Top 5 Problems with Affiliate Shopping Buttons and How to Fix Them

January 27, 2025

4 min read

Siddhesh Shivade

Let’s say a product comparison publisher decides to write a product review on the new iPhone that will soon hit the market. The editorial team spends hours meticulously capturing every detail and crafting the perfect review. The article gives readers all the information they need to decide on buying the phone. And, at the end of the review they include an affiliate shopping button to help them buy the new iPhone.

The article goes live, and the traffic starts pouring in. The analytics are lighting up as readers scroll through the content, appreciating the amazing insights. 

The publisher can almost feel the conversions coming. And then…users leave.

No clicks on the shopping button. No conversions. Just another bounce on the analytics report, a missed opportunity that stings, after all the effort poured into creating something exceptional.

The problem may not be content, but the way shopping experiences are implemented. Simply put, shopping widgets fail to entice users to click on call-to-actions (CTAs).

In affiliate publishing, shopping widgets are like compasses in the vast ocean of content. Things get trickier when the holiday season approaches and consumer intent is at its peak, but so is the competition. Publishers that proactively test and optimize these widgets can make the most of the lucrative opportunities available.

The Reality of Affiliate Publishing

Affiliate publishing has grown rapidly over the years. Whether it’s niche blogs, comparison sites, or influencer reviews, publishers are driving millions in sales. But there are still problems that are thrown under the rug:

It’s quite competitive out there: Thousands of publishers are targeting the same set of audiences and want that piece of the revenue pie. As per Wordstream, the average engagement rate stands somewhere around 2% to 5%. Publishers at the higher end of this spectrum do phenomenally well in the affiliate space

Readers are way too impatient: If they can’t find what they’re looking for, they move on, never to look back

Shopping Buttons are often overlooked: Publishers work on creating great content but forget to pay the same attention to how and where the Button should be placed on the page and that’s where the real revenue leakage starts

The Problems Publishers Face with Shopping Buttons

Buttons are critical for conversions, yet they often fall short for several reasons:

Outdated Shopping Buttons: Users get frustrated with dead links, out-of-stock products, or incorrect pricing. Publishers with a smaller team often struggle to keep the buttons updated, creating a vicious cycle of inefficiency and missed opportunities

Generic Buy Now Buttons: Poor button copies like “Buy Now” fail to intrigue users or provide the context they need to take action

Non-Mobile Friendly Buttons: Publishers that do not adhere to mobile placement guidelines, fail to provide a seamless experience on mobile devices, frustrating users and driving them away

Poor Shopping Experiences: This makes it difficult for visitors to find and interact with the shopping buttons, leading to lost revenue

Lack of Localization: Buttons that are not localized alienates users from different regions who can’t relate to pricing or merchants that don’t match their preferences

The Solution: Hyper Personalized Buttons for Smart Publishers

So, how can publishers turn standard shopping buttons into powerful revenue drivers? The answer lies in smart, dynamic, and personalized buttons.

Always Updated: Personalized shopping experiences ensure real-time updates, ensuring links, prices, regional preferences, and product availability are never outdated. This allows smaller editorial teams to focus more effectively on creating high-quality conten
Buttons That Compel Action: Button copies should highlight pricing, discounts, deals, or merchant names, using phrases like "Grab 50% Off" or "$99 at Amazon," and be tested for engagement
Strategically Placed on Mobile & Web: Buttons should be thoughtfully positioned following mobile and web placement standards, ensuring they are visible and easy to interact with on all devices for maximum engagement and effectiveness
User-Focused: By talking directly to the audience and giving complete product details, star ratings from merchant sites, and personalized information, these buttons do a great job of boosting engagement
Localized Buttons: Localization of buttons ensures accurate pricing and information for users by dynamically pulling prices from the merchant site based on their geographic location

‍

In a competitive affiliate landscape, publishers should address common issues like unclear copies, poor placements, and lack of localization to make their shopping buttons smart. This creates a smoother experience for users and improve overall results.

Author

Siddhesh Shivade

Siddhesh is a full-time Marketing Ops professional and budding writer with a passion for helping affiliate publishers overcome challenges through fresh, out-of-the-box ideas. While he doesn’t claim to be a wordsmith, his boundless creativity and innovative problem-solving speak louder than words!