The Dangers of Traffic Exchanges

[Vinny O'Hare]

Today I am going through affiliate applications and I come across a good website that looks like a good fit for the merchant. I stay on the site and click a link and that's when it happened.

A full page of hard core porn appeared that would make a sailor blush. After doing some detective work I spot the problem which was a traffic exchange that the affiliate signed up for and without him knowing flashes porn sites. Sure when you sign up for these things they make it sound good but they are rarely worth it.

So now me as an affiliate manager has to decline the affiliate and probably let the network know whats going on. I will send the affiliate an email and let him know why he was declined, I am sure it will be a lesson learned.

Odds are he has no idea what is happening to his website. He is probably sitting there wondering why he is getting no sales and is getting declined by affiliate programs.

For the few views you get from these places it really isn't worth it.

[godbrick]

I don't imagine anyone would want porn popping up on their screen when they visit a website. Traffic exchanges sound like a scam to me. I bet that affiliate appreciates someone figuring out why his site wasn't getting looked at. I will definitely remember to steer clear of traffic exchanges.

[Vinny O'Hare]

This post inspires me to make a post about what affiliate mangers look for when they are approving and declining programs.