Saturday, March 23, 2013

My Viglink Review - GO or NO GO?


To be honest, I wish I had no need for Viglink...

In fact, my decision to try them out was due to the fact that I was terminated from an affiliate program solely because I live in New York. If you're familiar with newly implemented "Nexus Laws" you understand my dilemma. If not, and you're interested (if you're an affiliate, you probably should be) a quick Google search will bring you up to speed.

But I digress...

Are you wondering how VigLink can help monetize links on your pages, and whether it's a good fit for you?

Here's my personal VigLink review...

Quick Overview of VigLink...

What You Do: Just install (copy and paste) a bit of code on a webpage, website or blog.

What VigLink Does: Whenever someone clicks a link on your website, VigLink tracks it. If that visitor goes on to buy something, and there's an affiliate program tied to that merchant (VigLink is tied to 12,500+ affiliate programs), they'll know... and you'll get paid. VigLink takes 25% of the commission, leaving you with 75%.

What Merchants Are Covered? (<---- are="" br="" can="" covered="" merchants="" search="" see="" to="" what="" you="">
Note: links that are affiliated already are left alone, meaning you get full credit for any program you want to join directly.

The Good: 7 Things I Like About VigLink

1. Easy to Install

For starters, VigLink is easy to install. A bit of code before the closing body tag, and you're done. VigLink then works seamlessly to turn the links on your page into potential sources of income.

2. Doesn't Override Existing Affiliate Links

This is a biggie. Your existing affiliate links are untouched and you'll continue to earn 100% of the revenue they produce. Amen.

3. Seamless for Visitors

VigLink does not change the user experience at all -- it's pretty much invisible to the average visitor.

4. More Clicks?

Affiliate links tend to be long and ugly, and some visitors go out of their way NOT to click them. With VigLink you link directly to the merchant. So when a visitor "mouses over" the link, they'll see http://www.Netflix.com, for example, rather than an affiliate link. I believe that many more people are clicking because of this.

5. Great Analytics

On top of tracking commissions earned, your dashboard also gives you solid analytics. Most clicked links. Best pages for revenue. Other sites producing outbound traffic, etc. This information is very valuable, and tells you a lot about how users are interacting with your site.

6. Found Money

VigLink produces income from links that weren't earning income before. So whether you didn't realize an affiliate program existed... or your site was rejected by the program administrator... or you were terminated due to Nexus Laws... or, you're just too lazy to sign up and post links... or you'd rather focus on content creation... you can still earn a sizable chunk of every sale you help produce.

7. Not Locked In

You can install VigLink today and uninstall it tomorrow. You can switch a VigLink with your own affiliate link at any time. It's nice to know that they take their cut when they're providing value... and if they're not... you can claim your full commission at any time.

The Bad: A Few Things I Don't Like

1. Their Cut Ain't Small...

When a commission is earned from a VigLink link (or should I just say, a VigLink), you get 75% of the commission. They take 25%. That's not exactly a small piece. They're providing a valueable service for sure, but you have to be comfortable with giving up what could be some real money. That said, if you have a better option and can use your own affiliate link, you're always free to. So while I'd be happier giving up less, it's hard to register this as a real complaint.

2. Some Analytics are Confusing (Me)

I like the range of analytics displayed for the pages I've installed VigLink. But I find a few of them confusing. For example, my dashboard is showing clicks for "links already affiliated by you" as 0. Yet, I know that I have other affiliate links on these pages and that they have been registering clicks. Does that mean these links are from programs not in their database? Not sure. My dashboard is also listing "pages on my site where VigLink is tracking purchases and collecting commissions" as 0. Huh? It's clearly tracking and I'm generating revenue.

3. Want Support? Dig a Little...

Like a lot of people who want to use a service like this, I initially had some questions. You should be prepared to do some digging to get the answers you need. There is a "community powered support" platform where you can search questions others have asked... or ask your own, and get responses from other users and VigLink employees. Certainly not the best or most efficient support, but so far this hasn't been too big of a deal.

Overall? Worth Getting Started?

In my humble opinion THE GOOD definitely outweighs THE BAD and by a pretty significant margin. While I'm not thrilled with giving 25% of my commissions away, all in all, my experience with VigLink has been largely positive. And I'd be earning less income without them. Given the flexibility and simplicity of the solution, I definitely I recommend it. For others like me who have fallen victim to Nexus Laws, it's a no brainer!

Now if you plan to use VigLink then click here to join VigLink