The coronavirus pandemic has reshaped the business world and consumer behavior. People are staying home, and many businesses are operating remotely. But the unfortunate reality is that many people have also lost their jobs and main sources of income at this time. While the economic impact of this virus is certainly not more important than human lives, affiliate marketers are naturally concerned about how the pandemic will impact their business.
Although the pandemic continues to impact and change the world, the effects on the economy and businesses can already be seen. Here’s how affiliate marketing has been impacted.
Organic Traffic is Down for Most Industries
Most industries have seen a dip in organic traffic. Some markets, like travel, saw dramatic drops in traffic while, but others, like the news industry, saw a spike in visitors. E-commerce has been a bit of a mixed bag, and that’s good news for many affiliate marketers.
Marketers who promote essential items, like baby products, household goods and cleaning products, have received more visitors. But marketers who promote luxury goods have likely seen a dip in traffic.
Affiliates who hope to make it through the pandemic will need to change their strategies and potentially change their industries to promote the right products and solutions. Using affiliate link tracking software like Adsbridge, affiliates can continue tracking their traffic and conversions while performing split testing to adapt their strategies and survive the pandemic.
It seems counterintuitive that traffic would be on the decline, as most people are at home and spending more time online. However, most of those people are spending their time reading news or other information about the pandemic instead of buying products, learning new skills or planning trips.
Conversions Have Declined
A decline in organic traffic typically leads to a decline in conversions. Most industries have seen a dip in conversions since the coronavirus pandemic has forced most people to stay home.
Even the financial sector, which saw a big traffic boost, saw a decline in conversions.
For the e-commerce sector, the immediate future is still unclear. With more people at home, many affiliates assumed that conversions would increase, as online shopping became the safest way to buy goods. However, many e-commerce sites have seen a dip in their conversions.
Search, CPC and Ad Performances Have Changed
Although most industries have seen a decline in traffic, there are some markets that have seen a dramatic increase in visitors, such as insurance and work-from-home. Affiliates in these markets will have an easier time weathering the storm.
One bright spot is that CPC will likely decline for most industries. More brands will be spending less money on advertising, so CPCs will fall and give affiliates more opportunities advertise on a smaller budget.
Search trends are changing, too. There has been a huge demand for medical supplies and household items.
Affiliate marketing has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Traffic and conversions are down for most industries, but affiliates can weather the storm by taking this time to regroup and refocus, or shift their strategies to focus on different in-demand products.