The PTP just doesn't have sufficient ads on it to carry it's 70cpm plus a 28% referral earning when credits are converted.
This statement is most likely true for most PTP pages around if not all. The affiliate network ads hardly generate income anymore (if they ever did) and in my opinion the solution of some PO's to plaster as many affiliate ads as they can on their PTP page doesn't make a substantial difference.
Examples of this that many will recognize are Xray-Cash and Xrayemails. Their PTP pages have always had more affiliate network ads than any other around (though the moneymakers group programs and Vale come close) yet even at the highpoint of their popularity these two programs have always been behind in payouts and it's my estimation that the income generated by the PTP pages never covered their cost.
To enlighten you: I don't mind posting here how much revenue E-Qoo2's PTP page generated from affiliate network ads over June and July: a whopping $1.96. Let me try to explain why so little.
Advertisers are not stupid and most of them know that more is not necessarily better. So they understand that for instance banner views have little value because on PTP pages with many ads their banner won't get much attention if any at all. Even if they pay for banners views, they pay very very little. The affiliate network I use now doesn't pay for banner views at all.
What advertisers (and advertising networks) do pay for is a clickthough, in the assumption that someone who clicks on a banner is genuinely interested in the promoted page, program or product.
This may be true in general but not in PTR. It's not uncommon for program owners to let their members know that clicking on affiliate ads generates income for the site, without directly telling them to click those ads. Members generally aren't stupid, they get the message and click on the affiliate ads without genuine interest.
Please don't think that advertisers and affiliate networks won't recognize this type of clicks: as soon as they notice that all those clickthroughs don't result in sales they will refuse to pay for them.
If it concerns a single program then this program will most likely be kicked from the network. But once members know they support one program with a click they also know they support another program as well with a click on their affiliate ads even if that owner never even mentioned or hinted at it. So they click an affiliate ad here and one there and then a pattern emerges that is well recognized by the affiliate networks. The result: a blanket ban of all PTR programs.
It only takes one program owner with bad judgement and lack of insight to get this going. Unfortunately there are more than just one who simply don't understand that by (either indirectly or direcly) asking their members to commit click fraud - because that's what it really is - they damage each and every PTR program out there. Of course there are also program owners who do know but think they'll get away with it and they usually do for a short while but never for long.
In short: PTR - in general - bit most of the hands that fed it. And that's why so many affiliate networks refuse to accept PTR programs and why if they do accept them, there are usually strict limitations to earning options.
