ClickBank is one of the most popular and well-known affiliatemarketing networks in the world. It allows sellers to create and
sell digital products such as ebooks, courses, software, and membership
sites, and affiliates to promote these products and earn commissions
for each sale.
ClickBank has many benefits for both sellers and
affiliates, such as:
- High commissions: ClickBank offers up to 75% commission rates for
affiliates, which is much higher than most other networks
- Low barriers to entry: ClickBank is free to join and use for both
sellers and affiliates, and does not require any approval process or
minimum requirements
- Access to marketing education: ClickBank provides various resources
and training programs for sellers and affiliates, such as ClickBank
University, which teaches how to create and sell digital products
However, ClickBank is not without its drawbacks and
challenges. In this article, we will explore the disadvantages of ClickBank and
how they can affect sellers and affiliates. We will also provide some tips and
suggestions on how to overcome or cope with these disadvantages.
Disadvantage #1: ClickBank Has Tons of Weak Products
One of the biggest problems with ClickBank is that it has a
lot of low-quality products that can harm its reputation and
credibility. These are products that offer little or no value to the customers,
and may have issues such as:
- Outdated information: Some products contain information that is no
longer relevant, accurate, or useful.
- Poor design: Some products have a poor presentation, layout, or user
interface that makes them hard to read, use, or navigate.
- Misleading claims: Some products make unrealistic or false promises,
such as “make $10,000 in a week” or “lose 20 pounds in a month”.
- Scammy offers: Some products are outright scams that try to trick
customers into paying for something they will never receive, or giving
away their personal or financial information.
These weak products can affect sellers and affiliates
negatively, such as:
- Lower conversions: Customers are less likely to buy products that
have poor reviews, ratings, or feedback.
- Higher refunds: Customers are more likely to request refunds if they
are dissatisfied with the products they bought.
- Customer complaints: Customers may complain to ClickBank, the
seller, the affiliate, or other platforms about the products they bought.
- Legal issues: Sellers and affiliates may face legal consequences if
they sell or promote products that violate laws, regulations, or policies.
To avoid or minimize the impact of weak products, sellers
and affiliates should:
- Do thorough research: Before creating, selling, or promoting a
product, do some research on the market, the niche, the audience, the
competitors, and the best practices.
- Read reviews: Before buying or promoting a product, read the
reviews, ratings, and feedback from other customers, sellers, and
affiliates.
- Test products: Before selling or promoting a product, test it
yourself to see if it delivers what it promises, and if it meets your
standards and expectations.
- Choose reputable vendors: Before partnering with a seller, check
their reputation, track record, and performance on ClickBank and other
platforms.
Learn more about: How to Solve the Clickbank Login Problem, Clickbank Success: Affiliate Marketing Without a Website
Disadvantage #2: ClickBank Is Expensive for Inactive Affiliates and Sellers
Another problem with ClickBank is that it charges fees
for inactivity and dormant accounts, which can reduce the earnings of sellers
and affiliates. These are fees that are applied when:
- An affiliate account does not generate any sales for 90 days.
- A seller account does not generate any sales for 180 days.
- A dormant account has a balance below $25 for 90 days.
The fees are:
- $1 per day for the first 90 days of inactivity.
- $5 per day for the next 90 days of inactivity.
- $50 per day for the next 90 days of inactivity.
- $100 per day for the next 90 days of inactivity.
- Account closure after 360 days of inactivity.
These fees can affect sellers and affiliates negatively,
such as:
- Lower profits: The fees can eat into the profits of sellers and
affiliates, especially if they have low or irregular sales.
- Cash flow problems: The fees can cause cash flow problems for
sellers and affiliates, especially if they rely on ClickBank as their main
or sole source of income.
- Account closure: The fees can lead to account closure, which means
losing access to the products, the commissions, and the customers.
To avoid or minimize the impact of the fees, sellers and
affiliates should:
- Stay active: To prevent inactivity, sellers and affiliates should
generate sales regularly, at least once every 90 days.
- Withdraw funds: To prevent dormant accounts, sellers and affiliates
should withdraw their funds whenever they reach the minimum threshold,
which is $10 for affiliates and $100 for sellers.
- Close accounts: To prevent account closure, sellers and affiliates
should close their accounts voluntarily if they no longer want to use
ClickBank, or if they have not generated any sales for a long time.
Disadvantage #3: ClickBank Has High Competition
A third problem with ClickBank is that it is very competitive
for sellers and affiliates, as it hosts over six million products and 100,000
affiliates. This means that:
- There are many products in the same or similar niches, which makes
it hard to stand out and attract customers.
- There are many affiliates in the same or similar niches, which makes
it hard to rank and drive traffic.
- There are many factors that influence the success of a product or an
affiliate, such as price, quality, value, marketing, reputation, and trust.
Some of the challenges of competing on ClickBank are:
- Saturated niches: Some niches are so crowded and competitive that it
is almost impossible to enter or succeed in them, such as health, fitness,
or make money online.
- Price wars: Some sellers and affiliates try to undercut each other
by lowering their prices, which can result in lower profits and lower
perceived value.
- Copycats: Some sellers and affiliates try to copy or imitate the
products or strategies of others, which can result in lower originality
and lower differentiation.
- Ad fraud: Some sellers and affiliates try to manipulate or cheat the
system by using bots, fake clicks, or fake reviews, which can result in
lower quality and lower trust.
To overcome or cope with the competition, sellers and
affiliates should:
- Find unique angles: Instead of following the crowd, sellers and
affiliates should find unique angles or sub-niches that are less
competitive and more profitable, such as solving a specific problem,
targeting a specific audience, or offering a specific benefit.
- Create value: Instead of competing on price, sellers and affiliates
should compete on value, by creating products that offer high quality,
high utility, and high satisfaction to the customers.
- Build relationships: Instead of relying on one-time transactions,
sellers and affiliates should build relationships with their customers, by
providing support, feedback, and follow-up, and by encouraging loyalty,
referrals, and repeat purchases.
- Diversify income streams: Instead of depending on ClickBank alone,
sellers and affiliates should diversify their income streams, by using
other platforms, networks, or methods, such as creating their own
websites, blogs, or email lists, or using other affiliate programs, such
as Amazon Associates, ShareASale, or CJ Affiliate.
Disadvantage #4: ClickBank Is Prone to Refund Risk
A fourth problem with ClickBank is that it has a generous refund
policy that some customers can abuse, which can result in lost sales and
commissions for sellers and affiliates. The refund policy is:
- Customers can request a refund within 60 days of purchase, for any
reason or no reason at all.
- Customers can request a refund directly from ClickBank, without
contacting the seller or the affiliate.
- Customers can request a refund multiple times, for the same or
different products.
The refunds can affect sellers and affiliates negatively,
such as:
- Lower revenues: The refunds can reduce the revenues of sellers and
affiliates, especially if they have high refund rates or high-ticket
products.
- Higher chargebacks: The refunds can increase the chargebacks of
sellers and affiliates, which are fees that are charged by the payment
processors for processing the refunds.
- Lower ratings: The refunds can lower the ratings of sellers and
affiliates on ClickBank, which are metrics that measure the performance
and popularity of the products and the affiliates.
- Lower trust: The refunds can lower the trust of sellers and
affiliates with their customers, which can affect their reputation and
credibility.
To prevent or reduce the refunds, sellers and affiliates
should:
- Provide quality products: The best way to prevent refunds is to
provide quality products that deliver what they promise, and that meet or
exceed the expectations of the customers.
- Offer support: Another way to prevent refunds is to offer support to
the customers, by answering their questions, solving their problems, or
addressing their concerns.
- Set expectations: A third way to prevent refunds is to set
expectations for the customers, by providing clear and accurate
information about the products, such as the features, the benefits, the
requirements, and the results.
- Follow up: A fourth way to prevent refunds is to follow up with the
customers, by providing additional value, such as bonuses, tips, or
resources, or by asking for feedback, testimonials, or reviews.
FAQs
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about
ClickBank, based on the people also ask section for the main keyword:
Is ClickBank free?
Yes, ClickBank is free to join and use for both sellers and
affiliates, and does not require any approval process or minimum requirements
Is ClickBank affiliate program legit?
Yes, ClickBank is a legit and reputable affiliate marketing
network that has been in business since 1998
Is ClickBank worth it?
It depends on your goals, skills, and preferences.
ClickBank can be worth it if you can find and promote quality products,
generate traffic, and earn commissions
How do I get paid by ClickBank?
You can get paid by ClickBank via check, direct deposit,
wire transfer, or Payoneer, depending on your country and preference
How do I find products to promote on ClickBank?
You can find products to promote on ClickBank by browsing
the marketplace, searching by keywords, categories, or filters, or using tools
like CBEngine or CB Snooper
How do I promote products on ClickBank?
You can promote products on ClickBank by creating a landing
page, a website, a blog, an email list, a social media account, a video, a
podcast, or an ad campaign, and using your affiliate link to direct traffic to
the product’s sales page
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored the disadvantages of
ClickBank and how they can affect sellers and affiliates. We have also provided
some tips and suggestions on how to overcome or cope with these disadvantages.
The main purpose of this article is to provide an honest
and balanced perspective on ClickBank, and to help you make an informed
decision on whether to use it or not.
ClickBank is not a perfect platform, and it has its pros and cons. It can be a great opportunity for sellers and affiliates who can find and promote quality products, generate traffic, and earn commissions. However, it can also be a risky and challenging platform for sellers and affiliates who have to deal with weak products, fees, competition, and refunds.
