Affiliate Manager Interview Series: Julian Artope - Moneybookers Affiliate Program

[GPWA Aaron]

Moneybookers is an established global brand with a healthy customer base. What challenges do you face in acquiring new customers that other brands might not? And how do you overcome those obstacles?

Skrill offers a payment platform. And the need for simple payments usually only arises, when you actually want to buy something. This is when customers realize what a hassle paying online can be and how much time (and money) they often waste. It’s simply not an easy process. Nevertheless, people usually just go ahead with it, as they eventually want to complete their purchase.

Our task is to explain to people that entering the 16 digits of your credit card, your full address details, your CVC and then remembering the fourth and fifth letter of a secret password is neither comfortable nor safe online.

We partner with merchants like Skype, Betfair and Electronic Arts – and of course affiliates - to educate customers that there is an easier, safer way to pay.
For affiliates it’s an easy sell, which helps them to convert their traffic better into paying customers, who bring revenue share and can even bring them an additional stream of income.

What is Skrill? And what is the distinction (if any) between Moneybookers and Skrill?

Skrill is the future of Moneybookers and will be the new brand, completely replacing Moneybookers eventually in 2012. Customers will keep their account, but will see many improvements in terms of the product and benefits on their account. Two years ago, we found ourselves talking to a growing global audience through an increasing number of languages. ‘Moneybookers’ works well for a very specialised crowd, namely native English speaking online gamers, but ask a non-native speaker and in 80% of the cases they will misspell the name or misunderstand it. Nowadays, we are serving a wide range of international business verticals. We became a global company, while still sporting a very specialised, local brand. Of course we needed to address this.

What differentiates Moneybookers from other e-wallets?

Fairly easy: We have over 100 global and local payment options to deposit into our Digital Wallet and use our system. This kind of reach is hardly matched in the market and means that our customers can come from all around the world and use our system, even if they don’t have a credit card, but rely on their local banking solution.

Second, we are highly competitive in terms of pricing, whether that’s our Moneybookers prepaid MasterCard®, which you can use worldwide, or our transaction fees. And third – we always strive for customer excellence. Whether that’s the uptime of our platform, our customer service or our VIP programme and the unique Loyalty Club, where you earn points with every transaction you make via Moneybookers. Affiliates therefore have a strong global brand and product that they can build on, which is available for nearly all of their traffic. Additionally, the Moneybookers Digital Wallet offers them a chance to diversify their source of income, as they will earn on all online spendings of their referrals (ebay.com, Skype etc.), not only for the gaming deposits.

What types of resources do you provide affiliates to help promote Moneybookers?

As a standard, we provide all types of conversion driven creatives, landing pages and product reviews in any language the affiliate needs. Our design team is happy to customize material for our affiliates that specifically fits the language and segment. Where we see fit, we run conversion driven promotions with the affiliate such as cash back offers. We see also many of our affiliates promoting our VIP programme, the Moneybookers prepaid MasterCard® and other products that interest their audience and bring them additional revenue. You can see some of these examples on the Moneybookers Affiliates website.

How does a graduate of a German university end up working in London for Moneybookers?

I was always interested in online start-ups (and Moneybookers still was one, three years ago, when I joined) and was part of the initial success of studiVZ, a German version of Facebook. After the acquisition of studiVZ, I was looking for more exciting, fast-growing business models and Skrill fit that description perfectly. We have top-line revenue growth of about 40% CAGR for the past three years and acquired 50% of our customer base just in the past year. That’s a company which is ’s a lot of fun to work for.

How is the Moneybookers affiliate program structured to help affiliates?

The Moneybookers affiliates earn an attractive revenue share, not only on the first transaction, but on any following transaction to a merchant, up to €1,000 per referral. Our revenue share is paid out daily and they have direct access to their funds for example with the Moneybookers prepaid MasterCard®. Our affiliates are also eligible for exclusive advantages for their Moneybookers account. Active affiliates can receive a free security token and a multi-currency account. Our affiliate manager, Rossen (rossen.yordanov@moneybookers.com), is dedicated to help out affiliates day and night to make the best out of promoting Moneybookers.

Noteworthy is also our unique Joint Affiliate Programme, which is live with several operators. With the Joint Affiliate Programme, the affiliate automatically makes a Moneybookers referral if his gaming referral uses Moneybookers for his deposit. What could be easier?

To see everything what we have to offer, we invite everyone to visit the Moneybookers Affiliates website (www.moneybookers.com/ads/affiliates).

Why is affiliate marketing important to the success of Moneybookers?

Our biggest acquisition channel are merchants and operators who integrate our gateways. But we have seen that gaming affiliates have a very avid and tech-/online-savvy customer base, that is looking for an easier way to handle their bankrolls and transactions online. That’s what we provide, and where we have a perfect fit with affiliates like Pokerstrategy.com, who want to bring extra value to their customers.

What's the biggest challenge facing Moneybookers in the next two years?

Managing our growth, staying ahead of the competition and moving smoothly into mobile payments. You can already use us on any device in the cloud, but we need to ensure that we perfectly adapt and innovate in this fast-changing market.

What's the biggest hurdle you typically have to clear in convincing customers to try Moneybookers?

Most customers expect to be able to just use our service by simply choosing a password and giving their email address. But, we are a FSA-regulated service, and like every bank have to fully and uniquely confirm the identity of every customer. That means, before someone hasn’t verified their address and uploaded an image of a passport, the account will have limits in terms of transactions and withdrawals. This helps preventing identity theft and credit card fraud as well as money laundering. If you go into a bank, you will also go through a certain amount of paperwork – online you’ll be asked the same questions.

What are the typical demographics of a Moneybookers user?

It’s difficult to describe in a few words, as it’s a full representation of society. The average age is mid thirties, but of course it’s younger for online gamers, and a bit older for people using us for safe ecommerce purchases. In general our customers are very knowledgeable about the dangers of identity and credit card theft and are looking for an easier way to pay without disclosing all of their data every time they make a payment.

One thing that everyone in the online gaming industry seems to have in common is their e-mail inboxes are always full. How long do you give yourself for responding to e-mail? And what e-mail management tips can you offer?

Being busy is a good thing though, isn’t it? I actually really like Stephen Covey and his tips on time management. So while I usually try to “work off” most of the simple requests within 24hours, I also actively block time during my day to go offline and work on the projects that take a bit longer, and need to be revisited but have more impact in the long term.

Do you gamble yourself? If so, what games do you like to play? Were you an online player before getting involved in the industry?

I’m a horrible poker player, but a very avid gamer – even though my hey-days in Starcraft are probably over. But add me under xbox gamertag keysrsoze!

If someone is visiting you, what's the one place you have to take them to see?

If you’re new to London – definitely Primrose Hill during the day and Shoreditch/Hackney for the night.

If you could have dinner with three other people, living or dead, who would they be and why?

Peter Thiel, Thomas Mann and Entertainer Chilly Gonzales should make for a really interesting mix, don’t you think?

What’s the best place for a first date? And why?

Somewhere unusual, where you can add your own touch. A picnic on a cliff overlooking the sea, the rooftop of an abandoned house in a big city, or the park of an old castle by night. First dates are usually exciting and so should be the atmosphere.

What is the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? Why or why not?

Tom Robbins, “Jitterbug Perfume” – I thought it was fantastic. It’s about red beets, sex, immortality and hedonism, starts somewhere in Europe in a time before kissing was invented and ends tonight at 9pm in Paris. Very nice mix between entertainment and philosophy. Read it!

What is your favorite movie? And why?

Hard to say, but I’d have to give “Down by Law” 5 stars here. Jim Jarmusch is an amazing director, the cast of Tom Waits, Hugh Laurie and Roberto Benigni is some of the most authentic acting you have seen and the soundtrack suits it all perfectly.

If you had a theme song, what would it be? And why?

Marek Hemmann, “Gemini.” And the nice thing about music is that you don’t have to explain it, right?

And finally, what are three things that no one knows about you?
A man’s gotta have secrets, no?

[rak]

Nice to meet you Julian, great interview.

And finally, what are three things that no one knows about you?
A man’s gotta have secrets, no?

There is no secrets. Noooo secrets!!!

[LazyRiver]

Interesting talk. Actually made come and have a look at Moneybookers again after couple of years
Cheers

[ecobika]

"Our affiliate manager, Rossen (rossen.yordanov@moneybookers.com), is dedicated to help out affiliates day and night to make the best out of promoting Moneybookers."
yes, he must have been so busy that was unable to answer to me since half a year or so...

[Rossen_Moneybookers]

Hi there Ecobika,

Being busy wouldn't excuse me for doing something like that. Please understand it is humanly possible to miss an e-mail or a message. However, after checking my inbox completely- I cannot find anything received from your company.

Please, if your inquiry is still valid - contact me at rossen.yordanov@moneybookers.com, or add me to skype: rossenyordanov.

Looking forward!
Rossen

[wagerjunction]

Very nice interview.

What is the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? Why or why not?

Tom Robbins, “Jitterbug Perfume” – I thought it was fantastic. It’s about red beets, sex, immortality and hedonism, starts somewhere in Europe in a time before kissing was invented and ends tonight at 9pm in Paris. Very nice mix between entertainment and philosophy. Read it!

You can bet I will. Sounds very interesting.

What’s the best place for a first date? And why?

Somewhere unusual, where you can add your own touch. A picnic on a cliff overlooking the sea, the rooftop of an abandoned house in a big city, or the park of an old castle by night. First dates are usually exciting and so should be the atmosphere.

I'm gonna swoon...

[rak]

I'm gonna swoon...

Urgh! Swoon, you big softie, and here I thought you were hardcore! I thought you were so tough you ate nails for breakfast.. without any milk!

[Barthezzz]

Excellent interview, thanks