Ask Why do some merchants hide their real conversion rates?

[Yuliia]

Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who make a purchase after clicking an affiliate link. Affiliates rely on this number to know if a product is worth promoting. Yet, some merchants choose not to show the true rate, or they display only a general figure. This could be because the conversion rate is lower than affiliates expect, or because it changes depending on traffic quality, region, or device. By hiding the real data, merchants might attract more affiliates without revealing possible risks. However, this lack of transparency can hurt trust and make affiliates waste time on offers that do not perform well. Should merchants be more open with real numbers, or is it reasonable for them to keep some data private to protect business strategy?

 

[Felix😎]

Some merchants may hide their real conversion rates because they don't want affiliates to see low performance and lose interest. If the conversion rate is low, affiliates might stop promoting their products. They might also not want competitors to know how well (or poorly) their offers perform. It could also be that they're trying to make their program look better than it really is. Honesty is important, though, because affiliates need real data to trust the merchant and make informed decisions.

 

[Daniel084]

It makes sense from a business point of view. If a merchant shows a low conversion rate, many affiliates might not even try to promote the offer. They would rather promote something with a better chance of making sales. By hiding the exact number, the merchant gets more people to test their offer. Some affiliates with very good, targeted traffic might still get great results even if the overall average rate is low. It is a way for the merchant to cast a wider net.

 

[Mandela]

I think merchants hide their real conversion rates because they do not want competitors seeing how well their offers perform. If the numbers look very strong, other marketers may quickly enter the same niche or copy the strategy, which can increase competition for the merchant.