Should you add affiliate links to your online shop?

Often when online shop owners open an affiliate program, they are tempted to add affiliate links to other sites on their shops. After all, if someone doesn’t buy, why not have a second bite at the cherry and make something out of them with an affiliate link or search engine ads. Is this a good idea? I don’t think so, and here is why…

1. You need to make up your mind whether your site is an online shop that is focussed on converting viewers into paying customers, or an affiliate site sending traffic off elsewhere. One site can’t be both. If you try, you’ll do neither well.
    
2. IMO, adsense only make online shops look cheap, and suggest that what you are selling is not good enough on its own. Wouldn’t you rather sell them some products and get a long-term customer than earn a few (ad)cents
    
3. Genuine affiliates will stop promoting you. Performance or affiliate marketing works when they send you targetted potential customers and you convert them into sales. If you try making money from that traffic in a different way, you aren’t playing your part in the bargain. Certainly, it is up to you what you do on your site, but it is up to affiliates to decide whether they’ll continue to promote you.
    

So, if you want to make more money from your site, focus on improving your offering, look for things that could be losing you sales, and work with your best affiliates instead of against them.