[GethsemeneRose]

Ok so i joined a popular store to merchandise my own products and after a few days of time on their forum it was suggested I make my store "affiliate ready" they talked about "leaks" (wich I think I have a pretty good handle on) I balked about removing them because I was doing pretty well with my own reciprical marketing (It was a small niche market to start with and the links were drawing hits) anyway I was told the "big" fellows would not affiliate with my site due to leaks and that I should come hear and read why. Well I am here I have scrolled through the first two pages of messages (reading and responding to a few threads) and I have not heard the word LEAK mentioned once was this just a hoax perpertrated by the host store to prevent THEM from losing sales or do the Big guys really only like leak free stores?

[Heidi]

we prefer leak free stores and if you do a search here you will find many messages that reference leaks at merchants

[popdawg]

Then you haven't looked hard.
Try the search function like Heidi sugested. Dealing with another merchant yesterday (and I think they posted about it again today) about this same issue.
There are MANY threads on this.

[Mr. Sal]

Originally Posted by GethsemeneRose

Ok so i joined a popular store to merchandise my own products and after a few days of time on their forum it was suggested I make my store "affiliate ready" they talked about "leaks" (wich I think I have a pretty good handle on) I balked about removing them because I was doing pretty well with my own reciprical marketing (It was a small niche market to start with and the links were drawing hits) anyway I was told the "big" fellows would not affiliate with my site due to leaks and that I should come hear and read why. Well I am here I have scrolled through the first two pages of messages (reading and responding to a few threads) and I have not heard the word LEAK mentioned once was this just a hoax perpertrated by the host store to prevent THEM from losing sales or do the Big guys really only like leak free stores?

http://forum.abestweb.com/search.php?searchid=409256

[Herb ԿԬ]

this doesn't read right -- are you a merchant or an affiliate of one or more?

[loxly]

Interesting because in the thread where I linked to here for you to come looking, I also linked to the leaks discussion thread specifically.

In case you missed it:
http://forum.abestweb.com/showthread...ighlight=leaks

Welcome to ABW and have fun poking around and learning here

[loxly]

Originally Posted by Herb ԿԬ

this doesn't read right -- are you a merchant or an affiliate of one or more?

Herb, they have a CafePress shop so the answer is merchant

[loxly]

just a hoax perpertrated by the host store to prevent THEM from losing sales

Why do you think that by me trying to get YOUR shop to make sales I am only looking out for the corporation? You are the merchant, it is your products that you (and I and possibly affiliates) want to sell. If you don't make sales, we don't make sales.

[GethsemeneRose]

Deb I purposely did not mention cafepress didn't want to give anyone a bad taste and like I said I am used to different marketing paradigms were this type of "hoax" is common and effective I am sure I can learn these new paradigms as my new LEAK FREE store shows. I have since seen more and I thank all (including you Deb) for being patient and showing me this new paradigm I am still not sure I totally understand it but I am willing to try. PS so far my only sales have been through reciprical marketing and Newsletter campaigning.

[Herb ԿԬ]

and most of us won't touch a merchant's stuff if our visitor could go there and hook into things that don't pay for us.

[GethsemeneRose]

I have mentioned in other posts that I am coming from a sales background that REQUIRED reciprical marketing What you call "leaks" were what we called "Draws" a neccesary thing because the RELATIONSHIP had to be built these relationships meant we gave instant access to various pieces of information that we could not afford to host ourselves nor afford the time to find ourselves. (for instance google doesn't consider the billions of links that go off to other sites leaks they consider them draws to bring people to google in the first place where they might also see an add that paid google to be there.) so this idea of leaks is 180 degrees from what I am used to.

[Herb ԿԬ]

but are you also referring to the brick/mortar store world?

[bethany]

What if your salesperson was given a specific territory and then you went ahead and made your own private sales in that territory, as well? It wouldn't be fair or ethical in any sales situation and "leak" describes it perfectly. I don't know what that has to with reciprocal marketing.

google doesn't consider the billions of links that go off to other sites leaks they consider them draws to bring people

No, they consider that profit, they make money off those links, it's part of their business model. I'm not understanding any of your logic so far. But perhaps after 100 more posts from you today, it'll all be clear.

[GethsemeneRose]

No I used to be in online Real Estate and you could not sell to someone untill they had been to your site about 7 or more times usually to find information that was posted on other sites (like Realtor.0rg) this would be considered a leak to the guys in this world. they also wanted weather information. Crime info and lots of other stats that updated routinely that would be a bear to try and keep track of yourself so you HAD to send them away and hope they came back they did enter an email sometimes to find certain information you usually then Driped on them for a matter of months sending them other "relavent info" that wasn't usually on your home site. This is a totally different paradigm also in order to get the "leak" info you basically joined a reciprical marketing system (an MLS) that routinely sent your clients to your competitors Web sites you had to rely on the contract and many times good faith that the competitor would not use the information wrongly. The problems came with a lot of the TOP realtor websites insisting on people staying inhouse for alot of things (like selling loans with the house) this is the type of HOAX I was refereing to earlier Many states have since banned this type of thing or at the very least heavily regulated it.

[Herb ԿԬ]

Originally Posted by GethsemeneRose

Deb I purposely did not mention cafepress didn't want to give anyone a bad taste and like I said I am used to different marketing paradigms were this type of "hoax" is common and effective I am sure I can learn these new paradigms as my new LEAK FREE store shows. I have since seen more and I thank all (including you Deb) for being patient and showing me this new paradigm I am still not sure I totally understand it but I am willing to try. PS so far my only sales have been through reciprical marketing and Newsletter campaigning.

I don't think any of us have an issue with CafePress; on the contrary. And even though I don't sell for you (yet) I do appreciate your cleaning up the store.

[GethsemeneRose]

Originally Posted by bethany

What if your salesperson was given a specific territory and then you went ahead and made your own private sales in that territory, as well? It wouldn't be fair or ethical in any sales situation and "leak" describes it perfectly. I don't know what that has to with reciprocal marketing.

No, they consider that profit, they make money off those links, it's part of their business model. I'm not understanding any of your logic so far. But perhaps after 100 more posts from you today, it'll all be clear.

Exactly they profit from that business model I have never seen this affiliate business model until last week so it took me awhile to switch gears from a model were I PROFIT from those links to a model like cafepress in wich I DO NOT profit. I have learned quickly though and have since changed my store. (I hope I got the info across in one post LOL)

[Herb ԿԬ]

I think you'll like this business much more, but like the rest of us you'll have a long row to hoe before the income starts. (You're in good hands with Deb)