How can we work with voucher code sites so they only publicise codes that we want to make openly available?
Voucher code sites make their money through affiliate marketing schemes, getting paid a commission when consumers click through from their sites to make purchases from retailers. But there are horror stories aplenty of unscrupulous sites publishing codes that don’t exist, or exclusive codes that retailers don’t wish to be widely publicised.
Duncan Jennings, who founded voucher code site Vouchercodes.co.uk, says that legitimate sites will always be happy to work with retailers directly, as well as through the networks that retailers use to run their affiliate marketing schemes.
Jennings says that his site works with retailers such as Debenhams and Argos, and lets them test different types of codes. The target might be to increase basket value or clear distressed stock. Vouchercodes.co.uk sends out an email every week to 400,000 subscribers detailing new offers, and consumers can also sign up to receive alerts when specific retailers’ codes are added to the site.
He says: “You can also speak to the affiliate networks and make sure that exclusive codes are not used on other sites.” For instance, he says one network – Affiliate Window – created a voucher code for e-tailer Firebox that would only work if the consumer clicked through straight from Vouchercode.co.uk’s website.
He adds that there is now a code of best practice for affiliate marketing – introduced by the Internet Advertising Bureau – and if voucher code sites do not follow it they can be removed from affiliate networks.
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