I'm wondering if it is possible a large portion of the survey takers were non-native English speakers that simply don't understand what 'ad' means in their own language.
I started with Gravity Extend, which was a personal need. Since this sort of worked, I added Woo Plugin. Results on these sites provide (in part) affiliated links. They generate some money, but not that much.
Things I hadn't anticipated:
- Sellers not allowing you access to their affiliate program because a) you haven't bought the product yourself or b) the sites only 'list' products, but don't actively sell/review the product.
- Most sellers are okay, but some need a continued reminder that they actually have to pay the generated affiliate fees, increasing required labor input.