Has anyone else stopped chasing the highest payouts?

[Daaffpro]

Maybe I'm getting old but my priorities have changed quite a bit over the last couple of years.


When I first got into affiliate, I was obsessed with payouts.


If one network paid $15 more than another, I'd move everything there without thinking twice.


Now... I honestly don't care that much.


Don't get me wrong, payouts still matter. But they're definitely not the first thing I look at anymore.


These days my checklist looks something like this:

• Does the affiliate manager actually reply when I need something?
• Can I trust the stats?
• Are payments consistent?
• How easy is it to launch new GEOs?
• Do they offer anything besides campaigns?

The last one has become surprisingly important for me.


I've noticed that more companies are trying to build complete ecosystems instead of just being another affiliate network.


Things like agency ad accounts, PWA solutions, analytics, creative support... I didn't really care about any of that a few years ago.


Now I actually prefer working with companies that have most of these things under one roof.


Less time looking for vendors means more time testing campaigns.


Maybe that's just because I'm getting lazier


Curious if anyone else's priorities have changed over the years.


If you were choosing a new network today, what would be your top 3 deciding factors?

 

[Czaq]

Very good question - I also used to only care about how much an affiliate network would pay. At the moment, my main priority is working with a network that rewards high-quality traffic with higher payouts. I also value responsive support and, of course, competitive lead rates.