Deep-linking vs homepage links: the conversion tax nobody mentions

Deep-linking vs homepage links: the conversion tax nobody mentions
Everyone says "just drop your affiliate link." Which link?

Sending traffic to a homepage forces the visitor to re-navigate, re-decide, and often re-enter the funnel cold. Deep-linking straight to the relevant pricing tier or feature page cuts the drop-off between your content and their checkout.

The tradeoff:
— Deep links convert better but break when the vendor reshuffles URLs, silently killing your tracking.
— Homepage links survive site redesigns but bleed intent on every redirect.

Vendors love homepage links because broken deep links = orphaned commissions they keep.

Verdict: deep-link for conversion, but audit those URLs monthly or you're sending traffic into a 404 that pays you nothing.