Hello again WHT! (long time, no post)

I am looking for a great domain registration affiliate program. I am not really looking to be a reseller as I do not want the work involved with such a venture.

Here are my *preferences*...

Ability to hard code domain(s) into an affiliate URL

Commission >= 30%

Detailed reports including a list of domains purchased by referred clients.

Lifetime customers. (meaning... recurring commissions on future purchases)

Reputable and supportive company. (to affiliates and clients)

Price < $20

Well, it's a tall order... bring on the suggestions!

Thanks,
Michael

I am looking for a great domain registration affiliate program. I am not really looking to be a reseller as I do not want the work involved with such a venture.

Dotster requires no work beyond original setup.


Commission >= 30%

Could be a bit of a problem with Dotster, would require you to set prices at just over $17 to get 30% as their price is $12.

Detailed reports including a list of domains purchased by referred clients.

Included

Lifetime customers. (meaning... recurring commissions on future purchases)

You get the repeat commissions.

Reputable and supportive company. (to affiliates and clients)

Reputable and I've received good service although some others have complained at times. Frankly, it works so smoothly, I never require service.

Price < $20

Wasn't sure whether you meant price to join or price of domains, but it meets both. Joining is free. If you priced domains at $19.95 you would get approximately a 40% commission. Or price less. Or price at $19.95 and then run specials. It is all under your control.

Originally posted by Incognito

Could be a bit of a problem with Dotster, would require you to set prices at just over $17 to get 30% as their price is $12.


Hmmm... not sure if I want prices quite that high...

If you don't mind me asking, how high do you set your prices? Have you tested different prices? The results?

Originally posted by Incognito

Wasn't sure whether you meant price to join or price of domains, but it meets both. Joining is free. If you priced domains at $19.95 you would get approximately a 40% commission. Or price less. Or price at $19.95 and then run specials. It is all under your control.

Well, I meant domain registration. :) Not going to be paying to refer clients to other people any time soon. ;)

I like the idea of being able to set the price, but I don't want to set it too high... on the other hand... I don't want to sacrifice my commission either. Ahh... decisions.

Thanks for the great post! Had the information I needed and dotster sounds pretty good.

Keep 'em coming if have them people! I would like to have a few companies to compare.

Thanks,
Michael

Hey MichaelD

check out Registry Domains (http://registrydomains.com/) they may have what your looking for.

I don't want to set it too high... on the other hand... I don't want to sacrifice my commission either.
You cant have it both ways, expect a high commission and sell at low prices. I agree that dotster looks like the best choice for what you are after.

Originally posted by ccreighton
check out Registry Domains (http://registrydomains.com/) they may have what your looking for.
Registry Domains is an eNom reseller. He'll set you up with a reseller account that is "beneath" his reseller account and give you your own login right on the eNom web site. From there you can either download and use the API, or you can use the free Registry Rocket interface, or you can purchase PDQ for $99/year.

In any case, something like that would be your best best. eNom, in my opinion, is a superior product to begin with. And a reseller account like what Registry Domains (or any of a number of other eNom resellers) offers would satisfy your other requirements.

Just remember: Though eNom resellers technically needn't do it in order to use Registry Rocket, if an eNom reseller wants to use the API or to register domains directly in his eNom reseller account, he must first "fund" said account. And eNom requires that one do that in minimum $100 increments.

Although I see nothing wrong with offering domain names for $17.95 or $19.95, I personally choose to offer them for less. You need to develop your overall strategy. If you want lower prices, you are probably going to have to pay something up front. Or try to negotiate a better deal after you show some volume.

Originally posted by hostjet

You cant have it both ways, expect a high commission and sell at low prices. I agree that dotster looks like the best choice for what you are after.

Well, yes, I can. Look 30% is 30% no matter what. As my original intention was to find an affiliate program (not a reseller program), it is only required that I get a good percentage. When I posted this thread it was for a certain in mind project that required links embedded with domains and my affiliate id. I didn't really want the reseller angle. (where I set the prices, etc) In a traditional affiliate program the merchant sets the price with no input from the affiliate. They just promise of a *percentage commission of the sale price*. The commission I was referring to sacrificing was the overall percentage based on my setting of prices. (which entails me bulking up a price just to get an acceptable commission percentage) I would much rather find a program where the merchant sets the price and I know without determining the price, I will get a 30% cut of the sale price. Thus, low price, high commission. :)

Originally posted by Incognito
Again we forget what the real market looks like. Although I see nothing wrong with offering domain names for $17.95 or $19.95, I personally choose to offer them for less. You need to develop your overall strategy. If you want lower prices, you are probably going to have to pay something up front. Or try to negotiate a better deal after you show some volume.

Not sure what you mean by that first sentence... you might not even know by now! :) Anyway, what's this "we" crud? I just asked how you were doing that's all. I wasn't going to base my whole approach on your results. :) Also, I don't want to pay up front to make someone else money... I was thinking of this from a traditional affiliate standpoint... I refer sales, I get paid.

Well, regardless, it doesn't look as if this project will go through anyway, so, I guess it matters not! Thanks for the help anyway!

-Michael

Michael, reading your posts sounds like enom would be the go.

Get a reseller account at whatever price/setup you are comfortable with, create a registry rocket page and set your prices, anything above your cost +cc fees is your commission, you do not need to fund the account in any way if you do not want to purchase yourself. It is reseller not affiliate but at least you get a lot of options.

Plus you can just point the domain at the registry rocket page hence "hard coding" your affiliate link in. The nice thing is you can have as many as you like with different prices on each, whatever yanks yer crank.

I don't see where your negative idea about reselling comes from? Your head reseller will set price at say 7.25 enom will take another buck or so and you get it at total cost of say 8.50 anything above that consider your comission. So if you sell for $17 you just made 50% commission (which is exactly what enom call it) and it didn't cost you any outlay (if you can find a nice reseller who will give you good pricing for no set up).

But if you just want something simple they do have an affiliate program where they offer 40% commission.
http://www.enom.com/resellers/affiliate.asp

Originally posted by xyzdomains
I don't see where your negative idea about reselling comes from? ... ... But if you just want something simple they do have an affiliate program where they offer 40% commission.
http://www.enom.com/resellers/affiliate.asp

Thanks for the information on enom.

I don't have a negative feeling about being a reseller, but for this particular project I was just wanting an affiliate program. You see, the site I thinking of not be a site focused solely on selling domains. If it was, I would go the reseller route... maybe the reseller route would be best after all, but if I could find a good affiliate program, I would rather do it that way. Also, I don't like having to set my price high to try to get a good cut with reseller programs... I don't pay more than $11 for domains and I wouldn't expect others to do what I don't! I don't want to have to support the domains either... I want support to come directly from the registrar, not me! An affiliate program just seems like less work for this project.

In my mind, I would want link to the registrar hard coded with domains along with my affiliate id such as this:

http://www.xyzregistrar.com/abc.cgi?affiliate=123&domain=domain.com

Then I would want the registrar to save the domains in a cookie (as my visitors may be linking through several different links and I would want them to view a "wish list" to maximize my commissions) and track my affiliate id. Well, it's just hopeful thinking now, I don't think any affiliate program will fit my needs. If I ever go through with the project, I will consider reseller programs also... it may allow me to customize things the way I want!

-Michael