[mikeknoop]

That's pretty ingenious. Though if I were a company offering affiliate links I am not sure I would put up with this process. I imagine the majority of customers are already committed to buying from a specific company and just want to check if any coupons exist.

[jakewalker]

There are many many times that I choose not to buy something from a new vendor after going to retailmenot.com and finding no relevant coupons available. There is definitely a value-add there.

[mikeknoop]

I agree, definitely customers who do that, but it is a numbers game. Is enough "new" traffic generated from RetailMeNot to sustain the affiliate links? I am not sure there is any way to know for sure at the scale affiliate programs are typically used.

[chc]

You could raise similar doubts about most affiliate links that aren't precisely equivalent to a banner ad. For example, a blog with a review that uses affiliate links for monetization? Well, I usually look for reviews when I'm thinking of buying a product anyway.

At any rate, the heavy coupon shoppers I know tend to be more malleable than average based on what deals they find, so I doubt this is a low-quality referral source.

[zach]

Most companies know that there will always be inefficiencies and even seriously dubious stuff wrapped up in affiliate programs, but accept them anyway.

I think there are is a counter-argument to be made because price discrimination is almost always sloppy, yet better than none at all. But your point is basically right -- most companies wouldn't want to do this. And yet the craziest stuff happens in affiliate programs...

Actually, I would love to hear more from folks out there (spez?) who have a perspective on affiliate programs. I ran experimental campaigns with Commission Junction and Expedia a few years back and found insight on the affiliate marketing business hard to come by. Any readings on this topic are appreciated.