Setting up a new affiliate program and am wondering if anyone of you can give me some input regarding what sort of banners and links are the best. Thanks in advance
I've always found text links to work best, particularly when coupled with a personal recommendation. You'll need banners too, as affiliates always ask for them, but they tend to perform rather poorly overall. Banners = fewer clicks, and lower conversions, with the exception being an original idea done in flash.
They may not convert as well in an instant, but I think that there is a lot of branding value using them, benefitting the advertiser more than the affiliate.
I think the branding off banners is negligible. It's a horrible vehicle for branding since most surfers ignore banners. The few attempts at real branding via banners are on CPM anyway... and not really part of an affiliate program.
Banners work, but it depends on what the aff program promotes and the type of website that uses them. But I think JP Sauve is right: text links with a personal touch is the best. This is what I experienced so far
I'd agree that text links have a higher click through rate. Try changing up your promotions with seasonal offers etc. It seems dollar off coupons vs percentage off seem to convert higher. good luck
Text Links > Banners - The web has "banner blindness" nowadays... yes there are some exceptions but they are rare...
Can I ask you something that might sound a little dumb? "Why are so many banner links being offered on Commission Junction?"
Because affiliates want banners. Slapping a banner on a webpage is a no-brainer. Of course they won't work very well, and generally won't pay much, but hey... it's easy!
I have find over time textual ads perform better than banners, its not that banners don't work they just are as high of converts.
I agree with what was said above: text links work better. But if you want a banner, make it look like a text mesage. Make background transparent to blend in with your page. Even better: make a banner that looks like a very compelling text with a "drop down" menu. I have one at the bottom of my pages ("Show me how to make more money by:..."). I myself was fooled by such banners more than once , thinking they were menus. If you choose the right position for such banner, it might perform just fine. astra
Question WHY do text links work better than banners? Humans work on the five senses which of course include sight so WHY do simple text links work better? IS it because of the human curiosity thing? Like someone sees an ad and wonders "What the fu-k is that about?" And clicks
Not sure, but maybe people get so sick of advertising, they have learned to ignore banners completely. But I have heard from a couple of affiliates on another forum that some sites work well with banners, like directories or forums.