Affiliate links and trust

[akirk]

[[Thread split from here - Clinton, Feb 15, 2012]]

...Nor do I think it's wrong for me to use an affiliate link while recommending these products. I'll spend roughly $3k for the next 90 days to try and get enough data to help prove which tools are most valueable so I don't think using an affiliate link while talking about those tools is evil.

I would agree with you here - but... I have no objection to affiliate links - where folks are transparent about them...
there is a difference between explaining what you already have said - and letting folks choose to still click on the link...
and someone who hides the fact that it is an affiliate link - the latter I would strongly objoect to - if they hide one thing, then what else is being hidden?

Alasdair

[PatFlynn]

I would agree with you here - but... I have no objection to affiliate links - where folks are transparent about them...
there is a difference between explaining what you already have said - and letting folks choose to still click on the link...
and someone who hides the fact that it is an affiliate link - the latter I would strongly objoect to - if they hide one thing, then what else is being hidden?

Alasdair

I actually find that I make more commissions the more authentic and transparent I am about those links being affiliate links. People go through hoops to make sure they find my affiliate links, which is pretty awesome, and should be the goal.

[Clinton]

Alasdair, I appreciate what you're saying, and agree that disclosing the affiliate nature of the link is better than not disclosing. However, I feel it's only very marginally better. The fact that there's an affiliate link immediately taints the quality of the advice, IMO, as it creates an incentive for the writer to recommend the product. How do you know that his recommendation is unbiased? You go simply on trust.

You have a certain amount of trust in me and if you saw a page written by me in which I enthusiastically endorsed a particular product, you'd be more inclined to click my (disclosed) affiliate link to buy that product. It's a function of your trust in me combined with my praise for the product. In fact, I daresay some on these boards would trust my recommendation and click even if I don't disclose it's an aff link.

However, if you saw that product endorsed just as enthusiastically by someone you don't know, would you trust it just as much? Or would you exert a little wariness in case he's just a big, fat shill? What about if he declared the aff link? Would you trust it more just because he declared it (bearing in mind he could be faking being a straight-up kinda guy)?

A disclosed affiliate link is just as shady as an undisclosed link if you don't trust the author.

With MMO sellers, and I'm not talking anyone in particular, we've seen over the years that however crooked they are, they work hard at conveying a sheen of respectability and honesty.

Why?

To get people to trust that their reviews haven't been influenced by the affiliate nature of the link! They usually are (with rare exceptions, of course).

[Chabrenas]

With MMO sellers, and I'm not talking anyone in particular, we've seen over the years that however crooked they are, they work hard at conveying a sheen of respectability and honesty.

Why?

To get people to trust that their reviews haven't been influenced by the affiliate nature of the link! They usually are (with rare exceptions, of course).

Clinton, that is the basic skill of a real salesman (not a door-to-door encyclopedia pusher). He/she must be good at getting new people to trust him, and in jobs like a major IT account rep, he must never let his client down. You can only get away with lies of omission if you have a never-ending supply of new prospects who haven't talked to the previous ones.

[Kay]

Clinton

If you trust the person and their recommendation, then you might be happy to reward them with their affiliate commission. For example, if someone I trusted on EP recommended something and I decided to try it, I would be quite likely to PM them to ask for their aff link if they have one. Why not? They would benefit at no cost to me. It just seems like a nice way to say thanks for the help.

I know that there are lot of shills and fake "reviews" around, and not everyone has the ability to see them for what they are, but there are good guys with aff links too. Admittedly they're hard to find in the MMO industry, but I think it's a shame that it might lead to our complete refusal to use them at all.

[KenW3]

I have also written to authors and requested affiliate links where none were provided. On the other hand, I have also followed affiliate links (as a redirect), saved the destination without affiliate code, cleared my cookies and reopened the page to buy direct. It all depends upon the (perceived) integrity and usefulness of the information provided.

When I find a sales page with something that would be useful to me, or that I believe could help others I know and would consider providing a recommendation, the first thing I do is save the link and close my browser. If the page allows me to close my browser without taking over my computer with a forced click, then I will recommend the product to others. If the site uses an exit trap, I do not buy, do not recommend, and sometimes warn others to avoid the site.

[akirk]

Clinton, I agree - I would hope that for many of us on here we would be sufficiently discerning to read between the lines / read around / evaluate the person etc. and then make the decision - so for that reason I don't have a personal issue with transparency and affiliate links... but (and I guess it is a big but!) - where your point goes logically - and I would have equal concern - is that the majority of website users are not so discerning - therefore it becomes a far bigger issue...

It is difficult though because we are all on here because we want to make money - and making money will always open the door to a conflict between what is written and making money - which items are reviewed - ommission or inclusion by sponsorship - there are lots of subtle ways in which money influences content etc. - how often does a blogger completely pull to pieces the business of one of their big advertisers? Some can do it - they have sufficient credibility - for many though it would be the loss of that, and other advertising - so they tone down - money has influenced the content...

I am starting a website at the moment in an area where I have (I hope!) a lot of knowledge to offer - I am starting from the point of giving it all away - however, I would like to monetise the site as well - but am concerned as to how to do that without that conflict of interest / independence... (monetising it will come in stage 2 anyway...) - perhaps we need a thread on how to use a website to make money with absolutely zero conflict of interest issues!

Alasdair

[crabfoot]

then I will recommend the product to others.

If I know you, you meant to say I may or might recommend the product to others, if it is useful.

Feel free to dump this post and amend your thoughts ...

[TheodoreK]

I must raise an issue here.
There are certain, in my opinion despicable, methods to fully mask affiliate links from everyone but the most web-savvy users and make them appear like regular links. (not to mention other sneaky methods of cookie and traffic manipulation, things I would be reluctant to discuss even in our VIP forums)

In my opinion and for the reasons I mentioned above, trust must very carefully rationed and clean links should not always be trusted since even clean links might not be really clean after all...

[Clinton]

but there are good guys with aff links too.

And I would click an affiliate link of yours. Might even have done it in the past

That's because we've had hundreds of conversations by email and many chats on EP. I know where you last went on holiday, some of the things you like to eat, what you wore for your last fancy dress party. From my knowledge about you I've built trust in your integrity.

If you and I had never spoken before and I saw your recommendation for a product my first thought would be whether you had some incentive for recommending it. I'd look for an affiliate link as evidence. (If there isn't an affiliate link it's no guarantee of an unbiased review - there could be other motivations as Alsadair points out: freebies, shares in the company manufacturing it, whatever). This is the internet. A good rule is to suspect first and trust later.