are honest. They have to, if they really want affiliates to help them in promoting their products. If one affiliate notice any thing fishy about a given vendor, the news spreads like wildfire and all of a sudden, no affiliate will be promoting that product.
Boy thats a new one on me I personally don't promote a product that has a real good offer with the popup, unless they have an outstanding landing page that I think will convert the first time someone arrives on it. In the old days, it really wasn't too much of a problem. Now, with all the security concerns etc many folks set their browsers to clear cookies when they close the browser. I know I do. That is why it is important to make sure the merchant has one heck of a good page, or set up your own page and get their email address first, before forwarding them to the merchant.
IF you use email promotion, Then it is a good method to collect information for your future business.
Exactly, make sure to check they aren't doing anything shady in their emails. As long as they don't overwrite cookies, then you would be much better having the visitor subscribe to the mailing list. The average person won't buy the first time they see something, they will catalog it and then if they see it in 2-3 more places they will further research it and possibly buy it. Mailing lists allow the vendor to keep in contact with the visitor and as long as they are only sending out periodic emails, then you will be much better off as a result of the vendor's opt in list.