The Pros and Cons of Clickbank
January 29, 2008
Lately I have been putting all of my time and energy into Clickbank product promotion. As much as I am intrigued about developing other streams of income, it is much easier to focus on one affiliate network. I figure if I can master the art of selling CB products (which can be somewhat controversial) then I will position myself for success with more recognizable products.
Here are 5 Reasons I Prefer Clickbank:
1. It is simple to sign up, choose a product, and instantly get started.
2. The marketplace is transparent, which allows you to see what is selling and what isn’t.
3. All of the good offers are permanent. This means you can build a site around them without worrying about the network dropping it leaving your site useless.
4. All of the “need it now” markets are covered with at least one product.
5. Payouts are sent twice a month, and I have always been paid on time.
Here are 5 Reasons Clickbank Can Be Frustrating:
1. I have noticed some unexplained lapses in my revenue, and some of the forums I visit suggest CB experiences random tracking outages.
2. It takes a great sales effort to get your visitors past the skepticism of an ebook.
3. It can be difficult to rank in the search engines for an ebook review site.
4. Most of the niches go through seasonal lulls where people are just not buying.
5. Random Tracking Outages!
Every affiliate network has its up and downs, but since I have found the majority of my success through CB I will continue to use them. I personally don’t see an end to the information product industry. There is always going to be a population that wants instant access to information, and no one dominates this industry like CB.
Ultimately I would like to release my own product someday, but I am waiting to do it the right way. One thing is for sure, I will use CB to as the network to host it.
January 30th, 2008 at 4:53 am
I’ve had major issues with Spyware cleaners cleaning the Clickbank cookies & stopping them from registering. I normally steer clear of any PPC activity with Clickbank now because of that.
Along with the tracking outages.
The way to go with clickbank is to integrate the products well into an existing site. Sites that review clickbank products specifically can also do well but they’re a bit 2005. Gadget blogs do well, there’s always plenty of gadgets to review
January 31st, 2008 at 1:53 am
Thanks for the tips Stuart. Even someone like me who does relatively low volume with CB has noticed the odd discrepancies with their sales tracking. Perhaps it is time for CB to find a replacement for the hoplink format.
BTW - keep up the awesome job on your blog. Your posts are always insightful and inspiring.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I am thinking of making a purchase through ClickBank. Can I assume the transaction will be safe and that I will receive what I am ordering? Are all of the vendors above board or are there a number of scams that use this service? Thanks.
July 8th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
You transaction is safe and Clickbank offers a 60 day money back gurantee for all of their products.