Will Amazon Leave Affiliates DEAD?
Today I have a little story for you.
During my daily Internet escapades, a marketing buddy of mine
pointed me in the direction of a new press release that was
announced on CNET on February 25th 2000.
I was so shocked when I read the release, that my mind wandered
off in countless directions, trying to grasp the devastating
effect that this could bring to the world of e-commerce. "No,
surely not" I said to myself.
I quickly realized that the press release I just read could
entail me losing over HALF of my monthly revenue.
It's true.
DEATH TO SOME AFFILIATE PROGRAMS could soon be the reality.
(Well, at least the existing technologies that are used)
Amazon.com, the leading Internet bookstore and e-commerce giant,
applied for a patent to cover it's affiliate program
technologies on June 27th 1997.
It seems as though Amazon.com got there first before any one,
and started off the affiliate craze. Unfortunately, they
realized that their competitors would also employ similar
affiliate tactics to increase sales. So they applied for a
patent governing exclusive copyrights to the technology that
controls and operates the affiliate software.
If enforced, it would mean that some companies would either have
to apply for a license to continue using their affiliate
programs, or would have to cease using them as a marketing
method.
The bad news is they received their patent on Tuesday.
The big question now is "Will Amazon Enforce It?". Only time
will give the answer. But if they do, this could mean a big, BIG
change in the e-commerce world.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?
As an Internet marketer, you may have to change the way your own
affiliate program operates. You may find that the affiliate
programs you're involved in now cease to operate, or are forced
to change in the way that they work.
Or, maybe nothing will happen.
But the point is, will you be ready for the change if it DOES
happen? How will your business cope? How will you cover for the
lost revenue if your affiliate program stops?
The important message that lies beneath all this doesn't just
stop at affiliate programs. It's about innovating for the future
to cope with new drastic changes. Can you cope?
We're living in exciting times. The Internet is developing all
around us, and the rules of e-commerce are being rewritten every
day. What worked and applied yesterday may be irrelevant or
outdated tomorrow.
The people who will truly succeed are the ones that can cope
with these sudden changes, and inspire new marketing methods and
techniques to keep their business booming.
Be ready for change. Not just for affiliate programs, but for
anything in life. Expect change, and become so flexible that you
can adapt to these changes effectively.
After all, life is full of changes, and the successful person
can accept this and move on. Are you this type of person?
When change comes (in whatever form), will YOU be ready?
Until next time...