The Hidden Dangers of Being an Affiliate Stats Junkie
R U an Affiliate Stats Junkie? If so, it could be negatively affecting your affiliate marketing success in a variety of ways.
If you do PPC, constant stats checking is a strong temptation, but one that needs to be avoided at all cost. Our client, RevenueWire, blogged today about the problems associated with obsessive-compulsive stats checking.
The Hidden Dangers Constant Stat Checking “Any seasoned PPC affiliate will tell you that constantly monitoring your traffic and sales in ‘real-time’ can cause minor heart palpitations. That’s because what you’re watching is in constant flux. It’s a proven fact that traffic and sales vary wildly throughout any given day. Google may decide to throttle your traffic in some new and unexpected manner, or the purchasing behavior of your customers could fluctuate at any point. It’s this state of heightened anxiety that is the natural enemy of the successful affiliate. Why?”
When it comes to being a successful PPC affiliate Amit Mehta tells us that Patience is a Super Affiliate Virtue. He says: “Most ppc affiliates are constantly monitoring their stats, like day traders watching stock prices. I call these affiliates stats checking junkies. The truth is that stats checking junkies are more likely to make rash changes than someone who check their stats no more than once a day – the disciplined super affiliate. If you’re a stats checking junkie it’s killing your business, and YOU KNOW IT.”
The other problem that affiliates who are stats junkies face, is the emotional rollercoaster that watching the constant up and down fluctuations creates. Not only is constant stats checking a productivity killer, it’s a business killer, because you need to keep your attitude on an even keel. Amit has some more tips about it in this post.
Why Data Would be the Ultimate Super Affiliate
Are you letting your emotions control your decisions making?
Conquering your emotions is one of the biggest obstacles you’ll face in becoming a super affiliate, but the rewards of doing so will prepare you for success in other parts of your life as well.
Here are some tips that will help you exercise your emotional control and keep your emotions from negatively effecting your business decisions:
1. Checking Stats: Do you check your stats 5 times a day? We’ll I can tell you right now that over checking stats will KILL your productivity. You end up spending half your time agonizing why your sales are lower than normal, or celebrating when you see that they’re higher than normal. Of course at the end of the day it all usually averages out, and you’ve just wasted 1/2 your day that you could have spend building your affiliate campaigns. Don’t check your stats more than ONCE A DAY.
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#1 Joseph Ratliff wrote on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009:
Linda,
I see this “distraction” all the time…and the time you waste “checking stats all the time” can be better invested in developing your business.
Great post.
#2 Andrew @ Personal PPC Coach wrote on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009:
I never thought of it like this. You really could hurt your business by obsessing over your stats. Say a junkie checks their stats 10 times a day. Even this many times could amount a substantial amount of wasted time. It makes you stop and think.
#3 Evany wrote on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009:
I never quite thought of it that way, but it’s very true. When I first started in affiliate marketing I would do more stats checking than anything else. It drove me crazy not knowing if what I was doing was working or not. Many times I would stop dead in my tracks because I was not seeing results fast enough. If I knew then what I know now things would have been much less stressful. To succeed in this business one needs to learn patience and no matter what keep moving forward. Otherwise, you will discourage yourself all too quickly and quit before you get anywhere.
Great Post, thanks.
#4 Jon wrote on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009:
I have a second monitor that has my tracker open 24/7 all it takes is one look to see where I’m at. I’m thinking to take it down because it simply disturbing.