Snow Team
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Coupon Sites Don’t Add Value?
One of the big hot topics these days is the idea that coupon sites don’t add value. We have all heard numerous “experts” in the affiliate marketing space complain that a lot of coupon sites don’t add value and I totally see their side of the argument, but why do they have to add value? Why can’t a coupon site just gain you the customer?
We’ve all gone offline, or online, looking for a specific product right? So answer me this then. Do you just go into the one store, look at the price and then buy it no matter the cost or do you shop around to see if you can buy it somewhere else for cheaper? It is the exact same product after all so why should you pay more than you have to? Contrary to what my kids might think I don’t have a money tree in the backyard so I’m going to several stores that I think will have that product at a good price. And wherever I find it the cheapest that’s where I’m going to buy it from.
So let’s apply this to the online model.
Store A
- We have a commodity product
- I know it’s available at multiple stores
- I search for the product and find it at Store A
- The price is a little higher than I thought so I look for coupons to bring the cost down
- There’s no coupons around on any coupon sites
Store B
- We have the same commodity product
- I couldn’t find coupons for it at Store
- I search for the product again on search engines and find it at Store A
- The price is a little higher than I thought so I look for coupons to bring the cost down
- I search again online for coupon
- Eureka!
- I purchase the product at Store B
Now you’re right when you say that that coupon site didn’t add value, but they sure got my business and isn’t that what merchants are after? From this standpoint we need to stop looking at coupon sites as a one-off and rather as a means of acquiring the customer and not letting our competition acquire them instead. After all, the amount of consumers using coupons isn’t going anywhere but up according to a eMarketer report from Oct 2013:
Now does that mean that using coupon sites should be your only way to drive sales? The short answer is no, but if you’re willing to go against 110 Million US Consumers and not provide coupons and/or work with coupon sites then do at your own peril.
Here’s a workable strategy you can use effectively AND keep coupon sites in your program:
- Limit the amount of coupon sites within your affiliate program
- Turn off user submission where applicable
- Use product based deals to blow out inventory
- Use exclusive coupon codes
- Use minimum values to increase AOV (average order value)
- Use new customer coupon codes to drive new customers through your funnel
- Use coupon codes to optimize the user experience
- If the merchant has lower margins then lower the commission of coupon affiliates
- Use coupon codes to find out more about your customers
- Extend coupons to only the first 100 customers for example to increase immediacy
- Always include a short term expiry date in the description
- Change out coupon codes continually to keep the codes fresh for coupon sites and their users
- Know your customer lifetime value (CLV)
- Upgrade your up-sell strategy so consumers buy more than they intended
- Create a successful remarketing strategy so you can “keep” the consumer for life and not just the one purchase
It’s important to take all of these points into consideration when planning your overall marketing plan. Yes, coupon sites themselves don’t add value, but adding an effective promotional strategy including some of points mentioned above into your marketing plan can truly be an effective way to utilize this mega-traffic source.
If you have any feedback, questions etc please feel free to email me at any time,
Randy Norton
rnorton at snow-consulting.com
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New Merchant Announcement: EverMarker.com
EverMarker affiliate program available at Shareasale!
Join the EverMarker affiliate program! EverMarker is a global retailer of women’s fashion jewelry and accessories. You’ll be promoting the latest fashion rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and accessories.
Trisha Fawver is managing the program. Reach out to her with any questions you have. We’re here to help you succeed!
- Earn 15% commission on each purchase.
- 90-day cookie duration – get the credit you deserve.
- Product datafeed coming soon!
- Deals available via the SAS Deals & Coupons Database, For Me To Coupon, and iCodes US.
- Extensive keyword list available for PPC campaigns.
- Monthly newsletter – stay informed of all the latest promotions.
- Affiliate Information Center – a one stop shop for affiliate information.
- Dedicated, professional Partner Program Management by Snow Consulting.
You can join right now at Shareasale!
JOIN NOW AT SHAREASALE
- If you have already joined the ShareaSale network, simply log in and add EverMarker to your existing account.
- If you are not in the ShareaSale network, you can sign up through the EverMarker application.
My First Affiliate Summit
My First Affiliate Summit!
I have been involved in Affiliate Marketing for two years. I started my journey in this interesting, fast pace industry with little to no knowledge and was a bit freaked out and a little afraid I would break the computer! That didn’t take long to diminish and thanks to my patient team, I am slowly learning what it takes to be successful in this fast changing industry!
With most of this business behind the screen, I was a little surprised at how much of a personal touch makes the difference. I do many of the behind the scenes jobs, such as contact new join affiliates, or help launch new clients. Connecting a face to a name brings a connection to who we work with and gives me more of an investment to what I am doing.
I had the pleasure of connecting to many of the names that cross my desk at the Affiliate Summit West a few weeks ago! This was a nervous but exciting trip for me, not knowing what to expect. But I was quickly relieved to see that this summit was a huge reunion of friends and co-workers!
As a relatively new member of the Snow Team and my first time going, my role at the Summit was to observe and take notes. That proved to be quite an interesting job with many informal meetings back to back. Thankfully the Snow team made every effort to help me fit in so I didn’t feel completely out of place. This was a super opportunity to make great friends/business connections that I definitely look forward to seeing at the next Affiliate Summit!
ShareSnow Hockey Pool: January Prizes Awarded!
ZooShoo and SleepyHeads prizes awarded in the Snow Consulting Regular Season Hockey Pool!
- Team: Benn There… Doan That is in the lead for the Grand Prize from OnlineSports!
- Team: Hoosiers is the team with a huge gain in January, surging into the Top 15!
The Top 15 teams are listed below the Grand prize.
This month’s prizes are sponsored by these generous merchant clients:
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ZooShoo.com: $50 store credit from ZooShoo.com, just in time for Winter clearance and Spring Arrivals! | |
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Ties.com: $50 store credit for SleepyHeads, BathrobeShoppe or eBubbles! – 3 stores, 1 shopping cart! |
The Grand Prize at season’s end will be provided by:
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OnlineSports.com: $200 store credit | |
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Snow Consulting: $50 Visa Gift Card |
- 1 Benn There… Doan That 941
- 2 Phillyboys 921
- 3 Les Nordiques 918
- 4 City of Champions 910
- 5 SeguinScores 903
- 6 Busters Bashers 887
- 7 Bingo Bango 876
- 8 SnowyNucks 864
- 9 Catch ya later 863
- 10 Eberle Hills Cop 859
- 11 Grill Biscuit 853
- 12 snomen 850
- 13 Slot Shots 849
- 14 irish rovers 843
- T15 Hoosiers 842
- T15 LuWannaGo but didn’t go 842
Announcing VirtualPBX: The Professional Phone Solution For Small Business!
Join the VirtualPBX affiliate program at Shareasale!
The VirtualPBX hosted PBX phone service gives small and medium growing businesses a professional, fully automated call answering and routing solution that can be up and running in a matter of minutes.
Forget the hassles and costs of buying and maintaining your own PBX hardware. With VoIP, your employees, whether in one location or far-flung, can focus on serving your customers while we provide the advanced features and responsiveness that give you a competitive edge.
Trisha Fawver is managing the program; reach out to her for anything you need to succeed with this merchant. It’s going to be a great one for anyone with business related sites! All the program details are on the VirtualPBX affiliate program details page.
- Earn $15-150* commission on each purchase. (Full details below)
- Unlimited cookie duration!
- Deals available in SAS Deals & Coupons Database, For Me To Coupon, and iCodes US.
- Extensive keyword list available for PPC campaigns.
- Lucrative performance incentives.
- Monthly newsletter – stay informed of all the latest promotions.
- Dedicated, professional Partner Program Management by Snow Consulting.
COMMISSION PLAN
- Anywhere Plans
- $15 Commission on Anywhere Plan Trials
- $35 Commission on Anywhere Plan Startup Level Sign-Ups
- $45 Commission on Anywhere Plan Pro Level Sign-Ups
- $50 Commission on Anywhere Plan Premium Sign-Ups
- Office Plans
- $150 Commission on Office Plan Sign-Ups
- Ongoing Performance Incentives
- $50 Bonus for 5-9 signups in a month
- $125 Bonus for 10-49 signups in a month
- $750 Bonus for 50+ signups in a month
JOIN NOW AT SHAREASALE
- If you have already joined the ShareaSale network, simply log in and add VirtualPBX to your existing account.
- If you are not in the ShareaSale network, you can sign up through the VirtualPBX application.
SheInside Offers $1500 Total Prizes In Valentine’s Day Giveaway!
Pinning is just one way to win!
Pick your favorite social media and enter to win! Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, or the SheInside blog: Follow the instructions here for your chance to win!
Giveaway ends February 7th.
SheInside.com is where you’ll find the latest looks in fashion and street style! The hottest trends in tops, bottoms, dresses, accessories and jewelry are ready for worldwide shipping from the huge inventory.
The SheInside affiliate program can be found in the Shareasale, Commission Junction and Linkshare networks. Join the wide network of raving fans across the globe and earn generous commissions. Join today!
ShareGrand Prize Awarded As NFL Regular Season Pick’em Pool Ends
Grand prize awarded in the Snow Consulting Pro Football Pick’em Pool!
It was a bumpy season for many of our Pick’em Pool players, but the overall season winners stayed pretty close to the top for at least the 2nd half of regular play. Here’s the top 3 for the Overall season win:
- Brady For President – Brent Elias
- Girlz Rule, Boys Drool – Tricia Meyer
- NolesintheNFL – Richard Nix
Our three prizes for the Season’s End:
- WineoftheMonthClub.com: Club Membership to the Vintner’s Series: 6 mos, valued at $240
- Snow Consulting: $200 Visa Gift Card
- ThePerfumeSpot.com: $25 store credit
We want to thank all of the participants who sign up and enjoy the fun each year. We also appreciate all our generous merchant sponsors who participate with the prizes!
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CandyGalaxy.com: $25 store credit for candy! Shop by occasion, shop by color, shop by deliciousness! | |
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CesarsWay.com: $50 store credit for CesarsWay.com; check out their new products! | |
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Coffee Wholesale USA (cw-USA.com): $25 store credit | |
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CompAndSave.com: $25 store credit | |
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SnackWarehouse.com: $25 store credit for delicious snacks, including hard-to-find specialty snacks! | |
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ThePerfumeSpot.com: $25 store credit | |
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WineoftheMonthClub.com Grand Prize at the end of the season: 6 month membership in the Vintner’s Series wine club! |
Playoff games start tomorrow; enjoy the end-of-the-season excitement as we count down to the biggest game of the year!
ShareWe Have Prizes For Some Lucky Hockey Pool Players!
Who gained the most momentum in December?
We have 3 prizes to distribute for December to our Hockey pool players. Roger has been keeping a close eye on everyone’s progress to the Grand Prize and this month’s prizes go to 3 players with the largest increase from Nov to Dec. There’s still plenty of hockey left in the season; Good luck to your team!
The 3 December prizes go to:
- Les Nordiques – Andre Colantuono
- Benn There, Doan That – Brad Crooks
- Seguin Scores – Stephen Austin
This month’s prizes are sponsored by these generous merchant clients:
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ZooShoo.com: $50 store credit from ZooShoo.com, just in time for Winter clearance and Spring Arrivals! | |
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Ties.com: $50 store credit for Ties.com or Scarves.com – 2 stores, 1 shopping cart! | |
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CesarsWay.com: $50 store credit for CesarsWay.com; check out their new products! |
The Grand Prize at season’s end will be provided by:
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OnlineSports.com: $200 store credit | |
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Snow Consulting: $50 Visa Gift Card |
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Week 17 Won By Raider Rage
Pro Football Pick’em Pool Winners For Week 17
We have the Week 17 prizes distributed and we’ll have the Grand Prizes out shortly after the Holiday break. Here’s how this past week ended up:
- 1st: Team Raider Rage
- 2nd: Team Cotton Candy
- 3rd: Team PED
Week 17 prizes were provided by these generous merchants:
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ThePerfumeSpot.com: $25 store credit | |
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CompAndSave.com: $25 store credit |
And the Grand Prize, which is being sponsored by the original wine club: WineoftheMonthClub.com
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WineoftheMonthClub.com Grand Prize at the end of the season: 6 month membership in the Vintner’s Series wine club! |
Week 16 Won By Team Steve
Upsets across the board as the season winds down!
Our Winning Teams this week:
- Steve
- da snowman*
- Worst Picker in the World
- The Mighty Quackin’
*Snow team member or Snow family member
Prizes from these generous merchants have been distributed via email.
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CompAndSave.com: $25 store credit | |
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ThePerfumeSpot.com: $25 store credit | |
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Coffee Wholesale USA (cw-USA.com): $25 store credit |
And the Grand Prize, which is being sponsored by the original wine club: WineoftheMonthClub.com
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WineoftheMonthClub.com Grand Prize at the end of the season: 6 month membership in the Vintner’s Series wine club! |