As an affiliate marketer, managing your expenses is crucial to maintaining profitability. One oft-overlooked aspect is the humble AutoRenewal option, especially when dealing with hosting services like Bluehost. Auto renewals can seem convenient, ensuring continuous service without interruption. However, they come with hidden pitfalls that can drain your earnings without you even realising it. Here’s what every affiliate marketer needs to know about the dangers of auto renewals with Bluehost.
Understanding AutoRenewals: A Quick Guide for Affiliate Marketers
Auto renewals are a feature offered by many service providers, including Bluehost, where your subscription is automatically renewed at the end of each billing cycle. This can be helpful in preventing downtime, but it can also lead to unexpected charges if you’re not vigilant.
Common Mistakes Affiliate Marketers Make with AutoRenewals
One common mistake is not reading the fine print. When signing up for Bluehost, many affiliate marketers take advantage of promotional rates, often significantly lower than the regular price.
These promotional rates typically last for the first billing period, after which the subscription auto-renews at the regular, higher rate. If you’re not aware of this increase, it can come as a shock when you see the charge on your statement.
How Auto Renewals Can Drain Your Earnings Without You Noticing
Imagine this scenario: you’ve signed up at a promotional rate of $25 per month for the first year. At the end of the year, your subscription auto-renews at the regular rate of $500+ per month including originally FREE add-ons etc.
If you have multiple domains or services tied to your account, these costs can quickly add up, silently draining your earnings, and COULD KILL YOUR BUSINESS.
In the worst case, these increases might go unnoticed until you review your expenses and realize your hosting costs have skyrocketed.
Protecting Your Affiliate Marketing Revenue from Unwanted AutoRenewals
To avoid falling into this trap, it’s essential to keep track of your renewal dates.
Set reminders for when your subscription is due for renewal. This way, you can review whether you still need the service or if it’s time to switch to a different provider or plan. Additionally, regularly review your account settings to ensure you’re aware of any upcoming charges.
Consider disabling auto-renewal if you’re comfortable manually renewing your services, if you can find the facility – like Cancel Account, these are ofter hidden underneath layers of BS and further marketing! This approach requires more vigilance it should but can save you from unexpected expenses. Also, look for alerts from Bluehost about upcoming renewals and changes to billing terms.
Real-Life Example of AutoRenewal Pitfalls in Affiliate Marketing
I, as an affiliate marketer, want to share my own experience with Bluehost auto renewals. I initially signed up for a one-year hosting plan at a promotional rate. Unbeknownst to me, the plan auto-renewed at the end of the term at the regular rate, which was almost triple the promotional rate.
Silly me, I am supposed to have received an auto-renewal notice two month before the date – not sure whether it was lost in a maze of other emails from Bluehost (many changing terms and conditions in any case), or whether it disappeared into spam – in any case I didn’t see it.
The sudden increase in my expenses not alone took a significant chunk monthly budget but eliminated any and all profits from the site since it’s inception! “Downright sneaky and underhanded”, I thought!
I went back to explain my case and got absolutely zero satisfaction – arrogance doesn’t even approach the lack of empathy in their customer response program.
And The Message: Trust Us Is A Two Way Street
So Be Aware… BE VERY AWARE!
To avoid my fate, it’s crucial to stay informed and proactive about all your subscriptions. Regularly check your billing statements and account settings to ensure there are no surprises also check them on Paypal, Bank Standing Orders, Credit Cards, ApplePay or similar if you use them.
Conclusion
AutoRenewals, while convenient, can pose significant risks to your profitability both as an affiliate marketer and a human becoming…
With services like Bluehost, and several others, it’s essential to understand the terms of your subscription from Day1, and stay vigilant about renewal dates and costs and spurious changes in Ts & Cs. By taking proactive steps, you can protect your earnings and ensure that your hosting expenses remain manageable.
Don’t let auto renewals catch you off guard – stay informed and in control of your financial commitments.
By being aware of the potential pitfalls of auto renewals and taking steps to manage them, you can safeguard your affiliate marketing revenue and ensure a more stable financial future.
What’s The Problem? Auto Renewals Are a Convenience… Or Are They? The decision must ultimately be weighed against the rest of the service on a year round basis. (excellent), the support from the Team (excellent and very prompt) and the hassle involved in moving your sites later (massive but not BlueHost’s fault)…
And surprise surprise – despite all, I remain an affiliate for Bluehost!
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