LinkConnector’s New Pending Sale Functionality Reduces Fraud Risks

LinkConnector’s New Pending Sale Functionality Reduces Fraud Risks

Merchants Can Now Use a Pay-Per-Sale Campaign Regardless of Where and When a Transaction is Finalized

CARY, NC — December 13, 2004 — LinkConnector (http://www.linkconnector.com/), an affiliate marketing network, today announced new functionality that will allow more merchants to launch pay-per-sale affiliate promotions, thereby eliminating most of the fraud risks associated with running an Affiliate Marketing campaign. In most affiliate networks, a pay-per-sale affiliate campaign is only available to merchants who are able to finalize the sale process online while the consumer is still present on the merchant’s site. Merchants who can’t do this are forced to run a pay-per-click or pay-per-lead promotion with affiliates, which exposes them to more potential fraud. LinkConnector’s Pending Sale functionality opens up pay-per-sale campaigns to any merchant who begins their sale process online. Merchants now can use a pay-per-sale affiliate campaign regardless of where and when an online sale transaction is finalized.

While Internet commerce continues to grow significantly each year, a large percentage of Internet sales are not finalized in an online shopping cart. This means that a large group of merchants can not use a pay-per-sale affiliate promotion to promote their business and increase sales. While these merchants have historically relied on the riskier pay-per-click and pay-per-lead promotions, the increasing use of click rings, automated click bots, and other forms of affiliate fraud have led many of these merchants to abandon Affiliate Marketing entirely. LinkConnector’s Pending Sale functionality allows these merchants to return with a reliable pay-per-sale promotion.

LinkConnector’s Pending Sale functionality allows a merchant to classify any sale as a pending sale. Reasons for doing so include processing a credit card offline, order verification, paying for a service without a credit card (e.g., direct debit, from a tax refund, etc.), as well as other post-sale requirements. Once post-sale requirements have been met, the merchant validates the sale so the affiliate can be compensated. By ensuring a sale is valid and complete before making a payment to an affiliate, a merchant eliminates any risk associated with an affiliate transaction and can afford to pay honest affiliates more for each sale. Affiliates also benefit from this new functionality by having more merchants return to Affiliate Marketing. These additional merchants will compete for an affiliate’s traffic thereby driving rewards up.

In addition to the pay-per-sale event, LinkConnector has also applied this functionality to its pay-per-lead event. Acquiring potential customers with the pay-per-lead promotion is typically viewed as riskier for merchants whose online business can’t take advantage of a pay-per-sale promotion. LinkConnector’s Pending Sale functionality alleviates most of this increased risk. Merchants are now able to review leads as they receive them and eliminate leads obviously created by click rings and automated click bots. Again, honest affiliates benefit by allowing merchants to pay more for each legitimate lead.

About LinkConnector.com

LinkConnector is an affiliate marketing network, helping merchants and affiliates increase online sales. LinkConnector is redefining affiliate marketing with its ground-breaking technologies, Naked Link Technology® and Virtual Affiliate™ tracking. Naked Link Technology gives merchants a unique edge over competitors—merchants can now boost their organic rankings through an enhanced link building campaign while they promote their site in LinkConnector’s Affiliate Program. Virtual Affiliate™ tracking allows merchants to track, in real time, virtual affiliates such as organic search engines. Equipped with LinkConnector’s new tools, including advanced ROI tracking, merchants can take their organic and paid search campaigns to new levels.

Visit http://www.linkconnector.com/ to find out more about new LinkConnector technologies.

PR Contacts:

LinkConnector Corporation

Jackie Lane Bates

Phone: 919.468.5150