ABOUT AFTER YOU APPLY

1. What happens after I apply?

We will e-mail you a message as soon as we receive your application form, to confirm that it was received. Then we will take up to 2 working days to review your application and your website. We may e-mail you or call you during that time. Within the 2 days you will get an e-mail confirmation either that your application was accepted (with all of the quick start information, including your Affiliate ID Code / URL) or that it has been rejected.

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2. I didn't receive the sign up e-mail. Where is it?

It takes us up to 2 working days to process your application. Even if we do not accept your application we do send you an e-mail. If you have waited longer than 2 working days then you may have entered your e-mail address (the address you asked us to reply to in your application) incorrectly. Sorry, but you need to register again, making doubly sure that your e-mail address is correct.

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3. Do I get paid for visitors I send to you before I am approved as an affiliate?

Sorry, no. In order to pay commission we need to know who sent us the customer. We track this by having you insert a unique Affiliate ID Code into the HTML link code. If you set up a link without your ID in it we won't know who sent us the customer, and won't be able to allocate the sale to you.

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4. Am I forced to continue as an affiliate or can I erase the link when I want?

You can erase the link any time you chose. If you are doing this for a short period (for example to rotate the offers on your website) we ask, as a matter of courtesy, that you let us know you are doing this. If you plan to delete the link permanently you should terminate the contract by giving us written notice.

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5. How do you track visitors from my website?

Using your unique Affiliate ID Code we set up a special, unique URL (web page) for you which links to our home page. For example, if your web website is called 'abc.com', we might allocate 'abc' as your ID Code. Your unique URL would be therefore be www.TravellersSOS.co.uk/abc.html. (Note: although the customer links to your URL they will never see it - we automatically redirect them to our home page).

You then tag all of the links from your website with this unique URL, and when a visitor clicks from your website and then buys TravellersSOS we are able to allocate that sale to you, and to pay you commission on it.

Two caveats here though: firstly the visitor must sign up during a visit that resulted from your link, or within 30 days of that visit (remember we load a cookie). Secondly we pay commission on net sales. If a visitor cancels the policy at a later date and we refund them, we will claw the commission on that sale back from you.

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6. What are the advantages of using a unique URL?

Some websites have affiliate links that visitors can tell are affiliate links. They look something like 'www.abcsalescompany.co.uk/affiliates/cgi-bin/12345678'. We think they are too long, and that, no matter how independent you are, if you use them as a link in a newsletter after praising 'abc sales company' your visitors will notice the 'affiliate' bit, which effects your credibility.

Our redirect is short, simple, clean and easy. It works no matter how the customer accesses TravellersSOS.co.uk, whether it's via a direct web link, URL referral in an e-mail newsletter, or even by word of mouth.

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7. I forgot my Affiliate ID Code, should I apply again?

No. We can tell you what your ID Code / URL is. Just e-mail us a short message including your website URL to affiliates@TravellersSOS.co.uk

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8. How do I get reports on how much money I'm earning and how my links are performing?

As well as tracking the number of linking visitors from your end, we will e-mail you a report on a monthly basis that will give you all of the information you need.

You can also review your clicks and sales data via our "affiliatestats" section, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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9. How much income do your high-producing affiliates generate?

Because we offer a high commission rate, and the high-benefit / low-cost combination TravellersSOS offers generates a high sales conversion rate, our affiliates have an enormous opportunity to earn big commission cheques. How big depends on traffic levels, relevance and the amount of work an affiliate puts in, but monthly cheques of several thousand pounds are not unusual.

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10. My website generated clicks but I have not received commission, why?

The TravellersSOS program pays commission on sales rather than clicks, but if you are generating a regular volume of clicks we should also be generating sales, and you should be earning commission.

Before you contact us, please check that you have inserted your unique Affiliate ID Code into the link (HTML) code as instructed. This is how we know that a visitor has come from your website, so that we can allocate the sale to you.

If that doesn't solve the mystery please (remembering to include your website URL and your Affiliate ID Code) e-mail us at affiliates@TravellersSOS.co.uk and we'll be pleased to investigate for you.

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11. My clicks to sales are low?

Affiliate marketing is a great way to generate additional income and to fill your unused advertising space. But it takes a little time to learn how, so don't be discouraged. Successful affiliates experiment, test, measure and learn. Unsuccessful ones give up!

Firstly, concentrate on the basics:

• Do all of your links contain your Affiliate ID Code, as detailed in the 'setting up a link' page? If not we don't know who sent the visitor.

• To maximise sales to clicks, and to maximise your customer loyalty, you need to send targeted traffic. Are you positioning the links near travel-based content in order to maximise the relevancy of the link?

• Have you tried 'advertorial' techniques or text-based links? Do you include an advertisement or a text-based link for TravellersSOS in your order or sales confirmations? Have you included an article on TravellersSOS (e-mail us, we have several!) with a link in your newsletter? These can be more effective than banners.

• As a general point, if you're using banners that are not strategically positioned near or in relevant content, then you may well experience a low clicks to sales ratio.

• Finally, if a large proportion of your visitors research online but buy offline via the telephone, we can help you offer TravellersSOS during your telephone sales. E-mail us at affiliates@TravellersSOS.co.uk and we'll be happy to discuss it.

Try these suggestions, and look at the answers to the next few questions. If they don't help, feel free to e-mail us at affiliates@TravellersSOS.co.uk. We'll have a look at your website and see if we can suggest a way forward.

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12. Do you have any tips to improve my results / increase my income?

If you build and market your affiliate program well, the commission cheques will come. And the more targeted traffic you build, the greater your income. Here are a few tips from successful affiliate websites:

• The first tip is to be patient. The first ad doesn't always work. Ads often bring home the bacon when your visitors see them for a few weeks. Some visitors will click through on the first sighting, but it can take time (sometimes as many as 7 'viewings') before an ad gets visitors attention. Be patient, stick with it and remember that even if they come back to us direct to buy, as long as it's within 30 days the cookie will allocate the sale to you.

• Sell one thing and sell it well. Too many websites try to offer everything under the sun, and end up confusing visitors and selling very little. Successful affiliates focus on a few products and sell them well, with links across their website, in e-mails and text, and sell in much higher volumes than 'general stores'.

• Target your market - or 'if you try to sell to everyone, you might end up selling to no one!' Make sure you place your links in or near relevant subjects - to ensure that you send targeted traffic. The affiliates that focus on generating qualified leads tend to outperform other websites both in terms of actual sales and leads (visitors clicking through).

• A product honestly recommended to a customer is more effective than an advertising message. It's like a familiar face talking to you rather than a stranger interrupting. Affiliates report 'advertorials' as one of the best money making techniques. Including information / recommendations for TravellersSOS in newsletters, sales confirmations and other customer contact e-mails typically yields more traffic, and also better quality traffic, than banners.

• Spend a little time experimenting, and measure the results. Try new techniques, formats, positioning, selling methods - then measure the results they have. Build on the things that work and drop the things that don't.

• If a large proportion of your visitors research online but buy offline via the telephone, we can help you offer TravellersSOS during your telephone sales. E-mail us at affiliates@TravellersSOS.co.uk and we'll be happy to discuss it.

• Don't forget that we include a section in our affiliate newsletter, telling you what's working across our affiliate network, which will point you in the right direction.

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13. What are some of the techniques used by your high-producing affiliates?

The more incorporated into the page the links are, the greater the chance of sales. Successful affiliates simply work hard at publishing their referral link in a number of places - their website, newsletters, newsgroups, discussion lists, e-mail confirmations and other customer e-mails. They also mix up banners with text and e-mail links.

Some of our top performers also promote TravellersSOS as ers, sales or order confirmations, etc.).

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15. What types of activities do you find have the best results for your affiliates - banner bars, testimonials or e-mail newsletter mentions?

We have found that text based testimonials are the most results-driven method of marketing TravellersSOS. The reason is obvious - visitors are more likely to buy on the back of a personal recommendation than from an advertisement.

Having said that, text based links are not suitable for every website, and a well-placed banner, particularly one that looks more like text than a banner, can be almost as effective. Also, you can usually find space for a banner, whereas a text link needs to be worked into some kind of article. So a regular banner can be more effective than an infrequent text link!

A combination of banner ads and content containing links seems to be the best formula for visitor and sales generation. They put the product into the visitors mind and then provide enough information for them to make an informed decision, sending visitors across in an open-to-buy state of mind.

We also find that including a marketing message during your online order or sales taking process, or over the telephone if some of your sales are made offline, can be even more effective. Response rates can be as high as 30% for targeted campaigns. (If you'd like to discuss these marketing methods please e-mail us at affiliates@TravellersSOS.co.uk).

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16. I want to focus on banners - do you have any suggestions on how to maximise their performance?

• Make banners consistent with the web page they're placed on. Banners placed within or near relevant content (travel or travel-related stories) perform best.

• Banner placement is important. Visitors have learnt to 'tune out' banners in the frames of websites. Try placing a small banner at the right-hand margin 'within' the website text, so that the words surround it.

• Sometimes less is more. One of our favourite websites has only one banner per page. We find that we notice the banner a lot more than if there were 10 spread around the frame.

• You can still use the power of recommendation within a banner. We have some text banners that follow the advertorial approach and have proved successful.

• Update or rotate your banners frequently. No matter how good the banner, they tend to wear out after a couple of months.

• Follow the two rules of internet marketing - 'try everything' and 'track everything'.

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17. How do I create a banner, e-mail or text link to your website?

We have provided all of the tools you need to link directly to TravellersSOS.co.uk. On the setting up a link page you'll find the code for each type of link, step-by-step instructions and tips on where to place your links.

No programming skills are needed. We also provide a choice of banners, e-mail and text links to tie in with the look and feel of your website.

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18. How long does it take to put up a link (paste the code)?

It takes a few minutes. All you have to do is copy a row of HTML code into your website, remembering to put in your unique Affiliate ID Code / URL as indicated, and then save this to your web server.

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19. How many links can I make to TravellersSOS.co.uk?

You can make as many links as you choose. But the key to becoming a successful affiliate (one that makes lots of commission!) is to place links where they are most relevant - with a related topic. Often this means including a text link within your website content as well as a banner, rather than simply relying on banners.

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20. Can I use my own banners (or advertising text) to promote TravellersSOS?

We are not against you creating your own banners or text to suit your website, BUT you must get permission before using them. It is very important that the information is correct and that your visitors are not mislead into clicking through to our website. This would damage our brand and waste your effort. If you do this we may terminate your agreement.

If you want us to look at something please (remembering to include your website URL and your Affiliate ID Code) e-mail it to us at affiliates@TravellersSOS.co.uk

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21. Can you help me?

We hope so. If you have a problem please (remembering to include your website URL and your Affiliate ID Code) e-mail us at affiliates@TravellersSOS.co.uk

We're committed to helping our affiliate partners in any way we can. We will provide whatever tools and support necessary to make our partnership successful.

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22. How do I change my affiliate profile / update my contact information?

Remembering to include your website URL and your Affiliate ID Code e-mail us the changes to affiliates@TravellersSOS.co.uk. We will make the changes for you.

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