Analyzing the Click Path Of Affiliate-Marketing Campaigns

Abstract

ABSTRACT Service providers increasingly use multiple channels for their advertising. One compelling combination integrates affiliate marketing with search-engine advertising. The affiliates9 design parameters and the merchant9s parallel search-engine advertising both influence the click paths of users in an affiliate-marketing campaign, which runs from clicks to sales. The merchant9s simultaneous use of search-engine advertising, however, cannibalizes clicks and sales in the click path. Affiliates must use different text links to ensure positive impacts on clicks and sales in their affiliate-marketing campaign. The effect of the affiliates9 advertising impressions thus depends on the method and its estimators.