User-authenticated websites are commonplace these days. And many affiliates — from such power players as Bank of America and ShopDiscover to smaller websites — make their offers available only to registered users, putting most of the website behind the login form. And such strategy absolutely understandable.
However, if you run a login-based website that monetizes through affiliate marketing, to ensure your affiliate application is considered seriously (and isn’t declined immediately upon reaching a you-don’t-have-permissions-to-access-this-website message, or a login form), provide access to your website right in/with your affiliate application. Last week we Tweeted:
Dear affiliate, if you run a “private site” which requires login to view it, provide credentials with(in) your affiliate program application
— AM Navigator (@AMNavigator) June 6, 2013
And what a joy it was to, finally, see affiliates follow this advice when yesterday we had an affiliate application with username+password embedded in the affiliate URL (allowing us to experience the website first-hand):
Naturally, upon checking the affiliate website out, their application was approved within seconds.
If you have reasons not to provide the affiliate manager with login credentials, the very least you can do is have a generic webpage that explains how your idea/system works.