Article

Which type of traffic do the affiliate platforms have and how to identify it?

In Affiliate platforms there are several types of webmasters traffic, all of them can be grouped by categories and has its own parameters of user’s behavior (page views, bounce rate, CR, new visits, time on the website etc.)

In this article we will tell you about each traffic type and also will show examples of advertising.

Group 1 – High-quality traffic

There is not much such kind of traffic in CPA, because it is quite expensive to sell it by CPA model, but it can bring really quality users.

Usually, all traffic parameters of high-quality traffic will be close to average parameters of the website (page views, bounce rate, CR, new visits, time on the website etc.). In order to understand does webmaster use this traffic, you need to ask affiliate platform information about webmaster and compare it with pure traffic types: display with display, SEM with SEM, marketplace with marketplace etc.

Below you will find the list of traffic that relates to high-quality traffic:

SEM (Search engine marketing) – type of advertisement in search engine systems (Google, Bing, etc), when the user sees the advertisement block depending on keywords that he inserts in search engine system. Usually, it shows as a text block or text and graphic blocks (abbreviated as TGB)

Display – its a format of advertising when user sees the banner (picture) with a product or the website. Usually, target of audience and views per user can be chosen by yourself (geo, gender, interests, age etc.)

Social Media advertisement (Facebook etc.) – it is the different placement of advertising all around social media: posts, advertising in commercial blocks. Usually, such a format are targeted by the audience you need and give extra promotion of internal promo, new collections etc. Traffic there has high quality and allowed to reach a big amount of audience with a quite accurate target.

Content websites – it is websites filled with different content, where users can get interesting information. Usually on these websites you can find links on products, services or shops. Content websites can be count as forums, websites with reviews or comments.

Email – it is newsletters, that webmasters send by their database of subscribers. Usually, they put inside some promo actions or special offers from the website. This kind of traffic source could bring you new clients. What is important to remember that such partners should strictly follow the law: users should be subscribed on such email and gave their permission to get it, in other cases, there is a big risk that website could be blocked by email services. (ex.: bank loyalty programmes or mobile operators)

Price comparison websites – it is partners, that place on their websites the same products from different shops or brands, so the user can compare products or shops for interested parameters: price, terms of delivery and so on.

Shop window – it is websites that place product catalog of your shop. It can be called as a mirror of your website, where the user can choose a product and buy it.

Group 2 – Middle-quality traffic

It is the main traffic in Affiliates because it is easy to convert and make it work automatically. Usually, it generates old clients.

Traffic parameters of such traffic will be close to brand or direct traffic by page views and time on the website, but CR will be 2-3 times more.

Cashback – it is websites that offer to users get some money or scores back after the purchase. This traffic brings you audience that can become your loyal customers and offer them extra “discount” or inform about special promo on your websites. It is very relevant for those shops that cannot give an open discount to the user. Such partners have very active database of users, that regularly get a newsletter about special offers. Usually, traffic from they are very high conventional.

Coupon – it is websites that place promo actions, coupons and all interesting offers from shops. It is a good way to inform the audience about new promo action and special offer. Coupon websites also can make newsletters with such promo. Usually traffic from they is very high conventional.

Doorway – it is small websites, that strongly oriented on SEO. They are full of content, so when user is searching for something in a search engine, such websites usually appear in the TOP, but when user click on the link, he is redirected on your website. It is not that bad when you don’t have strongly SEO, in other cases it will eat your SEO traffic.
Motivated traffic – the user is motivated to make a purchase for some additional bonuses on other websites. Usually, it is scores in some games. This traffic is similar to cashback, but in that case, users are not really interested in the purchase as in benefits for the games. So, such user probably will not be your regular customer and AOV might be smaller than average. Such traffic is not recommended for offers that are paid for placed order or simple action (registration, subscribers, etc.)

Retargeting – it is a technology of showing advertisement (SEM, banners, teasers) for users, who already have been on your website and interested in your product. Usually, the main characteristic of such traffic is % of new visits – less than 10% and CR twice bigger than average one.

Group 3 – Low-quality traffic

Affiliates also have a lot of such traffic, because you can buy a lot of it for a cheap price, but in most cases, it doesn’t generate sales. Usually, all traffic parameters and CR will 2-3 lower than average.

Teasers – it is an advertisement, that supposed to tease users and make them put attention on it. So here the content and landing page of the advertisement is really important, it can strongly interest the user but after click, landing page makes him disappointed or vice-versa make him buy. That is why you must be very careful with such traffic, it could badly influence on your brand awareness.

PopUp / ClickUnder – it is technology, that can be used on any website. Usually, it is placed of entertainment websites with movies. When user accidentally clicks on free space of the website, then technology will open other websites in the next or up window. In most of the cases, such traffic doesn’t provide orders at all, but if you will use it smartly, for ex. landing page will be with WOW effect product, it can give nice results. One of the main characteristics of such traffic is super high bounce rate, more than 70% and time on the website, pages views 1 or less.

Group 4 – Dangerous traffic

This traffic is not recommendable in affiliates at all. In most of the cases it is fraud technology, that steals orders from other channels.

Toolbar – it is browsers application or extension. It can be 2 types: Black and White. White one is an official extension that user installs by himself. Black extension is installed by user on his browser but he doesn’t know that it will act differently than expected, for ex. by changing the tracking codes. One of the main characteristics of black extension is that the traffic provided registers a super low amount of new visits on the website – less than 1%.
Brand SEM – type of advertisement in search engine systems (Google), when user sees the advertisement block if he inserts in the search engine system the name of the brand or website. Usually, it shows as a text block of TGB. This traffic is not recommendable because first, it will steal your organic orders for which you pay much less then by CPA, and secondly it is not provide you any good traffic because the user already is searching for you and in any case will come on your website. Main characteristics of this traffic will be a big amount of page views and long time on the website. For each website the numbers are different, so to identify it, you should take characteristics of you one SEM brand campaigns.

Adult – traffic from websites category 18+. Of course, to use it or not it will be your choice, but in most of the cases, it will strongly influence on your brand awareness.