ClickXChange is an affiliate network similar to
FineClicks and
AffiliateFuel. With close to 250 current programs listed, it's bigger than these other two combined.
The offers available through ClickXChange are pretty standard. There are CPC ads - paying from 1 to about 7 cents per click these are some of the highest per-click ads available on these types of networks; CPM ads - in contrast these pay VERY little, as low as 5 cents per 1000 impressions; And CPA ads - these include per-sale and per-lead ads. There are also "hybrid" ads, which combine two or more of the above options.
An interesting and logical feature of ClickXChange is that one advertiser can offer ads on different terms: A click on a flashy banner is worth less than a click on a descriptive text link, even though the two lead to the same URL.
Like most other affiliate networks, you have to "apply" to each individual program before serving its ads. In case of ClickXChange, you actually apply to serve infividual ads - it's possible to be approved for an advertisier's per-sale link, but not their CPM banners for example. A large percentage of the advertisers will simply auto approve you, and you will be able to start using those ads immediately. Others will need to approve you manually, and this may take some time. ClickXChange tells you that you will be notified whenever you get approved for a program, but I have not received any such notification. In fact, the only way I found to check up on the "pending" status of my applications was to periodically log in to the site.
The site itself seems to be a lot more confusing and complicated than it needs to be - especially when you log in for the first time. Perhaps this is partly because of the many options it offers, but even after almost a month of using it, I still found myself trying to figure out how to use one feature or another.
One feature I that is both confusing and useful at the same time is the banner rotator. It allows you to have one piece of code on your site that will randomly rotate all the banners you have assigned to it (from the pool of the ones you are approved for). This is very useful, as you can also define default ads to run when the affiliate ads expire. However I wish the interface to make these rotators was a little more explicit. Because you can add different banner sizes to one rotator, there's a potential to really screw up your site (for example if a skyscraper shows up where a banner should go). You must make sure to define a number of these rotators
by clicking the little "+" icon on the "Ad Rotators" title bar - this took me two months to figure out. Then you can add the same (or similar) size banners to each of your rotators. For example, you can create one for banners, one for skyscrapers and one for text links and buttons.
On the plus side, if you make it past the clunky interface, the site has some real earning potential. The (relatively) high-paying CPC ads work especially well as text links which can be sprinkled on your site fairly liberally due to their unintrusiveness (text links are currently clicked at the same rate or more than banners).
Officially, ClickXChange advertises no minimum monthly payment - request the money by the 15th and get it with the payments for that month. In practice though, if you request an amount less than $50, they will charge you a $2 fee. (Note that there are no automatic payments with ClickXChange - no matter how much you earn, you will not get it until you ask for it.)
There is also a unified referrer program, allowing you to recruit new advertisers and affiliates at the same time. For new advertisers you will get a generous 50% of the sale amount. New affiliate pay a much more modest 5% of their earnings.
In the end this is a great network that has the potential to contribute significant revenue to any website if properly utilized. While the interface could use an improvement, the programs themselves are top-notch.
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