Despite travel industry affiliate marketeers best efforts to generate sales for travel companies and get some cash for themselves there are a few things that mean it isn’t such an easy task.
- Cashback sites - These sites offer customers a split of the commission paid out from affiliate schemes so even if an affiliate has worked hard generating compelling content on their website to encourage a booking at XXXtravel merchant, the affiliate doesn’t get the credit. Now big media companies including Kelkoo and TheSun have cashback offerings meaning an even wider potential of losing a sale at the lastminute.
- Vouchercode sites - like the cashback sites they come in at the end of the customers journey / decision making process and via a google search for “discount code for XXXtravel merchant” end up being the last click before sale and so get the affiliate commission.
- Megabrands - There is a trend in the travel industry for the owners of inventory (i.e the flight seats, hotel rooms etc) to regain control of their stock and distribute it themselves through their own websites. The worst example for travel industry affiliate and travel agent alike is Ryanair who have such a well known brand and excel at PR that they don’t need help generating traffic to their site. There is no real example in the hotel side yet but increased consolidation could mean we see that day.
- Travel Companies Call Centres – There will always be a certain amount of leakage caused by customers that the affiliate has delivered to the website booking with the travel supplier – but by the phone so the affiliate gets zilch. As a rule of thumb the more complex the product the more likely the leakage to the telephone, e.g. flight only, not likely, deluxe cruise, ‘fraid so. Look out for a lack of an online booking discount, prominently displayed telephone numbers as 2 factors that won’t help the affiliate feed his or her kids. Affiliates can try and reduce the leakage by answering as many questions customers may have on their landing pages. Some merchants are kind enough to provide a version of their site without a phone number for affiliates.
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