CJ Since 2002

[tickledpeppers]

I've been running a CJ affiliate program since 2002. I'd be happy to answer questions.

If you aren't familiar with affiliate programs here are the pros and cons from where I stand:

PROS:
1. advertising with a fixed percent of sale cost
2. CJ takes care of the recruiting, payments, etc.
3. contributes about 15-20% of sales to most sites that have an active program

CONS:
1. You have to pay attention to it or lots of bad things can happen.
2. You can lose control of your affiliates and they can hurt your brand.
3. You can end up paying double advertising fees if your affiliates get ahold of your promotion codes.
4. There are some legal issues afloat that could hold you responsible for what your affiliates do.

However, all things being said, if you set it up properly, watch it and develop personal relationships with select affiliates, it becomes your site's commissioned sales force. It really is worth doing. Just do it smartly.

[cactus_michellep]

Love it! You are right on target!

Commission Junction does offer some great benefits like simplfied management of tracking and payments, as well as allowing publishers easy access to your program. It's a great setup overall.

And, most of the Cons you mention come with any affiliate program. It's a matter of creating an overall plan, sticking to it, and ensuring that the affiliates are in-line with the goals you set. At times you may have to spend a little time monitoring affiliate efforts to ensure compliance with your rules, and those set forth by law, but it's worth it in the end!

Great Post! Welcome to the forums, and thanks for contributing!

[erikko]

i'm always hearing people ranting about their experiences with Commision Junction and i consider this along with Clickbank as the best affiliate programs to date