It appears that OneNetworkDirect, a small software network, is completely closed to NY Affiliates. I was shocked to read Kevin Webster’s post  on Abestweb – OneNetworkDirect. It seems that he was trying to sign up and NY is missing from their drop down menu.  Having met some of their representatives earlier in the year, I was so shocked I had to go see for myself.  It is true, NY affiliates cannot even apply and to make matters worse, it is not even worthy of a significant mention on their website. Their website should clearly indicate that OneNetworkDirect does not accept NY affiliates, instead there is just a sentence buried on a page about an achiever’s program. Many thanks to Kevin, 72kilowatts, for uncovering this.

Back in August 2008, while at Affiliate Summit East, I met a couple of their representatives at a booth. We exchanged business cards and I even received several copies of software as they were interested in getting featured on at least one of my websites. Since I was a speaker on the NY tax issue at Affiliate Summit I had a badge that indicated my website, NYAffiliateVoice, my business cards indicated NYAffiliateVoice and one of the first questions I asked was about the status of NY Affiliates. We clearly spoke about the NY tax issue and I was assured there were no issues; I even jotted notes down.

I have emailed OneNetworkDirect requesting clarification on their policies regarding NY Affiliates. I also believe that NY Affiliates deserve at least an indication and  an explanation of their status on the OneNetworkDirect website. In my email I also indicate my surprise that a network would decide to refuse a specific group of affiliates rather than leaving that up to the individual merchants. I will let you know what I learn about their decision to exclude NY affiliates from their network.

Although I am still awaiting a response from them, I felt it was important to share the knowledge that an entire network is closed to NY affiliates so that others can make informed decisions. Merchants, not networks should decide who to allow into their program.

This post is in stark contrast to my most recent posts that spoke about some of the more positive aspects of our industry. The fact is, each day we can find both positive and negative; it is only by addressing all issues that we can truly move the industry forward.

One of the nice things about January is that sales are usually still pretty strong.  Good sales might be due to merchants having clearance sales, the spending of holiday bonuses or people simply buying what they didn’t get. What ever the reason, I find January is a little less stressful, not as much pressure to sell yet sales come easier. I always take advantage of this quiet yet busy time to really evaluate my merchants. Even though it is an ongoing practice during the year, I always do a stricter examination at least twice a year.

This January I am being even more critical.  I am setting the bar a little higher and enforcing additional standards. Why? It is because I deserve better.

It is no secret that I and thousands  of NY Affiliates lost a significant number of merchants around June 1 when the NY Affiliate tax took effect. Many merchants decided to terminate NY Affiliates. In some cases, a merchant termination had little effect on me from a financial standpoint. In other cases I lost a significant amount of income. Since the number of merchants I had to replace was large, I was not as particular as I should have been. As I scrambled to find new merchants I found myself taking any merchant just to fill the holes. I lowered my standards, and that’s not something I will ever do again.

Why? I deserve better.

In fact, I have raised the bar higher than ever.  I have decided that I will not accept poor conversion. I send quality traffic and if it does not convert there is a problem with the relationship between my visitor and the merchant. In my opinion, there are three main reasons the relationship fails.

The first reason might be that my visitor and the merchant are simply not a good fit. It is just like even though everything is the same, I prefer to shop at the small deli on Main Street while my husband prefers to shop at the deli on Elm , different strokes for different folks. Just because a merchant converts for another affiliate, it doesn’t mean it will convert for me and vice versa. Not much I can do about. If my links are good and tracking properly, if a merchant doesn’t convert it is time to move on. Just like a failed relationship, there comes a point when even though it is no one’s fault, you say goodbye because you believe “I deserve better”.

The second reason a merchant might not convert is that there is something wrong. Maybe it is broken links, major leaks, a problem tracking, no stock, poor customer service or something else. If there is a problem and it has not been fixed it is time to move on. I deserve better.

The third reason is far more serious; something is interfering with the relationship. This interference can occur in different ways. If a merchant is affiliated with parasites there is great chance I will not get credit for sales. If a network or merchant does not provide a level playing field, my sales will suffer.  If there are too many distractions and leaks on the merchant site interfering with the customer relationship, my sales will suffer. When any of this interference exists, it is time to move on. It is time to move on because, I deserve better.

I deserve to get paid for my efforts. If I drives sales I should get paid, not someone else even if paying another party is done under the pretense of doing a good deed. Whether it is a glitch or intentional diversion  I deserve better.

My advice? Set your own standards, do not rely on the standards I or anyone else apply. As you evaluate each of your relationships ask yourself this – Do you deserve better?

When I began this website back in June, my intention was to just have a place to speak out on whatever thoughts I had regarding life as an affiliate from New York. Though the NY Affiliate Tax was the match that lit the fire, the source of the energy that continues to fuel the fire is the numerous issues affecting our industry.

I began NY Affiliate Voice as a personal blog but somewhere along the way it became more of a resource. When it became a resource, ethics and professionalism dictated that I remove affiliate links and even the Adsense ads. No income is derived from this blog. Trying to balance the work of NY Affiliate Voice and my own affiliate business has been difficult. It is also a challenge to continue working as an affiliate. I find myself torn between continuing as an affiliate and continuing to work on the issues affecting our industry. Currently, I spend a minimum of two to three hours every day, 7 days a week, working on the issues, this includes answering emails from merchants and affiliates on the NY tax issue.

As such, NY Affiliate Voice is requesting sponsors so that work on the NY issue and other affiliate issues can continue. Without support, the work cannot continue as it does now. Sponsorships are available by purchasing a Merchant Spotlight ad or becoming a listed Standard or Premier Sponsor. The decision to accept sponsorships has not been easy but it has become a necessity; work on the NY Affiliate tax and other affiliate issues needs to continue but if I continue it does so at the cost of my own business. Without sponsorships of  NYAffiliateVoice I will have to make some very difficult decisions. At the very least I will be forced to reduce the time spent on the NY issue to two hours a week and I doubt that will be enough.

Please contact me with any questions.