Affiliate marketing, is anyone exploring this option?

[The Bar Keep]

Just thought I would open this topic up for discussion. Is anyone doing this? Has anyone done this in the past?

I have some experience with commision junction but would like to hear others points of view on this topic. Does anyone know that you can do your own affiliate program through a zen cart and many other cart systems?



Joe - The Bar Keep

[The Bar Keep]

eBay UK Increases Affiliate Payouts, Excludes Paid-Search Traffic
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
January 28, 2008
 
eBay UK told its affiliates it would be increasing the eBay.co.uk affiliate program pricing effective February 1, 2008. Affiliates will be able to earn up to £11 for every new Active Confirmed Registered User (ACRU) and up to 60% of the revenue generated by Bids and Buy it Nows. Also effective February 1, eBay UK will no longer compensate for paid search traffic from Google, Yahoo or MSN. Note that eBay.com began disallowing paid-search traffic for its US affiliates last May (http://www.auctionbytes.c...m/cab/abn/y07/m05/i17/s01). Affiliates are not required to take any action. The program is administered through Commission Junction.
 

[2boysandtoys]

The only 'affiliate' action I 'see' is thru Squidoo.  I went to commission junction once, and it rubbed me the wrong way.  Can't tell you why - do not remember, but something wasn't comfy for this bird....

So - no - prolly cuz I'm numpty (again, always and still) !!

NEXT?   

[The Bar Keep]

ok so not many people are doing affiliate advertising. Just out of curiosity how many sellers here have done something with this site?

www.dropshiponauction.com

If you have, did you do the affiliate program to make your money back? The site IMO is a waste of time but the affiliate program does happen to work and was the only way to get your money back that I could see. The site has the usual problems, such as the stock being there one minute and gone the next.


Erin,

What kind of affiliate program does Squidoo offer?

[bbhc]

. Has anyone done this

These ancient pages should answer that question:

http://tulipsandbears.com/fx/cjaffiliate.htm
http://web.archive.org/we...easale.cfm?merchantID=839

We used CJ from '99-'01 to manage our affiliate program for our Tulips and Bears® site (16,000 affiliates).  We also used ShareASale to manage the affiliate program for our AllMusicSearch site (5,000 affiliates) from '00-'01 and we used ClickXchange to manage the affiliate programs for our smaller sites. 

Our experience with running affiliate programs is summed up in these 2 posts:
http://community.tuliptoo...pic,37.msg131.html#msg131 (reply #7)
http://community.tuliptoo...1039.msg4026.html#msg4026  (reply #1)

[knappschiles]

I'm just getting my feet wet with Squidoo so I don't know all the ins and outs of the site. But I know they have a place where you can set up various Amazon links. Amazon can just post their picks or, like I have on my lens,  you can list your fav books and Amazon fills in the info. If someone buys from your link you get something for it.

I believe Squidoo also has links for music and videos and ???

Carol

[2boysandtoys]

Carol above me is correct.  The program on Squidoo is 'basic' and there aren't a ton of opportunities, but if you add modules (that's their term), and those modules have commission/affiliate pay-outs, you can make some good money (or so I've heard by reading lenses).

They call them royalties, and royalties include:  referral fees and affiliate fees - and the list so far is pretty small:

Amazon - The trusty Amazon module you know and love. Feature your favorite stuff (books, CDs, DVDs, geekware...) and comment on it. (Beware, you could earn money!)

Plexo lets you make a list of your favorite Amazon stuff on your topic, and then lets your visitors VOTE them up and down. You can also let people add items to your Plexo module. OR, they can grab your module and stick it on their own lens! (Sends traffic back to you, btw). Yes, it's still a moneymaker. Gooo Plexo!

CafePress: The popular design it yourself, sell it yourself online addiction. Shopkeepers, feature your designs and hot products on a lens. For those of you who don't have a shop, you can still point to your favorite t-shirts and mugs on CafePress (and earn a bounty for every sale).

eBay

eBay needs no introduction. It's simply splendiferous. And so is this module. List auctions based on your lens topic and watch your royalties climb. (Tip: eBay sellers, set up a lens per auction, or per category, and get traffic--and sales-- you've never met!)

Netflix

If you have a TV or movie lens, or an All About Me lens, throw this puppy on there. You can show people what movies you have in your Netflix Queue, list the top rentals on their site, or get specific and show top rentals by genre. (P.S. It's a moneymaker, too).

Orbitz!

Got a travel lens? Talking about your favorite vacation spots, hotels, restaurants, honeymoon? Throw the SWEET new Orbitz module on there and let your readers book a trip straight from your lens. Get a cash bounty for you for for charity.

I thought there were a few more, but these are the ones I see in a quick check from my back-office area on Squidoo!