Need advice about shopping carts and affiliate management systems

Chris Grable · 09-27-2009, 11:46 AM

Okay, so here's the story/background.... (there are a couple questions on the end of this) I'm considering selling a physical product. The basic business plan is conventional retail sales ( in very tight niche) with a very basic single tier referral/commission program. The website is relatively easy. I purchased Diana's Abundance Wordpress Theme, last night, and it looks perfect for this effort. I may or may not outsource the graphics.... sort of depends on where the design takes me. The related SEO is no issue...

Issue 1) This project will require a shopping cart that can offer a specific item based on a pull down menu selection.... Here's an example. Suppose that I am selling staplers. The customer goes to my website decides to make a purchase, I present him/her with a list of staplers (by manufacturer and then by model) and after he/she selects the one they own.... the shopping cart selects/presents the right staples for purchase.

Question 1... is there a shopping cart that already does this? If not.... I'm looking for recommendations for someone (a programmer) to work with to have this done.

Issue 2) My Affiliates/Referrers are unlikely to be very web/ebiz sophisticated. I need an affiliate management system that supports physical products, will interface to the shopping cart described above and is very simple to use from the referrer perspective. (required features... basic reports, simple URLs, affiliate tools such as links, letters, emails, banners, etc..)

Last thought.... both the shopping cart and the affiliate system should interface to the same autoresponder (I currently use GetResponse).

Whoops.... another last thought.... I would not want to design OUT basic strategies such as up sells and OTOs.

I think I may be in one of those "Can't see the forest" situations..... I'm hoping one of you will say, "Chris... this is way simpler than you are making it..... do this!"

Diana Lane · 09-27-2009, 12:14 PM

Hi Chris,

It's a long time since I used e-junkie, but I've just taken a look at it and it looks like that could be manipulated to do what you want, with the button code just pasted into the theme.

E-junkie - Features

If so, "Chris... this is way simpler than you are making it..... do this!"

Chris Grable · 09-27-2009, 05:51 PM

Thanks Diana!! I filed a support ticket with E-junkie to see what they thought about the shopping cart integration side of the question. After reading the page that you referred me to... that is my only outstandng issue. I'll let you know what the answer is.

Fingers crossed!

Chris Grable · 09-28-2009, 07:08 PM

I talked to E-Junkie. They insist theat they can do this..... I'm going to give it a shout.

Thanks Diana!!!

NowIstheTime · 09-28-2009, 10:20 PM

Diana is right. e-junkie is a very good option for you as they handle everything you've asked for. But if you are planning on selling a lot of products it may start getting expensive for you.

Are you also considering free alternatives that you would install on your host?
* PrestaShop - Features - The New Magento according to some, has some affiliate management and newsletter options, but not sure how well it integrates with Get Response
* Zen Cart - I believe this has good connectivity with Get Response, and offers very basic affiliate management.

But if you are planning on under 10 ($5/month) products, or 20 ($10/month) products, e-junkie is likely the way you should proceed.

Chris Grable · 09-28-2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NowIstheTime

Diana is right. e-junkie is a very good option for you as they handle everything you've asked for. But if you are planning on selling a lot of products it may start getting expensive for you.

Are you also considering free alternatives that you would install on your host?
* PrestaShop - Features - The New Magento according to some, has some affiliate management and newsletter options, but not sure how well it integrates with Get Response
* Zen Cart - I believe this has good connectivity with Get Response, and offers very basic affiliate management.

But if you are planning on under 10 ($5/month) products, or 20 ($10/month) products, e-junkie is likely the way you should proceed.

Thanks!!! All good points. I have been so absorbed wodering if e-junkie could actually support this.... I hadn't even considered thae associated costs. I have some previous (it's been a while... ) experience with Zen Cart... Will have to dust off my records.

Thanks again!

Chris Grable · 09-30-2009, 09:53 PM

LOL... I just told Diana, that I misread the eJunkie page AND I just realized that I misread your post also. I thought you were talking about the number of sales.,... not the number of individual products.

Am glad I got that straight!

Quote:

Originally Posted by NowIstheTime

Diana is right. e-junkie is a very good option for you as they handle everything you've asked for. But if you are planning on selling a lot of products it may start getting expensive for you.

Are you also considering free alternatives that you would install on your host?
* PrestaShop - Features - The New Magento according to some, has some affiliate management and newsletter options, but not sure how well it integrates with Get Response
* Zen Cart - I believe this has good connectivity with Get Response, and offers very basic affiliate management.

But if you are planning on under 10 ($5/month) products, or 20 ($10/month) products, e-junkie is likely the way you should proceed.

09-27-2009, 11:46 AM	#1
Chris Grable Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southern Maryland , USA. Posts: 643 Thanks: 130 Thanked 82 Times in 69 Posts	Need advice about shopping carts and affiliate management systems Okay, so here's the story/background.... (there are a couple questions on the end of this) I'm considering selling a physical product. The basic business plan is conventional retail sales ( in very tight niche) with a very basic single tier referral/commission program. The website is relatively easy. I purchased Diana's Abundance Wordpress Theme, last night, and it looks perfect for this effort. I may or may not outsource the graphics.... sort of depends on where the design takes me. The related SEO is no issue... Issue 1) This project will require a shopping cart that can offer a specific item based on a pull down menu selection.... Here's an example. Suppose that I am selling staplers. The customer goes to my website decides to make a purchase, I present him/her with a list of staplers (by manufacturer and then by model) and after he/she selects the one they own.... the shopping cart selects/presents the right staples for purchase. Question 1... is there a shopping cart that already does this? If not.... I'm looking for recommendations for someone (a programmer) to work with to have this done. Issue 2) My Affiliates/Referrers are unlikely to be very web/ebiz sophisticated. I need an affiliate management system that supports physical products, will interface to the shopping cart described above and is very simple to use from the referrer perspective. (required features... basic reports, simple URLs, affiliate tools such as links, letters, emails, banners, etc..) Last thought.... both the shopping cart and the affiliate system should interface to the same autoresponder (I currently use GetResponse). Whoops.... another last thought.... I would not want to design OUT basic strategies such as up sells and OTOs. I think I may be in one of those "Can't see the forest" situations..... I'm hoping one of you will say, "Chris... this is way simpler than you are making it..... do this!"

09-27-2009, 12:14 PM	#2
Diana Lane The Beer Hunter War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 186 Thanked 408 Times in 224 Posts	Re: Need advice about shopping carts and affiliate management systems Hi Chris, It's a long time since I used e-junkie, but I've just taken a look at it and it looks like that could be manipulated to do what you want, with the button code just pasted into the theme. E-junkie - Features If so, "Chris... this is way simpler than you are making it..... do this!"

09-27-2009, 05:51 PM	#3
Chris Grable Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southern Maryland , USA. Posts: 643 Thanks: 130 Thanked 82 Times in 69 Posts	Re: Need advice about shopping carts and affiliate management systems Thanks Diana!! I filed a support ticket with E-junkie to see what they thought about the shopping cart integration side of the question. After reading the page that you referred me to... that is my only outstandng issue. I'll let you know what the answer is. Fingers crossed!

09-28-2009, 07:08 PM	#4
Chris Grable Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southern Maryland , USA. Posts: 643 Thanks: 130 Thanked 82 Times in 69 Posts	Re: Need advice about shopping carts and affiliate management systems I talked to E-Junkie. They insist theat they can do this..... I'm going to give it a shout. Thanks Diana!!!

09-28-2009, 10:20 PM	#5
NowIstheTime HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 105 Thanks: 4 Thanked 13 Times in 12 Posts	Re: Need advice about shopping carts and affiliate management systems Diana is right. e-junkie is a very good option for you as they handle everything you've asked for. But if you are planning on selling a lot of products it may start getting expensive for you. Are you also considering free alternatives that you would install on your host? * PrestaShop - Features - The New Magento according to some, has some affiliate management and newsletter options, but not sure how well it integrates with Get Response * Zen Cart - I believe this has good connectivity with Get Response, and offers very basic affiliate management. But if you are planning on under 10 ($5/month) products, or 20 ($10/month) products, e-junkie is likely the way you should proceed.