The following is what Dave Trenck of had to say in response the the question, What is wrong with affiliate marketing and how can it be improved?
What’s wrong with affiliate marketing today is individual expectations. You’ll see on the affiliate message boards posts like “No sales in days” or “I only make half as much as I used to”.
Typically they’ll then end up blaming the affiliate program, the affiliate manager, or the network. These affiliates should start by looking at themselves.
How are they different than the 1,000’s of other affiliates pushing the same products? What are they doing both online and offline to drive more traffic to their sites on a daily basis?
The answer, is typically nothing. These affiliates can improve by differentiating themselves, being strategic in the decision they make with who they partner with and how they promote them, and constantly seek out new avenues of traffic.