Hostgator affiliate program

[LisaWood]

I'm interested in hearing from others who are affiliates. I've been promoting HG on my website and to my clients, and I've been surprised that there have been so few commissions.

Yesterday one of my clients signed up using my affiliate link - well they USED my affiliate link to go to the HG site... When nothing showed up in my affiliate stats, I contacted HG. I was told that the client signed up through a coupon site, so someone else got my commission. HG has a "last click" policy, so it doesn't matter who does all the work promoting - the affiliate link that gets clicked on last gets the commission.

Lynn, I know you are an affiliate - how do you and others handle these types of programs?

Thanks

[Clay Franklin]

I sold one to my sister in law by having her go to my website and click on the banner and sign up. I do get more clicks than I get sales.

Lets try adding a coupon note in the "text widget title" or by adding text under the script code in the "text" box to encourage buyers to use our coupon instead of searching the internet for one.

We can also offer a free report for anyone that signs up with our coupon. If we get a lot of sales, it will be difficult to keep track of. That would be a cool problem to have.

Clay

[LisaWood]

Thanks for your reply, Clay. I appreciate your thoughts.

[TraciKnoppe]

I've made some very nice commissions through HostGator's affiliate program. I guess if the person ever clicked someone else's affiliate link, they are cookied to them, not you.

[LisaWood]

Hi Traci -

I wish that's how it was, but it's the link that gets clicked on last that gets the commission. I've made commissions, but more passively through ads on my blog.

It's frustrating when I have a client, ready to buy, and I send them to HG through my link, then the client decides to do research or whatever and gets back to the HG site through a different link and signs up, that person gets the commission.

Thanks for your response.

[TraciKnoppe]

Wow! I guess I assumed they were cookied for a set period of time. Bummer.

[LisaWood]

Me too. Need to rethink that strategy.

[Adriana]

Lisa, I had the exact same scenario you did, just yesterday. I sent a client to sign up through my link, and he wanted to see if he could find any coupons. He found a coupon and used it, so I didn't get the commission.

I actually gave him a deal on my work, based on the fact I was going to get the HG commission :(

[Thom McCarroll]

Lisa, I had the exact same scenario you did, just yesterday. I sent a client to sign up through my link, and he wanted to see if he could find any coupons. He found a coupon and used it, so I didn't get the commission.

I actually gave him a deal on my work, based on the fact I was going to get the HG commission :(


How about YOU signing up the client under a new HG account using your link but putting in on your credit card for the first month ... include in your price the first month and have them enter their credit card information for the remaining subscription ... would think this would assure you of the commissions you worked hard for.

[LisaWood]

Hi Thom, I've actually done that, but then not gotten the commission because they track IPs too, and see that it came from my computer - so they assume I'm trying to game the system.

Ironically, as good as HG support is, they have not responded to my question regarding this.

[retta719]

Depending on how often you are referring clients for hosting it might be worth it to become a HostGator reseller, then you can set up their hosting for them from your reseller panel, give them the first 30 days free, and then bill them directly yourself. (This is what we've been doing at Easy Wahm Websites this year and it seems to be working out good for our blog clients.)

[LisaWood]

Thanks, Loretta. Good feedback. :)

[Lynn Terry]

Hi Lisa,

As you know I am a HostGator affiliate and have been actively promoting HostGator hosting for several years now. I feel your pain. The one thing I do NOT like is the fact that you get paid per customer - not per account. I have four HostGator accounts myself for example, but my referrer only earned one commission on me. Almost 50% of my monthly referrals end up being "duplicate accounts" (meaning that person is already a HG customer) so I don't earn those commissions.

I've had this conversation with HostGator and "that's just how their system works". Grr.

I would definitely consider becoming a reseller, or at the very least display one of the coupon codes with your HG link and/or offer it to your customers as an incentive to click & sign up without searching.

[LisaWood]

Hi Lynn - Thanks for your reply. I actually do have a reseller account, but only host a few accounts for clients. I never intended to get into the hosting business, but it's starting to look like that's the way to go, at least for my own clients. I'll save the affiliate program for my blogs, etc.

(I even have a coupon code right on my site, but still didn't get the click! Go figure!)

Thanks again. :)