When we launch a new product, we all hope it's going to be a runaway bestseller. More than that, most of us aim to produce a product so remarkable that it generates rave reviews and achieves cult popularity. You may very well achieve all of these objectives with your product launches.
But, beware of a characteristic of the ClickBank system that may throw these aspirations into jeopardy - the 90-day refund rule.
Most merchants agree that ClickBank's rock-solid refund policy adds a great deal of credibility to their sales pitches, enabling them to make sales to even the most wary of online shoppers. The hassle-free refund procedure is also the key factor behind ClickBank's exceptionally low chargeback rate. ClickBank customers have no need to ask their banks for chargebacks, so ClickBank keeps its merchant account in good standing and we merchants all save money on chargeback penalties.
But, despite its attractions, the ClickBank refund rule is also a source of blatant abuse by a minority of dishonest buyers.
However good a product may be; however much your genuine buyers love it, there will always be a small percentage who ask for refunds. Don't be disheartened. In most cases, this is not a reflection on your product or your competence as a merchant. It is simply an exploitation of the ClickBank refund system to get something for nothing.
Around 5% of my ClickBank sales result in refunds and, judging by my discussions with other merchants, this figure appears to be about average. I have numerous glowing testimonials from satisfied customers, but there is still the occasional buyer who is, seemingly, impossible to please. Ironically, I have never yet issued a refund to a buyer who has offered a reason for being dissatisfied. Is this normal? It suggests to me that the problem lies not with the product, but with the morals of the buyer.
With the purchase of a digital product you can, if you choose, keep the product and get your money back. Online theft just doesn't get any easier than this.
ClickBank's merchant community has suggested various ways to tackle this problem. The most popular idea seems to be that ClickBank should introduce a rogue customer list, identifying serial refunders by their prior purchasing activity. Of course, the list would be confidential - merchants would simply need the option to specify whether they accept purchases by buyers in this category. This solution is not without its own problems, especially the challenge of accurately identifying buyers from one purchase to the next. With multiple credit cards and multiple email addresses, it is relatively easy to bypass the banned list, simply by creating a new online persona. But, at least this initiative offers hope of a solution to the problem.
So far, ClickBank has not announced on any plans to update its refund policy or introduce controls to protect its merchants from this type of fraud. Until something changes, merchants need to adopt a pragmatic attitude to the dilemma of sham refunds. As frustrating as it may be to see our profits willingly handed over to fraudsters, we should remember that the reassurance offered by the refund system probably pays us dividends many times greater, in the form of increased sales.
About The Author
Copyright ? Tim Coulter. All rights reserved.
Tim Coulter is a consultant and software developer who helps netpreneurs to harness marketing technologies.
He is also the author of "ClickBank - The Definitive Guide" The Ultimate ClickBank Tutorial & Reference Manual.
http://www.clickbankrevealed.com/
green cleaning service Park Ridge ..Without tracking, your online advertising is just a shot in... Read More
How?Dead easy.I implemented this tactic myself yesterday on one of... Read More
When Google introduced their new Adsense revenue sharing program, people... Read More
Are Small PPC Search Engines Really Worth The Effort? The... Read More
What was once such a good thing is now a... Read More
So You Want Big Profits From Your AdWords PPC Advertising?... Read More
There are no guarantees in life, so I don't guarantee... Read More
What is Average Customer Lifetime Value?Traditional business philosophy is that... Read More
Hardly a day goes by without a forum posting in... Read More
Despite what you may hear, the Google AdSense program is... Read More
There are many forms of advertising nowadays. There's popups and... Read More
There is no doubting the success of Google's Adsense program.... Read More
What are PPC Search Engines?PPC Search Engines are search engines... Read More
Many people decide to spend a lot of money putting... Read More
Watch out for a shift in the pay-per-click (PPC) industry,... Read More
ClickBank allows its merchants to sell many different types of... Read More
Can you really make money from this?Late 2003, I think... Read More
There's tons of money to be made from the Google... Read More
As marketers and business owners, we're always looking for "the... Read More
Because of increasing competition that has led to higher advertising... Read More
A few days ago, I was setting up my latest... Read More
So how do people find my website? This is by... Read More
If you have visited any of the affiliate-related websites or... Read More
Dear friends,Google AdSense has rapidly gained a status of an... Read More
Google AdSense is easy to install on a web page... Read More
cleaning help near Bannockburn ..Before Google's AdWords, Overture was the preeminent pay-per- click program.... Read More
By knowing the most expensive keywords on the internet, you... Read More
Google's AdSense program is probably the best affiliate program on... Read More
Campaign strategy for Paid placement:A Paid Marketing campaigns provides immediate... Read More
Google developed a prime product, Adsense. Marketing your website through... Read More
Many surfers are savvy enough to identify ClickBank affiliate links,... Read More
Pay per click (PPC) advertising can be a dream come... Read More
Not long ago, Forbes magazine has reported that pay per... Read More
Pay per click search engines are a great way to... Read More
Dear friends,Google, the most populated search engine on the Internet,... Read More
There's tons of money to be made from the Google... Read More
Paid Search Advertising (also Pay-Per-Click, PPC) has gained a significant... Read More
If you have been online for quiet some time you... Read More
Pay per click marketing is one of the simplest and... Read More
If you have multiple sites or multiple directories in your... Read More
As you probably know, Google is the world largest search... Read More
Lots of people would like to get their Web site... Read More
The darkest nightmare a hardworking affiliate webmaster fears is receiving... Read More
There are a variety of advertising options available to online... Read More
Google AdSense is a great way for webmasters to monetize... Read More
The other day I was talking to one of my... Read More
Running a pay-per-click advertising campaign can be very expensive if... Read More
Google is probably one of the single most important revolutions... Read More
Click fraud is an unfortunate byproduct of the pay per... Read More
First, go to google and type "dan kennedy" into the... Read More
Pay-Per-Click Advertising |