Amazon affiliate program 2015 noob questions

by Null92
10 replies
Hi to all!
I'm new here and i would like to start a website (my very first website) with the amazon affiliate program.
This is the first time that i try something like this, and i hope that you can give me some advice to begin this journey (i joined here for this xD).
I have already chosen the hosting service and i will use wordpress to set up the website for reviews and products suggestion, but i have a couple of question before begin to spend money with the host:

In your opinion, which wordpress theme should i use? one ecommerce like?

Have you some wordpress plugin to suggest?

My intention are to stay white hat, what i have to avoid to being banned from amazon? and what i have to do to stay safe? i read that i have to put in the footer a privacy policy and specify that i'm using the amazon affiliate program... Have i to do other things like these? this point is very important, i don't want to get banned xD

Thanks if you will help me
#2015 #affiliate #amazon #noob #program #questions
  • Profile picture of the author AnniePot
    There have been many, many similar questions to yours. You might try using the 'search' option to find them.

    Your questions require much more in depth response than is possible here. I suggest you search for Warriors such as Jan Roos, Sojourn (Erica Stone), and Brian Kinsdvater. Follow their advice and you won't go wrong.
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    • Profile picture of the author Null92
      Originally Posted by AnniePot View Post

      There have been many, many similar questions to yours. You might try using the 'search' option to find them.

      Your questions require much more in depth response than is possible here. I suggest you search for Warriors such as Jan Roos, Sojourn (Erica Stone), and Brian Kinsdvater. Follow their advice and you won't go wrong.
      I searched a little but there are old questions.
      I don't know if there where updates in the affiliate program since 2010-2014, so i'm searching someone with more experience than me that can give me some advice at now, 2015.
      I'm not searching and i belive i don't need an "in depth" response... I'm just asking help from who have already started an amazon affiliate website
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by Null92 View Post

        I searched a little but there are old questions.
        I don't know if there where updates in the affiliate program since 2010-2014, so i'm searching someone with more experience than me that can give me some advice at now, 2015.
        I'm not searching and i belive i don't need an "in depth" response... I'm just asking help from who have already started an amazon affiliate website
        I've been an Amazon Associate since the days they made you sign a paper agreement and fax it back to them.

        The best source of answers related to the program itself is the associate support pages. If you still have questions, don't be afraid to ask their support people. They would much rather have you ask about a tactic and tell you it's not allowed than ban you for doing it. If they ban you, neither of you makes any money.

        As for a theme, it depends on how you intend to approach things.

        There are successful associates using both an ecomm style site and a more bloggish reviews/recommends style site. Once you decide that, don't waste a ton of time searching for the perfect theme, and don't pick a theme based on the graphics.

        For a review/recommend type site, the current default theme (Twenty Fifteen) makes for a good base. Tweak the color scheme, add your own images, and off to the races.
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        • Profile picture of the author agmccall
          John McCabe is right. The amazon forums are fantastic and are frequented by amazon employees. you can not go wrong with their forums.

          al
          Signature

          "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison

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        • Profile picture of the author Null92
          Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

          I've been an Amazon Associate since the days they made you sign a paper agreement and fax it back to them.

          The best source of answers related to the program itself is the associate support pages. If you still have questions, don't be afraid to ask their support people. They would much rather have you ask about a tactic and tell you it's not allowed than ban you for doing it. If they ban you, neither of you makes any money.

          As for a theme, it depends on how you intend to approach things.

          There are successful associates using both an ecomm style site and a more bloggish reviews/recommends style site. Once you decide that, don't waste a ton of time searching for the perfect theme, and don't pick a theme based on the graphics.

          For a review/recommend type site, the current default theme (Twenty Fifteen) makes for a good base. Tweak the color scheme, add your own images, and off to the races.
          Thanks for your usefull reply John
          But this do not take away the doubt i have about the stuff i have to do like "you must say that you are an amazon affiliate".
          I was asking if there are other messages/texts/banners like this and the privacy policy that i must put on the website to avoid problems...
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          • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
            Have you bothered to look at the associates area? Or are you hoping that someone here will do the legwork for you? The answers are all there, and if you need to clarify them, they have people whose job it is to explain things to people.
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        • Profile picture of the author AnniePot
          Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

          I've been an Amazon Associate since the days they made you sign a paper agreement and fax it back to them.
          .
          Same here. Even my founding Tracking ID doesn't have the -20 extension. Ages you doesn't it
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  • Profile picture of the author shellerik
    The best source for information on how not to get banned is Amazon itself. Login to your associate account then click on "Operating Agreement" under Customer Support on the left and read it.

    Section 2 lists lots of things to avoid. Section 10 talks about the privacy policy with the exact text you need on your site. Read the entire agreement. You can ask questions about it here but asking us to spoon feed it to you is not going to be very effective.

    Next click on Help under Customer Support and read through the two links under Program Policies (Requirements and Policies, Appropriate Conduct). Lots of things that can get you banned are listed there.

    Finally, if you use a plugin that uses the Product Advertising API then there is a link to the details in the Help section. This has its own License Agreement. I use the API to show current prices and availability following the guidelines specified in section 4, subsections n and o.
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    • Profile picture of the author kilgore
      Or give Amazon a call. Log into your Amazon Affiliate dashboard, click "Help", then click "Contacting Customer Service" and you should see their phone number and hours of operation listed.

      As far as everything else, I'd still look at the old threads. Some things have changed in the past few years, but not the important things. The way to succeed in business is still all about providing value to your customers -- and this is true whether you're creating an Amazon site, creating your own products or doing anything else for that matter.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheGMa
    It's pretty basic, Null9 - Amazon only makes money when you make money, ergo, they give you enough tools to build the best selling site ever, and the same goes for their forum.

    It's the same at Commission Junction, another affiliate network.

    The peeps you want to talk to are successful Amazon affiliates, and they hang out at Amazon.

    HOWEVER, if you really want to make money on line, you have to be willing to do the homework and the business work. It may not cost anything to make money on the 'net, but it ain't free.
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