- Give plenty of notice - at least one month, preferably two - to current affiliates. This gives them time to replace your links and for sales from their recent promotions to convert.
- When you give notice to a network, make sure that they pass the information on to all affiliates. Clixgalore has the facility for you to send a broadcast email to all affiliates yourself.
- Don't take on any new affiliates just to let them waste time and money promoting a program that is about to close. Clixgalore has the option to hide your program from new affiliates while the program with your current affiliates runs its course. Other networks may have the same facility.
What if my business is seasonal?
A lot of online merchants have businesses that are seasonal, flowers sell well for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, swimwear in summer, etc. Just leave your affiliate program ticking over and, as well as picking up the occasional sale, everything stays in place until the next season. You might even find a clever affiliate finds you a new market. If you close the program and affiliates have had to remove links or find an alternative merchant, they may have no reason to take you back again.
What if I want to slow down my business for a while?
Just talk to your affiliates, ask them to reduce promotion until you are on top of things. There's no need to close the program.
What if I can't take any more orders for Christmas delivery after mid-December?
Let your affiliates know your closing dates in plenty of time. BCL shopping pages are changed frequently in the weeks leading up to Christmas to take account of merchants last order dates. It can also be a good idea to have a notice on every page of your site (not just the home page) stressing last order dates have passed.
However, you should keep your site and your affiliate program going so you don't miss out on customers wanting to order goods for January.
If in doubt, talk to your network and major affiliates to find a solution that suits everyone.
