←back to thread

Honey has now lost 4M Chrome users after shady tactics were revealed

(9to5google.com)
657 points tantalor | 2 comments | 31 Mar 25 18:28 UTC | HN request time: 0.002s | source
Show context
dpbriggs ◴[31 Mar 25 21:20 UTC] No.43540107[source]▶
Why do retailers put up with Honey? They're clearly not providing value with the attribution theft. Why give them money?
replies(7): >>43540167 #>>43540297 #>>43540312 #>>43540594 #>>43540757 #>>43544474 #>>43545021 #
kin ◴[31 Mar 25 22:42 UTC] No.43540757[source]▶
Retailers have budget to spend and have that spend deliver a return. It's just a simple return on investment. CJ, one of the biggest affiliate companies even encourages working with shopping extensions. https://junction.cj.com/cj-value-of-browser-extension-study-...
replies(2): >>43541010 #>>43542829 #
1. rs186 ◴[01 Apr 25 04:23 UTC] No.43542829[source]▶
I find it hard to understand -- many of these retailers are struggling, and I doubt affiliate links and cash backs are the best way to spend their market money
replies(1): >>43548596 #
2. kin ◴[01 Apr 25 16:19 UTC] No.43548596[source]▶
Many find it hard to understand which is why affiliate networks create studies, write articles, and post reports with results, similar to the one I posted. Retailers don't go in blind. They test partnerships and continue only if there are positive results.

Yes, many retailers are struggling. Perhaps affiliate links and cash back are not the best way, but it's not the only way that retailers try to be successful.

If you were a suit working at a retailer with budget to spend with the goal of getting a return on investment, maybe you would personally avoid spending the money on affiliate links. But get this, the TOP, BIG, SUCCESSFUL retailers all have data showing that the affiliate system makes the numbers go up. Even if they don't understand the system, they just care about the numbers.