DoubleClick Performics, the performance marketing division of DoubleClick, announced some results earlier this week from a semi-annual survey of 784 affiliate publishers.

In short, affiliate publishers carry out the advertising or sales in an affiliate marketing relationship. The affiliate publisher gives wider distribution to the affiliate merchant's products in return for compensation based on performance.

Findings from the survey include:

• Fifty-three percent of affiliate publishers expressed the most interest in free shipping promotions, followed by exclusive affiliate channel offers (48 percent).
• Long-running offers are preferred by 31 percent of affiliate publishers, followed by 28 percent preferring new offers weekly.
• Fifty-eight percent of affiliate publishers prefer one-week advance notice for communications on upcoming short-term advertiser offers.
• Expiring offers are preferred by 48 percent of affiliate publishers.

DoubleClick Performics also announced that it currently is conducting research around affiliate marketing through consumer focus groups, usability testing and surveys, among other methods. One initial finding from recently conducted consumer focus groups is that “dollar-off' offers are the most likely offers to motivate a purchase. The focus groups also revealed that many consumers like free shipping, but if they want a product, they don't mind paying a reasonable shipping fee for it.