What is a Merchant? How long does it take to get started? How much does it cost? Is there software to download? What reports are available to merchants? Which affiliate websites can join my Affiliate Program? Can I become an Affiliate as well as a Merchant? What promotions will LinkConnector do for my Affiliate Program? What merchant support does LinkConnector offer? What is a Merchant?A merchant (or online advertiser) is an online business or website with a product or service to sell or provide. A merchant teams with an affiliate, or group of affiliates, through an affiliate marketing program, to help them promote their products or services. The merchant compensates his affiliate partners for the desired actions they generate, such as clicks, leads, or sales. The merchant provides his affiliates with banner ads, text links and other promotional material to use for the affiliate's promotions. Affiliates typically promote merchants on their affiliate websites, in search engine listings (paid and organic), and in email campaigns. How long does it take to get started?Merchant accounts are approved and established automatically. However, the account information will be reviewed for accuracy and adherence to the LinkConnector Merchant Agreement. Once inside your new merchant account you can create and launch campaigns to promote your products and services with the help of the Merchant Relations Team. Each of your campaigns will be reviewed prior to launch. Once launched you can invite affiliates to join your campaign and start generating additional traffic for your site. The length of time it takes to launch a merchant campaign depends on the time a merchant has available to set up the campaigns, and the complexity of their needs. Many merchants are able to create and launch their first campaigns, in under one day. How much does it cost?Setup Fees - Waived LinkConnector is currently waiving its merchant setup fees. This is a tremendous cost savings for our merchants in an industry where the fees to set up a merchant account can reach up to $1500.00 or more. Network Fee As is standard in the Affiliate Marketing industry, LinkConnector charges merchants a fee based on the commissions paid to their affiliates. For Self-Managed Merchant Accounts, LinkConnector charges 20%* of the commission paid to the affiliate. For example, if the merchant pays an affiliate a $10.00 commission, the merchant would pay LinkConnector a $2.00 network fee. This would be in addition to the $10.00 commission paid out to the affiliate, for a total cost to the merchant of $12.00. For Co-Managed Merchant Accounts, this fee is 25%*. We are proud to offer our merchants some of the lowest network fees in the industry. * This rate includes the 3% discount given to merchants who utilize ACH or check/PayPal payment methods. Merchants that utilize credit card or other payment methods will not be eligible for this discount and will have a rate that is 3% higher. Monthly Minimum Network Fee LinkConnector also has a monthly minimum network fee. For Self-Managed Merchant Accounts, the monthly minimum is $100.00, and it is waived the first full month after signup. This means that over the course of each month, a self-managed merchant must generate at least $100.00 in LinkConnector fees (detailed above). If this requirement is not met, the account will be charged the difference (after the one month grace period). For Co-Managed Merchant Accounts, the monthly minimum network fee is $1,000.00 and is also waived for the first two full months after a merchant joins. Account Deposit LinkConnector has a minimum $400.00 deposit requirement for Self-Managed Merchant Accounts. Co-Managed Merchant Accounts have a $4000.00 deposit requirement. The deposit is non-refundable, but will be used for commission payments to your affiliates and for network fees. Premier Merchant Accounts are by invitation only and have their own unique benefits and pricing structure. If you think you might be interested in this type of merchant account, please contact a sales representative to learn more. Tracking Fee There is also a $0.0025 per event tracking fee. This fee is only charged for merchant-only events not involving affiliate traffic. Self-Managed Account: A La Carte Options Our Self-Managed Account is our base merchant package with a la carte options available. Pending Sale Functionality† will still be available at the Self-Managed level but will add a $50 surcharge to the monthly minimum fee. The Self-Managed accounts include one active campaign and one active event. Each additional active campaign and active event will add a $25 surcharge to the monthly minimum fee. Also, there is a $500 Product Feed setup fee. To see a full description of this account type, and how it compares to our other merchant account types, see our Merchant Account Types page. † Merchants may utilize LinkConnector's Pending Event functionality. This feature has a 30 day option available for $50 per month and a 60 day option available for $100 per month. Is there software to download?No. LinkConnector has a built-in infrastructure that does not require any software to be installed. The merchant and affiliate web-based interface can be accessed online with one username and password. When new features are added to LinkConnector, they are seamlessly integrated and LinkConnector members will have instant access to all the latest features. What reports are available to merchants?The following Merchant Reports (13 total) are available in the Merchant Manager:
Which affiliate websites can join my Affiliate Program?Each merchant has the control to approve an affiliate and then individually approve which of the affiliate's websites are accepted for particular campaigns. Therefore not all affiliates or affiliate websites need be approved for all merchant campaigns. This is made possible by LinkConnector's Source Checker technology. If a recorded referrer is not from a valid, approved website for the specific campaign, the merchant will not be charged for the event, and the affiliate will not be paid. Merchants' ability to approve their affiliates on an individual website level assists with Fraud Protection and undesirable promotion placement (such as in the Pay Per Click search engines). Please note, however, that Source Checker is not available at the Self-Managed Merchant level. Can I become an Affiliate as well as a Merchant?Yes. When you establish a merchant account, an affiliate account is automatically set up under the same username and password. Merchants can easily switch between their Merchant Manager and their Affiliate Manager within the LinkConnector interface. What promotions will LinkConnector do for my Affiliate Program?LinkConnector will promote all merchants in the following ways:
For Co-Managed and Premier merchant accounts, LinkConnector will have a more active role in merchant campaign promotions. Please contact our Merchant Relations department for more information. What merchant support does LinkConnector offer?LinkConnector's Co-Managed Merchant Accounts will receive a dedicated account representative. This person will assist them in creating and launching their first merchant campaign. This comes free of charge to these merchants. In addition, online help as well as Web-based contextual help is available, free of charge. While LinkConnector is still committed to providing a high level of service, Self-Managed Merchant Accounts will no longer have access to a dedicated account representative. |
