The following is what Gary Gray of Coupon Chief had to say in response the the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved?
Along with having an innovative supply chain, there’s another reason Dell is the largest computer company in the world.
They always offer great coupon codes to online affiliates that let the buyer “in” on deals that they otherwise wouldn’t get.
When retailers offer coupon and discount codes that are either new promotions or expiring deals, it motivates buyers into taking advantage of a one time offer.
It’s also a great way to push inventory and make room for new products. Have you noticed Dell is now promoting digital cameras, flash memory, and more electronic products from other retailers?
Their success in the ecommerce space comes with the help of affiliates, and now they are promoting a wide range of electronics with similar coupon codes to what was once only available to computer discounts.
Promotions like these benefit the buyer AND seller. If I were a retailer, I would model Dell’s coupon offers and coupon codes.
It really sells products, especially when it’s an extra $50-$100 discount. This makes a consumer feel like they’re getting the best deal out there, regardless of the actual final price.
The only thing Dell lacks that can benefit affiliate marketing is great landing pages that explicitly outline the details of the coupon.
Let’s not confuse buyers, instead let’s make sure they know what kind of deal they’re getting, and point them to it.
The online affiliate and retail community need to pull together to let buyers more easily understand the offer they’re getting, and landing pages detailing an offer enhance online shopping.
There’s a reason “dell coupon” was searched twice as much as “online coupon” in April (from Yahoo search statistics). It’s because not enough affiliates are pushing their products with coupon codes.
Retailers should model the Dell affiliate coupons offers; their success comes from many angles.