Amazon Affiliates - Are You Seriously Making Money?

by waken
865 replies
I really got to ask this...
I recently promoting Amazon after seeing quite a number of success stories here...

But, when I checked my account.. I was wondering do you guys really make money with Amazon?

I mean, serious money as an affiliate?
Is that possible?

Hm... I think I would better stick with other networks.
The share is way to small...


#affiliates #amazon #making #money
  • Profile picture of the author Biggy Fat
    Dan Brock and Sara Young (my two Amazon "mentors" so to speak) are making a killing with Amazon. I'm on my way too, I made $80 last month (nine sales) and I hope to bump that up this month. Got another site on the pipeline which I'm confident in.

    Yeah, I know, Amazon's commission is crappy, but it's all about volume with them (and it's a lot easier to convert).
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180520].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
      Originally Posted by Nickitta View Post

      Hello!

      I have read Dan Brock's thread and quite like his Amazon plan. Being a newbie I got as far as writing the first article but then got stuck on the technicalities. Would love some guidance:p:p
      When you say about technicalities?

      Do you mean set up anchor text? or affiliate link?

      or Do you mean, how be a technical writer?

      please clarify..

      Thanks

      Han
      Signature
      - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
      Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2629747].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
    We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

    The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

    The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

    1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
    2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
    3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
    Signature

    My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

    Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

    Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180530].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author rajuthan
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      Important!!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180538].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Jay norestin
        Banned
        well I would said.. run a PPV campaign blast it all over the internet before the holidays.. amazon will put your cookies on anyone who click on your page... and you might see over $100K in commission after the holidays.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2955920].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author waken
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products.
      My God! Is that the sales amount or the commission?

      Originally Posted by Biggy Fat View Post

      Yeah, I know, Amazon's commission is crappy, but it's all about volume with them (and it's a lot easier to convert).
      Ok..thanks..

      Originally Posted by rajuthan View Post

      $9 commision to sell an Apple iPod classic 160 GB Black (7th Generation) NEWEST MODEL ?

      lol fail at trying to hide the item
      Wow! That's amazing!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180544].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
        Originally Posted by waken View Post

        My God! Is that the sales amount or the commission?
        That's the commission.
        Signature

        My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

        Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

        Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2181130].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author calbeach
          Wow, may u tell us how or where do you get your traffic?

          Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

          That's the commission.
          Signature
          Find a Good Insurance company and compare your car, health, life and home
          Insurance Policy . Get Free Instant Quote!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2205515].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Success With Dany
            Banned
            If I'm rewriting Amazon reviews in my own words, can I mention the customer's name? For example, "Joe America, from Midwest, liked this gizmo because it does this and that, althoug he didn't like when the giz mo did this"

            Or can we only use reviews as is?
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207166].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author TimG
              Originally Posted by Success With Dany View Post

              If I'm rewriting Amazon reviews in my own words, can I mention the customer's name? For example, "Joe America, from Midwest, liked this gizmo because it does this and that, althoug he didn't like when the giz mo did this"

              Or can we only use reviews as is?
              I've been working the customer reviews in with opening statements such as:

              "Reviews for this product have been favorable with many users stating that the product has worked wonders..."

              I then go on to list some of the benefits the customers have posted but I never actually name any customers.

              Tim
              Signature
              Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

              Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207229].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author vietpearl
        Banned
        [DELETED]
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2950491].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      What do you think about Amazon plugins like ReviewAZON and WPRobot Amazon Autoposter? Just curious.

      I'm doing some testing right now between a site using text links only and one using one of the above mentioned plugins.

      Also, about how many amazon promoting sites do you have to pull in that massive amount of commission sales? And are they predominantly niche sites or authority sites?
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180631].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
        Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

        What do you think about Amazon plugins like ReviewAZON and WPRobot Amazon Autoposter? Just curious.

        I'm doing some testing right now between a site using text links only and one using one of the above mentioned plugins.

        Also, about how many amazon promoting sites do you have to pull in that massive amount of commission sales? And are they predominantly niche sites or authority sites?
        We use Amazon plugins for some of our product reviews but we prefer to change the content. No point copying over the same content from Amazon. It just doesn't work. You really need to be writing your own review.

        You only need a few product reviews to make that sort of money. Most people assume we have hundreds of reviews, and we do, but really a good majority of that income comes from maybe 10 or so reviews.

        We have niche sites but the niche is not the important thing - the product is. You just have to choose the right products in Amazon.
        Signature

        My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

        Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

        Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2181145].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
          Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

          We use Amazon plugins for some of our product reviews but we prefer to change the content. No point copying over the same content from Amazon. It just doesn't work. You really need to be writing your own review.
          I agree that writing all of your own reviews is just about the only way to succeed. I usually copy and paste the Amazon review into a word document and then write my own review based on that and Amazon customer reviews so that they're at least 250 words long. I take out all of the duplicate stuff that you normally see in Amazon reviews, like how they list some stuff in the actual paragraph explaining the item and then the same stuff in the bullet points. And I will typically list the negatives (if there are any) along with the positives, in case my readers don't read the post comments, so that they can make better informed buying decisions. It might cost me a sale of two, but at least my readers know that my site is honest, and hopefully that builds some sort of trust.
          Signature
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2181748].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
            Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

            I agree that writing all of your own reviews is just about the only way to succeed. I usually copy and paste the Amazon review into a word document and then write my own review based on that and Amazon customer reviews so that they're at least 250 words long. I take out all of the duplicate stuff that you normally see in Amazon reviews, like how they list some stuff in the actual paragraph explaining the item and then the same stuff in the bullet points. And I will typically list the negatives (if there are any) along with the positives, in case my readers don't read the post comments, so that they can make better informed buying decisions. It might cost me a sale of two, but at least my readers know that my site is honest, and hopefully that builds some sort of trust.
            I would try and make those reviews even longer if you can. Our best reviews are over 1000 words. They seem to convert so much better than the short reviews we have.
            Signature

            My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

            Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

            Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2183575].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author june26
              Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

              I would try and make those reviews even longer if you can. Our best reviews are over 1000 words. They seem to convert so much better than the short reviews we have.
              Errr, sometimes you cant write a 1000 word review. Take the Aroma Rice Cooker on Amazon. Seriously, do you think you could write a 1000 word review about a rice cooker that makes 8 cups of cooked rice?
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2674563].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author DogScout
                Originally Posted by june26 View Post

                Errr, sometimes you cant write a 1000 word review. Take the Aroma Rice Cooker on Amazon. Seriously, do you think you could write a 1000 word review about a rice cooker that makes 8 cups of cooked rice?
                Easily. A post on stir fry and how it can use any favor from classic Japanese to teriyaki, Jamaican Jerk to Mexican, Italian to New Orleans style or just lemon juice and wine. A description on how to make it in 15 minutes with the fact that a rice side is almost mandatory and the Aroma Rice Cooker is the best perfect rice cooker (EVERY TIME!) along with the dietary benefits of rice if you still are not at 1,000 words should do it. (Plus give busy mom's 300-400 quick dishes to feed their families in under 20 minutes that changing meat/fish/seafood, veggies and flavorings will ensure they NEVER get sick of eating it as an added benefit to the article.)

                Read: Vintage style Men's and Women's Clothing, Accessories and things For the Home | The J. Peterman Company for more Ideas for just about anything.
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2674935].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
                Originally Posted by june26 View Post

                Errr, sometimes you cant write a 1000 word review. Take the Aroma Rice Cooker on Amazon. Seriously, do you think you could write a 1000 word review about a rice cooker that makes 8 cups of cooked rice?
                Mark gave you one idea. Here's another, gratis...

                Tell people how to cook rice in a regular pot, and then tell them how to get the scorched gluey mess out of the pot. Follow that with a description of how a rice cooker actually works and why the features of the Aroma Rice Cooker avoids all the problems other cooking methods have built in. Talk about the shortcomings in other products that the Aroma doesn't have. (User reviews are a great source for this info).
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2675043].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author 4morereferrals
                Originally Posted by june26 View Post

                Errr, sometimes you cant write a 1000 word review. Take the Aroma Rice Cooker on Amazon. Seriously, do you think you could write a 1000 word review about a rice cooker that makes 8 cups of cooked rice?

                Merge 2 - 500 articles into one :-)
                Signature
                Rank Ascend Network - High PR Links / Guaranteed Rankings Increase
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2675314].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author goosexxx
                Originally Posted by june26 View Post

                Errr, sometimes you cant write a 1000 word review. Take the Aroma Rice Cooker on Amazon. Seriously, do you think you could write a 1000 word review about a rice cooker that makes 8 cups of cooked rice?
                I could...
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2678169].message }}
              • Originally Posted by june26 View Post

                Errr, sometimes you cant write a 1000 word review. Take the Aroma Rice Cooker on Amazon. Seriously, do you think you could write a 1000 word review about a rice cooker that makes 8 cups of cooked rice?
                All day long!

                Go to the features ...
                explain how each feature provides a benefit.
                People don't buy features, they buy benefits.

                Ex> The cooker says it is 8 cups, so say ...
                The Aroma 8 cup Rice Cooker offers versatility as well as capacity. Eating lunch alone? No problem. Add rice and water per the instructions, close the top, and forget! Fix one cup of perfectly cooked rice. Having family and friends over for dinner? That is where the huge 8 cup capacity comes in to play. But don't think that making 8 cups is any different in quality than a single cup. The Aroma Rice Cooker automatically cooks perfect, non-sticky, non lumpy rice every time. You can be the hero at the dinner table when you buy this excellent time-saver that frees you up for other more important tasks.

                There is over 100 words on just the capacity.
                But you mention the BENEFITS of cooking 1 - 8 cups ... automation frees you up, makes perfect rice so you look good, etc.

                Easy to write 1,000 words if you think of negative scenarios the product can solve.
                Signature
                PatrickBrianONeill.com
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3129932].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author Craig McPherson
                  Originally Posted by CoolAromas View Post

                  All day long!

                  Go to the features ...
                  explain how each feature provides a benefit.
                  People don't buy features, they buy benefits.

                  Ex> The cooker says it is 8 cups, so say ...
                  The Aroma 8 cup Rice Cooker offers versatility as well as capacity. Eating lunch alone? No problem. Add rice and water per the instructions, close the top, and forget! Fix one cup of perfectly cooked rice. Having family and friends over for dinner? That is where the huge 8 cup capacity comes in to play. But don't think that making 8 cups is any different in quality than a single cup. The Aroma Rice Cooker automatically cooks perfect, non-sticky, non lumpy rice every time. You can be the hero at the dinner table when you buy this excellent time-saver that frees you up for other more important tasks.

                  There is over 100 words on just the capacity.
                  But you mention the BENEFITS of cooking 1 - 8 cups ... automation frees you up, makes perfect rice so you look good, etc.

                  Easy to write 1,000 words if you think of negative scenarios the product can solve.
                  Absolutely perfect Patrick.
                  Great reply. Writing a 1k review is just 3 "articles" joined together. I'm sure we have all written 3 articles before.

                  June26, you can do anything you want... go for it.
                  Signature
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3129962].message }}
                  • Profile picture of the author davidsamra
                    Wow. Just have to chime in and say thank you to ALL who have posted helpful information here, including a big shout out to Erica for her well thought out and detailed posts.

                    I've been following/lurking for awhile and now want to jump in with full force. I was bemoaning that I didn't start sooner for the holiday season but thanks again to Erica's post for getting my mind right again that people buy from Amazon all year long and that if I start now and focus and dedicate myself, by next Christmas I'll be primed and ready for a big "bonus."

                    I do have to say though that I'm a bit overwhelmed - paralysis by analysis - after reading through this entire thread and having digested so much incredible information. I literally have to calm myself down and get to work

                    I hope it's ok to pick all your brains going forward. Thank you.

                    Dave
                    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3133143].message }}
                    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
                      Originally Posted by davidsamra View Post

                      ...if I start now and focus and dedicate myself, by next Christmas I'll be primed and ready for a big "bonus."
                      Exactly! I didn't start focusing on Amazon until mid-April of '10 and did very well by the end of the year. If you start now, you could do even better than me by the end of 2011!

                      Originally Posted by davidsamra View Post

                      I do have to say though that I'm a bit overwhelmed - paralysis by analysis - after reading through this entire thread and having digested so much incredible information. I literally have to calm myself down and get to work

                      I hope it's ok to pick all your brains going forward. Thank you.

                      Dave
                      I think you're in good hands in this forum and you'll find all the help and information you need. Use the search function and ask specific questions (only because the answers are generally more helpful when the questions are specific) and I'm sure you'll do just fine!

                      In regards to your "paralysis" just write down the first five steps you want to take to get a site up and go do them. You can fix almost any mistake you make along the way EXCEPT to reverse time to show you started earlier than you actually did so START NOW! TODAY!!

                      (Insert pic of pom-poms here....)
                      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3133903].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author anwar001
            Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

            I agree that writing all of your own reviews is just about the only way to succeed. I usually copy and paste the Amazon review into a word document and then write my own review based on that and Amazon customer reviews so that they're at least 250 words long. I take out all of the duplicate stuff that you normally see in Amazon reviews, like how they list some stuff in the actual paragraph explaining the item and then the same stuff in the bullet points. And I will typically list the negatives (if there are any) along with the positives, in case my readers don't read the post comments, so that they can make better informed buying decisions. It might cost me a sale of two, but at least my readers know that my site is honest, and hopefully that builds some sort of trust.
            Are 250 word reviews sufficient for search rankings as well as visitor conversions? Do you get a satisfactory conversion rate from your articles when you write short reviews?
            Signature
            Get Hundreds of Super Targeted Traffic in Any Niche from Facebook - 3 Step Organic FB Marketing

            25 Guidelines For Massive Affiliate Success - Whether you are a beginner or an expert, read these principles and refer back to them many times
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2906132].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
              Originally Posted by anwar001 View Post

              Are 250 word reviews sufficient for search rankings as well as visitor conversions? Do you get a satisfactory conversion rate from your articles when you write short reviews?

              it doesn't matter how much you write..as long as it converts..

              if you write 2 words, it help you make sales, than it's good

              just focus on quality of your review, instead do word counts

              but in general the more the better

              google need as least 250+ to determine what heck is your post is about

              google ignore words like "the", "a", "-" it does not read like a human keep that in mind

              but if you just write as if you were talking to your best about a product...

              you should be good to go

              Han
              Signature
              - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
              Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2909182].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author all4realwithme
          Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

          We use Amazon plugins for some of our product reviews but we prefer to change the content. No point copying over the same content from Amazon. It just doesn't work. You really need to be writing your own review.

          You only need a few product reviews to make that sort of money. Most people assume we have hundreds of reviews, and we do, but really a good majority of that income comes from maybe 10 or so reviews.

          We have niche sites but the niche is not the important thing - the product is. You just have to choose the right products in Amazon.






          hi Paula, what criteria do you use in choosing products to review? and do you build a new website for every single review? thanks
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2496053].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author AskiKaOwnzYou
          Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

          We use Amazon plugins for some of our product reviews but we prefer to change the content. No point copying over the same content from Amazon. It just doesn't work. You really need to be writing your own review.

          You only need a few product reviews to make that sort of money. Most people assume we have hundreds of reviews, and we do, but really a good majority of that income comes from maybe 10 or so reviews.

          We have niche sites but the niche is not the important thing - the product is. You just have to choose the right products in Amazon.
          truthfully, copying amazon content over "DOES WORK". I am proof of it. the trick is marketing your domain in the serps (OFFICIAL "BLA BLA" REVIEW/GUIDE/RESOURCES/ETC).

          "Content title = "OFFICIAL|model number|WEBSITE"

          REVIEW = COPIED

          (through "dapper net" automatically)

          "article generator" (joomla) = $15 that automatically copies dapper rss to your website

          (You can setup dapper to format amazon associaite id's automatically into the posts).

          Took me a few weeks to cron/job with article generator the dapper rss... (it copied exactly new products of amazon in my selected niche).

          Currently over $50 per day on average - last year...

          thing require:

          1. joomla
          2. easy adsense (custom code on joomla)
          3. any automated rss submitter for your joomla website (article generator)
          4. dapper net (you gonna have to track down this "gem".

          hope helped some newbies make alot of money within minutes, hehe

          (I only submitted to several search engines, lol)

          HOWEVER SINCE I INCORPORATED ADSENSE AND AMAZON DOES NOT... GUESS WHAT, GOOGLE LOVES MY SITES LOL...
          Signature
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2740114].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author nobleman
          Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

          We use Amazon plugins for some of our product reviews but we prefer to change the content. No point copying over the same content from Amazon. It just doesn't work. You really need to be writing your own review.

          You only need a few product reviews to make that sort of money. Most people assume we have hundreds of reviews, and we do, but really a good majority of that income comes from maybe 10 or so reviews.

          We have niche sites but the niche is not the important thing - the product is. You just have to choose the right products in Amazon.
          you really grabbed my attention I will buy your amazonian Blueprint.Thanks a lot.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2905493].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.
      I was already an Amazon affiliate and I was making sales every month but nothing significant. Then I read a post on PaulaC's blog. (She doesn't know she was my inspiration - well, now she does!

      So, I found a niche, put up a product review site mid-April, and started writing.

      I made my first sale a few weeks later.

      I'm no expert, I'm always testing and learning but I'll share what I've done in case it helps anyone:

      For May, I had 1624 unique visitors, 311 of whom clicked over to Amazon. I had 10 sales that totaled $1366 in revenue. I was at the 6.5% payout rate (due to my other sites) so those sales earned almost $89 in commissions.

      I have 41 posts on the site (WordPress) - 24 are product reviews and 17 are "informational" to the niche (what certain product terms mean and why they're important, how to get the best deal, what to look for in "x products", etc.). My thought was that the informational posts would help the site stand apart from others targeting the niche who are just using Amazon product listings as their posts.

      Traffic continues to climb and most of the traffic comes from "product name" searches and "product name review" searches. Here are some things that seem to be helping:

      1. I hand write each review - no content taken verbatim from Amazon except a couple of comments from their consumer reviews.
      2. When I mention the Amazon consumer reviews, I suggest the visitor can "read more here: (affiliate text link to Amazon review page)".
      3. I started by writing reviews on the bestsellers on Amazon for this group of products. There are probably a couple of hundred different versions of this product on Amazon.
      4. Unintentionally, I chose a niche for which the products' instruction manuals are readily available online. I started actually reading the manuals which allows the reviews to include more information than is found in the Amazon product listing or on any other site that is simply using the Amazon information. Things like included accessories, ways to use the product, information about how it compares to competitive products. This allows for more content in general and more long-tailed traffic.
      5. Visited the manufacturers' sites for additional information.
      6. Promoted the site with bookmarking, a handful of articles, a network of Squidoo lenses, and a Hubpage.
      7. Titled each post with "Full Product Name Review".
      8. Linked images, text links and Amazon reviewers comments to Amazon.
      9. Included a "check the price" button in the post.
      10. Used WP-Table Reloaded to build a Comparison page of all the products for which a review has been done that can be sorted by critical product features, ratings, and price and which can also be filtered by any data in the columns. The product name in the table links to my review page. The price data in the table links to Amazon.
      11. Created a standard format that I use for each review so they are uniform in case the visitor goes from one review to another. This way, all the same information is in the same order. (There's probably a faster way to do this but I just copied all the necessary HTML formatting for my post layout into a draft post. When I go to write a review, I copy the HTML from the draft into a new post and then I just have to paste in my review text, insert images, and links.)
      This niche is not something I'm an expert in and it took me some time to research it and become familiar with the critical features of the products. At first, it took me hours to do a comprehensive review but now that I've done bunches of them, they're much easier and faster to write.

      My domain is a hyphenated, exact keyword match .com for a phrase that indicated people who would be shopping for these products. The keyword has 8100 exact searches a month in Google's Keyword tool. While I've optimized for that keyword phrase, it is really the specific product names that are bringing in the traffic so keyword research doesn't take up a lot of time. Find a product, write a review.

      I'm currently towards the bottom of the 1st page of Google for my keyword phrase, having passed the non-hyphenated .com and .net. Interested to see if searches for the keyword itself will bring sales or if it will continue to be the product name searches.

      (This is why I don't post too often - once I start writing it all tumbles out into a long, wordy bunch of blather! Regardless - a huge thanks to PaulaC and Daniel Brock for all the sharing they've done on this topic.)
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2181087].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Daniel Brock
        Amazon IMO is not going to make you rich...There are definitely some people in this forum that make a full time living off Amazon because they have sites that are highly ranked, but if you are making absolutely no money what so ever, Amazon is the perfect place to start.

        - A perfect way to make your first $1,000/m online.

        Everyone is so focused on all the products out there that are like 'watch me make $100,000 promoting products through clickbank'

        Well I hate to break it to you, anything on clickbank these days is extremely competitive. Can anyone make money with clickbank? Sure. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't take skill and experience.

        (In fact, I'm now building an authority site that primarily promotes a CB product, with a physical product to promote on the back end)

        All I can say is stop looking at this as 'oh this product will make me $100,000, so I'm going to buy that'

        If you can't make money online, or don't have the experience, forget about making $100,000.

        Make your first $1000/m then go from there.

        I honestly believe promoting physical products is the best way to get started making money online. While everyone else is focused on clickbank, and most likely failing, you can make a good bit of money every month promoting those unknown physical products that no one ever thinks about.

        Just my 2 cents.

        - Dan Brock
        Signature
        Clickbank #1 Best Seller: The Deadbeat Super Affiliate.
        Click here to learn how to make money online in your bath robe and gym socks!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2181135].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author TimG
          Originally Posted by Daniel Brock View Post

          Amazon IMO is not going to make you rich...There are definitely some people in this forum that make a full time living off Amazon because they have sites that are highly ranked, but if you are making absolutely no money what so ever, Amazon is the perfect place to start.

          - A perfect way to make your first $1,000/m online.

          Everyone is so focused on all the products out there that are like 'watch me make $100,000 promoting products through clickbank'

          Well I hate to break it to you, anything on clickbank these days is extremely competitive. Can anyone make money with clickbank? Sure. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't take skill and experience.

          (In fact, I'm now building an authority site that primarily promotes a CB product, with a physical product to promote on the back end)

          All I can say is stop looking at this as 'oh this product will make me $100,000, so I'm going to buy that'

          If you can't make money online, or don't have the experience, forget about making $100,000.

          Make your first $1000/m then go from there.

          I honestly believe promoting physical products is the best way to get started making money online. While everyone else is focused on clickbank, and most likely failing, you can make a good bit of money every month promoting those unknown physical products that no one ever thinks about.

          Just my 2 cents.

          - Dan Brock
          Dan,
          Having enjoyed some success with other monetization models I started seriously looking at Amazon after one of your threads. Next I purchased one of your WSOs and between that and some other threads in this forum I started making more from Amazon then I previously had for the last year.

          Wanted to say thanks for that!!

          Also, what I am finding is that if the product is one that folks need they will almost always purchase it. The combination of a desperate requirement and keyword phrase searches actually makes the traffic generation part easy. Amazon is taking care of the conversion part for me.

          When done correctly this is almost as easy as making money with Adsense but the payouts are much better even with the low commission rates.

          Tim
          Signature
          Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

          Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2183661].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Frank Ruffoni
          Originally Posted by Daniel Brock View Post

          Amazon IMO is not going to make you rich...There are definitely some people in this forum that make a full time living off Amazon because they have sites that are highly ranked, but if you are making absolutely no money what so ever, Amazon is the perfect place to start.

          - A perfect way to make your first $1,000/m online.

          Everyone is so focused on all the products out there that are like 'watch me make $100,000 promoting products through clickbank'

          Well I hate to break it to you, anything on clickbank these days is extremely competitive. Can anyone make money with clickbank? Sure. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't take skill and experience.

          (In fact, I'm now building an authority site that primarily promotes a CB product, with a physical product to promote on the back end)

          All I can say is stop looking at this as 'oh this product will make me $100,000, so I'm going to buy that'

          If you can't make money online, or don't have the experience, forget about making $100,000.

          Make your first $1000/m then go from there.

          I honestly believe promoting physical products is the best way to get started making money online. While everyone else is focused on clickbank, and most likely failing, you can make a good bit of money every month promoting those unknown physical products that no one ever thinks about.

          Just my 2 cents.

          - Dan Brock
          Great post and great advice.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2614524].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
            Originally Posted by Frank Ruffoni View Post

            Great post and great advice.
            Set up amazon Site...

            Building List with ClickBank product

            You get sale from both END...

            think like customer...

            Complete this sentence:

            People come to my site....

            Will most likely buy......

            This information (clickbank product) will help them......


            For example:

            So one brought parts for building a bike...

            he/she are most like to buy "secret gudie" to build a
            best bike

            look for clickbank affiliate who gives you re-brandable
            ebook, start give that away at your website....

            get them into the list, setup some useful information
            send them to the clickbank product...

            so you kill two birds at same time..

            why not?

            Think "everything is possible" instead just focus on
            narrow minded...

            People come here, say, I got 20 hits no sales...

            well, maybe you not putting the right offer
            to a right buyer, at price, at right time....

            hope this help some of you get some creative juice flow..

            wish you all the best...

            Han
            Signature
            - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
            Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2619698].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author jan roos
              Originally Posted by Han Fan View Post

              Set up amazon Site...

              Building List with ClickBank product

              You get sale from both END...

              think like customer...

              Complete this sentence:

              People come to my site....

              Will most likely buy......

              This information (clickbank product) will help them......


              For example:

              So one brought parts for building a bike...

              he/she are most like to buy "secret gudie" to build a
              best bike

              look for clickbank affiliate who gives you re-brandable
              ebook, start give that away at your website....

              get them into the list, setup some useful information
              send them to the clickbank product...

              so you kill two birds at same time..

              why not?

              Think "everything is possible" instead just focus on
              narrow minded...

              People come here, say, I got 20 hits no sales...

              well, maybe you not putting the right offer
              to a right buyer, at price, at right time....

              hope this help some of you get some creative juice flow..

              wish you all the best...

              Han
              Great Advice Han, You will also find that people who join your list this way will start sending you emails praising you for the great reviews you have on your site and how much it helped them in their decision making. It's a good feeling plus you make more money promoting other stuff on the back end.

              Cheers
              Signature

              I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

              Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2619722].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Syamsul Alam
          Originally Posted by Daniel Brock View Post

          If you can't make money online, or don't have the experience, forget about making $100,000.

          Make your first $1000/m then go from there.

          I honestly believe promoting physical products is the best way to get started making money online. While everyone else is focused on clickbank, and most likely failing, you can make a good bit of money every month promoting those unknown physical products that no one ever thinks about.

          Just my 2 cents.

          - Dan Brock
          Can't agree more... if you can't get your first $1 online, there will be no way to get your $100,000.

          Focus your effort on one small thing, succeed, the momentum will bring you higher...
          Signature
          Signature Here...
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Move your cursor to my link and it will magically turned red when you do it. Try (and click) it!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185799].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author waken
        Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

        That's the commission.
        Amazing! Inspiring! Thanks Paula!

        Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

        I was already an Amazon affiliate and I was making sales every month but nothing significant. Then I read a post on PaulaC's blog. (She doesn't know she was my inspiration - well, now she does! )

        Daniel Brock's posts were also encouraging!

        So, I found a niche, put up a product review site mid-April, and started writing.

        I made my first sale a few weeks later.

        I'm no expert, I'm always testing and learning but I'll share what I've done in case it helps anyone:

        For May, I had 1624 unique visitors, 311 of whom clicked over to Amazon. I had 10 sales that totaled $1366 in revenue. I was at the 6.5% payout rate (due to my other sites) so those sales earned almost $89 in commissions.

        I have 41 posts on the site (WordPress) - 24 are product reviews and 17 are "informational" to the niche (what certain product terms mean and why they're important, how to get the best deal, what to look for in "x products", etc.). My thought was that the informational posts would help the site stand apart from others targeting the niche who are just using Amazon product listings as their posts.

        Traffic continues to climb and most of the traffic comes from "product name" searches and "product name review" searches. Here are some things that seem to be helping:

        1. I hand write each review - no content taken verbatim from Amazon except a couple of comments from their consumer reviews.
        2. When I mention the Amazon consumer reviews, I suggest the visitor can "read more here: (affiliate text link to Amazon review page)".
        3. I started by writing reviews on the bestsellers on Amazon for this group of products. There are probably a couple of hundred different versions of this product on Amazon.
        4. Unintentionally, I chose a niche for which the products' instruction manuals are readily available online. I started actually reading the manuals which allows the reviews to include more information than is found in the Amazon product listing or on any other site that is simply using the Amazon information. Things like included accessories, ways to use the product, information about how it compares to competitive products. This allows for more content in general and more long-tailed traffic.
        5. Visited the manufacturers' sites for additional information.
        6. Promoted the site with bookmarking, a handful of articles, a network of Squidoo lenses, and a Hubpage.
        7. Titled each post with "Full Product Name Review".
        8. Linked images, text links and Amazon reviewers comments to Amazon.
        9. Included a "check the price" button in the post.
        10. Used WP-Table Reloaded to build a Comparison page of all the products for which a review has been done that can be sorted by critical product features, ratings, and price and which can also be filtered by any data in the columns. The product name in the table links to my review page. The price data in the table links to Amazon.
        11. Created a standard format that I use for each review so they are uniform in case the visitor goes from one review to another. This way, all the same information is in the same order. (There's probably a faster way to do this but I just copied all the necessary HTML formatting for my post layout into a draft post. When I go to write a review, I copy the HTML from the draft into a new post and then I just have to paste in my review text, insert images, and links.)
        This niche is not something I'm an expert in and it took me some time to research it and become familiar with the critical features of the products. At first, it took me hours to do a comprehensive review but now that I've done bunches of them, they're much easier and faster to write.

        My domain is a hyphenated, exact keyword match .com for a phrase that indicated people who would be shopping for these products. The keyword has 8100 exact searches a month in Google's Keyword tool. While I've optimized for that keyword phrase, it is really the specific product names that are bringing in the traffic so keyword research doesn't take up a lot of time. Find a product, write a review.

        I'm currently towards the bottom of the 1st page of Google for my keyword phrase, having passed the non-hyphenated .com and .net. Interested to see if searches for the keyword itself will bring sales or if it will continue to be the product name searches.

        (This is why I don't post too often - once I start writing it all tumbles out into a long, wordy bunch of blather! Regardless - a huge thanks to PaulaC and Daniel Brock for all the sharing they've done on this topic.)
        Nice little plan Sojourn!
        Thanks.

        Hm.. Okay, so volume is the key.

        Conversion is better than ebooks..
        SEO traffic is the best..

        I seem to get some ideas now.

        Thanks everybody!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2217011].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author homebse
        Sojourn,

        Thanks for such a detailed response. It is very informative and helpful. It is always encouraging to know about other people's successes.
        Signature

        I Work From Home and Love It!
        Car Seats For Baby
        View Credit Report

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2299926].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author rehema
        Sojourn you are reallly help people on this forum I did not expect to get something so detailed on this forum like this
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2770691].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Marilyn Rae
        Thanks this was great information.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2959539].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author RichardJFox
        Hi Sojourn, really liked your post and have to say I find Dan Brock an insperation!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3476792].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Hoody
          Just signed up for the UK Amazon Affiliate scheme. although it states the referral rate is 5%, according to a post on their forums they have set a cap of £7 per item, which is a bit sucky.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3481813].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Brendan Mace
            Originally Posted by Hoody View Post

            Just signed up for the UK Amazon Affiliate scheme. although it states the referral rate is 5%, according to a post on their forums they have set a cap of £7 per item, which is a bit sucky.
            I believe you can still promote for amazon.com (USA) if you want...
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3482647].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author LexWorldOnline
        Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

        I was already an Amazon affiliate and I was making sales every month but nothing significant. Then I read a post on PaulaC's blog. (She doesn't know she was my inspiration - well, now she does!

        So, I found a niche, put up a product review site mid-April, and started writing.

        I made my first sale a few weeks later.

        I'm no expert, I'm always testing and learning but I'll share what I've done in case it helps anyone:

        For May, I had 1624 unique visitors, 311 of whom clicked over to Amazon. I had 10 sales that totaled $1366 in revenue. I was at the 6.5% payout rate (due to my other sites) so those sales earned almost $89 in commissions.

        I have 41 posts on the site (WordPress) - 24 are product reviews and 17 are "informational" to the niche (what certain product terms mean and why they're important, how to get the best deal, what to look for in "x products", etc.). My thought was that the informational posts would help the site stand apart from others targeting the niche who are just using Amazon product listings as their posts.

        Traffic continues to climb and most of the traffic comes from "product name" searches and "product name review" searches. Here are some things that seem to be helping:

        1. I hand write each review - no content taken verbatim from Amazon except a couple of comments from their consumer reviews.
        2. When I mention the Amazon consumer reviews, I suggest the visitor can "read more here: (affiliate text link to Amazon review page)".
        3. I started by writing reviews on the bestsellers on Amazon for this group of products. There are probably a couple of hundred different versions of this product on Amazon.
        4. Unintentionally, I chose a niche for which the products' instruction manuals are readily available online. I started actually reading the manuals which allows the reviews to include more information than is found in the Amazon product listing or on any other site that is simply using the Amazon information. Things like included accessories, ways to use the product, information about how it compares to competitive products. This allows for more content in general and more long-tailed traffic.
        5. Visited the manufacturers' sites for additional information.
        6. Promoted the site with bookmarking, a handful of articles, a network of Squidoo lenses, and a Hubpage.
        7. Titled each post with "Full Product Name Review".
        8. Linked images, text links and Amazon reviewers comments to Amazon.
        9. Included a "check the price" button in the post.
        10. Used WP-Table Reloaded to build a Comparison page of all the products for which a review has been done that can be sorted by critical product features, ratings, and price and which can also be filtered by any data in the columns. The product name in the table links to my review page. The price data in the table links to Amazon.
        11. Created a standard format that I use for each review so they are uniform in case the visitor goes from one review to another. This way, all the same information is in the same order. (There's probably a faster way to do this but I just copied all the necessary HTML formatting for my post layout into a draft post. When I go to write a review, I copy the HTML from the draft into a new post and then I just have to paste in my review text, insert images, and links.)
        This niche is not something I'm an expert in and it took me some time to research it and become familiar with the critical features of the products. At first, it took me hours to do a comprehensive review but now that I've done bunches of them, they're much easier and faster to write.

        My domain is a hyphenated, exact keyword match .com for a phrase that indicated people who would be shopping for these products. The keyword has 8100 exact searches a month in Google's Keyword tool. While I've optimized for that keyword phrase, it is really the specific product names that are bringing in the traffic so keyword research doesn't take up a lot of time. Find a product, write a review.

        I'm currently towards the bottom of the 1st page of Google for my keyword phrase, having passed the non-hyphenated .com and .net. Interested to see if searches for the keyword itself will bring sales or if it will continue to be the product name searches.

        (This is why I don't post too often - once I start writing it all tumbles out into a long, wordy bunch of blather! Regardless - a huge thanks to PaulaC and Daniel Brock for all the sharing they've done on this topic.)
        Thank you so much for such great information. I am new at affiliate marketing and in my 4 weeks or so in this business, i've seen so many programs which offers this and that via clickbank. I never thought Amazon can be such a great source of online income.

        Quick question though, I live outside the USA. Is the affiliate program available anywhere in the world?

        You are a great help. Thanks a lot.
        Signature
        Discover The Powerful Business Model Used By Smart Entrepreneurs Worldwide.

        Visit NeoRayos.com NOW!!!

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3556439].message }}
        • Originally Posted by LexWorldOnline View Post

          Thank you so much for such great information. I am new at affiliate marketing and in my 4 weeks or so in this business, i've seen so many programs which offers this and that via clickbank. I never thought Amazon can be such a great source of online income.

          Quick question though, I live outside the USA. Is the affiliate program available anywhere in the world?

          You are a great help. Thanks a lot.
          It is. You can still sign up the US Amazon Associates program and have your checks (cheques you guys don't say it right!) posted.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3556683].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author paulie888
            Originally Posted by Jason Perez O'Connor View Post

            It is. You can still sign up the US Amazon Associates program and have your checks (cheques you guys don't say it right!) posted.
            Thanks to this wonderful invention called the internet, it really doesn't matter where in the world you are - as long as you're promoting this to the right target market, Amazon will still give you credit for any sales made.
            Signature
            >>> Features Jason Fladlien, John S. Rhodes, Justin Brooke, Sean I. Mitchell, Reed Floren and Brad Gosse! <<<
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3557114].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author sickbaomei
      Hi Paulac,
      your result is impressive. Do you manually post articles reviews on wordpress blogs or do you use some popular WP amazon plugins like reviewazon,amaniche,wpzon..etc ?

      THanks for sharing your secrets
      Chris

      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2200184].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
        Originally Posted by sickbaomei View Post

        Hi Paulac,
        your result is impressive. Do you manually post articles reviews on wordpress blogs or do you use some popular WP amazon plugins like reviewazon,amaniche,wpzon..etc ?

        THanks for sharing your secrets
        Chris

        We mostly just manually post reviews on blogs. We also use Amazon plugins but not in a big way.
        Signature

        My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

        Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

        Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2208880].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JimmyS
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products.
      How many products do you do? Just asking......
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201875].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JasonC.biz
        This is great info, and I have a question for you who are doing well with Amazon.

        How focused are your sites?

        What I mean is; looking at one of your sites, do you focus on:

        1) A single product (like IPK), such as "Model LCDTV004337"
        2) A narrow niche such as "LCD TVs"
        3) A broader niche such as "TVs"
        4) A general niche such as "Home Entertainment"

        I do have IPK, and the thought of building a bunch of sites based on individual products seems more difficult to generate content. So, I'm guessing that #2 or #3 above make more sense. Or, does it work to just build one fairly large site in a general niche (#4 above) with reviews on several products.

        With a large, somewhat general site (like Home Entertainment), you could have reviews on TVs, DVD/Blu Ray players, sound systems, etc. Or, does a site that large dilute the effort and make it too difficult to rank?

        Thanks,
        Jason
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2202108].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
          Originally Posted by JasonC.biz View Post

          How focused are your sites?

          What I mean is; looking at one of your sites, do you focus on:

          1) A single product (like IPK), such as "Model LCDTV004337"
          2) A narrow niche such as "LCD TVs"
          3) A broader niche such as "TVs"
          4) A general niche such as "Home Entertainment"

          I do have IPK, and the thought of building a bunch of sites based on individual products seems more difficult to generate content. So, I'm guessing that #2 or #3 above make more sense. Or, does it work to just build one fairly large site in a general niche (#4 above) with reviews on several products.

          With a large, somewhat general site (like Home Entertainment), you could have reviews on TVs, DVD/Blu Ray players, sound systems, etc. Or, does a site that large dilute the effort and make it too difficult to rank?

          Thanks,
          Jason
          In my giant sample of one (I used to work with an analyst who would be rolling his eyes about now - "a sample of one?!?"), the site is more like your #2.

          I have Squidoo lenses that focus on one specific product like Model #123 and they do okay (low traffic but decent conversions) but using that approach for my own site would just mean lots of mini sites and I would find that difficult to manage.

          Here were my other reasons for going with #2:
          • If I went with an individual product name and used it in my domain, would I run into any trouble with the manufacturer? I didn't want to take that chance.
          • I find that if I get a site going with a decent amount of content and a consistent posting schedule, new posts get indexed pretty fast (sometimes in minutes) and rank pretty easily on the 1st page for low comp phrases. So, if a new product enters the market in my niche, I have a built-in method for tapping into the traffic for that product through my existing site asap vs. having to create a new site, waiting for it to get indexed and doing additional promotional work for just that one new site.
          • Let's say I did have a site on just Model #123 and I included information that was new to the visitor. "Oh, I didn't know Model #123 didn't include blue widgets. I don't want that one now." Maybe I've at least converted them to Amazon so they can find one with blue widgets OR they could be off searching in Google for a model with blue widgets and I've lost them. If you have a site all about LCD TVs and they don't like something about the one that brought them to your site, you have a chance at converting them on another product if you have written about other models in that niche (and if you've set up navigation so that they could easily find another model to look at).
          Those are my "theories", anyway. I'd like to be able to track my traffic to that level - did the visitor arrive looking at one product but buy a different one?

          I'd also love to know from PaulaC or Dan Brock if they've seen any negative impact from having too many options. Did visitors just get confused by all of the choices and leave the decision for another day?

          I think options #3 and #4 are also viable but may take longer for results based on the competitiveness of a broad niche. With the right planning and domain choice you could even start out focusing on a narrow niche like #2 with the intention of expanding the site to include the more broad range of topics down the road. Fully nail down one segment of the market before trying to bite off the whole thing.

          My thoughts, anyway.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2202608].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author TimG
          Originally Posted by JasonC.biz View Post

          This is great info, and I have a question for you who are doing well with Amazon.

          How focused are your sites?

          What I mean is; looking at one of your sites, do you focus on:

          1) A single product (like IPK), such as "Model LCDTV004337"
          2) A narrow niche such as "LCD TVs"
          3) A broader niche such as "TVs"
          4) A general niche such as "Home Entertainment"

          I do have IPK, and the thought of building a bunch of sites based on individual products seems more difficult to generate content. So, I'm guessing that #2 or #3 above make more sense. Or, does it work to just build one fairly large site in a general niche (#4 above) with reviews on several products.

          With a large, somewhat general site (like Home Entertainment), you could have reviews on TVs, DVD/Blu Ray players, sound systems, etc. Or, does a site that large dilute the effort and make it too difficult to rank?

          Thanks,
          Jason
          I'm building my sites on a broad "needs" based niche then adding pages to it that focus on spcific products for that niche. however, I will be building additional sites that I refer to as Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) which are built around a specific product.

          Those FOBs are then linked back to the product page on my broad website adding more link juice and relevancy in the eyes of the search engines.

          Tim
          Signature
          Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

          Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2204108].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author JasonC.biz
            Thanks Erica and Tim - that all makes sense and is in line with my thoughts.

            Jason
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2204431].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author AHartzell
            I think you can and there are people that do. I just think it takes a little more time and effort. With commissions that low you have to sell high priced items and sell a lot of them.

            As stated before, it can be done though.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2286508].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author bonafide70
          Originally Posted by JasonC.biz View Post

          This is great info, and I have a question for you who are doing well with Amazon.

          How focused are your sites?

          What I mean is; looking at one of your sites, do you focus on:

          1) A single product (like IPK), such as "Model LCDTV004337"
          2) A narrow niche such as "LCD TVs"
          3) A broader niche such as "TVs"
          4) A general niche such as "Home Entertainment"

          I do have IPK, and the thought of building a bunch of sites based on individual products seems more difficult to generate content. So, I'm guessing that #2 or #3 above make more sense. Or, does it work to just build one fairly large site in a general niche (#4 above) with reviews on several products.

          With a large, somewhat general site (like Home Entertainment), you could have reviews on TVs, DVD/Blu Ray players, sound systems, etc. Or, does a site that large dilute the effort and make it too difficult to rank?

          Thanks,
          Jason
          The IPK method does both as far as I remember (niche products sites and a general mother site) but I've personally found focusing on the product (or range of products) much better - both for SEO and conversion

          (one of my sites is converting at 22% this week, though lead up to Christmas will always be higher)

          great thread btw!

          Jerry
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2985307].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
      Originally Posted by StedeTroisi View Post

      Paula, I want to believe you, but with commissions so low, my mind can't imagine the amount of revenue you must be making them. Can you show us an example of one of your "review" pages? Do you feel comfortable doing a fake review?

      Thank,

      - Stede

      We don't give out our websites anymore. Too many people try to steal the content unfortunately. It doesn't help us and it certainly doesn't help them.

      You only have to go to sites like Cnet or any of those big review sites that write really long detailed reviews for examples.

      And you don't need to own the product to review it. And you don't need to write a fake review. You just have to word it the right way.

      You need to let your reader know that you did a hell of a lot of research on it which is why you know so much about it. And when you are writing the review you can refer to what other people think of the product. This is why Amazon is so good because they already have tons of people providing their opinion.

      So you might say something like -

      "The majority of consumers on Amazon loved how easy this coffee machine is to use....whilst most coffee makers require a degree to master, this comes as a nice surprise. Many also expressed how easy it was to froth milk compared to other machines they used."

      Of course, you don't want to keep referring to what other consumers have said for the entire review. For the most part you want to just talk about the features and how they would benefit the consumer. So you might say something like:

      "This espresso machine comes with an automatic frothing device which most other machines don't have. This makes is super easy to create that delicious froth on your next cappuccino.

      This coffee machine makes up to 12 cups of coffee in one go so if you entertain regularly this is the machine for you. You will be able to serve your guests in one go and get back to entertaining".

      Now I've just quickly written that up and I could do better with a few more drafts but it gives you a basic idea of how you can write product reviews without actually having to say you own it.

      We normally write our reviews and then we when get a lot of sales to that page we go out and buy the product. Then we can add even greater detail to the review and add our own photos.
      Signature

      My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

      Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

      Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2208936].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author createyouwealth
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      Congrads of all the success you have with amazon. I usually hear about ppl not making as much with them.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2244471].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author wendymay1
      Thanks Paula. Have downloaded your pdf: 7 Traffic methods.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2279193].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author billy79
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      Hmm.. Tried this already. Still cannot make it successfull.. Maybe I still not doing well.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2377446].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Charles Butler
        Originally Posted by billy79 View Post

        Hmm.. Tried this already. Still cannot make it successfull.. Maybe I still not doing well.
        1) Are you ranking on any keywords?
        2) Are your reviews actually "exceptionally good?"

        I'm going into Amazon affiliate "hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst". If Im not mistaken there is a YouTube video with Matt Cutts saying that there's an algorithm update targeting long tail keyword rankings, replacing the first page with deep links from authority sites (Amazon.com), allegedly because of Bing bringing the web faster than Google's index (which would explain those commercials, which never made sense to me until Caffeine's release) in conjunction with what happened with Google not being able to index the news fast enough when 9/11 occurred, or something to that extent.

        I'm not saying that's true or not, I'm just saying I'm going to write some very good reviews (I sold CB products quite successfully last year, paying back my investment and then some; I just didn't know what I know know, I was actually pretty close to making good money looking back, but I digress) I just hope nothing changed "too much" about getting on the front page for very specific (read:long-tail) keywords, but I'll report back on my progress when its appropriate.

        Update 8/20:

        Okay, so I have chosen my niche that has higher-end products ($150+ or more, at 4% thats $6 a sale, not bad, but I believe you have to sell smaller products as well to climb that fee structure every month and while I'm doing that I will be promoting CB products in the related niche as well for article fodder.) that are only sold online and not found in retail, and is a buying niche because it is needed at some point in time. I began writing product reviews on my wordpress blog (I am VERY impressed how user-friendly WP has become recently, having not used it in over 1+ years.) So far I am pacing myself as I want to write QUALITY reviews, the length is not all the most important factor to me as long as I thoroughly cover the topics I want to cover in each review I consistently hit 500 word reviews according to EzineArticles. I am hoping for the first time in my article writing lifetime that I get Platinum status (I'm starting again after a year hiatus btw), as Ezines has gotten me to the front page the most and given me the most traffic and sales so my domain is more of my "soft" landing page instead of a squidoo lens or hubpage, which I will also be using. So far I have 5 product reviews and a comparison post - I will be writing top 5 products for less than $200 or something like that tomorrow as well as other posts. It is taking me all day to thoroughly review 2 products and form them into a product review I would personally want to read in researching that product niche, among other things like adding pictures and updating prior pages with new ideas I want to implement. I would like to note that it is becoming easier for me to write reviews, Sojourn mentioned this hurdle when first writing and I am no expert in my niche either, but I would like to know more about it and as a result I can keep everything interesting because I want to write and talk about it. Once Ezines has approved my articles I will begin my traffic generating campaign which hopefully results in landing on the first page as I create as many product reviews for my niche as I can, which depends on the keywords I find and believe I can rank for. Once I've done that or made a sale or two I will move on and make another niche site. Like I said this method had worked for me in the past with CB products, I just never applied it to Amazon products and I hope the method hasn't changed much. I can definitely see that this is going to take time to make a substantial income; Paula to make over $10,000 a month I can only imagine how many pages you have up and running and how long it took to get there; but I do see that it is possible to make that kind of cheddar strictly through Amazon, if one has the discipline to commit to writing quality articles that help the customer instead of rushing to make a garbage review that only helps yourself. I just hope things haven't changed much to the algo to rank on the front page, I am also focusing on becoming an authority site, making articles that people would want to read and recommend.

        Once all that mashed up mayhem is accomplished (More Articles -> Ezines - > Traffic) I will make another update; which should be in about a week or two (roughly the same time it took for Ofthemix to make her first sale on Amazon, if I'm not mistaken.) I just need the taste of waking up to a sale again to really get the ol' proverbial fire burning again, then I can really do some damage lol
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2480740].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author chas08
      Check out their Amazonian Profit Plan, it rocks!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2396639].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author chas08
      Originally Posted by Stede Troisi View Post

      Paula, I want to believe you, but with commissions so low, my mind can't imagine the amount of revenue you must be making them. Can you show us an example of one of your "review" pages? Do you feel comfortable doing a fake review?

      Thank,

      - Stede
      I have seen a copy of a sample review page in their new eBook and it is well detailed. They show thier earnings and sales since last November. They are the real deal.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2396676].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author MatthewT
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      How are you driving your traffic?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2671456].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
        Originally Posted by MatthewT View Post

        How are you driving your traffic?
        Hi Matthew,

        There are a variety of ways....I do believe that on her blog she talks about this a little more in detail.

        Definitely don't put all your eggs in one basket....Try a few different ones and double up on the winners!

        Michael
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2672010].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Sonomacats
        Originally Posted by MatthewT View Post

        How are you driving your traffic?
        They talk about it in their book in a lot more detail than in their blog.

        Best thing you can do is search on the forum for posts on driving traffic and utilize what you see.

        I not only use her techniques, but I also use straight-on article marketing and a variety of other things.

        A lot depends on how determined you are to get traffic.
        Signature

        Writing as Kieran McKendrick
        You can find the first prequel to my Purgatory series (How Blended are Dust and Fire) on Amazon and Smashwords.

        Whether you think you can or think you cannot, you are right. -- Henry Ford

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2673292].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author feebpone
      Banned
      [DELETED]
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2678350].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
        Originally Posted by feebpone View Post

        Hi, I am new on internet business. I really want to know how i can make good money as an amazon associate. How do I go about it. I need a mentor. That u could make that amount blows my head

        You should read Paula and Wanda's ebook on how to make money with Amazon. It is outstanding. If you want a link let me know and I will PM you one.

        Hopefully Sojourn will come out with an ebook on Amazon one day and share her perspective also.

        Just a note though. As I have mentioned before, I have seen Paula and Wanda's sites and Sojourn's sites. This is not a get rich quick scheme.
        There is a lot of time and effort put into creating these attractive sites and driving traffic to them - A lot of time and effort.

        These sites provide tremendous value to the consumer and that is why they are so successful.
        Signature

        Pen Name + 8 eBooks + social media sites 4 SALE - PM me (evergreen beauty niche)

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2678392].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
        Originally Posted by feebpone View Post

        Hi, I am new on internet business. I really want to know how i can make good money as an amazon associate. How do I go about it. I need a mentor. That u could make that amount blows my head
        Feebpone,

        It took a lot of effort and tweaking for Wanda and Paula C to reach the level they did. They really put in the hard work. To make good money as an amazon associate, you've got to really hunker down and put in your time daily, whether it is researching the products or building traffic to your site.

        You can outsource the entire process and there are paid tools out there that can help but just know that you either have to invest money or time - There are no shortcuts!

        It's not hard to build up a solid business with amazon but just be prepared to pay the price!
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2679339].message }}
    • Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.


      Thank your important tips
      Frankly I applied to join Amazon's affiliate program, but didn't go through with it because I considered their commission too low. However after reading your message, I'll reconsider.
      You've been very helpful :p


      Signature

      PLEASE NO AFFILAITE / REDIRECT LINKS IN YOUR SIGNATURE!

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2678800].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Novoxborder
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.

      You gotta right a bit more
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2760154].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author carolbacken
      This is something to look forward to, and a real effective way to make money online.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2809154].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author caridead
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      good idea to make it..
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2894631].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author OmarBriones
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      WOW!! That's very impressive, Paula! Can you expand a little on why you should use text links & not widgets when referring people to Amazon?

      Keep rocking!!

      ~Omar
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2969410].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Charlie Houston
      I can't even imagine making $1000 a month much less $10,000. Could you give my new site a look and give me some pointers on getting better conversions?

      Male Hair Removal
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3004280].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
        Originally Posted by Charlie Houston View Post

        I can't even imagine making $1000 a month much less $10,000. Could you give my new site a look and give me some pointers on getting better conversions?

        Male Hair Removal
        no call to action, it's more like information site...

        Han
        Signature
        - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
        Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3008891].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
          Originally Posted by Han Fan View Post

          no call to action, it's more like information site...

          Han
          That's what I thought too.
          Signature
          100% Unique Sales Page Website +100% Unique Internet Marketing Product
          + Support! All of this, just $397! (PM Me For Details!)
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3008899].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
        Originally Posted by Charlie Houston View Post

        I can't even imagine making $1000 a month much less $10,000. Could you give my new site a look and give me some pointers on getting better conversions?

        Male Hair Removal
        Hi Charlie,

        Your site needs a much simpler layout. I've found conversions to go up when you have very simple, 2 column layout. You're better off having product reviews in the main part of the site, rather than the right sidebar. The sidebars look a little too cluttered.

        Michael
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3009178].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Before we get too involved with Charlie, he has another thread about this active. Might be better for all to put feedback there, rather than hijacking this thread...
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3011011].message }}
      • Originally Posted by Charlie Houston View Post

        I can't even imagine making $1000 a month much less $10,000. Could you give my new site a look and give me some pointers on getting better conversions?

        Male Hair Removal
        put an opt-in box in the upper right corner where you currently have the male pic. Also, I would make your header text a little smaller, with a pic of a smooth male just above. like a headerboard photo.

        Offer a free report and drip it to your list.
        Signature
        PatrickBrianONeill.com
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3091428].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author roley
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.

      cough.. b.s

      ( Oh yes i see you have a book your promoting on amazon.. oh it must be true then lol )
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3091890].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Young Samurai
        Can't believe I missed this thread until now.

        Probably the most value filled thread I've read on WF.

        As someone starting out with a few Amazon sites this is priceless.

        Thank you to all those who have contributed positively.
        Signature
        Kyle
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3115597].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Azgard
      Banned
      [DELETED]
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3126619].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by Azgard View Post

        How Do you guys promote those sites? I have not made anything from Amazon. I've tried everything but still cant get any sales. Could some one recommend me something?
        One approach is to create content about what a given product is used for.

        For example, if I was promoting a given type of fishing reel, I would first set up a site or part of a site with reviews of the top 3-5 reels of that type. Then I would start writing and distributing articles, videos, etc. about the type of fishing those reels were suited for. The resource box would refer back to the review site.

        If you also post those articles on sites you own and/or control, you can start backlinking them on those sites.

        By writing about the use of the product, rather than the product itself, gets you a better shot at syndication on better websites, IMO.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3126858].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Dan Manherz
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      thanks Paula... I set up some sites promoting for Christmas using Amazon and some other linkshare and other networks. November I made $50, then November and December close to $500. Converted really well.

      I would have made a lot more if Google hadn't kept yanking me off page 1 on a weekly basis.

      Deadbeat helped me immensely as well as Craig Kaye Info Product Killer
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127803].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Mgriff
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      I agree with this, but I would also say to promote some products that are less expensive to help get up to the higher commission levels like 8.25%.

      I especially think that promoting Amazon products is a must during the last half of the year. My conversion percentage this year was close to 10%. That is hard to beat anywhere else.
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3140191].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author feliciayapsl
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      Yup.. Totally agree with Paula
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3191672].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sam Fitz
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      Thanks for sharing your insights Paula. They're obviously very effective. I'm just curious - why is it that text links are better than widgets?

      Thanks in Advance
      -Sam
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3200430].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
        Originally Posted by Sam Fitz View Post

        Thanks for sharing your insights Paula. They're obviously very effective. I'm just curious - why is it that text links are better than widgets?

        Thanks in Advance
        -Sam
        Not sure if Paula is keeping up with this thread, so I'll just chime in- I think that widgets are "bannery" and look like ads, which people are less likely to click on than normal text links.

        It's worth testing, however, I've read this on several top amazon affiliate marketer's blogs, so I haven't used any of amazon's widgets in ages.
        Signature

        HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3200585].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author NateRivers
        Originally Posted by Sam Fitz View Post

        Thanks for sharing your insights Paula. They're obviously very effective. I'm just curious - why is it that text links are better than widgets?

        Thanks in Advance
        -Sam

        I don't have an answer for why really.... but I can vouch for her statement. Text links convert much better and have a higher CTR. I think that one reason is, is that it is in the review they are reading. Most people subconsciously ignore banner ads and anything not in the content they were seeking, so text links helps with that.
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3276289].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author irakly
      Nice info. Thanks

      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3467611].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JamieSEO
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      Great advice Paula. I made the newbie mistake of promoting products with too low a price tag when I started out.

      Now the only low ticket products on Amazon that I promote are my own books. That extra 4% - 8.25% is a nice bonus to royalties.

      If you find you are not thrilled with Amazon I have had great results with LinkShare since you can get some fairly high commissions and CPA income.

      Personally I like to mix it up and always have a few different sources - all affiliate programs have their advantages and disadvantages
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3512637].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sea1c
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post


      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      So you don't use the widgets? Have you found better conversion without them? I have only been using them because I figured as and when the price changed I would have an accurate website. Anyone else found better one way or the other?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3538069].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by Sea1c View Post

        So you don't use the widgets? Have you found better conversion without them? I have only been using them because I figured as and when the price changed I would have an accurate website. Anyone else found better one way or the other?
        Over the years I've been an Amazon affiliate, practically since the beginning, I've never been able to get any results from any of the widgets I've tried. On the other hand, in-context text links have worked the best overall.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3543381].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author claycath
          I agree with the text links but I have had some success with the carousel widget. The others aren't worth trying.

          People also like to click on the pictures of the product so make sure they are linked back to Amazon with your affiliate link.
          Signature

          Cathy

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3543854].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Fraggler
          Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

          I've never been able to get any results from any of the widgets I've tried.
          I had the same problem with my own sites BUT I found the opposite with Hubpages.

          I found that for general product type keywords you could make use of the sidebars and the widgets to funnel the reader to your own preferred product.

          So in the sidebar you would have a quick overview/featured product with a couple of positive points about said product.

          Under that you would place some well themed widgets. The featured product and sidebar widget combined provided more interest and sales than the link in the main content.

          The keyword showed strong intent though so that will obviously sway things. Sometimes people are just looking for a shopping list, so test the two.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3544613].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author beginner warrior
      What does "use text links not widgets" mean?

      I don't know what a widget it in internet marketing terms.

      Is that like a colorful image button or something?


      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      We make on average around $10,000 a month on Amazon products. It is very doable.

      The commission rate starts at 4% but goes up to 8.25% if you sell enough products.

      The secret to doing well with Amazon products is to:

      1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
      2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
      3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3538593].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author AD25
        Originally Posted by beginner warrior View Post

        What does "use text links not widgets" mean?

        I don't know what a widget it in internet marketing terms.

        Is that like a colorful image button or something?
        It means use in context text links.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3538692].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
          Originally Posted by AD25 View Post

          It means use in context text links.
          You will see a drastic increase in conversion just by shifting to text links. People tend to put more faith into clicking on the less flashy links!

          Plus, don't overdo your links and spread them out throughout your post.

          Also, be sure that any pictures of your products on your site link directly to your affiliate page as well...Many people forget to do that!
          Signature

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3540354].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Patrick_Kelly
            I agree. From my experience, using text links is always far more successful than using one of the Amazon widgets.

            I had sites that performed really poorly with widgets. When I changed my approach to use text links and well written product reviews, my results went up enormously.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3540368].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TimG
    I recently started incorporating Amazon into my income generation efforts after reading some of Dan Brock's stuff and seeing several threads in this forum where other people were enjoying fantastic success as an Amazon affiliate.

    I have a few sites that I have been testing different things on to include using text links instead of widgets and my conversion percentage is slowly climbing. Also, I'm focused on selling a ton of small items in order to increase my affiliate percentage so that I can receive a bigger payout for more expensive items.

    Everything seems to be working because I've made more from Amazon this quarter then I have from all of my previous quarters combined.

    The key as PaulaC pointed out is to find the right product and write high quality reviews. This isn't like adsense where if you have a garbage article on your site the visitor clicks an adsense ad to leave. The high quality content combined with Amazon's reputation is what is creating the sale from what I can tell on my sites.

    Tim
    Signature
    Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

    Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180559].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author smartdoctor
      Originally Posted by TimG View Post


      The key as PaulaC pointed out is to find the right product and write high quality reviews. This isn't like adsense where if you have a garbage article on your site the visitor clicks an adsense ad to leave. The high quality content combined with Amazon's reputation is what is creating the sale from what I can tell on my sites.

      Tim
      Tim you are very right content is the selling point for your website
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127913].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Samuel Baker
    Amazon is something I am looking to get into further down the line and judging from what the above Warriors have stated that the potential is there for great earnings and return.

    Will be definitely looking into some of the Amazon Affiliate resources posted around this forum when the time comes.

    Stick to it!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180571].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Emily Meeks
    It has to be said: you're asking the wrong question.

    Are others seriously making money with Amazon? I think you know the answer to that one already. What you SHOULD be asking instead is, "How are you seriously making money?"

    It's not a matter of possibility, but technique. If others are making money and you're not, you're apparently doing something that they're not. Don't waste your energy on whether or not you *can* do something - I'll just say, "I don't know, can you?" If you ask me HOW to do something, though, that's a different story...
    Signature

    In all that you do, know your True INTENT...

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180605].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author farisanuar
      Originally Posted by moneysoapbox View Post

      It has to be said: you're asking the wrong question.

      Are others seriously making money with Amazon? I think you know the answer to that one already. What you SHOULD be asking instead is, "How are you seriously making money?"

      It's not a matter of possibility, but technique. If others are making money and you're not, you're apparently doing something that they're not. Don't waste your energy on whether or not you *can* do something - I'll just say, "I don't know, can you?" If you ask me HOW to do something, though, that's a different story...


      Hey this is good!

      can u please please please teach me on how ure making tons of money from being an affliate for amazon?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2280379].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author smither07
      Originally Posted by moneysoapbox View Post

      It has to be said: you're asking the wrong question.

      Are others seriously making money with Amazon? I think you know the answer to that one already. What you SHOULD be asking instead is, "How are you seriously making money?"

      It's not a matter of possibility, but technique. If others are making money and you're not, you're apparently doing something that they're not. Don't waste your energy on whether or not you *can* do something - I'll just say, "I don't know, can you?" If you ask me HOW to do something, though, that's a different story...
      Yeah you are right, it depends on the person. A lot of people are making money using amazon.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2289530].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author pogul
        Echoing what others have already said - THANK YOU for all of the great information in this thread!!!

        Quick question: So everyone favors the text links in content over the widgets, but I'm curious if there is formula for the text links you're using. For example:

        "...and we found that the sound on the ABC system was much better than..." where ABC system is the link back to Amazon.

        or

        "...we found that Amazon had the best price on the ABC system..." where Amazon is the actual link back to the item on Amazon.

        I guess the better way to ask is, when they click your link are they aware that they are clicking a link that is taking them to Amazon to purchase the product? Or are the links more concealed such as - product name, "more info", etc?

        And is it correct that when someone clicks through your affiliate link to Amazon, they get a 24 hour cookie that will pay YOU regardless of what they buy?

        If that is the case, what happens if they click through to Amazon from site A (your competitor) at Noon, and then click through to Amazon from your site at 1PM - does your cookie override the earlier affiliate's cookie?

        Thanks again for all of the help you all are providing!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2290396].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author billyba
      excellent point dear,,,,I'm a newbie trying to glean as much information as I can about the world of IM. Information overload pops into my head. But thanks for your comment. It strikes a cord!!!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2626668].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author billyba
      Originally Posted by moneysoapbox View Post

      It has to be said: you're asking the wrong question.

      Are others seriously making money with Amazon? I think you know the answer to that one already. What you SHOULD be asking instead is, "How are you seriously making money?"

      It's not a matter of possibility, but technique. If others are making money and you're not, you're apparently doing something that they're not. Don't waste your energy on whether or not you *can* do something - I'll just say, "I don't know, can you?" If you ask me HOW to do something, though, that's a different story...
      excellent point dear,,,,I'm a newbie trying to glean as much information as I can about the world of IM. Information overload pops into my head. But thanks for your comment. It strikes a cord!!!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2626680].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author James Woods
      i like this reply very well said
      Signature

      Hey We all Know that Generating Leads is the Life Blood of any Business. Click the link below to receive Your FREE Report Detailing How to generate and Endless Supply of Leads for any Business.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2656438].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Marvin Johnston
      Originally Posted by moneysoapbox View Post

      It has to be said: you're asking the wrong question.

      Are others seriously making money with Amazon? I think you know the answer to that one already. What you SHOULD be asking instead is, "How are you seriously making money?"

      It's not a matter of possibility, but technique. If others are making money and you're not, you're apparently doing something that they're not. Don't waste your energy on whether or not you *can* do something - I'll just say, "I don't know, can you?" If you ask me HOW to do something, though, that's a different story...
      Interesting that we seem to think alike as that was my first reaction as well .

      That said, I immediately thought of Roger Bannister and the 4 minute mile. I don't know the figures now, but after he broke the 4 minute mile, a number of others knew it was possible and also broke the 4 minute mile. Much like John Reese and the $1M day sales.

      Knowing that something is possible certainly makes it easier to attain.

      Marvin
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2995709].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author payday911
      Originally Posted by moneysoapbox View Post

      It has to be said: you're asking the wrong question.

      Are others seriously making money with Amazon? I think you know the answer to that one already. What you SHOULD be asking instead is, "How are you seriously making money?"

      It's not a matter of possibility, but technique. If others are making money and you're not, you're apparently doing something that they're not. Don't waste your energy on whether or not you *can* do something - I'll just say, "I don't know, can you?" If you ask me HOW to do something, though, that's a different story...

      Dammit you beat me to the punch!!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3139528].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author suemax
      Originally Posted by moneysoapbox View Post

      It has to be said: you're asking the wrong question.

      Are others seriously making money with Amazon? I think you know the answer to that one already. What you SHOULD be asking instead is, "How are you seriously making money?"

      It's not a matter of possibility, but technique. If others are making money and you're not, you're apparently doing something that they're not. Don't waste your energy on whether or not you *can* do something - I'll just say, "I don't know, can you?" If you ask me HOW to do something, though, that's a different story...
      Bravo to Emily - this is a FAR more positive approach, AND of course brings in very useful and financially-superior learnings!

      I tinkered with Amazon before Christmas but didn't put enough time or effort in. It is definitely on my "shopping list" of things to get into. I am focussing on "one thing at a time" right now. Quite a challenge in IM when so many of you on here are sharing so much useful information. Thanks guys!
      Signature

      Master Resale Rights are so versatile, and these are educational, too. All kinds of IM material. Read, sell, break up into articles, combine into bundles, and there are 250 of them, complete with MRR, here for a bargain price! I'm even throwing in the sales page. Only £37 for Warriors. http://www.250mrrproducts.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3315583].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author actionplanbiz
    i just started with amazon kind of.. got a few niche sites. but not a whole lot of cash coming in. but its completely relying on SEO and i didnt really like that fact so i toned the amazon sites down a bit and started focusing on other methods.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180611].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author blue_gurl
    being an Amazon affilitate is just like being a sales rep.
    write good content to convince your customers to buy.

    they are also right about selling items over $150
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180643].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author webmasteruk
      I feel like I am posting the same post but spinning it in a different way. A weird sort of deja vu.

      Main thing number 1 something that I preech about CONTENT!

      Now a lot of people say reviews but if you know something that others dont then that will be killer content and a help to the internet.

      Not only a help to the internet but a help to your organic traffic and possible comissions!

      One more tip. If you treat your site as king you will be king. All good content goes on your site or blog. Forget article directories for good backlinks! Content and design of your site and how people feel on your site is the main way of getting good posture on search engines.

      Thats my opinion.

      A few ideas there
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2180705].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dean_holland
    The original question it has to be said is a bit of a silly one - Is anyone making serious money as an amazon affiliate ?

    Errr... What do you think?

    So you've been promoting their stuff for what a month or so and this makes you think because you havent hit the 'Big Bucks' that no one is ?

    Don't think for one minute I'm attacking you here man in any sense, I just thought if I wrote it that way you might see how crazy your question now looks

    I'm not either for 1 second going to pretend I can advise you on this, I make about $5 a month off a few products on a niche site I have from months ago that I've never touched since.

    I do however have a friend that makes upwards of $45,000 per month from Amazon

    I've seen it with my own eyes... So cool

    Good luck with it

    Dean
    Signature
    Follow My Journey To Online Success > www.DeanHolland.com
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2181188].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TimG
    I was checking my stats this morning and realized that I have made more from Amazon.com in the last 8 days then I made in April and May combined. This has me extrmely excited because I've really started working Amazon and the positive results are nice to see.

    Tim
    Signature
    Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

    Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2200780].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by TimG View Post

      I was checking my stats this morning and realized that I have made more from Amazon.com in the last 8 days then I made in April and May combined. This has me extremely excited because I've really started working Amazon and the positive results are nice to see.

      Tim
      Tim, Congrats! So much more rewarding when there's MONEY at the end of all that writing and hard work. Appreciate the update, too. Can never get too many "look, it's working!" kinds of posts. Very motivating!

      I went back and checked mine, too. Here's a breakdown of my Amazon commissions for the last several months:

      March - Conversion rate: 2.41% 40 items shipped $ 41.66 earned
      April - Conversion rate: 3.15% 47 items shipped $ 39.07 earned
      May - Conversion rate: 4.46% 75 items shipped $175.38 earned

      June 1st-8th - Conversion rate: 5.65% 39 items shipped, $99.73 earned

      One week and a day into June and I'm already at more than 50% of May's commissions and also more than March and April combined.

      The site I built to focus on Amazon and product reviews was started mid-April and didn't see it's first sale until May. The impact to May was obviously significant.

      Notice how the conversion rate went up, too? This is because my previous attempts at Amazon sales came from sites that were focused on "how to" type niches where I forced in Amazon product links in hopes of a sale vs. the latest site which is very product focused and targeted at people who are actively shopping for these products.

      As I described in my earlier post, May included $90 from the single, latest website (the Amazon focused site) which means I had about $80 in commissions from my other sites - still an increase over March and April. This means my other sites saw an increase in commissions, too, just at lower dollar amounts. I can chalk that up to having focused on adding more content more rapidly to my other sites. (Again, credit to PaulaC's blog post about how she and Wanda wrote their tails off to put out more content on a daily basis. Inspired me to spend more time writing and less time refreshing stat pages.)

      Another tip: As several posters have mentioned, targeting products that retail for over $150 helps boost commissions. Keep in mind that some products have a single retail price of less than $150 but are often bought in multiples. Lawn chairs and towels are examples of these types of products. Rarely does anyone buy just one lawn chair or one towel. Products where several items are usually bought at one time and combined can total over $150 are great, too, AND boost your sale quantity at the same time.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201040].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Elle Holder
        Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

        The site I built to focus on Amazon and product reviews was started mid-April and didn't see it's first sale until May. The impact to May was obviously significant.
        Erica, quick question, and if I missed the answer in a subsequent post, my apologies.

        From this I get the sense that your first review sites were aimed at individual niches, but your most recent site is a general review site focusing on a variety of products. Am I correct?
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2213806].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
          Originally Posted by Elle Holder View Post

          Erica, quick question, and if I missed the answer in a subsequent post, my apologies.

          From this I get the sense that your first review sites were aimed at individual niches, but your most recent site is a general review site focusing on a variety of products. Am I correct?
          Elle - Actually, the first sites where I started including Amazon were built to promote Clickbank products but evolved into a great place to promote products on Amazon. I have 3 such sites that went that direction. The posts are all "how-to do x" but it started to become obvious that some products were needed to actually "do x" and so I started linking to those products in my posts. These are not review sites.

          The latest site - the one started in April - is specifically a review site and is focused around one product of which there are multiple versions of this product on the market (like laptops). I then included two kinds of posts on my site:

          • Review posts - discusses one model of this product in detail (average word count per post is probably 1000)
          • Buying Information - gives tips for how to get the best deal, finding the best price, important criteria to look for in these products, defines the terminology used to describe these products and their features, how to compare these products, etc.
          This made category set-up quite simple, for now. Category 1= Reviews, Category 2=Buying Guide Information.

          As a side note, I also developed a set of common tags - things like brand, all the most important features, and price bands ($100-200, $200-300, etc) so that someone getting to the first page could click on tags by brand, price, or feature and quickly find a list of reviews of just the products that included that tag criteria.

          Hope that helps!

          Erica
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2213895].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author willcosys
        Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

        Another tip: As several posters have mentioned, targeting products that retail for over $150 helps boost commissions. Keep in mind that some products have a single retail price of less than $150 but are often bought in multiples. Lawn chairs and towels are examples of these types of products. Rarely does anyone buy just one lawn chair or one towel. Products where several items are usually bought at one time and combined can total over $150 are great, too, AND boost your sale quantity at the same time.
        That tip is absolutely golden. I never even considered that. I am just now starting to get into amazon as cpa can be up and down from a seo perspective. I will definitely be using this.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2771197].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Craig McPherson
      Originally Posted by TimG View Post

      I was checking my stats this morning and realized that I have made more from Amazon.com in the last 8 days then I made in April and May combined. This has me extrmely excited because I've really started working Amazon and the positive results are nice to see.

      Tim
      Way to go Tim. I look forward to more posts.

      Craig
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201087].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TimG
        Originally Posted by Craig McPherson View Post

        Way to go Tim. I look forward to more posts.

        Craig
        Thanks Craig - I appreciate that...I'm just starting to crack the Amazon affiliate shell but from what I can tell the rewards are looking real juicy -

        I'll have more to post on this money making strategy.

        Respectfully,
        Tim
        Signature
        Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

        Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201105].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TimG
        Originally Posted by Craig McPherson View Post

        Way to go Tim. I look forward to more posts.

        Craig
        Craig,
        There is some additional info regarding Amazon in this thread also: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...s-convert.html

        Respectfully,
        Tim
        Signature
        Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

        Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201136].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Craig McPherson
          Originally Posted by TimG View Post

          Craig,
          There is some additional info regarding Amazon in this thread also: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...s-convert.html

          Respectfully,
          Tim
          Many thanks Tim,

          I have just been on a bookmarking frenzy and will check both threads often.

          As an aside, I have to agree on picking items that can be bought in multiples.
          I sell a fair bit of body butter on Amazon and three outta four people always buy the multi packs of different scents.
          Signature
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201194].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yunoblog
    I agree that that we should look at promoting items with a price of over $150 but I think it would also be a good idea to start off with lower priced items in the beginning in order to boost your referral rate.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2200791].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TimG
    Erica,
    Those are fantastic results. Right now I am targeting low priced items and building a series of sites (heck one is in my signature below - the prevent fleas website) so that I can build my affiliate commission percentage then I will start to target higher ticket items.

    Based on your commissions it looks as if you are already doing that or targeting the items bought in multiples such as the towels or lawn chairs - great tip by the way

    I'd love to trade some information via PM or email if you ever get a chance. I have something else also that I want to run by you.

    Respectfully,
    Tim
    Signature
    Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

    Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201078].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by TimG View Post

      Erica,
      Those are fantastic results. Right now I am targeting low priced items and building a series of sites (heck one is in my signature below - the prevent fleas website) so that I can build my affiliate commission percentage then I will start to target higher ticket items.

      Based on your commissions it looks as if you are already doing that or targeting the items bought in multiples such as the towels or lawn chairs - great tip by the way

      I'd love to trade some information via PM or email if you ever get a chance. I have something else also that I want to run by you.

      Respectfully,
      Tim
      Saw your flea example from the other thread - in fact, that made the whole "need" based products vs. "want" based products click for me. Might partially explain that really strong conversion rate you have there.

      PM sent.

      Thanks!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201112].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TimG
        Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

        Saw your flea example from the other thread - in fact, that made the whole "need" based products vs. "want" based products click for me. Might partially explain that really strong conversion rate you have there.

        PM sent.

        Thanks!
        Yes - that site and a few other sites I have built around "needs" are really starting to get hot with traffic and more importantly conversions. The sites are quick and easy to make and the traffic is targeted when it arrives and once I send it to Amazon it is converting extremely well.

        I just responded back to your PM -

        Respectfully,
        Tim
        Signature
        Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

        Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201122].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author raven007
          Hi Tim.....how do you build your sites ? buy a domain then install wordpress ? what theme ? or do you use some other free method first ?
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2683166].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tyroneshum
    I haven't made much money from Amazon yet and have always "had" bucks from my membership programs and also other affiliate programs from my business partners and ventures. With Amazon, I think there's a lot of work to take first and then eventually you'll see the results coming -- although not the fast process you expected.
    Signature
    outsourcinglive.com
    Follow me on my 90 Day Challenge to rank no. 1 on Google
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Connect with me at: outsourcinglive.com/google-plus
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201090].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yianni
    in terms of amazon,

    how have people found using their endless program with regards to making money as an associate

    is the strategy different?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201125].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author DrGUID
    I've sold a few items, but it's still small money.

    As everyone else says, the key is to start off marketing small items so you get your commission rate up. Electrical items are good for this. Also don't bother with books and DVDs because if someone is buying these they usually go direct to Amazon - concentrate on stuff people don't know where it's best to buy from.

    And I don't agree with the other poster that Clickbank is done to death - I found a small software product with low gravity but it converts like crazy! There are great Clickbank products if you have a good old rummage around the Marketplace.
    Signature

    Love passive income? Make money on hubpages. Make money from ClickBank. Preserve your new wealth by investing in gold.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201222].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author traceye
      Um yes.

      In the past two years (or thereabouts) I've made ...



      I've been keeping a blog of my results (which I started November 2008) over at: Info Product Killer Review - Real Results!

      It was using the techniques from IPK, but you will probably still find some good info there if you ignore the affiliate links.

      And yes all the results I've posted on my blog are legit.

      Tracey
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201292].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JayPeete
        Originally Posted by traceye View Post

        Um yes.

        In the past two years (or thereabouts) I've made ...



        I've been keeping a blog of my results (which I started November 2008) over at: Info Product Killer Review - Real Results!

        It was using the techniques from IPK, but you will probably still find some good info there if you ignore the affiliate links.

        And yes all the results I've posted on my blog are legit.

        Tracey
        That's excellent Tracey!
        Signature
        What Misunderstood Traffic Source SUCKS In
        3 Million Visitors Daily and Spits Out
        $560.81 Per Day In Commissions?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2205242].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TimG
        Originally Posted by traceye View Post

        Um yes.

        In the past two years (or thereabouts) I've made ...



        I've been keeping a blog of my results (which I started November 2008) over at: Info Product Killer Review - Real Results!

        It was using the techniques from IPK, but you will probably still find some good info there if you ignore the affiliate links.

        And yes all the results I've posted on my blog are legit.

        Tracey
        That's an amazing amount from Amazon...Your blog postings using IPK were exceptional also as I spent some time going through them. Lot to be learned from what you posted in terms of when it was workign for you (seasonal)..etc.

        Respectfully,
        Tim
        Signature
        Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

        Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2205245].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author traceye
          Originally Posted by TimG View Post

          That's an amazing amount from Amazon...Your blog postings using IPK were exceptional also as I spent some time going through them. Lot to be learned from what you posted in terms of when it was workign for you (seasonal)..etc.

          Respectfully,
          Tim
          Thanks, I wasn't sure if I wanted to post it because I usually like to keep a low profile - but if it inspires anyone then it's all for the good.

          Besides I think Amazon products are WAY EASIER to make money from that info products or adsense (well in my experience anyway).
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2205501].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author cristeto1981
        Wow. This is great. May be I should get into this.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2212801].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author inter123
          A great informative thread.

          Just curious to know how useful these sites really are to Amazon (not that it matters).

          It seems to be a case of targetting soft sales, a bit like a person interested in purchase, visiting a cell phone or car show room. Totally the opposite of say a door to door salesmen visiting without announcing and selling a product the person has not given the remotest thought of buying.

          There is a good chance they are on the first page for the majority of products, there is a good possibility the person would visit Amazons' site without the need for an affliate. So why bother pay a commission to someone?

          I suppose having two websites on the first page does increase the odds in their favour of visitors and ultimately sales.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2212857].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author liveurlyf
        Traceye, dats why u seem so happy (LOL) very nice.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2866368].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author VASEO1
        Originally Posted by traceye View Post

        Um yes.

        In the past two years (or thereabouts) I've made ...



        I've been keeping a blog of my results (which I started November 2008) over at: Info Product Killer Review - Real Results!

        It was using the techniques from IPK, but you will probably still find some good info there if you ignore the affiliate links.

        And yes all the results I've posted on my blog are legit.

        Tracey
        oh its really fentastic earnings

        i am also having 5-6 blogs promoting amazon products but not getting atleast 10-20$ every month
        any suggestions please
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3067203].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author XRay
          Even though Amazon isn't the primary focus of my business, after looking at my Earnings Report from 9/1/2009 - 12/23/2010, I may need to give it a little more attention. I generated $800.50 in net advertising fees on $13,671.63 in net revenues on 326 items sold during that period (add another $250.34 in commissions on $2503.38 in sales from a CJ merchant from 9/1/2010 - 12/23/2010 and $97.50 in earnings on $897.47 in GMB from EPN during 9/1/2010 - 12/23/2010 period). This was mostly from 2 platforms - 1 (of 2) Halloween niche affiliate site & 1 Squidoo lens.

          I need to to do something about that Squidoo lens - don't like the idea of having a good money maker tied to Squidoo (went through that before during the first Squidoo slap - ruined my 1st profitable Clickbank campaign) or any other freebie site, but can't take my focus off my main niche.
          Signature

          I create quality online content at Squidoo, and Yahoo! Contributor Network to inform, to have fun and make some money at it along the way :)

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3069203].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Dan Manherz
        Originally Posted by traceye View Post

        Um yes.

        In the past two years (or thereabouts) I've made ...



        It was using the techniques from IPK, but you will probably still find some good info there if you ignore the affiliate links.

        And yes all the results I've posted on my blog are legit.

        Tracey
        That is awesome. I took the IPK course and used it as well. I seemed to get better results using IPK techniques on my own wordpress sites than using the Netblazer sites that he recommended. Did you find the same?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127921].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author traceye
          Originally Posted by Dan Manherz View Post

          That is awesome. I took the IPK course and used it as well. I seemed to get better results using IPK techniques on my own wordpress sites than using the Netblazer sites that he recommended. Did you find the same?
          I never used Netblazer - couldn't really understand the value of it, like you I either used my own static html sites or wordpress blogs. Both worked great. (Wordpress is definately easier)

          I didn't follow IPK to the letter though, prefering to write long original reviews (similar to Amazonian Profit Plan I think).

          And I did get backlinks to my sites as well from articles and other methods and didn't just rely on internal linking (even though I think the internal linking methods were actually really helpful).

          Recently though I've started to build up more authority sites rather than mini niche sites as many of the other posters here have also done. It has been working a lot better.

          Tracey
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3128032].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author LK
    What do you do when it appears that not a lot of people are searching for a certain product name?

    Like, I was looking for products to promote on Amazon yesterday and found some that looked rather good in a niche that I have interest in. However, when I checked the search volume (in google's keyword tool) for the individual product names, it just came up with "not enough data".
    Would you still go for the product (I'm pretty sure it's converting well on amazon) or would you find something else where you can get an actual figure in terms of search volume?
    Signature
    LK's Adsense Experience - no shenanigans, just a simple blog~
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201422].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TimG
      Originally Posted by LK View Post

      What do you do when it appears that not a lot of people are searching for a certain product name?

      Like, I was looking for products to promote on Amazon yesterday and found some that looked rather good in a niche that I have interest in. However, when I checked the search volume (in google's keyword tool) for the individual product names, it just came up with "not enough data".
      Would you still go for the product (I'm pretty sure it's converting well on amazon) or would you find something else where you can get an actual figure in terms of search volume?
      I would venture to guess that if it is on Amazon someone is buying it so there is a market, small though it may be.

      Have you checked to see if any articles have been submitted for the product/niche on Ezinearticles.com? If some show up then you can assume someone is captializing on the product.

      Respectfully,
      Tim
      Signature
      Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

      Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2204099].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    Originally Posted by LK View Post

    What do you do when it appears that not a lot of people are searching for a certain product name?

    Like, I was looking for products to promote on Amazon yesterday and found some that looked rather good in a niche that I have interest in. However, when I checked the search volume (in google's keyword tool) for the individual product names, it just came up with "not enough data".
    Would you still go for the product (I'm pretty sure it's converting well on amazon) or would you find something else where you can get an actual figure in terms of search volume?
    LK - That's a good question. I went back just now to check the Google Keyword tool volume to see the exact match search volume for the specific product names that are bringing the bulk of the traffic to my site and those product names either have really low search volume (less than 50) or show No Data.

    So, in my case anyway, No Data or low search volume did not equal zero traffic. For example, there's one model for which I'm getting 5 visitors a day, my review page for that model is #5 in Google, and yet the Google keyword tool showed no exact search volume for that model.

    I'd make sure it's something that has a decent number of reviews on Amazon and also check other forums in that niche, if any exist. Are people talking about the product? Asking others about how it works? Then there's probably a need for a good, quality review somewhere.

    You said something I think is key: a niche in which you have interest. If you are interested in the niche and use that in your writing, it sincerely helps. Gives you perspective, allows you to relate better to your visitors, and gives you an advantage over someone who may have chosen that niche for its monetary value but has no interest or experience in the niche itself.

    If you, having an interest in the niche, think a review site could be valuable then I'd say give it a shot!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2201524].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Neil V
    Just a quick tip if you are looking for hot products to promote.

    Go directly to Alexa the Web Information Company

    Alexa gives you the hot searches for the day and focus on popular products.

    Every now and again you will find top amazon products in the top 100 searches for the day

    Take these products create a hub page and promote them

    This will get a ton of traffic and sales fast and the trends usually lasts for a few months

    You need to make sure though you check alexa every day for 2-3 minutes to uncover these golden nuggets

    I have created a quick video. if you would like a copy let me know and i will try to post it here.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2202921].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author inter123
      Soon or later Amazon will become saturated.

      Already see the effects now. Sometimes when searching on google I see two or three websites already promoting a product which is great for Amazon.

      When it comes to commission, with the competition there is less chance. I am not sure if its a viable long term strategy.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2202952].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ryan D
        Banned
        This is taking a slightly different spin on selling through Amazon.

        I was actually kinda amazed at the volume of sales you can get if you offer a product on Amazon. I am experienced in e-commerce, so I kinda know how to approach suppliers and whatnot. But I realize others might not want to get into it, but if you DID then there is a great opportunity.

        As a rest, I tried to drill down into smaller categories and sort through products that appeared to be a little higher margin AND were top 1000 sellers in that particular category. E.g. No books or whatever, but real actual usable products.

        This is the part that takes work, but it pays off for people that are willing to do a bit more work. You need to get a list of 5 or 10 of these products and find the distributors, get the wholesale price, and find out if they dropship. This takes a bit of work, but becomes easier once you get started.

        After that, you want to offer the product for the lowest price, even if you lose a few bucks on it. Selling more, delivering quicker, and getting feedback puts you as the "preferred seller" for that product. So when they click through the product, they go straight to you instead of a list of other vendors. It also serves another purpose, it puts you in a better position to get a discount through the supplier for the volume you might be doing.

        I picked 2 products in a particular category and did this for the month of April. In May, I raised my price slightly and things picked up.

        For product A, I made a profit of $765 after all shipping, amazon, product fees.

        For product B, I made a profit of $ 490 after all fees.

        The downside to this, is that you're kind of making money off volume as opposed to a lot per product. I would never do this personally unless I was just starting out OR I had someone I could pass this off to. In my case, I have someone that does this whole thing for me.

        Might be worth checking out.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2203052].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TimG
      Originally Posted by Neil V View Post

      Just a quick tip if you are looking for hot products to promote.

      Go directly to Alexa the Web Information Company

      Alexa gives you the hot searches for the day and focus on popular products.

      Every now and again you will find top amazon products in the top 100 searches for the day

      Take these products create a hub page and promote them

      This will get a ton of traffic and sales fast and the trends usually lasts for a few months

      You need to make sure though you check alexa every day for 2-3 minutes to uncover these golden nuggets

      I have created a quick video. if you would like a copy let me know and i will try to post it here.
      Neil,
      Good tip and I visited your blog today - you have some good information on profiting from Amazon on your site and clearly know your stuff....you've been holding back brother...lol

      Respectfully,
      Tim
      Signature
      Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

      Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2204456].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author shmeeko69
        I must admit that I've wrote a few reasonable articles about the most popular Amazon product the Kindle DX e-book reader with Ezine articles & got views & traffic, but haven't had any sales, although I've had a couple of sales from other Amazon products.

        I will certainly take on board the comments about writing articles about higher priced goods, quality of review content & text link only instead of banners & widgets.

        Cheers

        Mark
        Signature
        The Rock n Roll of Marketing Reviews
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2782760].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Hank Scott
        I recently (approx. three months back) signed up as an Amazon affiliate, but haven't actually tried it yet (too busy with other things), even though I have a couple of books for sale through Create Space...

        After reading some of the comments here, I think it's a good idea for me to get cracking promoting Amazon products.

        Anyone hear about the 24 hour credit for all sales made thru your Amazon affiliate link (back wash effect), meaning you get credited for all sales made to the same buyer on Amazon within 24 hours after clicking your link, even if it's something other than what you are promoting?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127053].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Devid Farah
        It is possible to make money as an Amazon affiliate.

        However, there are two things you need to be aware of:

        First of all, it may take some time before you start seeing huge results such as some of the more veteran Internet Marketers.

        These people have been working on their strategies for months and months. They did not just start making money over night. What you don’t see is all the hard work and effort that went into making all of those sales possible.

        The second thing is you need to experiment until you find something that works for you. If you have honestly given your current strategy your best effort and it is not performing as well as you would like, then reevaluate your strategy.

        You may need to change some things up. You have to be willing to accept the fact that your strategy just might be wrong.

        The fact is you can make really good money as an Amazon affiliate. You just have to stick to it.

        Most people who don’t make money online are the ones who either did not have a good plan or gave up to quickly.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3154078].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author trafficforfree
        To make good money with Amazon there are two routes to take.

        • Dominate a niche of products ie: One person made millions focusing on cell phone accessories.
        • Drive massive traffic to Amazon, there site is gear up to convert visitors, even if they do not buy the product you are promoting and then go on to buy something else, you still earn the commission.
        Good luck :p
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3207598].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author nubchai
      Originally Posted by Neil V View Post

      Just a quick tip if you are looking for hot products to promote.

      Go directly to Alexa the Web Information Company

      Alexa gives you the hot searches for the day and focus on popular products.

      Every now and again you will find top amazon products in the top 100 searches for the day

      Take these products create a hub page and promote them

      This will get a ton of traffic and sales fast and the trends usually lasts for a few months

      You need to make sure though you check alexa every day for 2-3 minutes to uncover these golden nuggets

      I have created a quick video. if you would like a copy let me know and i will try to post it here.
      Neil it's been a while since I wrote a Hub Page. Do you put your affiliate link to the product you're promoting within the Hub Page? My memory of HP is that you put your Amazon and Adsense affiliate codes in your account profile. Then based on content HP embeds a variety of related Amazon and Adsense ads. And sometimes you get a lot of ads - beyond the product you're promoting.

      Thanks,
      Sandy
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2205007].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author traceye
        Originally Posted by nubchai View Post

        Neil it's been a while since I wrote a Hub Page. Do you put your affiliate link to the product you're promoting within the Hub Page? My memory of HP is that you put your Amazon and Adsense affiliate codes in your account profile. Then based on content HP embeds a variety of related Amazon and Adsense ads. And sometimes you get a lot of ads - beyond the product you're promoting.

        Thanks,
        Sandy
        Yes you can put your aff link directly into the hub (but only two times). Best positions are at the top right in a link capsule, and then once in the body of the text - again somewhere near the top.

        In addition you can add an amazon capsule, but I prefer to put these down lower since you only get revenue share of these with HubPages and not the full commission and you want your own links to get priority.

        Make sure you have lots of text though (for Google) and maybe a picture or video as well so it doesn't look too spammy which Hubpages hates.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2205234].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Memex
    worked there for some time and not a lot of earnings
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2202932].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author monitorit
    Do you set up individual sites for your product reviews or do you review through articles and squidoo etc.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2204071].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author faridaziz
    Hi,

    I'm not into Amazon actually, but reading this thread I was curious
    and login to my Amazon associate area.

    Surprise, surprise...

    I had 8 sales this week!

    The clicks came from some of my niche websites.

    As I'm running many niche websites with Amazon widgets
    on them, I think I will try to optimize them and write some reviews...

    Cheers,
    Farid
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2204098].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author stevecl
    I am currently using wordpress. My reviews are based around the conduit method.
    Signature

    I started with nothing and still have most of it left!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207300].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Success With Dany
      Banned
      Originally Posted by stevecl View Post

      I am currently using wordpress. My reviews are based around the conduit method.
      Conduit method?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207355].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author RealExpert
        Conduit method refers to Chris Rempel's product/idea. Essentially the idea is that you become a conduit for the "inevitable sale". To do that look for keywords that people use to buy a specific product and then build review type of site around that keyword.

        Originally Posted by Success With Dany View Post

        Conduit method?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207370].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author stevecl
        Originally Posted by Success With Dany View Post

        Conduit method?
        Basically i have set up a wordpress blog based around a particuar type of product. luckily there are 100s of different variations of this product. I write a review for each product as outlined in "the conduit method". Its more of an overview of the product rather than a review. Only takes about 5 minutes to write.
        Signature

        I started with nothing and still have most of it left!

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207846].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Biggy Fat
      Originally Posted by stevecl View Post

      I am currently using wordpress. My reviews are based around the conduit method.
      I have the conduit method, actually. Gonna need to read over it again now haha.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207939].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JasonC.biz
        Not to hijack the thread, but is the conduit method basically a scaled down version of IPK? It sounds like the basic idea is the same or very similar.

        Thanks,
        Jason
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2208099].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author minitg
    Thanks all for the input on Amazon, it looks like that is an area of opportunity for me to grow my affiliate business. I have a few books on Amazon kindle and make a little bit from that too.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207317].message }}
  • {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207346].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author reynoldscorb
    I promote a few products on Amazon, all of their prices are below $30. Obviously my commissions aren't very big, but the number of monthly sales I do makes up for it. The key with Amazon is quantity. You need a lot of traffic to make solid commissions in my opinion.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207594].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yukinari84
    Originally Posted by waken View Post

    I really got to ask this...
    I recently promoting Amazon after seeing quite a number of success stories here...

    But, when I checked my account.. I was wondering do you guys really make money with Amazon?

    I mean, serious money as an affiliate?
    Is that possible?

    Hm... I think I would better stick with other networks.
    The share is way to small...


    Hell yea.

    Amazon is one of the easiest places to make money.

    Physical products already have a much higher conversion rate than digital products, and with places like Amazon and even ebay, there is a huge trust factor that further increases conversions.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2207603].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    Originally Posted by JasonC.biz View Post

    Thanks Erica and Tim - that all makes sense and is in line with my thoughts.

    Jason
    Glad to help.


    Originally Posted by traceye View Post

    Thanks, I wasn't sure if I wanted to post it because I usually like to keep a low profile - but if it inspires anyone then it's all for the good.

    Besides I think Amazon products are WAY EASIER to make money from that info products or adsense (well in my experience anyway).
    I'm glad you did! I read through some of your blog and it was very helpful and inspirational. Now on to making my own Amazon affiliate dashboard look like that!

    Also wanted to throw out these tips:

    Tip #1

    I've seen some visits to my website where the search term was "product name price". I don't think I have a single post where I included the phrase "product name price". Instead I used a "check the price" button but I used an alt tag for the image that was "product name price button". When I look up the phrase, I can see the alt tag text is showing up in the description in Google when searchers use that term.

    I think this means I SHOULD include the phrase "such and such price" in my text but also that using the alt tag description I did for the price button is helping to get more traffic than I might have otherwise. I don't necessarily want to include the actual price in case things change but I could work that text in by doing something like "to check such and such price" go here....

    Just passing that along.

    Tip #2

    Also, I've been playing with some Google search queries to help find niches today. I know I can browse the bestsellers and sections on Amazon but I keep running into the same sorts of products - many of which are highly competitive and I wanted to dig down to find something more low comp.

    If you put the following into Google, you can browse through Amazon products in the $150 to $300 price range

    customer reviews -laptop -camera -dvd -tv -game -cook -vacuum site:amazon.com $150..300

    What this search does is show you amazon products where the mention of price is between $150-300 AND where the page does not include the words laptop, camera, dvd, tv, game, cook, or vacuum.

    I found a few new niches with decent search volume and low competition - products I'd never heard before but some had hundreds of reviews so they must be popular with some customer segment.

    You can modify that search by changing the price amounts or removing the elimination of any of those phrases (the -laptop, etc.) or by adding the elimination of other phrases.

    By using the term "customer reviews" in the search query, the results quickly show me the number of reviews each product has so I can get a better feel for popularity of the product.

    Something to play with anyway. It's not perfect and someone might have some other ideas for fine-tuning the search but if you're struggling to think of a product niche this can give you some great ideas. Get creative with it and see what you come up with.

    Erica
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2208853].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Success With Dany
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

      Glad to help.




      I'm glad you did! I read through some of your blog and it was very helpful and inspirational. Now on to making my own Amazon affiliate dashboard look like that!

      Also wanted to throw out these tips:

      Tip #1

      I've seen some visits to my website where the search term was "product name price". I don't think I have a single post where I included the phrase "product name price". Instead I used a "check the price" button but I used an alt tag for the image that was "product name price button". When I look up the phrase, I can see the alt tag text is showing up in the description in Google when searchers use that term.

      I think this means I SHOULD include the phrase "such and such price" in my text but also that using the alt tag description I did for the price button is helping to get more traffic than I might have otherwise. I don't necessarily want to include the actual price in case things change but I could work that text in by doing something like "to check such and such price" go here....

      Just passing that along.

      Tip #2

      Also, I've been playing with some Google search queries to help find niches today. I know I can browse the bestsellers and sections on Amazon but I keep running into the same sorts of products - many of which are highly competitive and I wanted to dig down to find something more low comp.

      If you put the following into Google, you can browse through Amazon products in the $150 to $1000 price range

      customer reviews -laptop -camera -dvd -tv -game -cook -vacuum site:amazon.com $150..300

      What this search does is show you amazon products where the mention of price is between $150-300 AND where the page does not include the words laptop, camera, dvd, tv, game, cook, or vacuum.

      I found a few new niches with decent search volume and low competition - products I'd never heard before but some had hundreds of reviews so they must be popular with some customer segment.

      You can modify that search by changing the price amounts or removing the elimination of any of those phrases (the -laptop, etc.) or by adding the elimination of other phrases.

      By using the term "customer reviews" in the search query, the results quickly show me the number of reviews each product has so I can get a better feel for popularity of the product.

      Something to play with anyway. It's not perfect and someone might have some other ideas for fine-tuning the search but if you're struggling to think of a product niche this can give you some great ideas. Get creative with it and see what you come up with.

      Erica
      Tip 2 is absolutely incredible! Thanks! Where the heck did you learn that?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2208962].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
        Originally Posted by Success With Dany View Post

        Tip 2 is absolutely incredible! Thanks! Where the heck did you learn that?
        From Google.

        It's the search query string that Google shows in the search bar after you use their Advanced Search options. Their advanced search features are useful for doing searches that focus only on a specific page or URL, specific phrases, and where you want to exclude other phrases.

        Once you know the search query terms you don't have to actually bring up their advanced search page - just type the terms into the search bar and you're on your way.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2209050].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author theultimate1
    Erica, thanks for that amazing Tip #2.

    I did a quick search on big ticket items. Call me corny if you will, but I used the product price range of $1,000..30,000. And you know what happened? There were results but most products had 1 or 2 Customer Reviews. On Google's Page 1 of results, only one result showed 4 Customer Reviews.

    So, I added a twist and here's what I searched for:
    5..50 customer reviews -laptop -camera -dvd -tv -game -cook -vacuum site:amazon.com $1000..300000

    That shows me products with a higher number of Customer Reviews, ranging from 5 to 50. I don't remember what x..xx search on Google is called. Relative search, if I remember it right but I may be wrong. Whatever it's called, it's a great feature. Works well with Ezinearticles article views too.
    Signature
    If Content Is Your King, Then This GhostRider.. err.. GhostWriter Is Your Knight!
    My Sample Articles
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2212712].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by theultimate1 View Post

      Erica, thanks for that amazing Tip #2.

      I did a quick search on big ticket items. Call me corny if you will, but I used the product price range of $1,000..30,000. And you know what happened? There were results but most products had 1 or 2 Customer Reviews. On Google's Page 1 of results, only one result showed 4 Customer Reviews.

      So, I added a twist and here's what I searched for:
      5..50 customer reviews -laptop -camera -dvd -tv -game -cook -vacuum site:amazon.com $1000..300000

      That shows me products with a higher number of Customer Reviews, ranging from 5 to 50. I don't remember what x..xx search on Google is called. Relative search, if I remember it right but I may be wrong. Whatever it's called, it's a great feature. Works well with Ezinearticles article views too.
      Thanks!! That's what I was trying to figure out how to do when I was playing around with the queries but with only one spot for a numeric range on Google's advance search screen I prioritized dollars over # of reviews. Never thought to add the second numerical range in the search string manually! (Slaps her forehead. Duh!)

      You find some really strange stuff at some of those higher dollar amounts. There was this diamond - something like $1-2mill. I added it to my Amazon wish-list and printed a pic for my husband. His eyes glazed over and he escaped to the driving range.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2212785].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JanisG
      Originally Posted by theultimate1 View Post

      Erica, thanks for that amazing Tip #2.

      I did a quick search on big ticket items. Call me corny if you will, but I used the product price range of $1,000..30,000. And you know what happened? There were results but most products had 1 or 2 Customer Reviews. On Google's Page 1 of results, only one result showed 4 Customer Reviews.

      So, I added a twist and here's what I searched for:
      5..50 customer reviews -laptop -camera -dvd -tv -game -cook -vacuum site:amazon.com $1000..300000

      That shows me products with a higher number of Customer Reviews, ranging from 5 to 50. I don't remember what x..xx search on Google is called. Relative search, if I remember it right but I may be wrong. Whatever it's called, it's a great feature. Works well with Ezinearticles article views too.
      Many thanks to Erica for this tip.
      I also played with customer review qty setting and came to similar conclusions.
      There is one thing to keep in mind.
      If you put '5..50 customer reviews', it works just fine.
      If you put bigger numbers, like '500..1000 customer reviews', you get some junk in SERPs as Google shows items with numbers from the range 500..1000 in product specs etc.

      Cheers!
      Janis
      Signature
      Getting ready for ...;)
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2212848].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by theultimate1 View Post

      So, I added a twist and here's what I searched for:
      5..50 customer reviews -laptop -camera -dvd -tv -game -cook -vacuum site:amazon.com $1000..300000
      How about one more twist

      LilBlackDress asked me a question about ideas of Amazon products she could add to her existing sites. I was about to go poking around in Amazon when I remembered this query could be further modified to do just that.

      Let's say you have a site about car accessories (pretty broad, but I needed an example) and you want products in a certain price range or with a certain number of reviews. Instead of removing words from the query with the minus sign, you can add words and get results that include only those words:
      5..50 customer reviews car accessories site:amazon.com $50..300
      This would show all the listings that included the words "car" and "accessories" (which you could change to "accessory", btw) and have reviews in the 5-50 range and where the mention of price falls between $50-300.

      But, you're tired of seeing all the ipod, mp3, gps stuff that comes up with a query like that because those can be pretty competitive. Then use the exclusion criteria to get rid of those, like this:
      5..50 customer reviews car accessories -gps -ipod -mp3 site:amazon.com $50..300
      Now you'll see listings for car accessories that are not gps, ipod, mp3 related but meet your other criteria.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2214023].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author reynoldscorb
    I recently changed all of my Clickbank product links to Amazon products. While I'm not making as much money due to the low commission rate, I'm making up for with conversions.

    Let's be honest, Amazon is a reliable place to buy a product. If you're having trouble with other campaigns, consider adding Amazon into the equation. I only promote products with at least 25 five star ratings, which makes your conversion rates that much better.

    So if you're not making much money with Amazon, consider expanding your operation. I have about 10 sites up at the moment promoting Amazon and I'm doing quite well. With Amazon it comes down to traffic, because your conversions are going to be a lot better than if you were promoting a product from Clickbank in my opinion.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2212868].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author con.mic
    I am pretty much a newbie, been reading this forum for a few months and I have been implementing what I have learned online.

    So far I have website which is making 2 dollars a day on average with Amazon. My reviews are all manually done and I add a text link before the review and just after the conclusion. I have written about 10 400 word reviews and I use a free word press blog theme. Reviews are annoying to write at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is a piece of cake.

    My website is in a pretty small niche and the most uniques i get from the search engine is 40 a day (from different keywords), however i nearly always make at least one conversion per day. the products that i am selling are cheap, around 10-20 dollars, but it still makes money.

    The thing i love about Amazon though is that sometimes people will go on spending sprees after clicking through your links, sometimes I find that people have bought a ton of unrelated products and I get a commission from each. I started out at 4% but i am already at 6.5%.

    I am scaling up my efforts now and building multiple amazon product review websites. If everything goes to plan I should be making a lot more within the next weeks and months when my new product websites start to see traffic.

    Although i haven't made real money with Amazon yet, I have proven to myself that Amazon works which has been important for my self-confidence in doing IM
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2213044].message }}
    • Originally Posted by con.mic View Post

      So far I have website which is making 2 dollars a day on average with Amazon.
      Congratulations!
      You say you are not really making any money yet, but $2 a day is better than 99.99% of all Amazon marketers.

      Considering you do not own your domain, and have only written 40 medium reviews, that is great.

      Buy a domain, get hosting, and ramp up your efforts, but great so far.
      Signature
      PatrickBrianONeill.com
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3128124].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Silas Hart
    I tried it for a while. Actually selling stuff on Amazon turned out to be easier, and more profitable when it came to time being invested.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2213067].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author SoEasyMoney
    Paula C-how do you drive traffic to your sites? article marketing, etc or organic traffic? Your post is very inspiring and has caused me to evaluate my current "ho hum" sites and ramp them up and squeeze some more juice out of them!

    Thanks to everyone for sharing
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2213725].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
      Originally Posted by SoEasyMoney View Post

      Paula C-how do you drive traffic to your sites? article marketing, etc or organic traffic? Your post is very inspiring and has caused me to evaluate my current "ho hum" sites and ramp them up and squeeze some more juice out of them!

      Thanks to everyone for sharing
      We get most of our traffic from search engines. We rank for a lot of keywords and the way we did that initially was to offer articles to other websites. So we didn't give them to article directories but just other websites and blogs.
      Signature

      My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

      Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

      Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215196].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
        Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

        We get most of our traffic from search engines. We rank for a lot of keywords and the way we did that initially was to offer articles to other websites. So we didn't give them to article directories but just other websites and blogs.
        I started an article marketing campaign for my one review site that's starting to pick up and make a few sales. But, a post I read by Steven Wagenheim, who I greatly respect, bothers me. He was talking about how EZA submissions aren't as effective as they used to be. That coupled with me staring at my EZA stats for about 15 minutes made me wonder if I was wasting my time by doing an article marketing campaign. I was wondering if I'd be better off just writing highly keyword targeted articles for my own site and not submitting them to article directories at all to keep the content on my site 100% unique and geniune to my site. I also have another friend in IM who makes a full time living online that's completely against submitting to article directories. Maybe I'm just being lazy. I know my site could certainly use the backlinks. But I can't help but feel that I'd be able to add much more content to my own site if I wasn't busy submitting to EZA, waiting for the articles to be accepted, then building backlinks to rank them higher so I can get more clicks.

        What would you suggest, Paula?

        Might be a stupid question. Again, I think I'm just being lazy. It doesn't help that I'm overworked and haven't gotten much sleep.:p
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273365].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
          Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

          I started an article marketing campaign for my one review site that's starting to pick up and make a few sales. But, a post I read by Steven Wagenheim, who I greatly respect, bothers me. He was talking about how EZA submissions aren't as effective as they used to be. That coupled with me staring at my EZA stats for about 15 minutes made me wonder if I was wasting my time by doing an article marketing campaign. I was wondering if I'd be better off just writing highly keyword targeted articles for my own site and not submitting them to article directories at all to keep the content on my site 100% unique and geniune to my site. I also have another friend in IM who makes a full time living online that's completely against submitting to article directories. Maybe I'm just being lazy. I know my site could certainly use the backlinks. But I can't help but feel that I'd be able to add much more content to my own site if I wasn't busy submitting to EZA, waiting for the articles to be accepted, then building backlinks to rank them higher so I can get more clicks.

          What would you suggest, Paula?

          Might be a stupid question. Again, I think I'm just being lazy. It doesn't help that I'm overworked and haven't gotten much sleep.:p
          Was that from the "Is EZA Dead?" (or something like that), thread?

          "I also have another friend in IM who makes a full time living online that's completely against submitting to article directories."

          Did he/she say why?
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273372].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
            Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

            Was that from the "Is EZA Dead?" (or something like that), thread?
            Yes, I believe that was the thread.


            Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

            "I also have another friend in IM who makes a full time living online that's completely against submitting to article directories."

            Did he/she say why?
            He says that he doesn't think people should be spending their time helping EZA build themselves up and making money off of other people's work.

            He says that a person's focus is better spent on adding valuable content to their own website.

            You may or may not know who I am talking about. He used to hang out here all of the time, but I don't see him around much anymore because he's busy with his business.
            Signature
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273439].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
          Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

          I started an article marketing campaign for my one review site that's starting to pick up and make a few sales. But, a post I read by Steven Wagenheim, who I greatly respect, bothers me. He was talking about how EZA submissions aren't as effective as they used to be. That coupled with me staring at my EZA stats for about 15 minutes made me wonder if I was wasting my time by doing an article marketing campaign. I was wondering if I'd be better off just writing highly keyword targeted articles for my own site and not submitting them to article directories at all to keep the content on my site 100% unique and geniune to my site. I also have another friend in IM who makes a full time living online that's completely against submitting to article directories. Maybe I'm just being lazy. I know my site could certainly use the backlinks. But I can't help but feel that I'd be able to add much more content to my own site if I wasn't busy submitting to EZA, waiting for the articles to be accepted, then building backlinks to rank them higher so I can get more clicks.

          What would you suggest, Paula?

          Might be a stupid question. Again, I think I'm just being lazy. It doesn't help that I'm overworked and haven't gotten much sleep.:p
          A lot of people have success with article marketing (using article directories) so I can't say it doesn't work. We've just never really gone this route for getting backlinks and traffic. As I said, we mostly submit articles to other website owners rather than article directories. You can pick the sites by checking their pagerank and if it is a blog check out the number of comments left to see if they get a lot of traffic and go with those types of sites.

          Send them an email and ask them if they would like a free article in exchange for a couple of links in the article back to your site.

          We always give them unique articles.

          This takes time but what you get are good solid backlinks which will help to build up your ranking in Google.
          Signature

          My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

          Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

          Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273380].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author jake411
            Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

            A lot of people have success with article marketing (using article directories) so I can't say it doesn't work. We've just never really gone this route for getting backlinks and traffic. As I said, we mostly submit articles to other website owners rather than article directories. You can pick the sites by checking their pagerank and if it is a blog check out the number of comments left to see if they get a lot of traffic and go with those types of sites.

            Send them an email and ask them if they would like a free article in exchange for a couple of links in the article back to your site.

            We always give them unique articles.

            This takes time but what you get are good solid backlinks which will help to build up your ranking in Google.
            Hey PaulaC

            You piqued my curiosity when you mentioned your professional article
            distribution efforts....

            Do you use a service or do you contact each webmaster, ezine, or
            newsletter personally and manually?

            If you use a service, would you care to mention who??

            How do you zero in on what sites, ezines, or nl's to target?

            Thanks
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2280157].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Joe2
            Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

            A lot of people have success with article marketing (using article directories) so I can't say it doesn't work. We've just never really gone this route for getting backlinks and traffic. As I said, we mostly submit articles to other website owners rather than article directories. You can pick the sites by checking their pagerank and if it is a blog check out the number of comments left to see if they get a lot of traffic and go with those types of sites.

            Send them an email and ask them if they would like a free article in exchange for a couple of links in the article back to your site.

            We always give them unique articles.

            This takes time but what you get are good solid backlinks which will help to build up your ranking in Google.
            PaulaC

            Do you still give your unique articles to other websites and blogs or do you now rely solely on organic free traffic from search engines? Do you use any PPC?

            After all your experience and then writing Amazonian Profit Plan has your approach changed in any way? What is your advice for traffic generation.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3196439].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
              Originally Posted by Joe2 View Post

              PaulaC

              Do you still give your unique articles to other websites and blogs or do you now rely solely on organic free traffic from search engines? Do you use any PPC?

              After all your experience and then writing Amazonian Profit Plan has your approach changed in any way? What is your advice for traffic generation.
              Joe, you'll probably have better luck reaching Paula by commenting on her blog affiliateblogonline.com.

              By the way, I'm still researching whether the preview box creates a cookie or not...
              Signature

              HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3199015].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author TimG
          Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

          I started an article marketing campaign for my one review site that's starting to pick up and make a few sales. But, a post I read by Steven Wagenheim, who I greatly respect, bothers me. He was talking about how EZA submissions aren't as effective as they used to be.
          Success rates with EZA also depend on the niche you are involved with. Steven submits lots of articles in categories such as home based business, Internet marketing, article marketing, list building..etc.

          Over the last 5 years I've personally never had a real high page view rate for niches like that but have crushed it in other niches such as pest control, health related niches and other outside of IM niche topics.

          I only bring that up because every niche is different and some will do better then others and some niches are seasonal also.

          Whether or not you run an article marketing campaign for your site depends on what you hope to gain from it.

          I posted this in another thread but I'll go ahead and post it here also:

          The fact is articles are very versatile and you can readily use them to promote a variety of different things; here are just a few of the many benefits and reasons as to why you should include article marketing as part of your primary traffic generating strategies.

          1 - The ability to drive targeted traffic and pre-sold traffic to your website.

          2 – The ability to brand yourself on the Internet, which can be used for both online and profiting purposes.

          3 – Anchor text manipulation so you can tell the search engines what a specific page on your website is about.

          4 – The viral effect created by your articles should they become extremely popular and syndicated all over the Internet.

          5 – The cost benefit associated with an article once it has been created and published decrease on a daily basis as it continues to drive traffic to your site day in and day out.

          6 – Infinite site exposure for your website as your articles stay online indefinitely sending traffic for years to come.

          7 – Increased site value for your website based on the amount of articles you have leading back to it should you decide to sell your website.

          8 – The ability to create backlinks to your website.

          The only way to make sure article marketing continues to stay successful for us is to understand/recognize the evolution of article marketing and then harness the power of the synergy created by that evolution.

          Respectfully,
          Tim
          Signature
          Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

          Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273498].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
            Originally Posted by TimG View Post

            Success rates with EZA also depend on the niche you are involved with. Steven submits lots of articles in categories such as home based business, Internet marketing, article marketing, list building..etc.

            Over the last 5 years I've personally never had a real high page view rate for niches like that but have crushed it in other niches such as pest control, health related niches and other outside of IM niche topics.

            I only bring that up because every niche is different and some will do better then others and some niches are seasonal also.

            Whether or not you run an article marketing campaign for your site depends on what you hope to gain from it.

            I posted this in another thread but I'll go ahead and post it here also:

            The fact is articles are very versatile and you can readily use them to promote a variety of different things; here are just a few of the many benefits and reasons as to why you should include article marketing as part of your primary traffic generating strategies.

            1 - The ability to drive targeted traffic and pre-sold traffic to your website.

            2 - The ability to brand yourself on the Internet, which can be used for both online and profiting purposes.

            3 - Anchor text manipulation so you can tell the search engines what a specific page on your website is about.

            4 - The viral effect created by your articles should they become extremely popular and syndicated all over the Internet.

            5 - The cost benefit associated with an article once it has been created and published decrease on a daily basis as it continues to drive traffic to your site day in and day out.

            6 - Infinite site exposure for your website as your articles stay online indefinitely sending traffic for years to come.

            7 - Increased site value for your website based on the amount of articles you have leading back to it should you decide to sell your website.

            8 - The ability to create backlinks to your website.

            The only way to make sure article marketing continues to stay successful for us is to understand/recognize the evolution of article marketing and then harness the power of the synergy created by that evolution.

            Respectfully,
            Tim
            Yeah, after I got out of the shower I realized I was just trying to be lazy. I know all of benefits but it's great to be reminded of them . . . especially when I start looking for the proverbial "Easy Button". I think I'm just burnt out on life right now so I'm looking for a way out of doing extra work.

            That's a great post and I'm sure it's helped many Warriors stay on track or get back on track.
            Signature
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273520].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author TimG
              Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

              Yeah, after I got out of the shower I realized I was just trying to be lazy. I know all of benefits but it's great to be reminded of them . . . especially when I start looking for the proverbial "Easy Button". I think I'm just burnt out on life right now so I'm looking for a way out of doing extra work.

              That's a great post and I'm sure it's helped many Warriors stay on track or get back on track.
              No problem...we've all been burnt out at some point in time. I've taken months off without submitting a single article and fortunately all previous article submissions continued to send traffic and generate sales.

              That's one of the things I love about article marketing...it allows you the opportunity to take time off. That's hard to do with PPC because if you stop your campaigns they don't drive traffic.

              Regarding what your friend said.....he has a point. you should not be spending your time building up EZAs content while neglecting your own.

              You should be building up your content first and then submitting content to EZA (and other places) in order to promote your previously built content

              Respectfully,
              Tim
              Signature
              Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

              Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273609].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author MassiveMarketer
    It is possible. Just start with choosing items that has a high price for you to get higher commission as well. And yeah, volume is important too.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2213816].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author blogginvixen
    If you're confused about where to begin when making money with Amazon, as well as how to structure your website, by far the most comprehensive guide I've read is by Dave, from Making Money on the Internet Free: How To Make Money With Amazon: An Affiliate Marketing Guide | Making Money On The Internet

    ...be prepared to pull up a chair, a notepad and cup of coffee because it's a 13,000 words and worth the hour it took to devour everything!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2214669].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author michaelmac
    Hi,

    I'm averaging $250-$300 per month with adsense after 5 months having their links on my autoblogs. My primary earnings from these blogs comes from Adsense but this little bit from Amazon, which is increasing on a monthly basis, makes a welcome difference to my bottom line.

    I make this Amazon money with no effort on my part so it is classic hands-free income...cool! Furthermore, they pay accurately and on time.

    Michael
    Signature

    Steal My Proven Squeeze Page That Converts Like Crazy!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215119].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Edge88
    I've sent about 50 highly targeted clicks to them and none of them converted apparently. by highly targeted I mean, people were looking to buy that specific product. they were buy keywords, and nothing.... I expected a much better conversion rate given people were looking for "where to buy x" when they got to my affiliate link.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215154].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ryanlucht
    I'm brand new to affiliate marketing with Amazon, and although I haven't made much (anything) yet, I have some thoughts.

    Sure, the commission is crappy, but I think the conversions are much higher because you're sending people to one of the most trusted brand names out there, Amazon. There's no doubts or qualms in a potential customer's mind about buying from amazon.

    I'm trying it out with Squidoo, via Tiffany Dow's 52 Week Squidoo Challenge. I haven't seen her in this thread so I'll speak for her a bit and say that yes, she makes money with Amazon Associates.

    (p.s- if you're interested, in my internet marketing video journal i'm covering all my work with amazon/squidoo. it's at youtube.com/IMMoneyVideos )
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215369].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Andy1750
    Hey,

    I have quite a few Amazon sites and most of them make good sales. In contrast to what's been stated above I tend to target much cheaper products as they are a much easier to convert - much smaller commissions but many more sales. If you target the right niches, even if people don't buy what you are promoting they quite often buy something else while they are there. Best way to achieve this is to target niches that people are passionate about. If you're promoting a DVD player, a camera, a television or a coffee machine then chances are if people decide not to buy then they will disappear into oblivion. However, if you're promoting a product that falls within a broader interest (hobbies, babies, fashion, pets etc. etc.) then they're more likely to buy something else even if they decide not to buy the product that you are promoting. Amazon is a master at converting these types of consumers as they throw loads of other products that may be of interest right in front of the eyes of these visitors. They're like flies heading towards a UV light unable to resist. Some of my sights convert at 20% once I get the click through to Amazon.

    Don't do much Amazon work anymore - too much hard work (backlinking, backlinking and more backlinking) for small commissions. Paid traffic is the way to make a small fortune. However, if you're starting out and use your brain it's fail safe way of generating affiliate income.

    Cheers,

    Andy
    Signature

    Not trying to sell you anything :-)

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215796].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Success With Dany
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Andy1750 View Post

      Hey,

      I have quite a few Amazon sites and most of them make good sales. In contrast to what's been stated above I tend to target much cheaper products as they are a much easier to convert - much smaller commissions but many more sales. If you target the right niches, even if people don't buy what you are promoting they quite often buy something else while they are there. Best way to achieve this is to target niches that people are passionate about. If you're promoting a DVD player, a camera, a television or a coffee machine then chances are if people decide not to buy then they will disappear into oblivion. However, if you're promoting a product that falls within a broader interest (hobbies, babies, fashion, pets etc. etc.) then they're more likely to buy something else even if they decide not to buy the product that you are promoting. Amazon is a master at converting these types of consumers as they throw loads of other products that may be of interest right in front of the eyes of these visitors. They're like flies heading towards a UV light unable to resist. Some of my sights convert at 20% once I get the click through to Amazon.

      Don't do much Amazon work anymore - too much hard work (backlinking, backlinking and more backlinking) for small commissions. Paid traffic is the way to make a small fortune. However, if you're starting out and use your brain it's fail safe way of generating affiliate income.

      Cheers,

      Andy
      How many Amazon sites do you have total and how many are duds/successes?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215851].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
        Just a comment here.

        I have seen many of Paula's websites and all of Sojurn's sites (please do not pm me for the links) and they are outstanding, quality sites.

        These are not toss up a site and make some money websites. These are not put on a Review Plug in and the sales will take care of themselves.

        These are carefully planned sites with hours of time and thought in them. The reviews are outstanding, well crafted, and give the potential buyer plenty of information. These reviews include specs, recommendations, lots of loving detail. Much time and effort was spent crafting these reviews.

        The Takeaway - These sites offer GENUINE VALUE to the customers. The potential buyer feels the value and appreciates it. It helps them make an informed decision. This is why these Amazon affiliates are very successful.
        Signature

        Pen Name + 8 eBooks + social media sites 4 SALE - PM me (evergreen beauty niche)

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215911].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Andy1750
    Hey,

    Have 13 sites which I do absolutely nothing with anymore. Got the paid traffic bug now!

    Duds/successes? They all bring in sales but it depends on how you define a success I suppose. Three bring in over $100 a month consistently with no work whatsoever.

    If you're interested here's one of my less successful ones - gave up on this ages ago but it still brings in $20 a month:

    Gadgets4Pets - Funniest Pet Gadgets Reviewed

    The better sites have all focused on a single product with a custom lander that I did in Dreamweaver. Just attach a blog for SEO. Much easier to improve CTR if you have more control over the layout and appearance of the page. In my experience this makes a BIG BIG difference.

    Cheers,

    Andy
    Signature

    Not trying to sell you anything :-)

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2215889].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author sickbaomei
      Hi Andy,
      What kinda paid traffic do you recommend ? Do you go the usual PPC route like adwords..etc ?
      I was once burnt in PPC following a adwords guru "personal coach" wso here and lost big time that I don't dare touch it again..

      Cheers
      Chris

      Originally Posted by Andy1750 View Post

      Hey,

      Have 13 sites which I do absolutely nothing with anymore. Got the paid traffic bug now!

      Duds/successes? They all bring in sales but it depends on how you define a success I suppose. Three bring in over $100 a month consistently with no work whatsoever.

      If you're interested here's one of my less successful ones - gave up on this ages ago but it still brings in $20 a month:

      Gadgets4Pets - Funniest Pet Gadgets Reviewed

      The better sites have all focused on a single product with a custom lander that I did in Dreamweaver. Just attach a blog for SEO. Much easier to improve CTR if you have more control over the layout and appearance of the page. In my experience this makes a BIG BIG difference.

      Cheers,

      Andy
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2216214].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Andy1750
        Originally Posted by sickbaomei View Post

        Hi Andy,
        What kinda paid traffic do you recommend ? Do you go the usual PPC route like adwords..etc ?
        I was once burnt in PPC following a adwords guru "personal coach" wso here and lost big time that I don't dare touch it again..

        Cheers
        Chris
        Hi Chris,

        Know of people that made money that via Adwords when it was possible to direct link but Amazon no longer allow this. Am sure that there will be some people that make money with paid traffic sources and Amazon but they will be a tiny minority. Only way to succeed IMO is free traffic.

        Cheers,

        Andy
        Signature

        Not trying to sell you anything :-)

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2216651].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author sickbaomei
          Thanx Andy .. but I still dun understand as your post #94 mentioned that paid traffic is the way to go.

          Originally Posted by Andy1750 View Post

          Hi Chris,

          Know of people that made money that via Adwords when it was possible to direct link but Amazon no longer allow this. Am sure that there will be some people that make money with paid traffic sources and Amazon but they will be a tiny minority. Only way to succeed IMO is free traffic.


          Cheers,

          Andy
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2217092].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author goosexxx
        I just started using Amazon affiliate program today. Autoposter is awesome but really have to watch what it's trying to post so I send it to draft mode that way I can review and schedule posts for the next couple weeks. I like to set and forget with my blog, that way it's automated to some extent although I try to generate all my own text. Will be interesting to see how it works for me. Getting some clicks from text links to a product I have on Amazon and trying to cross promote something that I think the visitors to my site might be interested in.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2400500].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Winlin
      Originally Posted by Andy1750 View Post

      Hey,

      Have 13 sites which I do absolutely nothing with anymore. Got the paid traffic bug now!

      Duds/successes? They all bring in sales but it depends on how you define a success I suppose. Three bring in over $100 a month consistently with no work whatsoever.

      If you're interested here's one of my less successful ones - gave up on this ages ago but it still brings in $20 a month:

      Gadgets4Pets - Funniest Pet Gadgets Reviewed

      The better sites have all focused on a single product with a custom lander that I did in Dreamweaver. Just attach a blog for SEO. Much easier to improve CTR if you have more control over the layout and appearance of the page. In my experience this makes a BIG BIG difference.

      Cheers,

      Andy

      Still... it's a good looking blog site... If you don't mind sharing... do you set up all of your sites to follow this template?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273091].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
        Ah the Flexibility theme. I just started using it too. Made my money site look super gorgeous. You can do tons of things with it, make super professional looking sites. And the best part is that it's free.
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273165].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Biggy Fat
    I'd love to see an eBook on the subject, Paula. I'd be the first to buy.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2216098].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
      Originally Posted by Biggy Fat View Post

      I'd love to see an eBook on the subject, Paula. I'd be the first to buy.
      Yes, one is in the works. It took us a while to finally get around to writing one but we have had such a huge number of people wanting us to tell them how we do it that we knew it was time.
      Signature

      My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

      Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

      Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2238159].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author RGallowitz
    I make a very good amount of money from Amazon, but my approach is completely different to 99% of people on this thread.
    Signature
    Make INSANE money by promoting PHYSICAL affiliate products.
    The one and only "GALLO Affiliate System" -
    >> Click Here! <<
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2216456].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
      Originally Posted by RGallowitz View Post

      I make a very good amount of money from Amazon, but my approach is completely different to 99% of people on this thread.
      Very interesting...

      You don't have a WSO about it running do you? (Seriously...I'd like to know, but, of course, if you had a method that rare and precious, I'd guard it like a charm)

      ....I've found Amazon to be pretty difficult to earn from....but, a semi-decent complement to Adsense, and a few other channels....definitely not my primary earner though
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2246273].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author ebizman87
      This thread has turned out to be one of the most inspiring and useful posts that I've seen lately in this forum...Thanks to all the contributors
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2247233].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TimG
        Originally Posted by ebizman87 View Post

        This thread has turned out to be one of the most inspiring and useful posts that I've seen lately in this forum...Thanks to all the contributors
        That's saying a mouthful - I take a few days off from visiting this particular thread only to come back and find Sojourn and Ofthemix supplying so much hard hitting information that it's literally mind boggling -

        If anyone didn't know how to make money with Amazon they definately should by now just from the info contained in this thread.

        Respectfully,
        Tim
        Signature
        Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

        Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2247339].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author webkc
          I think this thread went a little off topic - the first question was if it was possible to earn serious money with Amazon

          Even though I have never made more than $300 per month from Amazon, in my experience, the only way to earn some big money with amazon in the future is to build big authority sites.

          If we just look around, its very easy to see how many people are getting into this IM industry- so the competition is only going to become bigger and bigger over time.

          By creating authoritative sites in your chosen niche, you completely make your self stand out in search engine rankings. I predict that not too long from know Google might decide to weep out all the thin-made-for-affiliates sites, which don;t add that much value fron user point of view. I mean - what kind of good value do you truly provide when you for example, justing taking out amazon user reviews and rewrite them? (Perhaps there is a little value here of summarizing things so its easier to read for buyers) - but hey, these kind of mini sites only serve to dilute Google search engine results.

          Degrading search engine results quality is obviously a very bad thing for Google, and soon or later it will have to change its algo to protect its dominence in the search market.
          Signature

          "If a thing is humanly possible,
          consider it to be within your reach"
          - Marcus Aurelius

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2247856].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
            Originally Posted by webkc View Post

            I think this thread went a little off topic - the first question was if it was possible to earn serious money with Amazon

            Even though I have never made more than $300 per month from Amazon, in my experience, the only way to earn some big money with amazon in the future is to build big authority sites.

            If we just look around, its very easy to see how many people are getting into this IM industry- so the competition is only going to become bigger and bigger over time.

            By creating authoritative sites in your chosen niche, you completely make your self stand out in search engine rankings. I predict that not too long from know Google might decide to weep out all the thin-made-for-affiliates sites, which don;t add that much value fron user point of view. I mean - what kind of good value do you truly provide when you for example, justing taking out amazon user reviews and rewrite them? (Perhaps there is a little value here of summarizing things so its easier to read for buyers) - but hey, these kind of mini sites only serve to dilute Google search engine results.

            Degrading search engine results quality is obviously a very bad thing for Google, and soon or later it will have to change its algo to protect its dominence in the search market.
            Google already weeds out the bad sites by putting them at the bottom of seach results. Trust me, your site doesn't make it to the top of Google unless Google decides it deserves to be there. I don't think you give the Google algo enough credit.
            Signature
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2250810].message }}
    • Originally Posted by RGallowitz View Post

      I make a very good amount of money from Amazon, but my approach is completely different to 99% of people on this thread.

      What is your approach?
      Signature
      PatrickBrianONeill.com
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3128187].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mark Jordan
    Just started doing it last month and had written 4 product reviews which had 2 clicks so far. I'm doing what PaulaC said:
    1. Choose products over $150 and those getting good reviews.
    2. Write exceptionally good product reviews.
    3. Use text links not widgets when referring readers to Amazon.

    Hope it will work for me too.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2216493].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
      Originally Posted by JsamsonNJ View Post

      Interesting Paula finds much success based on the post quoted below usig "Text Links" and in Chris Guthries thread where he made 60K for the year he was telling that the "image" is what was best for his conversions.

      Obviously put both methods on your review
      You definitely have to use images. What I mean is don't use those Amazon widgets. Just place an image at the top of the post but use text links throughout the review. Avoid the widgets and banner ads.
      Signature

      My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

      Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

      Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2238165].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author vivax
        I was trying to make money online for almost two years selling clickbank products. In two years my earnings were 600$.
        A few months ago I turned to Amazon, got me a really great plugin that builds me automated amazon sites in one afternoon and already made 80$ in commissions without any work of promotion for these sites. They go straight to Google no1 page and from 10-15 uniques a day conversions are pretty OK.
        it is much easier to make money from amazon then from clickbank with less work
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2238585].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author LisaJordan
        Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

        You definitely have to use images. What I mean is don't use those Amazon widgets. Just place an image at the top of the post but use text links throughout the review. Avoid the widgets and banner ads.
        Paula, just want to understand, why should you avoid the widgets? I have a couple, I'll take them off, but want to know your view on this. Thanks much!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2495863].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by LisaJordan View Post

          Paula, just want to understand, why should you avoid the widgets? I have a couple, I'll take them off, but want to know your view on this. Thanks much!
          I can't speak for Paula, but for me the biggest reason is that they simply don't convert. Even the contextual Omikase widget was a dismal failure.

          If I use the widgets at all, it's much like I'd use clip art - something to visually steer people to the 'real' links I want them to see.

          The best-performing links over time for me have been inline text links (as part of the actual content) and product picture links. Trying to calculate a percentage difference gave me a number just too silly to post...
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2495928].message }}
  • Hi,

    I had to personally answer this one and deposit my 2 cents in the money pot .. figuratively speaking, because from the perspective of an ex-amazon niche blogger i know where you are coming from.

    There IS money to be made via the Amazon affiliate program but at a 15% cut at best, you need to ask yourself if the return on investment is really worth it ... not to forget the amount amazon deduct when sending you the check abroad. Kinda sucks.

    I personally learnt this lesson, the hard way when i made amazon and co $900 last year to only have pocketed a small amount. The site was on a small niche so the conversion rates weren't super hot but i managed to get a couple of opt ins on the backend ;-)

    My tip:
    Change the way you monetize the traffic either by CPA offers, Paypal commissions (assuming you trust the business partner) or my favourite clickbank :-).

    You can look for affiliate programs in google: KEYWORD + affiliates

    I actually created a video on youtube a couple of days back called "make clickbank sales" (witout the quotes) to help my readers.

    Some "out of the box" methods for your next .com which you might find useful there.

    Good luck and hope i pointed you in the right direction.

    Cheers
    Alex Alavi
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2216509].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Soflyy
      Get search engine traffic for visitors in buy mode (search terms like "buy <product>", "lowest price <product>", etc.), avoid the electronics niche (I'm sure there are people making money promoting electronics on Amazon. But I'm not one of them.), and promote expensive products.

      Also, one thing that can work great is telling people what to buy to achieve a certain result. A perfect example of this are the common weight loss landing pages that say "First buy **** whatever, then buy colon cleanse whatever". All the same rules for flogs can be applied to promoting Amazon products.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2216547].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author reapr
        Originally Posted by HBZSoftware View Post

        Get search engine traffic for visitors in buy mode (search terms like "buy <product>", "lowest price <product>", etc.), avoid the electronics niche (I'm sure there are people making money promoting electronics on Amazon. But I'm not one of them.), and promote expensive products.

        Also, one thing that can work great is telling people what to buy to achieve a certain result. A perfect example of this are the common weight loss landing pages that say "First buy **** whatever, then buy colon cleanse whatever". All the same rules for flogs can be applied to promoting Amazon products.
        There are a few other things that can help with sales. Larger graphics where possible and clickable. Orange buy buttons there are a few studies out there that indicate orange is a buying color. Placing images and buy bottons above the fold with good descriptions. Product numbers or IDs in title tag, header and description. You mentioned promote expensive products and I also suggest promoting products you can not find at your local mall/store and if you can promote related or various colors or variations of the products.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2217759].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    Being a numbers geek, I probably have more spreadsheets about my sites than I have actual pages ON my sites. Tracking data is the only way I'm able to keep myself focused on what is working.

    Following are some stats about my Amazon activity from March through June 14th. I'm sharing partly because it's no fun doing a little happy dance by yourself in front of the laptop but also because this data highlights a few important points discussed in this thread.



    This is all data from the Amazon Earnings report and the Daily Trends report combined into one graph.

    • Dark blue line = unique visitors to Amazon for each day
    • Green line = number of products those unique visitors clicked on while on Amazon
    • Light blue line = number of sales for the day
    • Red line = the dollar amount of commissions earned from products that shipped that day
    The difference between the dark blue line and the green line demonstrates how often visitors who went in looking at one product ended up clicking on other products, too.

    April is when I started the review site. Until then, Amazon sales came in from other sites focused on how-to type information and promoting CB products. Any Amazon products in those sites are well under $30.

    May is when the review site started to see sales and the average sale amount from those products is around $140. This is what has had the most impact on driving up commissions.

    Before May, I'd never had a $20 day on Amazon. In June alone I've had a $40+ day and yesterday was just over $60.

    The number of unique visitors has gone from about 40/day in April to 60/day in June. That's really not a lot of visitors. It's very targeted traffic, but not impossible for just about anyone to reach with a little research and effort.

    Here are some other thoughts that have come to mind the past couple of days:
    • Those long, lengthy reviews I've been writing slice up nicely into smaller reviews for article directories. I've turned each review into an article for EZA (taking no more than 5-10 minutes to chop up the existing review and reword a few things) and submitted them all. I included links only in the bio: one to the inner page for that product and one to the home page.
    • Once the EZA article was indexed, I submitted the exact same article to a number of other article directories including goarticles, articlesbase, and articledashboard. In some cases, if you Google "product name review" for some of the products on my site, I have 3 listings on the 1st page - my inner page, my EZA article, and a goarticle or the articlesbase article. Same bio links.
    • I use a Statpress WP plug-in to give me real-time visitor information. Then I can see exactly what search phrases and search engine brought someone to my site. Often, I'm surprised that someone came by entering something like "product name - specific accessory". I know that I didn't really refer to that particular accessory in my review but if I'm getting traffic for it, there must not be a lot of competition so I'll run back to that post and update it with a link to that accessory.
    • In some cases, I've found the product I want to include on the site has a better price on Walmart. Linkshare has a Walmart affiliate program. When that is the case, I include a link to both so that the visitor can compare prices. (This was a direct result of something PaulaC wrote in her blog that things really took off when they started thinking about the customer first and the money second. So I lose a few points in commission. I'd rather the customer feel good about their purchase.)
    • I haven't used them on this site, but Shareasale is one of my other favorite affiliate programs for products - especially for products you can't get on Amazon. Some of those programs increase your commission rate permanently after you reach a certain amount of sales. I promote one such program where the commission rate jumped from 10% to 30% after I had only a few hundred dollars in sales. Those of you who can't use Amazon because of state laws or country issues but want to try your hand at selling physical products might want to hunt down those programs and niches.
    I also follow the same routine each time I set up a WP site and I have a specific set of SEO steps I follow, backlinking strategy, etc, but way too detailed for this already lengthy post. Most of that strategy and information came from other WF threads anyway so the information is out there.

    This was really just me procrastinating for the day. Time to get my butt in gear. I need coffee and I have some work to do.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2222183].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author waken
      Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

      Being a numbers geek, I probably have more spreadsheets about my sites than I have actual pages ON my sites. Tracking data is the only way I'm able to keep myself focused on what is working.

      Following are some stats about my Amazon activity from March through June 14th. I'm sharing partly because it's no fun doing a little happy dance by yourself in front of the laptop but also because this data highlights a few important points discussed in this thread.



      This is all data from the Amazon Earnings report and the Daily Trends report combined into one graph.

      • Dark blue line = unique visitors to Amazon for each day
      • Green line = number of products those unique visitors clicked on while on Amazon
      • Light blue line = number of sales for the day
      • Red line = the dollar amount of commissions earned from products that shipped that day
      The difference between the dark blue line and the green line demonstrates how often visitors who went in looking at one product ended up clicking on other products, too.

      April is when I started the review site. Until then, Amazon sales came in from other sites focused on how-to type information and promoting CB products. Any Amazon products in those sites are well under $30.

      May is when the review site started to see sales and the average sale amount from those products is around $140. This is what has had the most impact on driving up commissions.

      Before May, I'd never had a $20 day on Amazon. In June alone I've had a $40+ day and yesterday was just over $60.

      The number of unique visitors has gone from about 40/day in April to 60/day in June. That's really not a lot of visitors. It's very targeted traffic, but not impossible for just about anyone to reach with a little research and effort.

      Here are some other thoughts that have come to mind the past couple of days:
      • Those long, lengthy reviews I've been writing slice up nicely into smaller reviews for article directories. I've turned each review into an article for EZA (taking no more than 5-10 minutes to chop up the existing review and reword a few things) and submitted them all. I included links only in the bio: one to the inner page for that product and one to the home page.
      • Once the EZA article was indexed, I submitted the exact same article to a number of other article directories including goarticles, articlesbase, and articledashboard. In some cases, if you Google "product name review" for some of the products on my site, I have 3 listings on the 1st page - my inner page, my EZA article, and a goarticle or the articlesbase article. Same bio links.
      • I use a Statpress WP plug-in to give me real-time visitor information. Then I can see exactly what search phrases and search engine brought someone to my site. Often, I'm surprised that someone came by entering something like "product name - specific accessory". I know that I didn't really refer to that particular accessory in my review but if I'm getting traffic for it, there must not be a lot of competition so I'll run back to that post and update it with a link to that accessory.
      • In some cases, I've found the product I want to include on the site has a better price on Walmart. Linkshare has a Walmart affiliate program. When that is the case, I include a link to both so that the visitor can compare prices. (This was a direct result of something PaulaC wrote in her blog that things really took off when they started thinking about the customer first and the money second. So I lose a few points in commission. I'd rather the customer feel good about their purchase.)
      • I haven't used them on this site, but Shareasale is one of my other favorite affiliate programs for products - especially for products you can't get on Amazon. Some of those programs increase your commission rate permanently after you reach a certain amount of sales. I promote one such program where the commission rate jumped from 10% to 30% after I had only a few hundred dollars in sales. Those of you who can't use Amazon because of state laws or country issues but want to try your hand at selling physical products might want to hunt down those programs and niches.
      I also follow the same routine each time I set up a WP site and I have a specific set of SEO steps I follow, backlinking strategy, etc, but way too detailed for this already lengthy post. Most of that strategy and information came from other WF threads anyway so the information is out there.

      This was really just me procrastinating for the day. Time to get my butt in gear. I need coffee and I have some work to do.
      Thanks a lot!!

      Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

      The site in question that made the 3 sales is on a brand new domain. I actually just purchased 11 new domain names to play around with for Amazon. So, there was no existing traffic when I purchased them.

      Here are the steps I've taken to work with this particular domain/niche.

      1.) Install Wordpress (obviously)
      2.) Upload the Clean Copy theme. <--I'm currently testing out different themes to see what converts better. Actually, I'm going to be doing a ton of testing on these 11 domain names, including themes, plugins, review techniques, using video, articles, and what not. I know that's a lot to take in so I'm just going to tell you what's working with this one domain. I'll probably come back later and post what has worked the best when I'm done with everything.
      3.) Create a custom header with XHeader and upload it.
      4.) Do some modifying to the Theme so that everything looks right, and take out post dates. <---A lot of people leave them in, I don't think it really matters. I just like to take them out.
      5.) Set up my permalinks to /%postname%/, populate my pinglist, Install and configure the following WordPress Plugins:
      Akismet
      Google Analytics for WordPress (add site to Google Analytics at the same time)
      Google XML Sitemaps
      Max Banner Ads
      MaxBlogPress Ping Optimizer
      Platinum SEO Pack
      Recent Commenters Widget
      ReviewAzon <---This plugin you have to pay for. Currently I'm only using the Similar Products widget part of it.
      Subscribe Me
      Tell-A-Friend Widget Plugin
      Threewl-php-plugin <---I am doing 3 way link building
      Wp Robot 3 <---Another paid plugin. I use this one for posting.
      YD Recent Posts
      Yet Another Related Posts Plugin
      6.) Create content <--- I pull a product from Amazon using Wp Robot 3 and I save it to draft. Then I cut and paste Amazon's decscription into a Word document, then go on Amazon and see what other details I can find out about the product as well as reading all of the customer reviews. I create my reviews based on that information. My reviews are typically between 250 - 500 words long. If you've read all of the other posts in this thread you'll see that most people recommend writing longer reviews. I'll try that on a different domain. For the 1st 10 posts, I schedule them a day apart. After that, I schedule my posts one per week.
      7.) Do automatic search engine submissions.
      8.) Go back and do manual search engine submissions. Most people advise against this but I've never seen it hurt anything. I just do it because I don't fully trust the free submission tool I use. I only manually submit to Google and Bing.
      9.) Create a page for my blog on Aboutus.org
      10.) Ping my sitemap at Google Blog Search Ping Service
      11.) Add my site to Google Webmaster Tools.
      12.) Wait until the site gets indexed. It's rare that my sites don't get indexed within 24 hours.
      13.) Ping and Social Bookmark my posts. I ping with Pingoat or Pingomatic. I social bookmark with Onlywire. I do this as the posts/review are posted on a daily basis.
      14.) Add Adsense above the fold. I also usually include a text line under the main menu line.
      15.) For this particular niche I was also able to add a Clickbank product in the sidebar which has, to my surprise, gotten a few clicks already.

      The next few steps I do one a day as my blog starts populating posts.
      Day 1 was spent doing everything above.
      Day 2 Submit RSS feed with RSS Bot and then manually submit my RSS feed to a list of other RSS aggregators that aren't included on RSSBot
      Day 3 Submit my homepage with SocialBot. I only use about 25 of the social bookmarking sites on the program.
      Day 4 Submit my site with DirectoryBot.
      Day 5 Manually submit my homepage to some scuttle social bookmarking sites for extra backlinks.
      Day 6 Manually submit my site to high PR directories (PR6 and PR5) for more backlinks. These will build over time depending on how long it takes the directories to approve your site.
      Day 7 Write an article for Free Traffic Systems at freetrafficsystems.com
      Day 8 Create an open link wheel with about 8 different Web 2.0 sites.
      Day 9 Write an article for EzineArticles.
      Day 10 Use Angela Edwards backlink packet and do some backlinking.
      Day 11 Post to free classified ads sites. I write my ads as if I'm actually selling the product, then link back to my website. Right now I'm playing with the button images of my sites, testing what works better "Order Now" or "More Information".
      Usually on Day 11 I'm also set up 3waylinks <---something else you have to pay for. I pretty much just use it so I can move on to building my next site and not have to worry about link building for a little while aside from pinging and social bookmarking. I've only been using 3waylinks for about a month, but so far so good.

      Now I just wait and watch while my site does the Google dance and hope it will eventually land somewhere favorable. The first site I built for Amazon is starting to climb in ranks, so that's a good sign.

      I know I skipped the keyword research part in the beginning, but the niches I target typically have a search range of 10,000 - 20,000 monthly searches, less than 50,000 competing websites, and an estimated PPC of over $1.00 with at least 5 ads in the Google side bar when you look them up in Google. I pick my niches by looking around the house. All of my current niche products sell from between $15 - $2,000 (in various different niches, of course).

      I've been working on the above site since June 3rd. It currently receives an average of 59 visitors a day.

      I was going to move on this way and keep pumping out sites, but I've been thinking about starting an article marketing campaign for each site to test out their full potential, something I had planned on doing anyway after everything was built.

      The method listed above is just what I've been doing. It is by no means the best method of doing things. In fact, I'm sure there are plenty of other methods that are faster and much more successful. Perhaps some more experienced Amazon affiliates can chime in on what they think. Either way, I thought I'd share.
      Thanks! I'm getting more ideas now.. but the small return from Amazon still discouraging to me
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2243243].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jeffster
      Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

      I'm sharing partly because it's no fun doing a little happy dance by yourself in front of the laptop but also because this data highlights a few important points discussed in this thread.
      Haha... I know all about that happy dance. I made 10 sales over the weekend but it was midnight when I checked so luckily no one was there to see me!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2244931].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author minitg
    Since Amazon is already a trusted site, if you have physical products, you can sell it there and count on their market base. Make sure you tag them with good keywords.

    I have no physical products, I only have digital and they pay about 35% of price and since my products are small ticket items the return is not that much, but counting on future sales picking up.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2226936].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author tom03
      Has anyone tried using videos or powerpoints to sell amazon products? I guess without having the product it would be hard to make a video, but you could basically use images and text of your review for it.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2226974].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author reynoldscorb
    Videos are a great way to promote a product. Upload a video to youtube and you should get a lot of traffic from that.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2227751].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author nicelife
    I've been making good money with Amazon in the past and still make some, not much but a few hundred bucks a month anyway :-)
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2227774].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author toya
    There is alot of information in this thread, will consider Amazon as extra income.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2227820].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Nicholas William
    ditto. I created a network of websites that focus on one line of products and have an amazon autoposter setup using wordpress. It ticks over just under a grand each month but that aint going to let me retire so it's not something I maintain or keep working on.

    I do more than that a week with clickbank products, but they're MY clickbank products and thats an entirely different topic to this
    Signature
    Words can't explain how excited I am with facebook advertising... I promise to share more in the new year! www.enicholas.com
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2238612].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
    It definitely works. I built an Amazon review site about 2 weeks ago. I've already made some money from Adsense, as well as 3 Amazon sales. Not bad.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2239568].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author OliverTwizt
      Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

      It definitely works. I built an Amazon review site about 2 weeks ago. I've already made some money from Adsense, as well as 3 Amazon sales. Not bad.
      I apologise in advance for the barrage of questions, I'm looking at playing with Amazon again in some weird niches after seeing my CD sale referrals slowly die over the last couple of years...

      Where these review sites brand new, on new domains? Did they have existing traffic?

      I have a bunch of domains, (mainly generic product related) that I'd like to monetize with some Amazon/Autoblog type scripts, with one or maybe two adsense ads thrown in for good measure.

      My dilemma is on the traffic side of things - Should I start to just build build build, and then let organic SE traffic slowly trickle in, or should I be aggressive on the backlinking side of things and really take it one site at a time?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2242547].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
        Originally Posted by OliverTwizt View Post

        I apologise in advance for the barrage of questions, I'm looking at playing with Amazon again in some weird niches after seeing my CD sale referrals slowly die over the last couple of years...

        Where these review sites brand new, on new domains? Did they have existing traffic?

        I have a bunch of domains, (mainly generic product related) that I'd like to monetize with some Amazon/Autoblog type scripts, with one or maybe two adsense ads thrown in for good measure.

        My dilemma is on the traffic side of things - Should I start to just build build build, and then let organic SE traffic slowly trickle in, or should I be aggressive on the backlinking side of things and really take it one site at a time?
        The site in question that made the 3 sales is on a brand new domain. I actually just purchased 11 new domain names to play around with for Amazon. So, there was no existing traffic when I purchased them.

        Here are the steps I've taken to work with this particular domain/niche.

        1.) Install Wordpress (obviously)
        2.) Upload the Clean Copy theme. <--I'm currently testing out different themes to see what converts better. Actually, I'm going to be doing a ton of testing on these 11 domain names, including themes, plugins, review techniques, using video, articles, and what not. I know that's a lot to take in so I'm just going to tell you what's working with this one domain. I'll probably come back later and post what has worked the best when I'm done with everything.
        3.) Create a custom header with XHeader and upload it.
        4.) Do some modifying to the Theme so that everything looks right, and take out post dates. <---A lot of people leave them in, I don't think it really matters. I just like to take them out.
        5.) Set up my permalinks to /%postname%/, populate my pinglist, Install and configure the following WordPress Plugins:
        Akismet
        Google Analytics for WordPress (add site to Google Analytics at the same time)
        Google XML Sitemaps
        Max Banner Ads
        MaxBlogPress Ping Optimizer
        Platinum SEO Pack
        Recent Commenters Widget
        ReviewAzon <---This plugin you have to pay for. Currently I'm only using the Similar Products widget part of it.
        Subscribe Me
        Tell-A-Friend Widget Plugin
        Threewl-php-plugin <---I am doing 3 way link building
        Wp Robot 3 <---Another paid plugin. I use this one for posting.
        YD Recent Posts
        Yet Another Related Posts Plugin
        6.) Create content <--- I pull a product from Amazon using Wp Robot 3 and I save it to draft. Then I cut and paste Amazon's decscription into a Word document, then go on Amazon and see what other details I can find out about the product as well as reading all of the customer reviews. I create my reviews based on that information. My reviews are typically between 250 - 500 words long. If you've read all of the other posts in this thread you'll see that most people recommend writing longer reviews. I'll try that on a different domain. For the 1st 10 posts, I schedule them a day apart. After that, I schedule my posts one per week.
        7.) Do automatic search engine submissions.
        8.) Go back and do manual search engine submissions. Most people advise against this but I've never seen it hurt anything. I just do it because I don't fully trust the free submission tool I use. I only manually submit to Google and Bing.
        9.) Create a page for my blog on Aboutus.org
        10.) Ping my sitemap at Google Blog Search Ping Service
        11.) Add my site to Google Webmaster Tools.
        12.) Wait until the site gets indexed. It's rare that my sites don't get indexed within 24 hours.
        13.) Ping and Social Bookmark my posts. I ping with Pingoat or Pingomatic. I social bookmark with Onlywire. I do this as the posts/review are posted on a daily basis.
        14.) Add Adsense above the fold. I also usually include a text line under the main menu line.
        15.) For this particular niche I was also able to add a Clickbank product in the sidebar which has, to my surprise, gotten a few clicks already.

        The next few steps I do one a day as my blog starts populating posts.
        Day 1 was spent doing everything above.
        Day 2 Submit RSS feed with RSS Bot and then manually submit my RSS feed to a list of other RSS aggregators that aren't included on RSSBot
        Day 3 Submit my homepage with SocialBot. I only use about 25 of the social bookmarking sites on the program.
        Day 4 Submit my site with DirectoryBot.
        Day 5 Manually submit my homepage to some scuttle social bookmarking sites for extra backlinks.
        Day 6 Manually submit my site to high PR directories (PR6 and PR5) for more backlinks. These will build over time depending on how long it takes the directories to approve your site.
        Day 7 Write an article for Free Traffic Systems at freetrafficsystems.com
        Day 8 Create an open link wheel with about 8 different Web 2.0 sites.
        Day 9 Write an article for EzineArticles.
        Day 10 Use Angela Edwards backlink packet and do some backlinking.
        Day 11 Post to free classified ads sites. I write my ads as if I'm actually selling the product, then link back to my website. Right now I'm playing with the button images of my sites, testing what works better "Order Now" or "More Information".
        Usually on Day 11 I'm also set up 3waylinks <---something else you have to pay for. I pretty much just use it so I can move on to building my next site and not have to worry about link building for a little while aside from pinging and social bookmarking. I've only been using 3waylinks for about a month, but so far so good.

        Now I just wait and watch while my site does the Google dance and hope it will eventually land somewhere favorable. The first site I built for Amazon is starting to climb in ranks, so that's a good sign.

        I know I skipped the keyword research part in the beginning, but the niches I target typically have a search range of 10,000 - 20,000 monthly searches, less than 50,000 competing websites, and an estimated PPC of over $1.00 with at least 5 ads in the Google side bar when you look them up in Google. I pick my niches by looking around the house. All of my current niche products sell from between $15 - $2,000 (in various different niches, of course).

        I've been working on the above site since June 3rd. It currently receives an average of 59 visitors a day.

        I was going to move on this way and keep pumping out sites, but I've been thinking about starting an article marketing campaign for each site to test out their full potential, something I had planned on doing anyway after everything was built.

        The method listed above is just what I've been doing. It is by no means the best method of doing things. In fact, I'm sure there are plenty of other methods that are faster and much more successful. Perhaps some more experienced Amazon affiliates can chime in on what they think. Either way, I thought I'd share.

        Update 08/21/10: Just wanted to let you guys know that I've switched to using the Flexibility Theme for all of my Amazon review sites. It is much better for making your sites appear professional.
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2242791].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author OliverTwizt
          Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

          The site in question that made the 3 sales is on a brand new domain. I actually just purchased 11 new domain names to play around with for Amazon. So, there was no existing traffic when I purchased them.

          Here are the steps I've taken to work with this particular domain/niche.
          .......

          Wow, thank you for that detailed reply! I wasn't expecting so much useful information

          I've just purchased WPZonBuilder, and am going to give it a whirl with a kitchen product related domain.. I'll keep this thread posted with how it goes!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2244481].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author jeffster
            I started with just adsense blogs and tried small Amazon product reviews instead just to see how they go and was surprised to find that I can make more sales than I get adsense clicks! Not to mention the site looks 10 times better than just sticking and ugly block of ads front and centre.

            I always thought it was easier for someone to click on an ad rather than actually buy something but it's not always true.

            Not that adsense doesn't work for some sites but I figure if you know what your traffic wants and there is a product you can sell why not give it to them rather than just passing them off to someone else?
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2244835].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
          Originally Posted by article_ghostwriter View Post

          I think the moral of my humble story is: ACT! All I invested was my time in researching (all from information freely available on this thread) and setting up my affiliate account and writing a HubPage.

          Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread - it's been hugely informative.
          Congratulations, ghostwriter! You are right. ACT. I relate putting content on the web to throwing a fishing net in the water. You aren't going to catch any fish without it.

          Originally Posted by jeffster View Post

          Haha... I know all about that happy dance. I made 10 sales over the weekend but it was midnight when I checked so luckily no one was there to see me!

          Hey!!! That was exactly how I danced!! (Seriously, I want that little guy!)

          Congrats on your sales. Don't you sometimes open your Amazon dashboard with one eye closed - (like how I watch the scary scenes in creepy horror movies)? There are certainly days that have goose eggs (big fat 0's in the sales column) so you tip toe up on the dashboard and then when you see more than you'd hoped for - well, just gotta smile at the very least. Maybe it's just me....


          Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

          The site in question that made the 3 sales is on a brand new domain. I actually just purchased 11 new domain names to play around with for Amazon. So, there was no existing traffic when I purchased them.
          Ofthemix - Congratulations on your sales AND your plan. That is a very thorough approach and easy enough for someone to follow even without the bots. Well thought out and thank you for sharing so much detail!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2246551].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mikeevee
    I have 5 blogs, all with Amazon. Traffic is OK.

    Total sales in the last 2 months. Zero!
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2242742].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author reynoldscorb
    33 sales in the last 7 days on my best performing Amazon blog. Amazon is great for conversion rates.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2242909].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ShaqirHussyin
    I stopped promoting that stuff and now
    focus on prmiting real life changin, hardcore marketing stuff,

    pennines and a few pounds here and there is not worth it,

    if you want to start creating true wealth my advice is to start promoting high-ticket items,

    watch my free 100% content webinars and learn more.

    Shaqir H
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2246142].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Chris Thompson
    I wrote a detailed post on exactly how I make money on amazon. It is all outsourced.

    Doing Business Online: Outsourcing: Selling on Amazon
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2252459].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author BravoPUA
    wow, so much great info on here

    was just thinking about looking into Amazon

    thanks!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2252472].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author sickbaomei
    Hi Bilaal,
    I read from your blog that you are unhappy with Amazon because like ebay it suspend your account. Are you still using it with good results ?

    Would you mind to give afew tips on how many sites you made to earn $500-$700 in 2 weeks ? Do you promote high price items (since amazon pay just a small %age ) ? ..lastly, do you create your sites manually or use some amazon posting plugins ?

    Thanks
    Chris

    Originally Posted by billhuss786 View Post

    Hi mate, Amazon affiliates is really good. i have made about $500-$700 in about two weeks just from that. its not bad to be honest.

    Bilaal
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2253484].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author justcrowd2010
    I have created a lot of money from amazon, I have made a lot of commissions, just be patient you could not see results overnight
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2262477].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
    I'd also like to add that I'm coming to the conclusion that niche selection is critical in making money on Amazon. The site that I described the steps to building above has made another sale, while the first site that I built, in a different niche, has yet to make a sale.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2262561].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mikeevee
      Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

      I'd also like to add that I'm coming to the conclusion that niche selection is critical in making money on Amazon. The site that I described the steps to building above has made another sale, while the first site that I built, in a different niche, has yet to make a sale.
      Too many people are building Auto Amazon sites. There are vast numbers of blogs. I would select a small niche and then build it into an authority in multiple ways, with articles, unique content, some link-bait, and reviews. Much more likely to rank longer term than a pure autoblog.
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2268067].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Jake03
        I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread. It's information like this that makes this forum the best out there. IMO.

        Question: Does Amazon still cap the commision at $24 per sale?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2269317].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author KatyaSenina
    I signed up with them as an affiliate, but I choose not to bother with it anymore. I do nothing with my account. Don't know...I don't really think it's worth the effort.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2262592].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mixolydian
      Amazing thread! I've learned so much so fast.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2266625].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author patamable
    Banned
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2267722].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
      Originally Posted by patamable View Post

      well for me adsense is better than amazon
      Why not do both? I have both on my sites, get Adsense clicks every day, and still make sells from Amazon.

      Some people worry that if they put Adsense on their sites they'll lose sales from Amazon, but money is money to me . . . I'll take it how I can get it.
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2268033].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Elle Holder
        Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

        Why not do both? I have both on my sites, get Adsense clicks every day, and still make sells from Amazon.

        Some people worry that if they put Adsense on their sites they'll lose sales from Amazon, but money is money to me . . . I'll take it how I can get it.
        I agree with this, but do it with care.

        If adsense is only paying pennies per click for a specific product/niche site, I sometimes won't add it. But if adsense clicks are paying close to what I'd make on Amazon commission, I'll slap up adsense as well.
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2268043].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author vastcosmos
    This is good information.

    Thanks

    Jim
    Signature

    Jim

    corporateespionage.info

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2269344].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jake03
    That was a questions in case you missed it... Looks like the cap only applies to computers and it's $25.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2269401].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
      Any thoughts on the use of affiliate link URL cloaking (via 301 redirection) and it potentially being seen as a violation of Amazon's Associates TOS?

      Originally Posted by Amazon Associates TOS

      ...Qualifying Purchases exclude, and we will not pay advertising fees on any of, the following:

      -a link to the Amazon Site, including a Redirecting Link, that is generated or displayed on a Search Engine in response to a general Internet search query or keyword (i.e., in natural, free, organic, or unpaid search results), whether those links appear through your submission of data to that site or otherwise.

      ...

      Redirecting Link” means a link that sends users indirectly to the Amazon Site via an intermediate site or webpage and without requiring the user to click on a link or take some other affirmative action on that intermediate site or webpage.“
      If you're using URL redirection (which I believe every Wordpress "Pretty Links"-type plugin uses) there's literally no way for Amazon to tell if you're doing it legitimately on your website or if you're sending people there through CPC ads, etc. If someone at Amazon looked at your referrals, they would just see your redirected "cloaked" link that immediately redirects them to Amazon. Since they explicitly disallow the use of URL direction to circumvent the rule against putting referral links in paid ads, I think they could easily mistake legitimate use of cloaking for something sketchy.

      Any thoughts?
      Signature
      "Keep moving forward."
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3330902].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Eager2SEO
        Originally Posted by mattward View Post

        Any thoughts on the use of affiliate link URL cloaking (via 301 redirection) and it potentially being seen as a violation of Amazon's Associates TOS?



        If you're using URL redirection (which I believe every Wordpress "Pretty Links"-type plugin uses) there's literally no way for Amazon to tell if you're doing it legitimately on your website or if you're sending people there through CPC ads, etc. If someone at Amazon looked at your referrals, they would just see your redirected "cloaked" link that immediately redirects them to Amazon. Since they explicitly disallow the use of URL direction to circumvent the rule against putting referral links in paid ads, I think they could easily mistake legitimate use of cloaking for something sketchy.

        Any thoughts?
        I've seen shopping comparison sites use redirect links. Also, the datafeedr system uses redirects. I like using redirects on my site so I can get real time tracking. I even wrote a script for it.

        Also, 301 redirects (unless you do a double meta refresh to blank the referrer) will show the site that it came from in the logs. The page would probably show up as the redirect script page (as opposed to the product page, which I see in my logs for tracking). I've tested this. Amazon will see it coming from you site, so that should be ok I believe.

        If they see a referrer from tracking 202 or some ad provider, that could raise eyebrows.

        I'm wondering though if Google may have issue with all the redirects on your site, but again many shopping sites and systems use redirects.
        Signature

        Available for article writing or <?php | .net ?> programming work! Article samples available on request.

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3331278].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author tritrain
          I like to have a variety of sites and methods with Amazon Associates.

          I use Amazon affiliate store scripts, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Hub Pages, Squidoo, etc.

          Together I get thousands of clicks per day, which means a nice steady flow of income via Amazon.
          Signature
          Domains for sale - see seopositions.net
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3331550].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Gunedat
            Wow, at 17 pages, forgive me if this tip has been given.

            For me, my strategy is to setup a lot of review sites. These sites would not be a thin website, but has many related products being reviewed.

            Another part of my strategy is try to look for really cheap stuff that people will not hesitate to buy online. This will give me the volume to increase my affiliate share. Then, I would throw in a good mix of higher commission stuff, and get a decent amount of commission on those.
            Signature
            I Should Put A Sig Here
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3332013].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author theultimate1
            Originally Posted by tritrain View Post

            I like to have a variety of sites and methods with Amazon Associates.

            I use Amazon affiliate store scripts, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Hub Pages, Squidoo, etc.

            Together I get thousands of clicks per day, which means a nice steady flow of income via Amazon.
            Can you teach me how you do it? We could start by creating a website for you. I'd do all the necessary work free of cost for you.
            Signature
            If Content Is Your King, Then This GhostRider.. err.. GhostWriter Is Your Knight!
            My Sample Articles
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3511892].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Lares
        Originally Posted by mattward View Post

        Any thoughts on the use of affiliate link URL cloaking (via 301 redirection) and it potentially being seen as a violation of Amazon's Associates TOS?



        If you're using URL redirection (which I believe every Wordpress "Pretty Links"-type plugin uses) there's literally no way for Amazon to tell if you're doing it legitimately on your website or if you're sending people there through CPC ads, etc. If someone at Amazon looked at your referrals, they would just see your redirected "cloaked" link that immediately redirects them to Amazon. Since they explicitly disallow the use of URL direction to circumvent the rule against putting referral links in paid ads, I think they could easily mistake legitimate use of cloaking for something sketchy.

        Any thoughts?

        Anyone have any experience with this? I am doing this "hidding" affiliate links with 301 redirect plugin and i dont really wanna get banned.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3476723].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    Yup - I have sold several items where I've made more than $25 for a single sale.

    I have not put Adsense on my site mostly because I don't want to give visitors an out unless it is to Amazon. Certainly worth testing for those who want to see if they can better optimize their income stream.

    I will say, though, that if I see a made-for-adsense site (and I mean those small, few pagers with nothing really useful on them and the maximum number of Adsense boxes all up at the top) sitting on the 1st page of Google for a product niche keyword (like yellowlampshades dot com - I made that one up but it is probably out there) that has good search volume and meets my other criteria (average price of product, etc), I check whois info and backlinks. If the site is relatively new (younger than six months) and has few backlinks then I think it's a good sign that competition is low and I'm pretty sure I can beat out a MFA site with my own unique content in short-order. I'll go to a hyphenated domain if I have to to get that keyword and that position in Google.

    In fact, that's the only thing I like about MFA sites. They're like little test accounts others have built to help me find easy-to-rank keyword ideas. Oops - fair warning to those who build 'em! If you're not going to put in the effort, someone else will. It's just a matter of time.

    Google Analytics shows the page with the lowest bounce rate on my site is the comparison page I set up using WP Table Reloaded - a free WP plug-in that lets you build sortable tables. Bounce rate is 23%. I made this a separate page on my site, right next to the HOME tab and made it a full width template. No distracting sidebars. Basically, "Here are your product options - anything look good?"

    I did not do any customization of the WP Table Reloaded format for this site, nor did I include images in the table (which you can do) but I've been experimenting a bit more with it on a new site and I really like the functionality.

    One thing you can't easily do on Amazon is compare two products side by side - especially when specific details about certain features are not even listed in the Amazon product description but are valuable decision-making criteria. (That's a clue - find products where the industry seems to leave out relevant information in the product listings.)

    To build a comparison table, think of the most important buying criteria for your product niche and make each one a column in the table.

    Using dining sets as an example, you could have the following columns:

    1: Image of the product that links to your review or to Amazon
    2: Description - includes, short, overall product description
    3: Material - notes whether the table is wood, laminate, etc.
    4: # of Chairs - note the # of chairs included with the table
    5: Shape - note whether round, square, or rectangular
    6: Color - wood, black, white, red, whatever...
    7: Price - include the actual price or a range and make it link to Amazon listing

    Kind of like a restaurant with a take out service, this lets you cater to visitors who want in and out fast - the comparison table - and to those who want all the specifics - which they'll get from your detailed reviews.

    That's just a rough example but this plug-in lets you set it up so that the table is sortable and can be filtered. If a visitor's main concern is price, they can sort by price and look only at the ones in their price range. If they're only interested in round dining tables, they can filter to show only the round tables in your site.

    Someone asked earlier what these sites really have to offer that is different from Amazon and I think that is a critical point. Me, personally, I've got to see an angle in which I know I can make a difference or I don't see the point in putting in any effort. Find those products where you can leverage a gap in the product segment, in the product descriptions, or in the product presentation and squeeze it for all its worth.

    If you do your homework, analyze the niche, analyze the products, analyze the commerciality of the keyword(s) you're targeting AND plug missing holes that are important to buyers (no one said it was easy - just possible) then you are really adding value and you should be able to draw in traffic and sales. You're still going to need to promote the site but I think you get a natural boost from having offered something to visitors that other sites in the niche have missed.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2269707].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yunoblog
    I would like to contribute something to this excellent Amazon Associates thread. I have never seen a thread (a free one too) which contains as much excellent tips as this. I basically wrote a case study on one of my Amazon Associates website which is making money.

    You can check it out by visiting : shibalseki.com/amazon-associates-a-real-case-study/
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2272864].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dan208
    Yes, after Google and EPN, Amazon is my third best money maker.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2272919].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jake411
    Just wanted to add my 2 cents....

    and say, Thanks Warriors for all the great info!!

    I haven't tried Amazon affiliate sales but did well with

    direct selling on the Amazon site.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273186].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mmixon
      My wife is off for the summer, and we decided to work on our websites, converting some and building new one specializing in Amazon products. So far, we have created 33 new WordPress blogs optimized with Amazon, Adsense and PPC products. They are product specific to best sellers on Amazon, and 19 of the blogs have reached the first page on Google for the product search term. We are getting clicks (about 300 Amazon clicks a day on the 19 blogs) but are not making much money. The info in this thread should help us make some changes that will hopefully increase our affiliate commissions.

      Much thanks to PaulaC, Tim, Erica, LilBlackDress, Andy and others. Great info. Thanks to all for sharing your success so we can be more successful. You bless us all!

      Mickey
      Signature
      http://popgoesthebiz.com/ Websites, Mobile Marketing and Social Media Marketing for Business and Political Candidates.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273348].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
    Just a little more proof to show that it is possible to make a decent income from Amazon. These are our totals from November last year to the beginning of June this year.

    I am sure there are people making even more than this.


    Signature

    My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

    Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

    Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273300].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TimG
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      Just a little more proof to show that it is possible to make a decent income from Amazon. These are our totals from November last year to the beginning of June this year.

      I am sure there are people making even more than this.


      Great scott...........that's a lot of cheddar. In looking at your stats and comparing them to mine I see a have a majority of third party sales where you have a majority of Amazon sales. I will need to see how I can change that.

      On a positive note I had my best sales conversion percentage ever 2 days ago at 27.27%. Of course the day before that was only 2.78% and yesterday was a paltry 0% so definately have my work cut out in stabilizing my conversion percentages.

      Thanks for sharing your stats with us.

      Respectfully,
      Tim
      Signature
      Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

      Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273477].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
        Originally Posted by TimG View Post

        Great scott...........that's a lot of cheddar. In looking at your stats and comparing them to mine I see a have a majority of third party sales where you have a majority of Amazon sales. I will need to see how I can change that.

        On a positive note I had my best sales conversion percentage ever 2 days ago at 27.27%. Of course the day before that was only 2.78% and yesterday was a paltry 0% so definately have my work cut out in stabilizing my conversion percentages.

        Thanks for sharing your stats with us.

        Respectfully,
        Tim
        Wow, 27.7% is a great conversion rate. Would be nice to see that everyday.
        Signature

        My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

        Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

        Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273666].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author TimG
          Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

          Wow, 27.7% is a great conversion rate. Would be nice to see that everyday.
          It was a fluke...I'd much rather have a straight 7% and then gradually increase it higher. Still it did bring a nice smile to my face that day because the products offer a pretty nice payout.

          Respectfully,
          Tim
          Signature
          Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

          Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2273719].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author tdj
        Originally Posted by TimG View Post

        Great scott...........that's a lot of cheddar. In looking at your stats and comparing them to mine I see a have a majority of third party sales where you have a majority of Amazon sales. I will need to see how I can change that.

        On a positive note I had my best sales conversion percentage ever 2 days ago at 27.27%. Of course the day before that was only 2.78% and yesterday was a paltry 0% so definately have my work cut out in stabilizing my conversion percentages.

        Thanks for sharing your stats with us.

        Respectfully,
        Tim
        Hi Tim. What did you mean exactly by third party sales compared to Amazon sales? Is that have to do with direct linking? Just need a better explanation. Looks like PaulaC is doing something a little bit different than you are.

        Todd
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2275647].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by tdj View Post

          Hi Tim. What did you mean exactly by third party sales compared to Amazon sales? Is that have to do with direct linking? Just need a better explanation. Looks like PaulaC is doing something a little bit different than you are.

          Todd
          Amazon sales are sales of products Amazon itself stocks and ships from its own warehouses. Third party sales are products for which Amazon handles listing on the site and accounting (shopping cart, collecting money, etc.).

          Has nothing to do with the manner of linking.

          Helps?
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2276029].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author TimG
          Originally Posted by tdj View Post

          Hi Tim. What did you mean exactly by third party sales compared to Amazon sales? Is that have to do with direct linking? Just need a better explanation. Looks like PaulaC is doing something a little bit different than you are.

          Todd
          Todd,
          John explained in his post. It is based on where the merchandise/products ship from.

          And yes, you are correct.....PaulaC is doing something different from me.....by several thousands of dollars...I'm still playing catch-up to her...lol


          Respectfully,
          Tim
          Signature
          Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

          Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2276168].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
          Originally Posted by tdj View Post

          Hi Tim. What did you mean exactly by third party sales compared to Amazon sales? Is that have to do with direct linking? Just need a better explanation. Looks like PaulaC is doing something a little bit different than you are.

          Todd
          Amazon sell their own stock but they also allow other merchants to come in and sell their stock. Third party sales are sales that come from those other merchants on Amazon.

          As an affiliate you can't decide whether your sales will go through Amazon or Third Party Suppliers.
          Signature

          My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

          Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

          Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2276985].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author TimG
            Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

            Amazon sell their own stock but they also allow other merchants to come in and sell their stock. Third party sales are sales that come from those other merchants on Amazon.

            As an affiliate you can't decide whether your sales will go through Amazon or Third Party Suppliers.
            What about if you send the traffic directly to a site like Endless.com That's a partner or property of Amazon isn't it?

            I'm not sure which is why I was asking.

            Respectfully,
            Tim
            Signature
            Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

            Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2277206].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
              Originally Posted by TimG View Post

              What about if you send the traffic directly to a site like Endless.com That's a partner or property of Amazon isn't it?

              I'm not sure which is why I was asking.

              Respectfully,
              Tim
              Endless is sister company, and pays much higher than Amazon - A flat 15%.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2277224].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author TimG
                Originally Posted by mgtarheels View Post

                Endless is sister company, and pays much higher than Amazon - A flat 15%.
                That's what I thought. I have yet to try and promote anything through them because I'm knee deep in promoting a bunch of pest control items.

                Looking at getting into some higher priced items now in order to crank up the commissions due to the small amounts being made from the many sales I'm achieving with the pest control products.

                Respectfully,
                Tim
                Signature
                Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

                Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2277262].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
                  Originally Posted by TimG View Post

                  That's what I thought. I have yet to try and promote anything through them because I'm knee deep in promoting a bunch of pest control items.

                  Looking at getting into some higher priced items now in order to crank up the commissions due to the small amounts being made from the many sales I'm achieving with the pest control products.

                  Respectfully,
                  Tim
                  Rock on, just stay away from desktops, laptops, notebooks, tablets, and netbooks unless you're content with making only $25 but promoting $1k+ items.
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2277276].message }}
                  • Profile picture of the author TimG
                    Originally Posted by mgtarheels View Post

                    Rock on, just stay away from desktops, laptops, notebooks, tablets, and netbooks unless you're content with making only $25 but promoting $1k+ items.
                    Nope - wasn't going to target items like that. I'm looking more at household appliances and outdoor equipment. Lots of items to choose from and I love the challenge of trying to make money with new product niches.

                    Tim
                    Signature
                    Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

                    Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
                    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2277813].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ConnorMcCreesh
    You can make money with amazon, i have before, but it always seems to much work for me. Guess i am just lazy!
    Signature
    Hopper, The Instagram Scheduling Tool - Established Tech Startup with 1500+ Users.

    Hopper Affiliate Program: 15% Recurring Monthly Commissions. Thoroughly tested sales funnel. $10-$250+ Product Sales Prices.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2276176].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Hotbux
    thanks so much for all the great advices,those give me lots more ideas
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2276341].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
    Alright, so I've a question.....


    Does anyone know how to use Amazon's API?

    What I'd like to do is basically scrape Amazon's products for a specific category, along with their descriptions, ratings, and comments, but put them into my own template.

    For example, use a template like Clothes Store (not that template or product, it's just an example) but import the pictures from Amazon, description, etc. into that template.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2277220].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
      Originally Posted by mgtarheels View Post

      Alright, so I've a question.....


      Does anyone know how to use Amazon's API?

      What I'd like to do is basically scrape Amazon's products for a specific category, along with their descriptions, ratings, and comments, but put them into my own template.

      For example, use a template like Clothes Store (not that template or product, it's just an example) but import the pictures from Amazon, description, etc. into that template.

      Praying someone knows the answer/program for this.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2277298].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
      Originally Posted by mgtarheels View Post

      Alright, so I've a question.....


      Does anyone know how to use Amazon's API?

      What I'd like to do is basically scrape Amazon's products for a specific category, along with their descriptions, ratings, and comments, but put them into my own template.

      For example, use a template like Clothes Store (not that template or product, it's just an example) but import the pictures from Amazon, description, etc. into that template.
      Still no one?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2278182].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
        Originally Posted by mgtarheels View Post

        Still no one?
        Michael, I've never worked with the API directly but I do have (and am just starting to play around with) Amaniche. It and Reviewazon (there may be others but these are the only 2 I know) are WP plug-ins that use the Amazon API to create a section in your WP dashboard that lets you work with the Amazon data. In Amaniche, you get to pick which fields you want in a post, which products you want to include and you can choose from a couple of layouts for your posts. You can also schedule the reviews to drip feed over time or can save them to draft mode and add your own unique content before publishing.

        You are also supposed to be able to further customize the layout by tweaking the html but I haven't gotten that far.

        If you're going to use WP, one or the other of these might be an option for you. They're not free but they don't really cost all that much and they're pretty efficient. I believe I got Amaniche through the WSO threads.

        I did not use Amaniche for my first Amazon site and I'm not looking to just scrape the Amazon data and hit the publish button but it is rather time consuming to get the Amazon photos manually and to get the affiliate links one at a time for each link I want to put in a post. I thought I'd see if using the plug-in could help speed up the process yet still let me customize the look of the posts while also allowing me to hand-write my own content to match. I think I can get there but I still have some experimenting to do. The plug in is very easy to use, though.

        If you were intending to use some other platform and wanted to use the API directly, I can't help you but maybe someone else will yet respond.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2278428].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
          Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

          Michael, I've never worked with the API directly but I do have (and am just starting to play around with) Amaniche. It and Reviewazon (there may be others but these are the only 2 I know) are WP plug-ins that use the Amazon API to create a section in your WP dashboard that lets you work with the Amazon data. In Amaniche, you get to pick which fields you want in a post, which products you want to include and you can choose from a couple of layouts for your posts. You can also schedule the reviews to drip feed over time or can save them to draft mode and add your own unique content before publishing.

          You are also supposed to be able to further customize the layout by tweaking the html but I haven't gotten that far.

          If you're going to use WP, one or the other of these might be an option for you. They're not free but they don't really cost all that much and they're pretty efficient. I believe I got Amaniche through the WSO threads.

          I did not use Amaniche for my first Amazon site and I'm not looking to just scrape the Amazon data and hit the publish button but it is rather time consuming to get the Amazon photos manually and to get the affiliate links one at a time for each link I want to put in a post. I thought I'd see if using the plug-in could help speed up the process yet still let me customize the look of the posts while also allowing me to hand-write my own content to match. I think I can get there but I still have some experimenting to do. The plug in is very easy to use, though.

          If you were intending to use some other platform and wanted to use the API directly, I can't help you but maybe someone else will yet respond.
          I appreciate your help

          I'd be looking to use their API I'm assuming, as I even want to checkout to be on my own website.

          This search is pretty tough
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2278481].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author LynnM
        Originally Posted by mgtarheels View Post

        Still no one?
        For older sites I used Amazon Autoposter. Now I use WP Robot - it comes with an Amazon module amongst others - plus my own themes. You can customize the template to get what details you want showing in your posts. Plus you can set the posts to go into draft, which gives you the opportunity to add your own tags or additional content.
        It's on a WSO: http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...tter-more.html
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2278456].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jake411
    Hey PaulaC

    You piqued my curiosity when you mentioned your professional article
    distribution efforts....

    Do you use a service or do you contact each webmaster, ezine, or
    newsletter personally and manually?

    If you use a service, would you care to mention who??

    How do you zero in on what sites, ezines, or nl's to target?

    Thanks
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2277838].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
      Originally Posted by jake411 View Post

      Hey PaulaC

      You piqued my curiosity when you mentioned your professional article
      distribution efforts....

      Do you use a service or do you contact each webmaster, ezine, or
      newsletter personally and manually?

      If you use a service, would you care to mention who??

      How do you zero in on what sites, ezines, or nl's to target?

      Thanks

      We just contact each site personally.

      We find sites that meet a certain criteria - must have some sort of pagerank, get a reasonable amount of traffic etc. We just want to place articles on sites that are strong. We don't mind putting them on article directories but we find we have much better success on regular websites and blogs.
      Signature

      My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

      Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

      Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2281889].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
        On the sites you contact Paula, are you mostly looking for the backlink or for the actual traffic you will generate from posting on their site?
        Signature

        Pen Name + 8 eBooks + social media sites 4 SALE - PM me (evergreen beauty niche)

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2281969].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
          Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

          On the sites you contact Paula, are you mostly looking for the backlink or for the actual traffic you will generate from posting on their site?
          It could be just for the backlink OR the traffic OR both. Mostly it's for the backlink.
          Signature

          My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

          Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

          Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2282004].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author propecon
    This is very useful as I am also an affiliate of amazon. I sold ten products there but I dont put amazon in majority of my hubs. The sold products are not related to the hub. Thank you
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2277869].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ebizman87
    Hey guys/gals,

    Do you think it's OK to start a REVIEW site that will consist of reviews on a lot of products from different categories such as gardening, technology...

    or

    Start a review site that only focuses on one product/products from one category such as gardening?

    If the answer is the 1st option, will my site be relevant enough to rank for a particular keyword in GOOGLE?

    Thanks
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2278514].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by ebizman87 View Post

      Hey guys/gals,

      Do you think it's OK to start a REVIEW site that will consist of reviews on a lot of products from different categories such as gardening, technology...

      or

      Start a review site that only focuses on one product/products from one category such as gardening?

      If the answer is the 1st option, will my site be relevant enough to rank for a particular keyword in GOOGLE?

      Thanks
      Boy, ebizman - from gardening to technology seems like a pretty broad range! I believe anything is doable - it's all a matter of time and resources. That being said, I think that tackling something so broad up front might take, well, a lot of time - exactly for the reason you mention. Ranking a generic review site might be challenging. If you're goal is to make money sooner rather than later, you might do well to go with one category or the other and, frankly, I'd take it down a notch even from those categories.

      Instead of gardening, for instance, why not one start with one popular segment of gardening tools? You can certainly grow from there but I, personally, find it easier to rank if I focus on a fairly targeted niche with an exact match keyword domain.

      It also makes it easier to write when you're specializing in one particular type of product. You find yourself starting to write things like "the one thing ABC product is missing is a blue handle but for the same price you can get DEF product and the blue handle is included". This is where you start to become "the expert" and where you can help offer suggestions and information to your visitors. I would think that would be hard to do if you're spread so thin.

      It's certainly an appealing idea. There are other generic review sites that must do pretty well - epinions, bizrate - they don't have the level of detail about each product that a niche site might have but similar concept. There's no reason you couldn't end up running a giant review site. But I can only imagine what it must take to pull off a site of that scale.

      As a mostly one man show, I tend to go with the "snowman" approach. Start with a little ball of snow and roll it and roll it and roll it until it gets bigger and bigger. The first site I built targeted a keyword phrase with only about a 1000 exact searches a month. At the time, getting to #1 for that one phrase seemed like a nearly impossible target. I had no idea what I was doing but I just kept writing. Now that site gets about 15,000 visitors a month. I rolled my snowball all around that little patch of snow until it got bigger and then started reaching out for new snow. (I should never try using analogies...especially about snow. I live in the desert and it's been about 108 degrees the past few days. I have no business talking about snow!) There's still more I can be doing with that one site in that one little niche. Make sense?

      Hope that helps.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2278600].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author ebizman87
        Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

        Boy, ebizman - from gardening to technology seems like a pretty broad range!
        Thanks for the reply and I've another quick question.

        What if I make a niche website and write reviews on main and also all related products on that site?

        Ex:

        Niche: Video Game Consoles

        Main Product: PS3

        Related products: PS MOVE, PS EYE etc..

        This is just a sample and of course I'm not going to go after SONY's product :p (It's almost impossible to rank easily on SE )
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2278625].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
          Originally Posted by ebizman87 View Post

          Thanks for the reply and I've another quick question.

          What if I make a niche website and write reviews on main and also all related products on that site?

          Ex:

          Niche: Video Game Consoles

          Main Product: PS3

          Related products: PS MOVE, PS EYE etc..

          This is just a sample and of course I'm not going to go after SONY's product :p (It's almost impossible to rank easily on SE )
          I think that works very well. The products are related, the target audience is the same and the content can easily relate across those products. I think those are the key factors.

          Draw your circle - the circle that defines the people you want to reach and then look at the product options and just ask yourself if you can be fairly certain that this circle of folks would be interested in this product if you added it to your site. In this example, if your circle is people interested in the PS3 console, you know they are gamers, that they're going to be looking for console and game recommendations, that they're going to be interested in caring for and perhaps fixing their equipment, and probably any game related accessories. Along the way that easily starts to roll into game chairs, game storage shelves, cool game controllers (starts looking around her kids' playroom for ideas...).
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2278693].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Steyrc
            I swear this is a one of greatest threads on WF. My mainly IM method is Amazon and this thread is very informative. I'm feeling too lazy when compare to other people in this thread (my earning per month is $10, so sad).

            My motivate guage is rising up!

            Thanks again!
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2278796].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author ebizman87
            Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

            I think that works very well. The products are related, the target audience is the same and the content can easily relate across those products. I think those are the key factors.

            Draw your circle - the circle that defines the people you want to reach and then look at the product options and just ask yourself if you can be fairly certain that this circle of folks would be interested in this product if you added it to your site. In this example, if your circle is people interested in the PS3 console, you know they are gamers, that they're going to be looking for console and game recommendations, that they're going to be interested in caring for and perhaps fixing their equipment, and probably any game related accessories. Along the way that easily starts to roll into game chairs, game storage shelves, cool game controllers (starts looking around her kids' playroom for ideas...).
            Thanks for the ideas and your time to reply my post
            Signature
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2278854].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author kevlah
            Great thread, I have seen a little success with with Amazon lately and am planning on building a bigger Amazon review site now, to go alongside my adsense earnings (eggs in one basket and all that!)

            I made an adsense micro site for a single product back in January. The product is an expensive ipod accessory costing about £220 (~$300). However when it started getting traffic my CPC was way lower than expected and google has a love hate relationship with this site. It sits happily in the top 5 then disappears for days in to the nether. It's been dancing like this for 6 months now... not sure what the deal is with that.

            But anyway with the adsense so low I figured I would have a dabble with Amazon on it and the results have been pretty promising. The site has only had 56 uniques this month. That has converted into 6 sales with a value of about £580! An MP3 album, 3 books and two of my targeted product one for £220 and one for £349. This has really opened my eyes to the power of getting 'I want to buy this product' traffic, I'm really shocked at the conversion rate.

            Unfortunately as a UK affiliate the commission cap for ANY product is SEVEN POUNDS ... which is a horrible feeling when I've shifted a couple of these high value products. But still for the amount of work I put into the site it is turning a pretty good income.

            I'm still very green with this Amazon stuff so I haven't got any tips apart from to reaffirm what others have said. Text links within the content convert better, all my sales has come from these links. Long reviews are better - 750 words is good. Also I wouldn't be able to rank for the actual product name. I thought about a variant that people type in (a different way of phrasing the name of the product basically) and it gets the same monthly searches but with less competition because I don't have to compete directly with product pages and shopping results.

            Sorry for rambling on I just wanted to share my minor Amazon success, I hope some of it was useful to somebody
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2279107].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
              Originally Posted by kevlah View Post

              Also I wouldn't be able to rank for the actual product name. I thought about a variant that people type in (a different way of phrasing the name of the product basically) and it gets the same monthly searches but with less competition because I don't have to compete directly with product pages and shopping results.
              I've noticed that if you use the Google Keyword Tool, you can often find variations of products names that are much easier to target and rank for.

              I don't use the variations for my main product reviews, but I do write seperate articles on my site about those products, usually doing a more keypoint approach type of review. For instance, I'll do a Pros and Cons list, read every customer review I can find and bust out a huge list of every little pro and con that people write about. Then I'll put a text link back to Amazon somewhere within the post, a link to my product review where the customer comments are at the bottom of the post, and still include a picture link at the bottom as well.

              And it's been talked about, so I'll throw in my two cents. I purchased both WPRobot and ReviewAZON for my Amazon projects. I've used each one on a seperate site . . . and my preference is towards WPRobot. ReviewAZON slowed down my site drastically . . . I couldn't even fix it with WP Super Cache. It takes about 15 seconds for the site to load, which we all know is a killer. I only use 5 customer reviews per product, which shouldn't make it slow at all. Plus, every time I add a new post it seems to add to the wait time for page to load. And I also don't like that you can't make customer comments show up as comments on your site. They only show up in the post. You can do this with WPRobot and I think it makes the site look a lot more active, which helps build trust. I won't be building another site with ReviewAZON, but I will probably continue to use the Similar Products sidebar widget part of it. I'm sure other people's experiences will be different, but I just thought I'd throw that in there.
              Signature
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2279184].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    For those of you still considering using Amazon widgets, banners, etc...

    I just finished taking a look at my link stats for an article dump (first Adsense, then YPN) site I'm getting ready to rehabilitate.

    In-content text links had about a 2.5% click-through rate. Everything else, 0.15% to 0.52% CTR. Traffic to the site was 99%+ search traffic.

    No sales, but that wasn't Amazon's fault... I say that because the product selection was crappy, almost random, based on articles submitted via a service.

    After the rehab, I expect both CTR and sales conversion to rebound in time for the holidays.

    [Disclaimer: Your mileage may vary.]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2280870].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mmixon
    Thanks again for all the great info. So, if I want to target higher ticket items in the Amazon Store, from what I have been able to gather from the thread, (cutting, pasting and tweaking) is that I can use 3 techniques like this:

    Technique #1:

    If you put the following into Google, you can browse through Amazon products in the $150 to $300 price range

    customer reviews -laptop -camera -dvd -tv -game -cook -vacuum site:amazon.com $150..300

    What this search does is show you Amazon products where the mention of price is between $150-300 AND where the page does not include the words laptop, camera, dvd, tv, game, cook, or vacuum.

    I found a few new niches with decent search volume and low competition - products I'd never heard before but some had hundreds of reviews so they must be popular with some customer segment.

    You can modify that search by changing the price amounts or removing the elimination of any of those phrases (the -laptop, etc.) or by adding the elimination of other phrases.

    By using the term "customer reviews" in the search query, the results quickly show me the number of reviews each product has so I can get a better feel for popularity of the product.


    Technique #2:

    I did a quick search on big ticket items. I used the product price range of $1,000..30,000. And you know what happened? There were results but most products had 1 or 2 Customer Reviews. On Google's Page 1 of results, only one result showed 4 Customer Reviews.

    So, I added a twist and here's what I searched for:

    5..50 customer reviews -laptop -desktop -notebook -tablet -netbook -camera -dvd -tv -game -cook -vacuum site:amazon.com $1000..300000

    That shows me products with a higher number of Customer Reviews, ranging from 5 to 50. It's a great feature. Generally, the higher the number of reviews means that it is a good seller.


    Technique #3:

    Let's say you have a site about Car Accessories and you want products in a certain price range or with a certain number of reviews. Instead of removing words from the query with the minus sign, you can add words and get results that include only those words:

    5..50 customer reviews car accessories site:amazon.com $50..300

    This would show all the listings that included the words "car" and "accessories" (which you could change to "accessory" if you want to try that term instead of "accessories") and have reviews in the 5-50 range and where the mention of price falls between $50-300.

    But, you're tired of seeing all the ipod, mp3, gps stuff that comes up with a query like that because those can be pretty competitive. Then you can use the exclusion criteria to get rid of those, like this:

    5..50 customer reviews car accessories -gps -ipod -mp3 site:amazon.com $50..300

    Now you'll see listings for car accessories that are not gps, ipod, mp3 related but meet your other criteria. So, if you do a search and it is loaded with 1 or 2 items, - those items out and do the search again.


    Is there anything in the above 3 techniques that is incorrect, or something that you would do differently?

    Thanks,
    Mickey
    Signature
    http://popgoesthebiz.com/ Websites, Mobile Marketing and Social Media Marketing for Business and Political Candidates.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2282097].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mark Jordan
    I have started with it last month. So far I got 3 clicks but no conversion.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2282125].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jamian
    Well, in Amazon you're going to be doing product reviews and recommendations, so pick a topic that you enjoy and know something about. If you can't stay passionate about the topic, that will show, and it also won't hold your interest. Then try to find a interesting topic.
    Signature
    Affiliate Marketing explained for beginners >>
    www.SuperAffiliateMarketingTrick.com <<
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2282129].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mrdomains
      I agree with the others concerning whether to use Amaz widgets or in-text / image links. The single widget that works OK in my view is the product cloud since it pretty much replicates the tags cloud user are accustomed to seeing. Give it a try, see if it delivers on your site.
      Signature

      Free action plan : Think less. Do more.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2284721].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Andr3w
    What I like about promoting Amazon products is that you can review products that you might realistically recommend to your family and friends, who can really say that about Clickbank?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2285659].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by mmixon View Post

      Is there anything in the above 3 techniques that is incorrect, or something that you would do differently?

      Thanks,
      Mickey
      Mickey, yes, those are 3 ways of finding products on Amazon that meet certain criteria. Those queries can help you zero in on a certain niche, exclude niches or products, and find products with a certain number of reviews or in a certain price range.

      However, there are plenty of other ways to find these products, too. Some browse through Amazon's category listings, some use the Amazon bestseller lists to find products, and still others look at Alexa or other sources for product trends.

      Originally Posted by mrdomains View Post

      I agree with the others concerning whether to use Amaz widgets or in-text / image links. The single widget that works OK in my view is the product cloud since it pretty much replicates the tags cloud user are accustomed to seeing. Give it a try, see if it delivers on your site.
      I haven't tried that one yet. Sounds interesting - thanks for the tip!

      Originally Posted by Andr3w View Post

      What I like about promoting Amazon products is that you can review products that you might realistically recommend to your family and friends, who can really say that about Clickbank?
      I fully understand what you're saying. While I think there are plenty of quality products on CB, I simply find it more difficult to "recommend" them without having read the material or used the product myself whereas physical products usually have plenty of material for you to work with when writing a review or description.

      From my experience, too, it's simply easier to convert a visitor to a sale on a physical product than a digital product which is probably why I admire those who do well at CB. I know it takes some extra effort!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2285757].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    In checking rankings for specific products on my main Amazon review site, I've noticed I have double (or indented) listings in Google for several items.

    This seems to occur where I've either cross-referenced a second review inside a post or where I've done a "compare product a and product b" type of post.

    When these reviews are hand written, it's easy to spot when one product is nearly identical to another and tie the posts together.

    Example:
    • Product A - Brand XYZ Model #1 Blue widget with case $179.99
    • Product B - Brand XYZ Model #2 Blue widget (no case) $199.99
    Assume everything else is the same - same features, same size, etc.
    First product review title looks like this:
    Post #1 - Brand XYZ Model #1 Blue Widget Review
    Second product review title looks like this:
    Post #2 - Brand XYZ Model #2 Blue Widget Review
    Similarities and differences are identified in researching the review for the 2nd product. In the body of the text on the 2nd post, include something like:
    "this model has everything that Model #1 (hyperlinked to Amazon) has but Model #1 costs less than Model #2 when I checked last AND includes a case at no extra charge. You can read more here: Model #1 review (hyperlink to 1st review post)."
    Pingbacks/trackbacks (if enabled) will put a comment on Post #1 showing the reference on Post #2. (Sometimes, but not consistently, I've gone back and modified Post #1 to include a link to Post #2 other than the pingback).

    So, posts #1 and #2 link to each other.

    Throw in the comparison post:
    Post #3 - Compare Brand XYZ Model #1 and Model #2
    Highlight the differences and include a link to Post #1 and a link to Post #2.
    (Last I read, interlinking inner pages is a good thing SEO-wise.)
    Now each product has two posts with the product name in the post title - the individual review and the compare post.

    I don't know that this is happening consistently (I'd have to go back and find every instance of when I've done this), but when it is happening, someone who Googles "brand xyz model #1 review" may see two inner page listings: the initial product review and then indented underneath it will be either the review for the other product or the compare post.

    Heck, I jump for joy when I get any review to show up on the 1st page even for a long tail search but two lines on the 1st page is double victory and more chances the post will be noticed.

    Sometimes comparison opportunities are the same brand because a new model has come out that offers slight upgrades to the older model and/or the older model's price has dropped.

    Sometimes, the brands are different but price is the same and one offers more features than the other. The compare post can still highlight the differences between the two and underscore the value of one product over the other.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2286116].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TimG
      Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

      Heck, I jump for joy when I get any review to show up on the 1st page even for a long tail search but two lines on the 1st page is double victory and more chances the post will be noticed.
      I'm pretty sure this is similar to piggyback search engine marketing. Basic concept is if you see a site rankign well in the search engines for a keyword phrase you use the site in the title of your webpage and a few additional times in the body.

      Ultimately you end up ranking well for the same term as the original site because you piggyback off their ranking/popularity with Google.

      Not sure how long the effect lasts but I do know folks that have used that method successfully. Your tip seems a bit more refined and will probably provide extra cement for additional stickiness in the organic search engine results.

      You're providing some very valuable data in this thread for many people to capitalize on and profit from.

      Respectfully,
      Tim

      PS - Haven't forgotten about our PM/email exchange....I'm just swamped right now answering article marekting related questions.
      Signature
      Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

      Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2286479].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
        Originally Posted by TimG View Post

        You're providing some very valuable data in this thread for many people to capitalize on and profit from.
        I hope so. I have tips, ideas, and strategies to spare and feel I owe something back for having sponged off the forum for over a year.

        (Plus, I'm having a really good month on Amazon and feeling generous!)

        Originally Posted by TimG View Post

        PS - Haven't forgotten about our PM/email exchange....I'm just swamped right now answering article marekting related questions.
        I completely understand. I'll be around when you come up for air.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2286652].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jake411
        Originally Posted by TimG View Post

        I'm pretty sure this is similar to piggyback search engine marketing. Basic concept is if you see a site rankign well in the search engines for a keyword phrase you use the site in the title of your webpage and a few additional times in the body.

        Ultimately you end up ranking well for the same term as the original site because you piggyback off their ranking/popularity with Google.

        Not sure how long the effect lasts but I do know folks that have used that method successfully. Your tip seems a bit more refined and will probably provide extra cement for additional stickiness in the organic search engine results.

        You're providing some very valuable data in this thread for many people to capitalize on and profit from.

        Respectfully,
        Tim

        PS - Haven't forgotten about our PM/email exchange....I'm just swamped right now answering article marekting related questions.
        Hey Tim

        Just wanted to make sure no one misunderstands that when you
        said "you use the site" you meant

        use the same kw phrase in your title, etc., etc.

        I appreciate your practical suggestions from your years of
        experience....thanks!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2288343].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author TimG
          Originally Posted by jake411 View Post

          Hey Tim

          Just wanted to make sure no one misunderstands that when you
          said "you use the site" you meant

          use the same kw phrase in your title, etc., etc.

          I appreciate your practical suggestions from your years of
          experience....thanks!
          Not in this example. From what I saw the websites were using the actual domain of another site as one of their keyword phrases and in the title of their webpage.

          I'm not endorsing this method...just something I've seen over the years. probably worked great when first introduced and not so good now.

          The more frequent piggybacking that I see is where one article from a directory (say EZA) is ranking well and you submit an article targeting the same keyword phrase, with a near identical title and end up ranking right under the previously submitted EZA article.

          One article appears normal and the second article is indented slightly underneath the first article in the organiz search engines results.

          I'll try and find an example to post in order to further illustrate what I'm poorly describing.

          Respectfully,
          Tim

          EDIT - found a quick example:

          If you type the following in Google search without quotes - how to prevent bedbugs you should see (at least I do) that the 4th entry is an EZA article. Directly underneath it and indented slightly to the right is another EZA article. That's what I commonlf refer to as piggyback traffic or piggyback article marketing.
          Signature
          Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

          Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2289023].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Craig McPherson
            Thanks mainly to this thread and the excellent advise here, I have had my best month on Amazon with 25 sales of mainly products under $30 with a 9% CTR

            Gives me the drive to ramp it up for July.

            Thank you everyone.

            One more thing.

            I have searched everywhere in my back office to find what page people are clicking thru to from my site. Is there a way to see this info.

            Thanks in advance

            Craig
            Signature
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2289433].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author khanhdom
              Originally Posted by Craig McPherson View Post

              Thanks mainly to this thread and the excellent advise here, I have had my best month on Amazon with 25 sales of mainly products under $30 with a 9% CTR

              Gives me the drive to ramp it up for July.

              Thank you everyone.

              One more thing.

              I have searched everywhere in my back office to find what page people are clicking thru to from my site. Is there a way to see this info.

              Thanks in advance

              Craig
              good job bro...I'm trying to get a campaign going as I am a blogger on a popular car forum with over 1 million unique visitors. although I don't want to be deem as a spammer also..lol
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2294265].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author TimG
              Originally Posted by Craig McPherson View Post

              Thanks mainly to this thread and the excellent advise here, I have had my best month on Amazon with 25 sales of mainly products under $30 with a 9% CTR

              Craig
              Craig,
              That's fantastic..........I wouldn't be surpised if Amazon has a record year with everyone starting to get jazzed about becoming an affiliate for them.

              Tim
              Signature
              Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

              Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2294523].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
              Originally Posted by Craig McPherson View Post

              Thanks mainly to this thread and the excellent advise here, I have had my best month on Amazon with 25 sales of mainly products under $30 with a 9% CTR

              Gives me the drive to ramp it up for July.

              Thank you everyone.

              One more thing.

              I have searched everywhere in my back office to find what page people are clicking thru to from my site. Is there a way to see this info.

              Thanks in advance

              Craig
              You might want to start using tracking ids. You will be able to see where your sales are coming from. Hopefully the link below works which explains how they work.

              https://affiliate-program.amazon.com...%5Fhelp%5Fmain
              Signature

              My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

              Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

              Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2295156].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Cash37
    Anyone here using eBay instead? I live in NC and can't have am Amazon account... yes. Sad. I know.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2286689].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TimG
      Originally Posted by Cash37 View Post

      Anyone here using eBay instead? I live in NC and can't have am Amazon account... yes. Sad. I know.
      You might be able to find similar products on Commission Junction. Seems like many marketers that are able to do well with Amazon are also able to do well with Commission Junction (depending on the products involved).

      CJ has a lot of merchants so nearly every product that is sold through Amazon can be found on CJ through another merchant.

      Respectfully,
      Tim
      Signature
      Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

      Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2286707].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mmixon
      Cash37,
      Don't you have any friends or relatives that live outside NC? I thought the Amazon restriction only applied to the address where your commission checks are mailed. (or is your post an attempt at satire?)
      Signature
      http://popgoesthebiz.com/ Websites, Mobile Marketing and Social Media Marketing for Business and Political Candidates.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2286855].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Cash37
        Originally Posted by mmixon View Post

        Cash37,
        Don't you have any friends or relatives that live outside NC? I thought the Amazon restriction only applied to the address where your commission checks are mailed. (or is your post an attempt at satire?)
        No Im serious. North Carolina affiliates are banned due to an unconstitutional tax law in this state. I don't have a family member I trust to receive a check in another state. lol

        I will try CJ, but the merchants there have more expensive items in my niches. I guess the numbers will speak for themselves. Ebay is currently paying only per click which is not adding up at all.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2287106].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author charlesburke
          Originally Posted by Cash37 View Post

          I will try CJ, but the merchants there have more expensive items in my niches. I guess the numbers will speak for themselves. Ebay is currently paying only per click which is not adding up at all.
          Might be worth your time to form a Nevada LLC or corp. The agent will form the company and also set up a bank account in that state as well.
          Signature
          MisterEbook.com
          Special offer for all Warrior authors... MisterEbook.com/warriorsonly.html
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2287654].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author mmixon
          Charles has some good advice, as to an llc.
          It is so wrong to shut down the free enterprize system because of a politicians attempt to "help you out." (as if we did not have a brain of our own) Amazon has such a great program that is so easy to navigate, it is truly a shame for you to be left out, Cash37.
          But if you are stuck with ebay, I can give you a link to a list of Ebay best sellers: http://pulse.ebay.com/ "...a daily snapshot of current trends, hot picks, and cool stuff on eBay." At least that way you can identify some hot sellers to promote.
          Mickey
          Signature
          http://popgoesthebiz.com/ Websites, Mobile Marketing and Social Media Marketing for Business and Political Candidates.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2288176].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Makeitso
    A question on which payment method do you use on Amazon. Classic or Performance? Does it matter with electronics? I seem to remember a 4% cap on TV's
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2293111].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
      Originally Posted by Makeitso View Post

      A question on which payment method do you use on Amazon. Classic or Performance? Does it matter with electronics? I seem to remember a 4% cap on TV's
      Definitely Performance. Classic is only ever going to pay you 4% whereas Performance can pay you up to 8.5% depending on how many items you sell.

      And yes there is a cap on consumer electronics of 4% regardless of how many items you sell.
      Signature

      My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

      Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

      Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2295148].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author captivereef
    do you guys have a wordpress theme that you like for amazon sites?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2295192].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
      Originally Posted by captivereef View Post

      do you guys have a wordpress theme that you like for amazon sites?
      I quite like the Flexsqueeze theme.
      Signature

      My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

      Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

      Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2295213].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    Stuck in the car for a road trip. Laptop battery dead. Bless my Droid.

    With time on my hands, I've been reading the Amazon associates operating agreement especially as it pertains to cookies.

    Cookie lasts until the first of the following occurs:

    Customer buys something
    Customer visits Amazon through someone else's affiliate link
    24 hours have passed

    So, yes, if a visitor to your site goes to Amazon through your link, doesn't buy, visits someone else's site and then to Amazon through an affiliate link on the second site and buys the second site gets the commission.

    However, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if the customer puts an item in their shopping cart while your cookie is active you get credit for the sale even if they don't complete their shopping cart purchase for up to 89 days. Am I reading that right?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2295229].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ultimatepotential
    Banned
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2298388].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
      Originally Posted by ultimatepotential View Post

      I have still not understood how exactly does Amazon pay? can someone brief me on it?
      Amazon pays you a commission of up to 8.5% commission depending on the number of products you sell in a month.

      • If you only sell 6 items in a month then you get 4% commission.
      • If you sell up to 30 items in a month then you get 6%.
      • If you sell up to 110 items in a month then you get 6.5%.
      • If you sell up to 320 items in a month then you get 7%.
      • If you sell up to 630 items in a month then you get 7.5%.
      • If you sell up to 1570 items in a month then you get 8%.
      • If you sell up to 3130 items in a month then you get 8.25%.
      • If you sell more than 3131 in a month then you get 8.5%.
      Signature

      My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

      Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

      Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2298471].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author chrism41077
    Banned
    I have a question about domain names and Amazon. I purchased a generic product comparison domain name (before I found this thread). My question is this can I still use this domain for a specific niche in Amazon or do I need to purchase a different domain name more specific to my niche, or should I create a subdomain? Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2300016].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sonomacats
      Originally Posted by chrism41077 View Post

      I have a question about domain names and Amazon. I purchased a generic product comparison domain name (before I found this thread). My question is this can I still use this domain for a specific niche in Amazon or do I need to purchase a different domain name more specific to my niche, or should I create a subdomain? Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.
      Depending on the domain name you purchased, you could turn that domain into an authority site with Categories and Subcategories and make them very specific. You will still rank extremely well if you use the right keywords for the Category and Subcategory names, as well as the post names and have the long-tail keyword phrases in your articles and posts.

      I get excellent results doing this.
      Signature

      Writing as Kieran McKendrick
      You can find the first prequel to my Purgatory series (How Blended are Dust and Fire) on Amazon and Smashwords.

      Whether you think you can or think you cannot, you are right. -- Henry Ford

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2301593].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Neil V
    I have been testing a lot of domains on amazon and found a really great way to get good rankings with the right domain name.

    I would find a product you want to promote on amazon first


    then go to google. Type the product name in the google wonder wheel. (go to the search bar and you will find it under more options)


    Now take all the results that appear under the wonder wheel. Google will give you usally between 7-10 related searches

    For each of the results try to get the .com or .org version of those related keywords. That is very important. i usually do not buy anything else because i find it does not rank well.

    I have been using this method for the last three months and the results have been nothing short of amazing

    within a few weeks the site ranks extremely high usually in page 2 to 3 based on related keywords and the right domain

    ANd then all you have to do is basic link building


    Oh one last point make sure you do not buy domain that violate trademarks or includes the brand names in them. AT some point you will get hate mail from amazon to take your site down
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2300105].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author condra
      I'm really enjoying this thread. Thanks for all the great tips guys!
      Signature
      Abstract brand name generator. FREE.
      __________________________________________________ ___________________________
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2301353].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author chrism41077
    Banned
    The domain I purchased is products-comparison-online.com...right now the site only shows a basic wordpress blog...I am still researching amazon products etc. Do you think the category and subcategory method will still work?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2303216].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Luffe
    Just make sure you go deep in a niche, or it will be way to hard to rank... Buy a domain for each product, and build niche blogs.

    And yes, make sure you sell expensive stuff, to make $$$...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2303234].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sonomacats
      Sure. Why not!

      I would start with the most popular/most requested items on Amazon and do comparisons of those.

      You can always get other domain names that are specific to a niche and link to those from your authority site so people could get more in-depth information if they want.
      Signature

      Writing as Kieran McKendrick
      You can find the first prequel to my Purgatory series (How Blended are Dust and Fire) on Amazon and Smashwords.

      Whether you think you can or think you cannot, you are right. -- Henry Ford

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2304146].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author simplenfun
    Guys, just a quick one. Will I violate the TOS if I indicate Amazon prices and discounts percentage on my blog? Thanks.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2374932].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by simplenfun.com View Post

      Guys, just a quick one. Will I violate the TOS if I indicate Amazon prices and discounts percentage on my blog? Thanks.
      You won't violate the TOS, I believe, but Amazon changes some of its prices so often you take a calculated risk, unless that data comes from Amazon. One way to do that is to use the picture links and select showing the price. That way, you'll always have the up to date price.

      Adding your own prices and discounts opens you up to sending someone to Amazon and finding the price has gone up - blowing at least some of your credibility if one of your reasons for linking is to grab a discount...

      There are some prices you can't post - those that Amazon shields with the 'click for price' or 'add to cart to see price' links. Most of the time, these are special deals Amazon has negotiated with product suppliers, and they are not allowed to advertise those specials openly.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2376232].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author pranzyt
    to " paula, timG and amazon GURU's here

    I am 25 year old highschool leftover from country Nepal. English isnt my native language but i guess I can make things understandable.

    The reason I am sending u msg is i think you are the one who can help me out and moreover to my family.

    I always wanted to be a doctor but i ended up working on internet and learning things hoping I could raise funds and continue a good offline career with those amounts.

    well internet marketing isnt new to me..I started doing adsense in blogger back in 2006..till then I was working on a public cyber cafe and with few handsome checks i was able to buy a laptop for myself and gained strong desire to do something good in affiliate marketing too. But then some nightmares in my family's socio-economic condition led me to live a depressed life and eventually drugs and frustration just ate me up. Now I have hardly managed to get out of it..and its been a year since I started to doing things again hoping a best could happen to change my life and my family's.

    I dint have a hosting nor domain names. oneof my frens in united states helped me get a hosting account with bluehost and even he helped purchase two domain names where I am doing amazon affiliate marketing. But with no success whatsoever.

    I dont have funds to play around..my dad hardly earns 300 dollar per month and he is paying my internet bill of dollar 20 per month in 3GB bandwith limitation.

    Back in april I setup my first ever wordpress site "www (dot) braunseries790ccpulsonicshaver (dot) com" and did SEO with all I can which i think i am good at. after a month I got 2 sales and that day i hugged my mom and we actually cried. Thought this is it..i am on my way...even doing loads of seo and video marketing I havent been abe to get sales after that...google never let me enter at top 10 although i have seen crappy websites ahead of me...they are really cruel. today I get 500 visitors per month but no sales whatsoever.

    ritenow i am working on my new site www (dot) pspforsale (dot) us but after entering warrior forum and learning what people are saying i think i am doing mistake...i am thinking if i wud have done a review site rather then a shoping site i would have been better...i am wondering how should I go on with product pages now.,.what shud be my angle of attack

    Well i am having my 12 grade running on and biology is my major subject so i hardly manage time to work on website and i amhaving exam on coming october. The reason i am doing affiliate marketing is to raise funds to see my family happy and to enroll physiotherapy degree in next summer.. and time is running out...

    my dad hardly managed to buy me a pc and internet connection. my parents are really relying on me that i could do good job and take responsibility soon. My mom remains unhealthy all the time and i dont remember whn i last bought any apparels for myself..yeah thats the truth we are poor. They force me all the time to go outside and work rather than on net...but the place we living there arent actually any work opportunities that suit my skills.. nor I yet have education degree.

    I humbly request you to guide me in bringing some cash for me..I dont have anything to pay for u rite now but i promise i can place your affiliate links instead of mine...i mnot asking big..just few mins of time of your life.

    plz !! will u reply me??
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2377404].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Dave d
    Sojourn thanks for taking the time for posting honest and open tips and strategies. I would like to ask could you possibly go into a bit of detail on your own personal traffic routine.

    Many thanks

    Dave
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2392129].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by Dave d View Post

      Sojourn thanks for taking the time for posting honest and open tips and strategies. I would like to ask could you possibly go into a bit of detail on your own personal traffic routine.

      Many thanks

      Dave
      Sure! Give me a couple days as I'm on the road and this phone is not good for posts of any length.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2392438].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by Dave d View Post

      Sojourn thanks for taking the time for posting honest and open tips and strategies. I would like to ask could you possibly go into a bit of detail on your own personal traffic routine.

      Many thanks

      Dave
      Traffic plus other Amazon "stuff" on my mind:

      All of my traffic is from the SERPs. I made a half-baked attempt at PPC for this site in April when it was only a week or so old but received no sales and haven't tried again. I'm addicted to free traffic.

      Monthly unique visitors to date:

      May 1624
      June 3587
      July 6400 (based on current run rate)

      Monthly Amazon commissions earned just from this one site:

      May - $83.13
      June - $395.68 (7.0% payout achieved due to sales from other sites)
      July to Date - $349.22 (7.0% payout achieved due to sales from other sites)

      (See my thoughts further down about why I think sales are flat to June while traffic is up.)

      Part of the monthly increase in traffic has been the result of additional posts added. May had an average of 30 total posts, June 48, and the site now has 60 posts - 35 of the posts are individual product reviews and the remaining are informational articles on buying this kind of product and comparison posts (product a vs. product b). I also added a "Top 5 (product niche) under $XXX" post that has done pretty well.

      Obviously, for traffic to come from search results you have to get your pages and/or articles to show up in the results themselves - as high on page 1 as you can get.

      I focus on three strategies to do this:

      1. On page SEO

      I use a number of WP plug-ins to help with SEO: Yoast Breadcrumbs plug-in for WP, Headspace for SEO, Robots Meta plug-in to no-index certain pages of my site (keep the Google focus on the $$ pages), and always tweak my theme with a number of "if is/else" php statements. My favorite, won't-do-a-site-without-it php tweak is to wrap site title in H1 title tag if is the home page else wrap it in H2. Page and post titles on single pages and posts are always wrapped in H1. In essence, I'm trying to optimize each product review page for that specific product name. All time favorite post on SEO for WP: WordPress SEO - Search Engine Optimization for your WP Blog - Yoast. (Not my site.)

      Review post titles are product name specific - nothing fancy like "Think you want to buy product ABC? Guess again!"

      Another php tweak I use is to rel="nofollow" links to things like the About, Privacy, and Disclosure pages from any page other than the home page. I don't want multiple links out from every page on my site to these kinds of pages.

      I write lengthy posts and use keyword rich H2 and H3 tags for sub-headings in the post (like "Product ABC Features", "Product ABC Accessories", "Product ABC Prices", "Product ABC Pros & Cons").

      Add rel="nofollow" (manually, if necessary) to all outbound links: affiliate links, footer links to the theme designer (if your theme allows this), and external resources.

      Use alt="keyword rich description" for ALL site images.

      Always interlink posts where it makes sense to do so.

      Just started monitoring site speed, too, using Google Webmaster Tools and the Firebug plug-in for Firefox which has led to some exploration of W3 Total Cache plug-in for WP. A bit tricky and doesn't seem to like my theme (Flexsqueeze) but did improve speed on another site using the Branford Magazine theme.

      While I wasn't able to use W3 Total Cache with my Amazon site because of the theme, I followed some of the suggestions for site speed improvement manually. I mention this only because in the past few days my site moved from #2 in Google to #1 for my main keyword. At the same time as I made site speed improvements I had also added more backlinks so I don't know for sure whether either of these moves played a role in moving the site up to #1 but worth mentioning.


      2. Backlinks

      Articles:
      Started modest rewrite of articles and product reviews for EZA submission June 9th. Each article has 2 links in the resource box, one to the home page and one to the individual product review page. 27 articles now live: 2039 views, 462 URL clicks, 22.7% click through rate.

      As soon as the articles were live in EZA I bookmarked them to at least 10 social bookmarking sites and then submitted each article (without rewrite) to goarticles, articlesbase, articledashboard, articlealley, articleclick, articlecity, amazines, easyarticles, and articlepool. None of the article directories outside of EZA have delivered any noticeable traffic but they did contribute a great number of backlinks. According to Market Samurai, the backlinks from EZA, articledashboard, and amazines show up more consistently than backlinks from the other directories.

      I'm now testing having those articles submitted to another batch of article directories using a WSO that will take your EZA article and submit it for you. I had used this WSO on another site and achieved a nice increase in backlinks.

      Trackbacks:
      I'm getting a minimum of 10 trackbacks a day from other sites linking to my reviews or having published one of my article directory articles on their site and this is building up a lot of free, effortless backlinks. ("Link bait?")

      Web 2.0 sites:
      Created a handful of Squidoo lenses and Hubpages for my main keywords and pointed them to the main page of my site. All of these are created by hand with unique content. I do not use SENuke for web 2.0 creation.

      Bookmarks:
      Bookmark everything with SENuke - articles, individual posts, web 2.0 pages, etc.

      RSS Feeds:
      Submit RSS feeds of everything to RSS sites with SENuke - site feed, author feeds from article directories, web 2.0 feeds, bookmark account feeds (if they weren't already submitted). Mashed feeds together and submitted those, too.

      Blog Commenting:
      Used Market Samurai to find related blog posts and wrote informative comments on those blog posts. I did not leave a link to my site within the text of the comment but included a link to my site in the comment URL field. Outsourced a small number of blog comments, too, ensuring they were not spammy comment types. Worth paying to get high quality work.

      Private Network:
      I have a set of my own pages on Web 2.0 sites, blogs, and 1 forum (not this one) across 4 domains with PR varying from PR0-PR5 (all created over the course of the past year) and added links to my site on about 100 of those pages. While this was a large batch of backlinks both in number and PR, I believe the opinion is that because it was over a small number of domains the impact was less significant than if this were across 100 different domains so while this may not be an option available to everyone it's probably not something that couldn't be accomplished in other ways by those who have no such network (do more blog commenting to compensate, for example).


      3. Content
      Last, but not least, content is my best friend. I can write a lot (obviously ) and I get lots of long-tailed traffic as a result. In fact, the more I write, the more traffic I get.

      No automated posting. I hand write every post and while SEO is always on my mind and post formatting (titles, etc) follows SEO guidelines I've found to be successful for me, the content is just straight out what I would want to know as a consumer and how I'd evaluate the product along with some humor and a personal touch.

      Other people surely get traffic in other ways that are maybe less work but I enjoy writing so for me it doesn't really feel like work. I guess I'm saying there are certainly other models for Amazon review sites that may be easier depending on your skill set and if you don't like to write then my approach may seem impossibly boring and challenging. However, if you like to write and don't mind the work then well-written, relevant content is an amazing tool for generating traffic.

      The trick is to structure large amounts of content in a way that visitors can more easily browse and digest. I use a table of contents in each post with hyperlinks to important sections along with images and HTML to format the layout.


      Other Thoughts

      Sales
      If you read the performance numbers above closely, you'll see traffic is up in July a great deal but commissions are not. I've already sold more volume in July than in June, but the average sale amount is lower. I believe this is because competition for some of the more expensive versions of this product is much higher than the lower priced items. My individual review pages ranked well for those more expensive products initially and I sold more of them but those posts have since slipped in the SERPs so I'm bolstering those particular reviews with more content as well as with additional web 2.0 sites by creating lenses and hubs on those specific products that will point to the corresponding individual review pages on my site - really just continuing to grow and promote those individual reviews with additional detail and backlinks.

      I actually purchased one of the items I reviewed and added that information to the review along with my own pics of the product. I've since sold one of that item whereas I'd had no sales of that model before. I would be cautious doing this. For this product, it's not a one-size-fits-all sort of product so my saying I bought Product A would not really convince anyone that Product A was the best or only option (don't want to close off sales of the other products!). I could clearly outline why I bought Product A and it was right for me but why other products might be better suited to someone else.

      I'm now working on a video review to add to that post. If the video review works out (higher ranking, more visitors, more sales), I'm toying with doing the same with a few of the other more competitive products. I figure I could always offload the item on eBay or use it for some sort of contest/giveaway on my site once I'd done the video.

      Where Walmart had the same product for a lower price, I've added Walmart affiliate links. At first, those did not do well at all but the click through rate has increased tremendously (it's over 20%) and might be due to a couple of products that are available only through Walmart's online site and cannot be purchased in their stores. I've since had a number of sales through Walmart. I'm hoping this really helps boost commissions over the holidays as I suspect Walmart is another top online shopping site around that time of year.

      Ranking
      It's taken me a little over 3 months to get the site (a hyphenated exact keyword match .com) to #1 in Google for my main keyword phrase, a generic term for this product with 8100 exact searches a month, 22500 inquote results, and 32 intitle/inanchor results. The previous sites ranking #1-4 gave me the most challenge as I made it to #4 fairly quickly. #1 for this phrase was the product review site Wize with a domain age of 12, a PR2, and 6 backlinks to the competing page; #2 was a made-for-adsense .org with a couple of pages of content and about 10 backlinks; #3 was a YouTube video with PR3. My Hubpage (8 backlinks) for my main keyword phrase has also moved up to #4 giving me two spots on page 1 now for this phrase. While sales did jump a bit yesterday, it's still too early to say whether traffic from the #1 spot for this phrase will convert to sales or if it will continue to be the traffic generated from the individual product reviews that generates the most.

      Sorry you asked?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2403232].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author CMCarlin
    I bought it and it's pretty good. It goes into detail on how to write the reviews and how to market the site (they prefer guest posts on blogs). It doesn't go into too much detail on site set up and everything, but with their strategy, they are focused on optimizing the review PAGES. Good section on keyword research. A little off the beaten path but it's very logical. I already have a few amazon sites that are making me money and I've read other amazon marketing ebooks and there were quite a few eye openers for me in this book. A hundred bucks is a lot for just a book though.
    Signature
    I can help your business grow. Spend less time backlinking and more time focusing on your clients. Skype me anytime for more details. Custom packages available.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2398735].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author colinph970
    Its not easy to make good money with Amazon but its certainly possible. Pick high ticket unusual items, the commission percentages are pretty low compared with information products .......
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2400837].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Bubba6590
    I have got over 8000 clicks on my Amazon links and $0, im confused why i dont have even 1 sale out of it or if there is something seriously wrong in my setup so does anyone have ideas what is going on here?

    Can someone actually steal your clicks with Amazon?

    Barry
    Signature
    Free Listings for Websites & Articles
    Alexa Traffic Rank 64k World Wide!!!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2400941].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mmixon
      Bubba, you are not alone. I have about125 blogs featuring Amazon products, endless products and PPC/PPA stuff, and I get clicks but few sales. I have no doubt that the people on the forum that say they are making money are really making money, I just have not been able to figure out how my websites are different from other, more successful marketers like Paula, for one.

      I have tried text links, carousels, text ads, picture ads, etc. About 40% of my blogs rank on the first page of Google for my search term/Amazon product. I am not giving up. I have had some very limited success, but the wife is getting antsy. I am constantly trying new things in hopes I will find the correct combination.

      Mickey
      Signature
      http://popgoesthebiz.com/ Websites, Mobile Marketing and Social Media Marketing for Business and Political Candidates.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2400979].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
        Originally Posted by mmixon View Post

        I have tried text links, carousels, text ads, picture ads, etc. About 40% of my blogs rank on the first page of Google for my search term/Amazon product. I am not giving up. I have had some very limited success, but the wife is getting antsy. I am constantly trying new things in hopes I will find the correct combination.

        Mickey
        Hi Mickey,

        Believe it or not, you'll get the best overall response just with text links. Try it and see.

        Also, do your blogs have a clean setup or are they cluttered with Amazon links. You don't want to over do it! A simple clean layout will always yield you the best returns over the long haul.
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2481003].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
      Originally Posted by Bubba6590 View Post

      I have got over 8000 clicks on my Amazon links and $0, im confused why i dont have even 1 sale out of it or if there is something seriously wrong in my setup so does anyone have ideas what is going on here?

      Can someone actually steal your clicks with Amazon?

      Barry
      That's insane, and I'd be frustrated too. Perhaps it's the product you're promoting.

      I have one site that has only gotten 32 clicks and has already made 3 sales.
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2474763].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JanisG
        Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

        That's insane, and I'd be frustrated too. Perhaps it's the product you're promoting.

        I have one site that has only gotten 32 clicks and has already made 3 sales.
        That is incredible. That means all these people making these 8000 clicks did not buy anything at all from Amazon while the cookie was alive ?!

        There must be something else going on. E.g. you are promoting products from Amazon UK, but all clicks are coming from US. Or there is some other problem.
        Signature
        Getting ready for ...;)
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2475894].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
          Originally Posted by JanisG View Post

          That is incredible. That means all these people making these 8000 clicks did not buy anything at all from Amazon while the cookie was alive ?!

          There must be something else going on. E.g. you are promoting products from Amazon UK, but all clicks are coming from US. Or there is some other problem.
          I just think that the product I picked was a winner. I worked on the site for a few weeks, let it sit, and it still makes sales. It converts at about 1 sale every 10 clicks to Amazon. The products I'm promoting on the site are just under $50.

          I've created other sites the same way and not had a single item sale. Needless to say, I'm pretty sold on the idea that conversions are hugely based on the niche that you enter.

          As Sojourn has mentioned, I don't believe that items that can be easily purchased at Walmart (local retailers), for the most part, have high conversions. If you add shipping to a lot of these products on Amazon, the price comes out to about the same as retail. Idk about everyone else out there, but when I do comparison shopping online and find this out, I'll just head to my local retailer.

          Also, I've had no luck with large scale items. *disclosing some of my niches* I've tried review sites for computer desks, sofas, and other large furniture with no luck. I can only assume that this is largely due to shipping costs.

          My reviews are short, between 250 - 500 words long. I just rewrite an original review based on information I've found online. Nothing special about them, really.
          Signature
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2488810].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Larrygill81
      Banned
      [DELETED]
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2475900].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
        Originally Posted by Larrygill81 View Post

        What were you selling ? I heard that sales for the lower-ticket items are much much more easier to sell.
        Larrygill81, don't let that stop you from trying an Amazon site if that's where you were headed. There are certainly examples like this where the site has not been successful but there are also plenty of examples where the approach has been very successful. It's all about how well YOU can pick a niche with conversion potential, put the site together, generate traffic, give visitors information they want, and drive them to Amazon.

        IMO, here are just a few of the possible points of failure (the critical elements that could cause a site to be unsuccessful):

        1. Picking the wrong niche.
        2. Generating traffic that is not targeted to the niche and the products.
        3. Not enough information for visitors to feel confident about buying yet.
        4. No good call to action to drive visitors to Amazon.
        5. Insufficient statistics or tracking mechanisms to help you figure out what's working and what isn't.
        6. Ability (and willingness) to tweak your approach when it isn't working.
        Some high ticket items sell more easily than some low ticket items. If you're trying to sell something that anyone can get at most grocery stores, their local Walmart, Target or the equivalent in other countries, then chances are someone is just going to buy the item locally even though they may use your site for research and they may even click over to Amazon to check the price. (Sometimes we want what we want RIGHT NOW! As a society, we're not all that patient...)

        This means the dollar amount of the item should not be the deciding factor on whether you promote the product or not. Instead, consider it's availability offline and do some research to find out if the product tends to sell well online. There are tons of products on Amazon that sell for hundreds of dollars and have hundreds of reviews from people who bought the product online.

        Once you've chosen a niche, check the competition for that product and determine whether or not YOU can beat them. This is unique to each person because this corresponds with your specific skill set. If you're new to IM, targeting lower competition items is simply good practice and gives you a better chance for success. Jumping right into the product everyone else is promoting can squash your motivation pretty quickly.

        Put together a site that's easy to navigate. Think it through. What do you think people in this niche want to know? What page titles and categories will capture their interest? Read up on the niche so you feel engaged and plan your site so that when visitors show up they know they've reached the right place.

        Make it easy for your visitors to say "Yup! That's the product for me." Do this with thorough, detailed descriptions formatted in a way that is easy to digest. Compare the products. Do their work for them. You'll be saving them time and frustration.

        If it doesn't work, go back and analyze the niche again. Do these products sell well online? Is there a reason someone would not buy this product online? Are others promoting the product? Maybe you missed something in your initial research.

        Or is it lack of traffic? If traffic, read up on on-site and off-site SEO and push your self to rank #1 for one, doable keyword at a time just to keep yourself focused and generate traffic.

        If it's conversions, tweak your approach - use different types of links, add more images, link your images, rephrase your call to action, revise your template or site layout.

        One more niche-generating idea:
        Just started playing around with this as I was thinking about product availability online vs. offline. Enter this search into Google:

        "online only" $100..500 site:walmart.com

        It will tell you which products are available at Walmart online only between $100-500. You might get some odd results that don't fit that search (it's not perfect) but I saw some new niches I hadn't come across in Amazon. Then you can head over and see what the selection looks like on Amazon.

        Caskets. I'm not saying that's a niche I'd enter (actually rather creeps me out!) but I had no idea Walmart sold caskets. Checked Amazon and they do, too. I suspect not a lot of people buy caskets online but you know what else was in there? Pet caskets! Never even knew those existed...2900 global exact searches a month and fairly low competition.

        I haven't done any homework on that niche, I'm just saying there are SO many niches to choose from and you don't have to stick to low ticket items. My average sale amount on the Amazon site I started talking about in this thread is $131 but I've had several sales in the $500-1000 range.

        I have Clickbank sites, I have other physical affiliate sites, I have some Adsense income, but FOR ME nothing has done as well as quickly as my Amazon sites. That's just me.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2477427].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jake411
      Originally Posted by Bubba6590 View Post

      I have got over 8000 clicks on my Amazon links and $0, im confused why i dont have even 1 sale out of it or if there is something seriously wrong in my setup so does anyone have ideas what is going on here?

      Can someone actually steal your clicks with Amazon?

      Barry
      Hey Barry:

      Sounds to me like the problem may be your Product.

      If you're getting traffic, and clicks on your links but
      no one is buying, take a look at the customer review
      section of the Amazon product description.

      Are there less than 5% negative reviews?
      Are the first 3 reviews on the page extremely
      positive?
      Are there more than 20-30 customer reviews?

      Find another product to promote if the answers
      are "NO"!

      Jake
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2495038].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mark Jordan
    Started writing product reviews last May and finally I'm making conversions this month. It is worth the effort. One just need to write quality reviews and be consistent. Just this month, I started putting pictures and making the reviews longer and it worked.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2401224].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author brettb
    I've sold two Amazon products via my Hubpages this week - a Kindle book I didn't write about and a plushie.

    I was delighted by my plushie sale, until I realised I'd have to sell over 8000 more of them this month to equal the earnings from my day job !
    Signature
    ÖŽ FindABlog: Find blogs to comment on, guest posting opportunities and more ÖŽ




    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2403368].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    I've seen something new on my Amazon review site and this thread seems the best place for me to share the information.

    I'm getting a lot more traffic lately from Google image searches for product names.

    I spot checked a few of those searches and while there are literally pages and pages of the same manufacturer-provided image for these products when you do a Google Image search, mine are ranking really well - ahead of Amazon and the manufacturer themselves in many cases.

    This may have more to do with freshness of my images compared to the others as I'm seeing similar results for other web 2.0 properties for the same products but here's what I've done that I think is helping:

    Image #1
    As you may know, Amazon image links don't work in WP without manually copying the image. I copy the Amazon image, save it to my computer with the product name, and then when creating the post I insert the image from my computer files. I put the product name in the Title, Alternate Text, and Description boxes and replace the image URL with my Amazon affiliate link.

    In the WP post HTML editor, I manually add rel="nofollow" to the to my Amazon affiliate link so it looks like this:

    <a href="AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK" rel="nofollow"><img src="URL to the IMAGE" "details about style"></a>

    (This is really just to prevent Google from giving any credit to the affiliate link...my "superstition" about page rank leak through outbound links to outside sites)

    Image #2
    I created a table in Word that lists features that one would use to compare these products and gave it some colored borders and font to match my site theme. For each review, I complete that table with information about whether this particular product has those features or not. (You could use Yes/No, checkmarks, highlighted boxes, etc to indicate features for the products but I just use text.) I screen-print that table and paste it into an image, save the image with "product name features" and include it in the bottom of every review post.

    Those Word table images are also ranking high in product name image searches so I'm getting multiple showings in the first 5 results of Google Image searches for most of these products. I'm betting that because the Word table text is too small to read in the search results themselves, I'm getting a decent click through rate on those images because searchers want to see what the text actually says. Plus, these table images easily stand out from the rows and rows of identical product images.

    More Images
    I have to wonder if periodically adding new images to your reviews wouldn't help some. IF you get Google Image search traffic and IF you notice the images falling in the image search results, would newly added images rank high again? I actually bought one of the products I reviewed, took pics and added them to my already published review and a few of those are ranking high, too.


    It's hard to tell if this is resulting in additional sales or not but it is certainly providing increased traffic.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2449466].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ruth P
    Thanks for the tips, I do think images are a very good idea but I especially love your table tip. Excellent idea!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2449582].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Nicholasedward
    Amazon is something I am looking to get into further down the line and judging from what the above Warriors have stated that the potential is there for great earnings and return.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2476479].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ruth P
    Thanks for your insight Ofthemix - interesting what you said about those larger scale items. I guess the shipping could come into play, something else for us to consider!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2489771].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jute
    Lots of clicks and no sales....

    I have had some days when I've had almost 1000 clicks on my Amazon aff links and just the other day I saw that the plugin "broken link checker" had checked my links and that day I had LOTS of clicks to Amazon....

    If you also use this plugin or something doing the same thing then that might be why you are getting so many clicks.

    Cheers

    Jute
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2492909].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author cybernac
      Well, I make about $1500 a month from Amazon and have for about a year. I would really like to increase it though, and I have to say I haven't implemented even HALF the ideas on this thread. Consequently, it's been great reading for me and I have higher hopes now for doing better with it.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2493285].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
        Originally Posted by cybernac View Post

        Well, I make about $1500 a month from Amazon and have for about a year. I would really like to increase it though, and I have to say I haven't implemented even HALF the ideas on this thread. Consequently, it's been great reading for me and I have higher hopes now for doing better with it.
        Congrats on your success. Care to share some of your methods?
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2493361].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
    Who ever said that the most expensive items are the biggest? There are lots of high end merchandise that's very compact, such as jewelry and watches.

    I remember seeing a link hovering around here that listed some high end merchandise for sale on Amazon. Granted, the conversions on these items is low but still it would be great to even make 1 sale on a $5,000+ item . (Heck, you might even get some unrelated sales on some luxury items if the 24-hour cookie is being lucky to you!)

    It's a lot easier to ship a watch than it is a sofa set!
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2493395].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author MarkSherris
    i made bout $60 with amazon about 3 years ago.... never used to track back then coz I was new to all this so had no idea how I'd made the sale! - Haven't been near amazon since! Just my personal opinion though :-)
    Signature
    "I've Banked Over $350k Online With This..." - Click here to see my no.1 recommendation!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2495067].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Intrepreneur
    Originally Posted by rajuthan View Post

    $9 commision to sell an Apple iPod classic 160 GB Black (7th Generation) NEWEST MODEL ?

    lol fail at trying to hide the item

    ^^^^^^^^^^ I reckon this guy could make you a lot of money on Amazon ^^^^^^^^^^

    Look

    The Following 4,294,967,295 Users Say Thank You to rajuthan For This Useful Post:

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2496071].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jon Tees
    I no longer seem to make money from my personal purchases anymore. Something must have changed relating to that. It says the items were ordered and shipped but I’m never paid a commission for them.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2496078].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
    I experimented with all the widgets too but I've always had the best conversion when I just had the text links. I've found that really keeping it simple in terms of the content and layout has always paid big dividends!
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2496090].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Intrepreneur
      Originally Posted by Michael Franklin View Post

      I experimented with all the widgets too but I've always had the best conversion when I just had the text links. I've found that really keeping it simple in terms of the content and layout has always paid big dividends!
      The less distractions a reader has the less they have to escape on.. so ensure they are focused on those one or two links within the text and use compelling words to link too.

      I've found even linking sentences with no call to action (and the best about it is, she said it was the gratest ever) gets a good clickthrough
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2496110].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author pista05
    Yea its possible just target items that are worth over $100 and you will make money
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2496123].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
      Originally Posted by pista05 View Post

      Yea its possible just target items that are worth over $100 and you will make money
      Well, that's a good starting point BUT you also have to make sure that the product has good credibility among buyers! Fortunately, you can research the product on Amazon before you start promoting it!
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2496253].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author uzomaeze
    In all honesty, there is more money to be made in Am,azon than combining both adsense and clickbank together, the truth is you need to put things together to make it a reality, by this you need to have careful planning in makig money out of Amazon, like paula rightly stated there is a careful strategfy in making money out of Amazon and that is using the right reviews strategies in place.

    Longer reviews pay off and when you are striking the right judgement on a product make sure its something you can get a high turn over from, amazon is cool and it can be very demanding if you so wish to make money from it, be careful not to be in a hurry, make sure you have stints towards the products and though it mustn't be something you love, just make sure you have a strategy on it.

    If you have difficulties in writing get an expert to help with it, create backlinks on your blog or website you are using to promote such products, ask friends and expert about what they think of the products you are promoting.

    NEVER FOLLOW THE CROWD.. just have a passion and then move on to another project

    have fun
    my 0.000004 cents
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2496271].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by Jon Tees View Post

      I no longer seem to make money from my personal purchases anymore. Something must have changed relating to that. It says the items were ordered and shipped but I'm never paid a commission for them.
      You were never supposed to make any money from your personal purchases. That's been in the affiliate agreement since the very beginning.

      I'm guessing that Amazon has connected the dots and stopped paying your back door discount.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2496991].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
        Originally Posted by Anna_O View Post

        I have just started making money as an Amazon affiliate, but it has given me great hope that the income will continue and increase.

        Sara and Paula & Wanda have been so helpful in responding to e-mails and providing support. I can't thank them enough!
        Anna, those are 2 excellent people to learn from. As long as you follow their systems and double up on what works for you, you will see your income snowball over time. It just takes laying a good foundation from the start! Good luck to you!
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2497104].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Antony103
    Xmas / Halloween = BIG AMAZON PAYDAY
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2497114].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author michgil
    Does anyone know of any products (besides plugins) that actually train you how to make Amazon commissions? How to set up sites, etc? I can't seem to get past the site set up (i.e how to lay the page out), template to use, etc.
    Signature


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2505048].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Adriana Copaceanu
      Originally Posted by michgil View Post

      How to set up sites, etc? I can't seem to get past the site set up (i.e how to lay the page out), template to use, etc.
      Here is demo site I created for my customers: Bread Machine Reviews

      Make it simple, clean, and emphasize the product you are trying to sell.
      Signature

      This is the best investment I have seen in ages - For just $1.00 you can get 4 coaching sessions - And the coaching is from internet marketing legend Chris Record.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2505877].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mikeevee
      Originally Posted by michgil View Post

      Does anyone know of any products (besides plugins) that actually train you how to make Amazon commissions? How to set up sites, etc? I can't seem to get past the site set up (i.e how to lay the page out), template to use, etc.
      This is a site I set up for Amazon.

      Top Gardener

      Its based on PLR articles, drip-fed, fully automated. I replace some words with a link to Amazon products at the bottom of each article, using the AutomaticSEO plugin.

      Adsense was added later to bring some extra pennies in.
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2511129].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Intrepreneur
        Originally Posted by mikeevee View Post

        This is a site I set up for Amazon.

        Top Gardener

        Its based on PLR articles, drip-fed, fully automated. I replace some words with a link to Amazon products at the bottom of each article, using the AutomaticSEO plugin.

        Adsense was added later to bring some extra pennies in.
        Auotmated content and adsense aren't meant to go in the same sentence.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2511386].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
        Originally Posted by mikeevee View Post

        This is a site I set up for Amazon.

        Top Gardener

        Its based on PLR articles, drip-fed, fully automated. I replace some words with a link to Amazon products at the bottom of each article, using the AutomaticSEO plugin.

        Adsense was added later to bring some extra pennies in.
        I tried to look at your site and got the famous message:
        Oops! Internet Explorer could not find www.topgardener.co.uk

        Error perhaps?
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2530196].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author billyba
          Originally Posted by Ofthemix View Post

          I tried to look at your site and got the famous message:
          Oops! Internet Explorer could not find www.topgardener.co.uk

          Error perhaps?
          Hey,,,,, Offthemix
          I just tried it and it worked fine,,,, error... yes, but on who's part? heh-heh-heh
          Just playin' wit ya ....trying to bump my posts up. Have a good one dear!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2626717].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author oggobis
        It has no issue here. Try to refresh your browser.
        Originally Posted by mikeevee View Post

        This is a site I set up for Amazon.

        Top Gardener

        Its based on PLR articles, drip-fed, fully automated. I replace some words with a link to Amazon products at the bottom of each article, using the AutomaticSEO plugin.

        Adsense was added later to bring some extra pennies in.
        Just drop by. The site is pretty neat, I like how the site is designed. But the links, I think it has too much distractions.
        Signature
        Va' Dove Ti Porta Il Cuore
        ..Are you IM newbie? Let's share our journey on twitter
        ..What Mistake(s) Have You Made?
        ..How Do You Recognize Your Call?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2530859].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author AnniePot
    Beautiful clean layout Adriana. May I ask what template you use? Is it a straight html web page, accessed through your blog? Thanks in advance - Anne
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2505951].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TinkBD
      Originally Posted by AnniePot View Post

      Beautiful clean layout Adriana. May I ask what template you use? Is it a straight html web page, accessed through your blog? Thanks in advance - Anne
      Hi Annie - For future reference ;-), this is the kind of thing you can figure out (mostly) for yourself.

      In your browser, go to View / Page Source (FireFox)

      or Page / View Source (Internet Explorer)

      Looking here, you can see that she is using WordPress, and it looks as though the theme may be a custom theme...

      HTH,

      Tink
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2505972].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author yukon
        Banned
        [DELETED]
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2638796].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author RichMag
          This thread has been great and very motivational. One question that I have for everyone is, do you use a static homepage or a blog style? Im testing both right now. My static homepage is usually a general "why should you buy this item, reason to use this item" type of thing. Usually around 500-100 words that include pictures and even a relevant video or 2 from youtube.

          Just wondering what everyone's results have been using a static homepage -vs- traditional blog.

          Sorry if this question was asked earlier.

          Thanks again for the great thread.

          Rich
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2656402].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
            Originally Posted by RichMag View Post

            This thread has been great and very motivational. One question that I have for everyone is, do you use a static homepage or a blog style? Im testing both right now. My static homepage is usually a general "why should you buy this item, reason to use this item" type of thing. Usually around 500-100 words that include pictures and even a relevant video or 2 from youtube.

            Just wondering what everyone's results have been using a static homepage -vs- traditional blog.
            Rich - All my previous blogs used a blog style front page EXCEPT for the Amazon review site I started in April. I accidentally (long story) went with a static front page. I'd been successful using a blog style and was afraid it would be harder to rank a static page.

            I can't say one is better than another. All I know is I did get my site to #1 for my main keyword using a static page so I'm no longer worried about using them.

            Because my keyword is a generic term for a group of products, I do not have information about just one product on my home page. Instead I show a collection of 3-4 of the best rated products. For each of the products I show their image, a few bullet points of their best features, and a link to the full review.

            Rather than thinking that one type of front page is better than another I've started to think that it's more important that my visitor knows what to do when they land on my home page than whether I should use a static page or a blog style page.

            That means making sure to apply flexible, user-friendly navigation on the home page that helps visitors find what they want no matter what phrase they used to get there.

            Example 1: You have a static page that shows just 3 or 4 products related to a generic product term but there are many more products that might interest the visitor. Can visitors see something that will lead them to those other products if necessary?

            Example 2: You have a blog style front page and your keyword is "pink puppies for dollhouses" - a generic example that is not product specific - and your latest blog post was Great Deals on 3 Inch Pink Puppies for Dollhouses but your visitor was really hoping for one that was 5 inches tall. Is there enough navigational guidance for them to get to something more relevant without too much work on their part?

            In fact, the more generic your keyword, the more navigational guidance you may have to provide on your home page.

            You can do this by taking some time to think like your visitors. Think about the phrases they used to land on your home page and what they might hope to find when they get there. Then use well marked page titles, obvious category links, a big "Compare xxx" button, a clear list of the most helpful posts, etc. at the top of your home page. The easier it is for your visitor to find what they were looking for the more likely they are to stay, read, and click on your affiliate link.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2667660].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
            Originally Posted by RichMag View Post

            This thread has been great and very motivational. One question that I have for everyone is, do you use a static homepage or a blog style? Im testing both right now. My static homepage is usually a general "why should you buy this item, reason to use this item" type of thing. Usually around 500-100 words that include pictures and even a relevant video or 2 from youtube.

            Just wondering what everyone's results have been using a static homepage -vs- traditional blog.

            Sorry if this question was asked earlier.

            Thanks again for the great thread.

            Rich
            Hi Rich,

            I have found that the SEO benefits from a Wordpress setup have SIGNIFICANTLY been greater than a static HTML page. The difference is like day and night...Especially when you are looking at getting ranked on Google for the "buying keywords" on your site.

            Have your tests prove this to be the case too?

            Michael
            Signature

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2667812].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Adriana Copaceanu
    Anne, it's WP Flex theme, not HTML, and I created a separate install for the demo.
    Signature

    This is the best investment I have seen in ages - For just $1.00 you can get 4 coaching sessions - And the coaching is from internet marketing legend Chris Record.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2505976].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author LadyL08
      Is there a way to find out which sites your Amazon clicks are coming from? A Google Analytics for Amazon?
      Signature

      LadyL

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2506417].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
        Originally Posted by LadyL08 View Post

        Is there a way to find out which sites your Amazon clicks are coming from? A Google Analytics for Amazon?
        You can setup tracking IDs for your products. In your member area go to "Your Account" and then click on "Manage Your Tracking ID". It's very easy to setup!
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2506439].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author theory expert
    Banned
    Everybody got a story to tell.

    I made $10,000 in a week on amazon in "08".

    Would've made more, but, that's another story.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2506456].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dagaul101
    For Amazon it is all about volume, to make a large amount you need vasts amount of traffic targeting as have been said the expensive products
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2530962].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
    I checked the site again today and it popped up just fine. Cute little site, nice lay out.

    Do you do any good with the AStore? I've never had any luck with them.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2531038].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Anthony_Hall
    I've set up a couple of sites and I've had only one blog post for them and then I elaborate on certain points with separate pages. Do you all just keep adding blog posts or do you put all the different subjects on to different pages like I do?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2531242].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ofthemix
      Originally Posted by Anthony_Hall View Post

      I've set up a couple of sites and I've had only one blog post for them and then I elaborate on certain points with separate pages. Do you all just keep adding blog posts or do you put all the different subjects on to different pages like I do?
      I personally use WordPress, have the permalinks set up to /%postname%/, and create new blog posts as opposed to new pages. I do a new review post for each product in my niche, then I also write posts on various aspects of the niche for SEO purposes and some extra traffic.
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2559277].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author peacelover
    I've just started to be amazon affiliate for 1 week..So, i can say anything..I hope by joining this great forum i will get lots of useful information to get much money from amazon, adsense,e tc..Good Luck for everyone..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2531286].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Fermina
    I jus made my first sale so i still have a long way to go
    Signature
    Selling these Domains
    Dog-Breeds.com
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2613090].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mcrofts
    People Making $1,000+ a Month on Amazon, Do you use Market Research Tools like Terapeak?
    Signature
    "Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal, a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2619759].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      Originally Posted by Mcrofts View Post

      People Making $1,000+ a Month on Amazon, Do you use Market Research Tools like Terapeak?

      I use Market Samurai to do all my research. It works great but there are free tools to do the same thing as well but I couldn't do without Market Samurai.

      I've tested the data given from MS with PPC and it's almost 100% correct most of the time. Nothing sucks more than choosing a keyword, working hard to rank that keyword on page 1 then find out the keyword either has no traffic or doesn't make sales. Doing correct keyword research is vital.

      Cheers
      Signature

      I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

      Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2623156].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author asciscopecunia
    Hi there,

    I have been with Amazon Affiliates on one of my projects for quite some time now and I have been making about close to $1000 a month from it for a couple of years.

    I do agree with PaulaC, the text links do works best
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2622987].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author careybaird
    I have been promoting Amazon for years and it took a while to start earning big money. Every network has its positives and negatives, but for me Amazons positives outweigh anything else. In my opinion these are:

    Product Range
    API (i.e. the ability to access their database etc.)
    Brand Recognition
    Reliability/Trustworthiness

    The biggest thing is staying focused. Someone will always be telling you that Clickbank is the way to go, or ringtone offers, or P90x is the next big thing, or that **** Berry is still hot, what about adsense, or PPC, or flipping sites etc. etc.

    I decided a long time ago to stick with one thing - Amazon Stores - and since then my earnings rocketed as I learned everything there was to know about it.
    Signature

    Owner of:

    [
    Fresh Store Builder]

    The worlds most advanced Amazon store builder with over 17,000 members.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2656472].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author seobro
    There are many people using amazon. Most feel comfortable with their service. From my experience you can make a lot of money. If you are now making $20/mo with sad sense then expect to get approx $100 - $200/mo, an it is so easy. The key is to write content that will get your users to click on the ad, with is the opposite of sad sense if you know what I mean.

    Sad sense is like a religion where you are told - that if you bring in converts you get more money. However, you are forbidden to give out bibles or even mention xmas. How are you ever gonna fill the pews?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2667968].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Rich77sm
    I havent made much at all on Amazon, need to rethink that type of marketing approach.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2672073].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author ScottTrimble
      I'm promoting Amazon products via autoblogs and normal blogs, I think I have 30 autoblogs that mostly promote Amazon products.
      I also have 5 main blogs where I post just unique content and affiliate products. The autoblogs have Amazon offers on them, but I also drive traffic to my main blogs from it.
      I've been at it for 3 or 4 months and this combo makes good money.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2672118].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
      Originally Posted by Rich77sm View Post

      I havent made much at all on Amazon, need to rethink that type of marketing approach.
      Rich,

      How are you currently promoting Amazon?

      Michael

      P.S. You can PM me and I can give you some ideas that might help!
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2672336].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Cash37
    I've been using some of the tips in this thread for commission junction products.. 10 and 11% cuts over there. Some of you may want to test swapping some links out
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2673468].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author dlotus205
      Originally Posted by Cash37 View Post

      I've been some of the tips in this thread for commission junction products.. 10 and 11% cuts over there. Some of you may want to test swapping some links out
      Hi Cash37;2673468!
      Which product do you sell?
      Rgs!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2674417].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Kalpana Iyer
    My Amazon sales are improving as months go by. People seem to like personalized product reviews. I'm not ashamed to admit that previously I used to blatantly copy Amazon product descriptions, but now I know better.
    Signature
    Fresh, Good Quality, Unique and Original PLR Articles Available for Just $3.75/Pack ($0.75/article)! Visit Cheap-PLR.com to get more content for less price.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2675408].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tombuckland
    Banned
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2675459].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
      Originally Posted by tombuckland View Post

      I have been a Amazon Affiliate for about 2 months and not got a sale! Amazon affiliate idea is good but I think it is hard to set up websites and get traffic I would recommend digital marketplaces.
      Tom,

      It's not hard to setup the websites. Now with traffic, that does take time but it's not hard. It just take some extra work upfront and then you can start seeing some regular traffic.

      How have you set up your Amazon site(s) up to this point?
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2675878].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author j2011
    if you promote Amazon products you're losing out on a lot of sales due to their 24 hour cookie.

    i'd rather g=9t credit for the majority of the sales I make so I look elsewhere, preferably fopr affiliate programs with 2 week cookies or longer.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2675908].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author inter123
      People can buy other items and if they place item(s) in the shopping basket, do not buy it there and then but do so within 90 days, the affliate recevies commision. Does that not compensate for the 2 week+ cookie offered by other merchants?

      Originally Posted by j2011 View Post

      if you promote Amazon products you're losing out on a lot of sales due to their 24 hour cookie.

      i'd rather g=9t credit for the majority of the sales I make so I look elsewhere, preferably fopr affiliate programs with 2 week cookies or longer.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2675968].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by j2011 View Post

      if you promote Amazon products you're losing out on a lot of sales due to their 24 hour cookie
      Maybe you do miss out on sales because of the shorter cookie but I'm not sure it should matter. In the end, it's the commission money that actually hits your pocket and the rate of pay you're getting for your time that counts. Amazon's shorter cookie period does not necessarily mean you're being underpaid.

      Other vendors pay 20% or more or use longer cookies because they have to. They know it's going to be harder for you to make money through them and they're incenting you to take on the extra work. It's a risk vs. reward proposition.

      Here are my personal figures for Commission Junction vs. Amazon for a specific period of time covering a variety of niches and published on a variety of platforms:



      All of the CJ and Shareasale vendors have significantly longer cookies than Amazon yet I make more per clickthrough on my Amazon links than with the other networks because I see a higher conversion rate.

      If I had to focus only on my CJ partners, I'd have to generate almost TWICE the volume of clicks than I had to generate to Amazon to make the same amount of money. I can only do that with more traffic and/or a higher clickthrough rate. Either one will take more work. I don't mind working hard but I want to get paid as high a rate as possible for my efforts and so far that's been through Amazon.

      (NOTE: This is my experience with the partners I selected which are going to be different from anyone else. Some niches do better with Amazon than others. Some do better with other partners. You'd have to track your own tests and data to know for sure which is best for you. I've also left one vendor entirely out of the Shareasale totals because I have a personalized commission rate which seriously skews the numbers.)

      I'd hate for people to think they're wasting their time promoting Amazon simply because the cookie is so short. The blend of shorter cookie but high conversion rate can make for a very competitive commission package compared to other networks. You have to track your own numbers to see for sure which will pay you best.

      There's a group for whom Amazon will be the easiest, least frustrating way to make money online and they shouldn't be swayed by the cookie period alone. Focus on the most important number - getting paid as much as possible for your time with the resources and knowledge at your disposal.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2676849].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Success With Dany
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

        Maybe you do miss out on sales because of the shorter cookie but I'm not sure it should matter. In the end, it's the commission money that actually hits your pocket and the rate of pay you're getting for your time that counts. Amazon's shorter cookie period does not necessarily mean you're being underpaid.

        Other vendors pay 20% or more or use longer cookies because they have to. They know it's going to be harder for you to make money through them and they're incenting you to take on the extra work. It's a risk vs. reward proposition.

        Here are my personal figures for Commission Junction vs. Amazon for a specific period of time covering a variety of niches and published on a variety of platforms:



        All of the CJ and Shareasale vendors have significantly longer cookies than Amazon yet I make more per clickthrough on my Amazon links than with the other networks because I see a higher conversion rate.

        If I had to focus only on my CJ partners, I'd have to generate almost TWICE the volume of clicks than I had to generate to Amazon to make the same amount of money. I can only do that with more traffic and/or a higher clickthrough rate. Either one will take more work. I don't mind working hard but I want to get paid as high a rate as possible for my efforts and so far that's been through Amazon.

        (NOTE: This is my experience with the partners I selected which are going to be different from anyone else. Some niches do better with Amazon than others. Some do better with other partners. You'd have to track your own tests and data to know for sure which is best for you. I've also left one vendor entirely out of the Shareasale totals because I have a personalized commission rate which seriously skews the numbers.)

        I'd hate for people to think they're wasting their time promoting Amazon simply because the cookie is so short. The blend of shorter cookie but high conversion rate can make for a very competitive commission package compared to other networks. You have to track your own numbers to see for sure which will pay you best.

        There's a group for whom Amazon will be the easiest, least frustrating way to make money online and they shouldn't be swayed by the cookie period alone. Focus on the most important number - getting paid as much as possible for your time with the resources and knowledge at your disposal.
        Those are very respectable paychecks. Can I be you, please?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2677159].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
          Originally Posted by Success With Dany View Post

          Those are very respectable paychecks. Can I be you, please?
          Sure! But you have to agree to make my mortgage payment, my car payment, cover my utilities and my homeowner's association payment (I think it went up)...and my family's medical insurance. Oh, and my 16 year old is about to be added to my car insurance. (I'm going to need an entirely new website to cover that one...)

          What you don't know is if it took me a year to get those numbers or a month. (It was neither.) That's what makes numbers so interesting but also potentially misleading. They serve their purpose here, though, in giving some comparison information about my experience with different networks and the whole "cookie" issue.

          I will say that I broke $1000 in Amazon commission for the month of September. A record for me!




          $619.67 came from the site I've talked about throughout this thread. That same site earned another $114.65 from two other affiliate programs for total site income of $734.32 in September.

          Compare that to May, the first full month that site was live where it earned about $89 from Amazon.

          The site now has 68 posts - 38 are product reviews and 30 are related articles. I had 11829 unique visitors in September and am on track to see over 15000 visitors in October.

          So, more tips to share:

          I continue to add reviews but more importantly I've gone back and updated the reviews that seem to generate the most sales. (This is the result of PaulaC's comments in this thread and on her blog.) I don't remove content on those reviews, I just add more. You can do this whether your reviews are on your WP site, a Squidoo lens, a Hubpage, or other modifiable property.

          Questions that bring visitors to your reviews are a good source of information that can be added. I also go back and read the reviews on Amazon to find questions others had about the product, I try to find the answers and then add the information to the review. I also physically check out the products at the store and take notes of anything I can add.

          Your review doesn't have to start out being 1000+ words if you can't get it that long. Add to it as you can. If you really get into your niche, ideas for material you can add will come to you at the oddest moments.

          I've spent some time lately on site navigation. While originally the bulk of my traffic came from specific product name searches and landed on the individual product reviews, my front page is getting more traffic for my main keyword now and I'm trying to make sure those visitors can find what they might be looking for more easily. I do this by reviewing the bounce rate for traffic coming in from those more generic phrases and seeing how changes might have an impact on the bounce rate.

          Still struggling to find a niche? Use some of these Google searches to help you brainstorm:

          Do a search in Google for:
          $150..1500 "not sold in stores" -tv -games site:walmart.com
          (Finds products Walmart sells only online in a certain price range excluding a few niches I personally find too competitive)

          Do a search in Google for:
          $150..3000 "20..3000 customer reviews" "compare" -phone -tv -laptop -computer -games -books -cameras site:amazon.com
          (Gives a list of Amazon products in a certain price range and with a certain number of reviews where the word "compare" was used anywhere in the listing or in the reviews - an indication that consumers need information.)

          Do a search in Google for:
          "which * should i buy" "2010" "forum" -notebook -laptop -camera -bike -car -game
          (The asterisk is a wild card so Google will return a list of all online questions in this format, most from 2010, and listed in some sort of forum excluding those that mention computers, cameras, bikes, cars, or games. Add or remove other criteria to help narrow down your choices. You'll come across some really interesting forums and niche ideas.)

          When you find a niche, follow steps to validate it's a good candidate - how many varieties are on Amazon, are there lots of reviews on Amazon indicating people do buy these online, is there lots of material to work with, is it a topic you could get into, are the products in a price range where the commissions are going to be worth your time, etc..

          BTW, Dany, hope you're doing well and your own Amazon efforts have been paying off. Would love a PM update if you get a chance!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2677309].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Patchworks
            Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

            Sure! But you have to agree to make my mortgage payment, my car payment, cover my utilities and my homeowner's association payment (I think it went up)...and my family's medical insurance. Oh, and my 16 year old is about to be added to my car insurance. (I'm going to need an entirely new website to cover that one...)

            What you don't know is if it took me a year to get those numbers or a month. (It was neither.) That's what makes numbers so interesting but also potentially misleading. They serve their purpose here, though, in giving some comparison information about my experience with different networks and the whole "cookie" issue.

            I will say that I broke $1000 in Amazon commission for the month of September. A record for me!




            $619.67 came from the site I've talked about throughout this thread. That same site earned another $114.65 from two other affiliate programs for total site income of $734.32 in September.

            Compare that to May, the first full month that site was live where it earned about $89 from Amazon.

            The site now has 68 posts - 38 are product reviews and 30 are related articles. I had 11829 unique visitors in September and am on track to see over 15000 visitors in October.

            So, more tips to share:

            I continue to add reviews but more importantly I've gone back and updated the reviews that seem to generate the most sales. (This is the result of PaulaC's comments in this thread and on her blog.) I don't remove content on those reviews, I just add more. You can do this whether your reviews are on your WP site, a Squidoo lens, a Hubpage, or other modifiable property.

            Questions that bring visitors to your reviews are a good source of information that can be added. I also go back and read the reviews on Amazon to find questions others had about the product, I try to find the answers and then add the information to the review. I also physically check out the products at the store and take notes of anything I can add.

            Your review doesn't have to start out being 1000+ words if you can't get it that long. Add to it as you can. If you really get into your niche, ideas for material you can add will come to you at the oddest moments.

            I've spent some time lately on site navigation. While originally the bulk of my traffic came from specific product name searches and landed on the individual product reviews, my front page is getting more traffic for my main keyword now and I'm trying to make sure those visitors can find what they might be looking for more easily. I do this by reviewing the bounce rate for traffic coming in from those more generic phrases and seeing how changes might have an impact on the bounce rate.

            Still struggling to find a niche? Use some of these Google searches to help you brainstorm:

            Do a search in Google for:
            $150..1500 "not sold in stores" -tv -games site:walmart.com
            (Finds products Walmart sells only online in a certain price range excluding a few niches I personally find too competitive)

            Do a search in Google for:
            $150..3000 "20..3000 customer reviews" "compare" -phone -tv -laptop -computer -games -books -cameras site:amazon.com
            (Gives a list of Amazon products in a certain price range and with a certain number of reviews where the word "compare" was used anywhere in the listing or in the reviews - an indication that consumers need information.)

            Do a search in Google for:
            "which * should i buy" "2010" "forum" -notebook -laptop -camera -bike -car -game
            (The asterisk is a wild card so Google will return a list of all online questions in this format, most from 2010, and listed in some sort of forum excluding those that mention computers, cameras, bikes, cars, or games. Add or remove other criteria to help narrow down your choices. You'll come across some really interesting forums and niche ideas.)

            When you find a niche, follow steps to validate it's a good candidate - how many varieties are on Amazon, are there lots of reviews on Amazon indicating people do buy these online, is there lots of material to work with, is it a topic you could get into, are the products in a price range where the commissions are going to be worth your time, etc..

            BTW, Dany, hope you're doing well and your own Amazon efforts have been paying off. Would love a PM update if you get a chance!
            Sojourn, great info... Thanks for giving back!!!
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2678190].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author inter123
            I am doing Amazon for the time being but in the realm of IM, I am thinking Amazon is not the most profitable thing to promote: 12,000 unique visitors bought just over $600.

            Imagine taking the time to promote some decent ebook or Clickbank product? Even if 1 in 200 people bought the e-book, at $20 profit per sale, that is almost double what Amazon brings.

            Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

            $619.67 came from the site I've talked about throughout this thread.

            The site now has 68 posts - 38 are product reviews and 30 are related articles. I had 11829 unique visitors in September and am on track to see over 15000 visitors in October.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2679344].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
              Originally Posted by inter123 View Post

              12,000 unique visitors bought just over $600.

              Imagine taking the time to promote some decent ebook or Clickbank product? Even if 1 in 200 people bought the e-book, at $20 profit per sale, that is almost double what Amazon brings.
              Yes, except I have Clickbank sites and they didn't produce this kind of return. In fact, I was killing myself over them and barely making a dent.

              It would be interesting, though, to see what would happen if I applied some of the strategies I've used on the Amazon site to the Clickbank sites to see if they'd respond similarly....hmmm....
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2679378].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sonomacats
    @CashClown - have you ever tried? If not, you don't really know.

    Before you knock it down, keep in mind that a number of people here on the forum have done very nicely with Amazon, including Sojourn (just look at her numbers in the post above yours), as well as Dan Brock and PaulaC.

    I haven't done quite as well, but I'm just beginning to ramp it up and I have no doubt I'll be doing just as well in the near future.
    Signature

    Writing as Kieran McKendrick
    You can find the first prequel to my Purgatory series (How Blended are Dust and Fire) on Amazon and Smashwords.

    Whether you think you can or think you cannot, you are right. -- Henry Ford

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2676921].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dlotus205
    Hi Sojourn!
    You are excellent seller. I don't know why there are people who make so much many while others make nothings with Amazon.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2678154].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
      Originally Posted by dlotus205 View Post

      Hi Sojourn!
      You are excellent seller. I don't know why there are people who make so much many while others make nothings with Amazon.
      The ones that do REALLY well with Amazon are the ones who really put the time into developing a VALUE-ADDED site so that even though their affiliate links are sprinkled throughout the site, they still provide lots of useful content that helps their visitors make an informed decision.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2679079].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jan roos
        Originally Posted by Michael Franklin View Post

        The ones that do REALLY well with Amazon are the ones who really put the time into developing a VALUE-ADDED site so that even though their affiliate links are sprinkled throughout the site, they still provide lots of useful content that helps their visitors make an informed decision.
        Not only that but it also takes some time and persistence to get good targeted traffic to your sites. Most people quit long before they even managed to drive 100 targeted visitors to their site.

        Building the sites is the easy part. Optimizing and driving traffic is the hard part. My advice would be to start buying products that teaches you how to drive traffic and then more traffic. This can be free traffic or Paid.

        Remember there is no such thing as FREE traffic. You have to pay for it somehow. Either with your time or with your money.

        Cheers
        Signature

        I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

        Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2679170].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
          Originally Posted by jan roos View Post

          Not only that but it also takes some time and persistence to get good targeted traffic to your sites. Most people quit long before they even managed to drive 100 targeted visitors to their site.

          Building the sites is the easy part. Optimizing and driving traffic is the hard part. My advice would be to start buying products that teaches you how to drive traffic and then more traffic. This can be free traffic or Paid.

          Remember there is no such thing as FREE traffic. You have to pay for it somehow. Either with your time or with your money.

          Cheers
          No Such as FREE Traffic Well Said..

          Just look at ROI on your investment..

          Instead be all over the place, focus on one traffic method
          at time...

          get that automated than move the next one...

          Han
          Signature
          - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
          Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2710679].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sonomacats
    I just want to say thank you to Sojourn for all of her great posts in this thread.

    They have been incredibly helpful and I've printed them out and put them next to my computer to help keep me going and keep me on track. All of her suggestions have complemented really well the info I got from Paula's book and Dan Brock's book.

    I will definitely be in line if she ever decides to create a guide on her techniques and perspective on working with Amazon.
    Signature

    Writing as Kieran McKendrick
    You can find the first prequel to my Purgatory series (How Blended are Dust and Fire) on Amazon and Smashwords.

    Whether you think you can or think you cannot, you are right. -- Henry Ford

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2678621].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by Sonomacats View Post

      I just want to say thank you to Sojourn for all of her great posts in this thread.
      Originally Posted by Patchworks View Post

      Sojourn, great info... Thanks for giving back!!!

      Aw! You're welcome and I'm flattered. I don't have an ebook or any immediate plans for one (someday, maybe) but I've got a ton of material I've documented and shared with a few friends. Lots of step by step stuff covering all kinds of topics and I've toyed with sticking some of that in this thread and perhaps some in the War Room. If I do, I'll leave a note here letting folks know.

      Thanks!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2678993].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Coby
    Amazon is cool.

    I use amazon in many of the ways suggested here . . .
    I have a physical product that is over $150
    I have text links, image links, and reviews
    the site currently ranks #7 on the first page of google for the product name tif 8800
    (TIF8800 Combustible Gas Detector)
    I can't take credit for the initial success of this site as I bought it off another warrior

    Also, I use reviewAzon for another site that fluctuates from bottom of page 1 to top of page 2 of google. It promotes sweathshirts for a MLB team (Red Sox Sweatshirt - Looking For Boston Red Sox Sweatshirts?) <---- also bought from the same warrior

    lol, so you don't have to build an amazon site, you can always buy one thats already succesful. But now that I have these two sites I see how easy this model is to duplicate and can use these sites for reference.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2679414].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author SoEasyMoney
      Originally Posted by Coby View Post

      Amazon is cool.

      I use amazon in many of the ways suggested here . . .
      I have a physical product that is over $150
      I have text links, image links, and reviews
      the site currently ranks #7 on the first page of google for the product name tif 8800
      (TIF8800 Combustible Gas Detector)
      I can't take credit for the initial success of this site as I bought it off another warrior

      Also, I use reviewAzon for another site that fluctuates from bottom of page 1 to top of page 2 of google. It promotes sweathshirts for a MLB team (Red Sox Sweatshirt - Looking For Boston Red Sox Sweatshirts?) <---- also bought from the same warrior

      lol, so you don't have to build an amazon site, you can always buy one thats already succesful. But now that I have these two sites I see how easy this model is to duplicate and can use these sites for reference.
      Thanks for sharing. However, are you making any money with these sites?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2679706].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author MassiveMarketer
    If you are new, this will really take some time. With Amazon, it's all about quantity. You really only get a small percentage but when you get a lot of sales, you'll earn a lot too. It will take sometime and it will be worth it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2679766].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author claycath
      This is a great thread. I have learned so much just by reading through it.

      I have a general question for those who are making over $1000 a month from Amazon and that is, how many Amazon sites do you have?
      Signature

      Cathy

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2680471].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
        Originally Posted by claycath View Post

        This is a great thread. I have learned so much just by reading through it.

        I have a general question for those who are making over $1000 a month from Amazon and that is, how many Amazon sites do you have?
        Currently 15 sites and planning #16 currently.

        To make good money from Amazon, you've got to build a bunch of websites....One is not enough!
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2682424].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author tijja
          Originally Posted by Michael Franklin View Post

          Currently 15 sites and planning #16 currently.

          To make good money from Amazon, you've got to build a bunch of websites....One is not enough!
          I have a half dozen making Amazon $ but it is one that brings in the bulk of $1000-2000 each month. The others are seasonal so I get a nice boost once a year from the others. Lots of sites will get you there faster but one can be enough if you have great traffic and motivated buyers.
          Signature

          Tiffany - Entrepreneur, Blogger, Web 2.0 Geek
          Check out my premium plr domain FS!

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2683201].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
            Originally Posted by tijja View Post

            I have a half dozen making Amazon $ but it is one that brings in the bulk of $1000-2000 each month. The others are seasonal so I get a nice boost once a year from the others. Lots of sites will get you there faster but one can be enough if you have great traffic and motivated buyers.

            That's really good! You never know which site is going to bring in the bulk of the numbers! Mine tend to be more spread out with not one site being dominant in terms of sales.

            Still, you've pinpointed the one that is your motherload so nurture that baby!
            Signature

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2687003].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jan roos
        Originally Posted by claycath View Post

        This is a great thread. I have learned so much just by reading through it.

        I have a general question for those who are making over $1000 a month from Amazon and that is, how many Amazon sites do you have?
        I have 9 Amazon sites and 1 similar site but with different aff network.

        Cheers

        Jan
        Signature

        I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

        Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2682505].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author landau
    Banned
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2680495].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      Originally Posted by landau View Post

      To market Amazon products, is it better to use a blog platform or a website? I am asking this because does the blog require less SEO work?
      You can go either way. I have both Wordpress sites and Regular Html sites built with Xsitepro. In my opinion they are both just as easy to rank in the search engines.

      If I have to choose one for building Amazon sites I would go for Wordpress because it is easier to work with and also your readers can leave comments under your reviews which helps everyone out plus the search engines likes seeing new comments on your blogs. It shows that your site is active etc.

      Cheers
      Signature

      I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

      Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2682511].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
      Originally Posted by landau View Post

      To market Amazon products, is it better to use a blog platform or a website? I am asking this because does the blog require less SEO work?
      I've always found WordPress to have better overall SEO benefits compared to a basic HTML page. What I've also find to be helpful is if you space out your posts. No need to post more than once a day...In fact, I've found the optimal posting interval to be every 2 days.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2682597].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author seanicasia
    Wow, this thread alone will give me enough info not to sleep at night!

    Hmm .... planning and executing ...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2680657].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author WildGale
      For any of you who promote Amazon products from multiple domains, do you sign up each domain? Reading the TOS I am wondering what we do if we have a dozen niche blogs and use the same affiliate code. I just signed up with my primary domain but use the code on a number of others. Will this be an issue?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2681773].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Sydp
        Originally Posted by WildGale View Post

        For any of you who promote Amazon products from multiple domains, do you sign up each domain? Reading the TOS I am wondering what we do if we have a dozen niche blogs and use the same affiliate code. I just signed up with my primary domain but use the code on a number of others. Will this be an issue?
        You have on Amazon Associate account, and you can add a bunch of different tracking IDs under that account - one for each domain, if you wish.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2681863].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Val and Traci
    Some people to well with Amazon but Ebay has always been the best easiest way to make a lot of money..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2681784].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JamesPenn
    Thanks guys - I've only read through the first page of this thread, but it's one of the most valuable on the forum right now in my opinion.

    I have a few questions that I hope one of the Amazon experts would like to answer for me.

    1. I have a blog on natural health. It covers topics such as beauty, anti aging, natural weight loss and then more specific topics, such as detoxing, colon cleansing etc. There are thousands of books on these subjects on Amazon. Would writing short book reviews on my blog be a profitable venture? If it's only a few per cent commission on a $10 book - can you really make serious money like that? Or at least make it worthwhile to spend the time writing the review?

    2. If I send someone through my Amazon link to a $10 book on natural beauty - and then that person doesn't buy but returns to Amazon a few days later and spends $1,000 on a treadmill - will I get commission for that purchase?

    Thanks,
    James
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2683089].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by JamesPenn View Post

      Thanks guys - I've only read through the first page of this thread, but it's one of the most valuable on the forum right now in my opinion.

      I have a few questions that I hope one of the Amazon experts would like to answer for me.

      1. I have a blog on natural health. It covers topics such as beauty, anti aging, natural weight loss and then more specific topics, such as detoxing, colon cleansing etc. There are thousands of books on these subjects on Amazon. Would writing short book reviews on my blog be a profitable venture? If it's only a few per cent commission on a $10 book - can you really make serious money like that? Or at least make it worthwhile to spend the time writing the review?

      2. If I send someone through my Amazon link to a $10 book on natural beauty - and then that person doesn't buy but returns to Amazon a few days later and spends $1,000 on a treadmill - will I get commission for that purchase?

      Thanks,
      James
      1. Unless you can move a hell of a lot of books, you don't use book sales to get rich. You use book sales to build your item count so you get a higher commission rate on your more expensive items. If you can sell enough low-priced items to raise your commission from 4% to 6%, you just gave yourself a 50% raise on that $1000 treadmill.

      One of the neat things about books and other low-priced items is that people tend to add items in order to get that free shipping. Using myself as an example, I'll add a $15 CD to get free shipping rather than pay the $5 or $6. And both items count towards the associate's item count for the month.

      2. One of the few cons to the Amazon program is the 24 hour cookie. If someone visits a book page and buys that treadmill within 24 hours, you get the commission. Or if that person puts the treadmill in their shopping cart, you have 90 days for them to complete the transaction.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2683145].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JamesPenn
    Thanks John for the helpful post.

    I'll start with books to get myself familiar with Amazon and then I'll try some higher priced products.

    James
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2683156].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author theentry
    Erica (Sojourn) - Just out of interest how many hours do you work on your site weekly? And thanks for the informative posts, gold posts!
    Signature
    Nifty Stats - the best free software to track your progress
    at multiple affiliate programs within one interface. Give it a try!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2685358].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by landau View Post

      To market Amazon products, is it better to use a blog platform or a website? I am asking this because does the blog require less SEO work?
      I don't know, exactly. I don't think Google gives one more weight than the other when it comes to ranking. In fact, I don't know that Google gives you any credit at all for the platform you choose.

      The level of SEO and promotion required depend more on your keyword choice, content, and competition than they do on whether you used a site vs. a blog. The one advantage the blog style might have over the website style is that you might have more words in a blog than you would in a store layout and words are like nets that catch and bring in visitors. If you do a website that looks like a store and you have fewer words on your site, maybe you have to make up for the lack of those "word nets" by having more off-site SEO? Does it come down to writing blog posts for a blog style site vs. time spent on off-site promotion for a non-blog style site such that they cancel each other out and in the end the effort required is similar?

      I have wondered, though, if conversions aren't better in one layout vs. another. By that, I mean do customers tend to become buyers more often if your product layout looks like an online store with a bunch of product images all laid out nicely and buy buttons under them vs. a bunch of individual blog posts that are each promoting one or two products at a time?

      I've reviewed enough products on my site now to create new pages where I can layout the products like a store layout. I'll have one page for these products that cost $100-200, one for those $200-300, etc. I'm going to provide the links to those pages towards the top of my main page for those visitors who arrived through my main, non-brand, non-model specific keyword.

      I'm interested to see if I can further lower the bounce rate from the main page if visitors who show up based on my main keyword see that they can quickly shop and compare by price. On those pages I'm going to lay out rows of product images for the products in that price band and underneath each image I'm going to put the average Amazon rating using the Star Rating for Reviews WP plug-in, a "Read More" hyperlinked to my review, and an order button hyperlinked to Amazon, Walmart, or Overstock (whoever has the best price). We'll see.

      Originally Posted by JamesPenn View Post

      1. I have a blog on natural health. It covers topics such as beauty, anti aging, natural weight loss and then more specific topics, such as detoxing, colon cleansing etc. There are thousands of books on these subjects on Amazon. Would writing short book reviews on my blog be a profitable venture? If it's only a few per cent commission on a $10 book - can you really make serious money like that? Or at least make it worthwhile to spend the time writing the review?

      I agree with John regarding books. They're a nice complement to non-book products in that they can boost your overall sales volume. Curious, though, about your current monetization strategy. Are you looking to replace it or just enhance it? Sounds as if you are not using Amazon now?

      Originally Posted by theentry View Post

      Erica (Sojourn) - Just out of interest how many hours do you work on your site weekly? And thanks for the informative posts, gold posts!
      You're welcome, for the posts. I really do hope my info helps.

      At this point, I'm probably averaging 7 hours a week on the site I've talked about in this thread.

      When I started it in April, it got most of my time and attention. Initially, I spent two solid weeks on the site at about 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. Researching the niche, finding a keyword, planning the site, setting up the site, and writing the product reviews and other articles. Certainly time consuming stuff but mostly because I didn't know a lot about this particular niche.

      The next couple of weeks, that probably dropped to about 5 hours a day, 7 days a week. At that point I was bookmarking, submitting RSS feeds, building Squidoo lenses and hubs to point to the site and spreading my articles and reviews around to article directories. I did outsource one 5 pack of articles and some backlink work.

      I maybe spent 3-4 hours a day on the site the 2nd month. Still adding product reviews, more articles, and more backlinking.

      These figures aren't exact. I didn't keep track but I know for sure it was 100% of my time up front and a lot less now.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2686914].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author SEOExpert999
    I have made a few dollars with Amazon but I am going to really focus on it now. Thanks for the 150.00 tip
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2688274].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author DuaneZ
    I can not believe this thread came from one simple question ""
    What a great resource and there is so much information in this thread to create a product to sell. The best part is its all free, I was just thinking of looking for a new direction to add to my portfolio and now I know I found it.

    I will keep frequenting this thread and try to add anything I can as I come across things.
    Paula, I think you will be having a new student heading your way in the near future!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2709215].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author theoneinventor
    Chris Guthrie makes a decent amount from Amazon... has some good posts too. Apparently makes 6 figures, a lot of which comes from Amazon.

    Has anybody seen any examples of really good amazon review sites? I already have a niche picked out and am building up my site but don't know the best way to structure content/reviews.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2713372].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      Originally Posted by theoneinventor View Post

      Chris Guthrie makes a decent amount from Amazon... has some good posts too. Apparently makes 6 figures, a lot of which comes from Amazon.

      Has anybody seen any examples of really good amazon review sites? I already have a niche picked out and am building up my site but don't know the best way to structure content/reviews.
      Pick a hot product on Amazon and type this into Google "hot product name review" You will see plenty good review sites to model.

      Cheers
      Signature

      I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

      Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2713441].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ruth P
      Originally Posted by theoneinventor View Post

      Has anybody seen any examples of really good amazon review sites? I already have a niche picked out and am building up my site but don't know the best way to structure content/reviews.
      Dave has some great ideas about structuring reviews and also how buyers expect review sites to look - here's the link to his blog post: How To Make Money With Amazon: An Affiliate Marketing Guide | Making Money On The Internet
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2716019].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Mhoram
        I've read through Daniel Brock's system, and it makes a lot of sense. I'm running into one problem when I try to find a product, though. I'm staying away from the competitive electronics category, and looking through home and garden stuff because I'm fairly knowledgeable about it, and it fits into the 'hobby' angle and includes stuff people will splurge on. I have no trouble finding niches that have 5+ similar 3-5-star products with 10+ reviews. That part's easy.

        But then when I go to the Adwords keyword tool and search for the product brand and model numbers, I'll get 100 searches or less -- sometimes no data at all. I'm having a very hard time finding anything in the 3000+ searches range.

        For instance, I thought electric chain saws might be a good category. There are several in the $100-200 range with good ratings and plenty of reviews. But when I look one up on the Adwords tool, like 'Poulan 400e', it reports 720 searches. That's not even close to 3000, and that's one of the better results. The 'Earthwise CS30016' shows 46 monthly searches. (All these are 'broad' searches.)

        That's a far cry from 'jvc hanc250' showing thousands. So I'm left wondering: is the 'noise cancelling headphones' market really exponentially larger than the 'electric chain saw' market? I wouldn't think so. Or are people who buy electronics just more search-engine-savvy as a group than people who buy lawn and garden equipment, thus making them more likely to search for the exact model number when looking for reviews?

        I don't know the answer, but a lot of niches that seem perfect when I'm looking at them at Amazon fall way short when I get to the keyword tool. I understand the point of the search: people who are already researching a particular model are very far along in the decision process, so they'll convert better than people who do a search like 'chain saw reviews,' because the latter might be just starting to think about it.

        Anyway, I'm not giving up yet; just wondering if others are having the same experience, where low brand/model keyword search volume disqualifies most of the niches you explore, and what you do about it. Just keep hunting?

        (I did find one niche where brand/model searches returned 3000+, but that was 'sewing machines,' and there turned out to be several dedicated sewing machine review sites, so that's a lot more competitive than most niches.)
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725118].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author mmixon
          True, "Poulan 400e" has less than 1,000 searches, but "poulan chain saw" has 33,100 searches. There are a ton of amazon products out there that get thousands of searches a month. Go to Amazon and pick a category, go to Best Sellers. Search those and you will find all the products you want to promote. One word of caution, do not promote any Revlon product...they are very protective of their trade name and product pictures. Trust me, I've been stung.
          Signature
          http://popgoesthebiz.com/ Websites, Mobile Marketing and Social Media Marketing for Business and Political Candidates.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725163].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Mhoram
            Right, but Daniel was pretty specific about wanting 3000+ searches for the specific model name. I assume that's because those are very targeted customers, like I mentioned; but also because it'll be much easier to rank for those searches than for the generic category. If I can make top 5 for 'Poulan 500e', that doesn't mean I can get anywhere near page #1 for 'electric chain saw'.

            Maybe my question should be: You folks who are doing this, how many niches do you typically research before you hit one that fits all the criteria? Maybe I'm just expecting too much, having only researched a couple dozen so far.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725270].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author mmixon
              Originally Posted by Mhoram View Post

              Right, but Daniel was pretty specific about wanting 3000+ searches for the specific model name.
              You are correct, but the product picked does not have over 3,000 clicks a month and probably never will, that is why I referred him back to Amazon Best Sellers, to find a product that has better search results.

              He will find that the problem is not enough searches, but too many searches to be competitive in a market.

              In my blog construction, I look for products with a minimum of 3,000 searches a month, but not over 30,000 searches a month. Using that criteria, I have a 40% success rate of pushing those blogs, with specific products, to the first page of google.
              Signature
              http://popgoesthebiz.com/ Websites, Mobile Marketing and Social Media Marketing for Business and Political Candidates.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725299].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Mhoram
                Thanks, mmixon. So when you say you look for 3000-30,000 searches for a product, do you mean for the specific product name, or for the niche itself like 'electric chain saws'? Maybe I just need to look a lot more. Thanks for the suggestion of the Best Sellers.
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725385].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author mmixon
                  Originally Posted by Mhoram View Post

                  Thanks, mmixon. So when you say you look for 3000-30,000 searches for a product, do you mean for the specific product name, or for the niche itself like 'electric chain saws'? Maybe I just need to look a lot more. Thanks for the suggestion of the Best Sellers.
                  I search for a specific product name, with searches within that range, using best sellers at Amazon. If the product name is too long, like"Blinkman Super Outdoor Cooking Grill 32309986wpf" I might shorten it to "Blinkman 32309986wpf" or "Blinkman Grill 32309986wpf" and search for that term and see if it meets the minimum and maximum criteria.

                  I have also found that often times, when you search for a specific product name and the searches are way too many, I add an s to the end and often, the searches for that product will fall into the criteria. Like the example above, if I searched "Blinkman Grill 32309986wpf", and got 1,200,000 searches, I might add a "s" and try "Blinkman Grills 32309986wpf".

                  I wish you Good luck.
                  Signature
                  http://popgoesthebiz.com/ Websites, Mobile Marketing and Social Media Marketing for Business and Political Candidates.
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725450].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
    Don't just look at the bestsellers! Also, look at the movers & shakers, most gifted, and most wished for tabs when you click the bestsellers link in amazon. There's some powerful research starting points right there!
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725563].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    (Talk about bizarre timing on the niche question....!!)

    After several hours pulling together my personal notes for a War Room post yesterday, I found it could take days before such threads are approved. Considering how close we're getting to Christmas, sharing sooner rather than later would be best.

    The objective of using the WR was to encourage people to sign-up as it's loaded with info and would be a way for me to pay some back to my favorite forum.

    I'll have to settle for:
    [soap box] If you've any doubts about joining the War Room - give them up and join. It's like buying a ton of WSOs for one, low price. Amazing how-to information, examples, step by step templates, incredible ideas...you name it. Even information directly related to being an Amazon affiliate. [/soap box]
    If you've been following along in this thread with the idea of maybe, someday, sort of sticking your toe in the waters of Amazon affiliate marketing maybe it's time to stop playing with your toes and jump right in. (Hint - there's a big shopping holiday coming right at us.)

    There are different ways to tackle an Amazon review site - single product sites, sites on a small number of products, large sites. I prefer doing relatively large sites that review a number of products in the same niche. Things like "steam irons" - a category of items that are alike but might be made by different manufacturers.

    There are a lot of critical steps involved in building a successful website but the first one is to pick a niche. It's easy to get tripped up on that right off the bat and, therefore, never get past the "thinking" stage and into the "action" stage so here are the steps I take to find and analyze a niche.

    FINDING NICHES/PRODUCTS
    A review site is only good if people are actually interested in reviews of the products in your niche before they buy. People don't look for reviews on items that cost $10. They look for reviews on more expensive items especially if a number of manufacturers make those items and if those items have lots of options and different models available.

    Earlier in this thread you'll find a number of different ways you can search for niches using some Google queries. Using a couple of those Google searches, I made a note of products that caught my eye:
    • heart rate monitors
    • foot baths
    • water coolers
    • miter saws
    (You don't have to be passionate about your niche ideas but some degree of interest would be beneficial.)

    ANALYZING THE NICHE
    Not all niches are the same. How do you choose the one that might have the best chance of bringing traffic, adding value and resulting in sales? Spending time analyzing the niche up front will save you some heartache down the road. Go through the niche ideas one by one and look them up in Amazon.

    Do you see:
    1. At least 10 different versions of that product on Amazon?
    2. Products that cost more than $150?
    3. Products that have lots of detail, buttons, options, uses? A food processor is a lot more complex than a wooden storage shelf, for example. Which provides more material for you to work with in coming up with posts and review content?
    Starting with heart rate monitors, I type "heart rate monitor" (without quotes) in the Amazon search bar and browse through the 1st page of products. There are more than 10 different heart rate monitors, they all have lots of reviews, but most cost under $100. I cross that one off.

    Next is foot baths. There are more than 10 different kinds, review volume is so-so, and most cost far less than $150. I cross it off.

    Look at water coolers. Again, dollar amounts are too low. I cross it off.
    (As you go through each of these keep an eye out for other niche opportunities in Amazon's left sidebar. As I went along I came across "worksite radios" and "reverse osmosis water systems" - just some other niches I could check into if nothing on my list panned out.)
    Miter saws looks rather promising. There are more than 10 different ones, review volume is really good and the average price is more than $150. Time for the next step.

    ANALYZING NICHE COMPETITION
    Amazon detail looks good but if the niche is really competitive (as is often the case with electronics) then it will be more difficult and take more time to get traffic. I'd rather spend my time on something where I can make a difference more quickly.

    No main keyword has been selected yet - I like to find a niche first. Initially most of the traffic is probably going to come from people looking up reviews on the specific products by their make and model anyway. If I go with miter saws as the niche, then I'm going to be writing reviews on at least the top 10 miter saws. I want to see what the competition looks like for reviews on those top 10 makes and models. Would my reviews stand a chance of ranking?

    Go back to the Amazon results for "miter saw" and sort them by Bestselling. For me, the first one is a DEWALT DW715. Type "dewalt dw715 reviews" (or just the singular 'review' - Google Instant helps out by showing you which is the most recommended version).

    Using either SEOQuake or Market Samurai (or your tool of choice for competitive analysis) check out the Page Rank and the number of backlinks to the pages on the 1st page of Google. You want as many to have PR0 and 0 backlinks as possible. Amazon will often come up first and even though the page might have high PR or under 100 backlinks, it can still be beat over time. You just don't want to see all pages with PR3 and greater or a whole bunch of pages that have hundreds and hundreds of backlinks.

    For the Dewalt DW715, things look a tiny bit competitive but not too bad. A check of the next few models on the Amazon bestseller list shows things looks even better. The Hitachi C10FCE2 at #2 in Amazon even has an Associated Content listing for the phrase "hitachi c10fce2 review" on the 1st page of Google with 0 backlinks. A good sign that an authoritative review can rank fairly easily.

    Next, actually bring up each of the results that came up in Google when you searched for "dewalt dw715 review". Are they scraped Amazon content? Scraped manufacturer content? Or are they long, unique, detailed, hand-written reviews? If they're mostly scraped content all saying the same thing, then you have a chance to write something longer and more thorough that will provide more value to those interested in the product.

    SOURCE MATERIAL
    Now, see how much source material is available for you to use in writing reviews on these products. Go to the manufacturer's website and see if you can find the product manuals. (Appears both Dewalt and Hitachi have them available on their site.)

    Read through the Amazon reviews looking for additional detail about how the product worked, how it was used, and what features and accessories were included that might not have been listed in the Amazon product description.

    If you can't find any source material, you might have a hard time writing anything more about these products than is already on the web unless you actually buy them and test each one yourself.

    CHOOSING A MAIN KEYWORD
    I start out targeting just one keyword. I use that keyword in my domain and all backlinking efforts focus on that one keyword. I avoid using brand names or model information in my main keyword and in my domain. Because I'm including multiple brands and models, I want something generic. This takes some digging. I use a combination of Google's Keyword Adwords tool and Market Samurai.

    It's a word game to see if you can uncover a phrase that regular consumers might use to search for miter saws that has higher search volume and low competition.

    I came up with a number of potential exact keyword ideas like "compound miter saw" but that's just one type of miter saw as is a "sliding miter saw". Then there is "miter saw reviews". The search volume (exact global) is 1300 month. I'm not going to say if that's good or bad. I have sites that get hundreds of visitors a day when I targeted search words with less search volume. The main keyword is just a starting point. It's not the end of the story.

    CHOOSING A DOMAIN FOR THAT KEYWORD
    Ideally, I'd like a .com but I'll go with a .net if I have to. I've never used .org or .info. I do use hyphenated domains if necessary and they have worked well for me. If you can't get an exact match domain then you might have to stick a word at the end and make it as short a word as possible. Maybe mitersawreviews101 dot com.

    "Holy crap, Erica - that's a lot of work. I don't have that kind of time!"

    Really, it doesn't take that long to do once you've done it a few times. If I were building small sites maybe I'd want to spend less time checking out the niche but I tend to build larger sites and I don't want to invest the time it takes for that kind of site without some due diligence.

    "There are much faster ways to validate a niche."

    Probably. Please share! There are lots of ways to skin a cat, or so I've heard. Just remember that this approach is used for building a site with 100+ pages of material. It's a large investment of my time and I'm not looking for short cuts where I might miss something important. There are also ways to test the niche beforehand. I didn't even touch on those strategies.

    "So - you gonna do that miter saw site?"

    Nope. I have some tool sites and you know what? I don't really like writing about tools. My dad, however, LOVES tools so I have him working on one with me and one is enough.

    "You write a lot. As in wordy."

    Sadly, this is the chopped version cuz I felt a built of guilt about taking up too much space...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725696].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author MarkTX
      Wow Erica, that was an awesome and informative post. Thank you!

      One quick question that really caught my eye:

      You said:
      I start out targeting just one keyword. I use that keyword in my domain and all backlinking efforts focus on that one keyword.
      So, you ONLY focus your backlinking efforts on the domain name keyword and NOT all the individual products reviewed on that site?

      And this is working for you? If so, this is truly good news!

      Thanks again for a great post.

      Mark
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725767].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jan roos
        Originally Posted by MarkTX View Post

        Wow Erica, that was an awesome and informative post. Thank you!

        One quick question that really caught my eye:

        You said: So, you ONLY focus your backlinking efforts on the domain name keyword and NOT all the individual products reviewed on that site?

        And this is working for you? If so, this is truly good news!

        Thanks again for a great post.

        Mark
        I think she meant that she has one main keyword which she targets for her home page and it will get most of her back links but she also has main keywords for each specific product page which should also get back links with the keyword as anchor text.

        Cheers
        Signature

        I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

        Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725789].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ce2gain
    Erica, please be wordy anytime! That was a fantastic post.

    If I followed you correctly, you are more concerned with the volume of searches for the niche itself and your main keyword, and then you analyze how competitive the actual product terms are? I like your approach to writing reviews that are longer and more thorough than just Amazon scraped material.

    I'd love to hear more about how to test the niche beforehand especially if it's a site you plan to put more than just a handful of reviews on.

    Keep writing!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725797].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Hubby promptly dragged me from the laptop for lunch right after I hit submit so that last response was a bit short thanks to having to type on the Droid.

      Originally Posted by MarkTX View Post

      One quick question that really caught my eye:

      You said: So, you ONLY focus your backlinking efforts on the domain name keyword and NOT all the individual products reviewed on that site?

      And this is working for you? If so, this is truly good news!

      Mark
      I don't walk into a site with a list of 50 keywords. I walk in with one.

      One, lonely, probably long-tailed keyword.

      When I first started online, I targeted keywords with just a few hundred searches a month. The more sites I've built, the more I've upped the target so that now I like to have at least 5000 searches a month but if you're planning a large scale site, the main keyword is just a launch point anyway. You'd have to really mess up not to rank for other keywords just by the nature of having lots of unique content on your site.

      First I plan out the core of the site - the theme, header, categories, the pages, some initial posts and the initial products I want to review.

      Then I actually load the content into my site - something like 5 informational posts and 5 product reviews.

      Next I start a backlinking campaign for the main page using only the main keyword as anchor text - articles, Squidoo lens, Hubpage, RSS feeds, bookmarking, etc.

      WHILE working on the backlink campaign for the main page I'm still putting up new product reviews and informational posts. Each time a new review or post is published I run through a set of steps to promote that post - ping.fm, Twitter, and a bookmark tool. Takes just a few minutes. I then use the product name+review for those efforts although bookmarking will include my main keyword phrase in the tags along with variations of the product name.

      Once a month or so I take all the articles I published on my site (including the product reviews), shorten them and rewrite them slightly for article directories and submit them to EZA. My EZA profile is tied to my Twitter account for that site so the articles are tweeted upon publication. I also bookmark them when they're published and submit my author RSS feeds to RSS sites.

      Once the articles are live in EZA I submit those same articles to other article directories, bookmark them and submit those article directory author RSS feeds to RSS sites.

      The bookmarking and articles serve to build backlinks to the individual posts but I don't have a specific keyword in mind for each product.

      I put a lot of on-page SEO thought into my review template. I structure my reviews to take advantage of H1/H2/H3 title tags, make sure my meta descriptions are keyword rich, mix up the way I refer to the product within the body of the post (sometimes the full model number, sometimes shorter versions), include as many images as possible with alt tags, and use variations of the product name as tags. I also do a lot of interlinking between posts where it makes sense.

      Depending on the competitiveness of reviews for these products, the combination of basic bookmarking, article directories, and the detailed reviews should draw decent traffic. If your article directory articles are good you should find them picked up by other blog owners, too, and the individual post backlinks will just continue to grow.

      Other than those few steps for each post as it goes live, all my focus is on getting the main page to rank #1 for my main keyword. Once done, I use my traffic stats, sales, and Google Keyword Adwords tool to find the next keyword to target. Just because I'm focusing on one keyword at a time doesn't mean I don't get traffic for other keywords in the meantime.

      Originally Posted by ce2gain View Post

      If I followed you correctly, you are more concerned with the volume of searches for the niche itself and your main keyword, and then you analyze how competitive the actual product terms are? I like your approach to writing reviews that are longer and more thorough than just Amazon scraped material.

      I'd love to hear more about how to test the niche beforehand especially if it's a site you plan to put more than just a handful of reviews on.
      Yes, I'm more interested in the volume of the niche itself than in the specific product names. There's a product on my site for which my review ranks no higher than #2 for any variation of the product name. The page has had 1592 unique views in the past 30 days. It's had 432 clickthroughs to Amazon and 10 sales in the past 30 days. It's earned $315.82 in commissions for the past 30 days not counting anything someone bought to go with it. Google shows less than 300 exact searches a month for that product in all variations of the product name. I'd have skipped it entirely had I gone by Google search volume.

      In part, this is because people don't always search by product name. Maybe they know what they want but they don't know what it's called. You do a miter saw review and you get someone who is searching for a "tool to [do abc]" or "best [insert noun here] for home use" and you help them find the answer.

      This doesn't mean approaches that focus on one product are wrong or that you shouldn't be looking for more highly searched, single product names for those approaches. My approach is just what I use for building a site around a niche rather than a single make/model.

      This is absolutely where the phrase "think like your customer" comes into play, too. If YOU were buying one of these products in your niche, would you do some homework first? Is the expense so significant or are the choices so confusing that you'd need some help to make sure that you bought the best one? Then there's probably search traffic for the product even if you can't always tell in Google.

      As for testing a niche, PPC is one method (although I don't like that one because I don't like to risk that kind of money). Another is to build a Squidoo lens or a hub (someone has a product on this somewhere that's pretty popular) and test out conversions from those web 2.0 pages. You could also use some articles that point to a single page or to a hub or lens to test out click through and conversion rates. If the lens or hub prove out the niche you can always edit them to point traffic to your site for an instant backlink.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2726399].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author mkpoway
        As a general rule of thumb, if you search for your keyword, and Google returns "Shopping results" above the fold, is that a poor keyword to target? Those shopping results often contains links directly to the product on Amazon.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2726418].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author jan roos
          Originally Posted by mkpoway View Post

          As a general rule of thumb, if you search for your keyword, and Google returns "Shopping results" above the fold, is that a poor keyword to target? Those shopping results often contains links directly to the product on Amazon.
          You can outrank the shopping results so I wont worry too much about it if I were you.

          Cheers
          Signature

          I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

          Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2726466].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    Yes, I focus on one keyword to start with. For miter saw reviews I would do a Squidoo lens, a hub and articles with "miter saw reviews as the title. All blog commenting, bookmarking, RSS feeds and any outsourced backlink work would focus on that one phrase. However, each review would be bookmarked with "product name review".

    Those reviews get turned into articles so article and bookmark backlinks start working on your reviews right away. Once I rank for my main keyword my backlinking would shift to whichever review was converting well but wasn't ranking in the number one spot. Or I might see that I was getting quality traffic from "compare miter saws" and start a campaign focusing on that keyword next.

    One keyword at a time keeps me from losing my mind and I still get other keyword traffic.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2725852].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author roxanne
      Banned
      [DELETED]
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2755779].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
        Originally Posted by roxanne View Post

        I seem to be going round in circles with Amazon Affiliate. Basically, I don't know what steps to follow.

        Have you got a guide (Ebook/video) I could follow? I hope my request is not "too" forward.
        Roxanne - Not too forward. No, I don't have an ebook or video. There are several already available from some who have posted in this thread and while I haven't read any of them I've heard good things from friends about each.

        Not to oversimplify but my flow looks something like this:

        1. Find a niche using the process outlined above.
        2. Get a domain.
        3. Install WordPress.
        4. Update WordPress dashboard settings and implement plug-ins and SEO customization. (Need a starting point? Google Yoast Wordpress SEO. It's not 100% up to date with WP 3.0 but still invaluable material.)
        5. Come up with 5 section headings for the reviews like: features, pros, cons, consumer ratings/reviews, price - whatever might be most important to visitors.
        6. Pick the first 10 products to put on the site.
        7. Write the review for each product by looking online EVERYWHERE for information about the product, organize that information into th section headings and write the final version of each section.
        8. Publish the reviews on the site as they get completed.
        9. Write some helpful articles about buying these products and publish them to the site.
        10. Promote the site with bookmarking, Twitter, RSS feeds, blog commenting, articles on web 2.0 sites. Build backlinks, backlinks, backlinks. There's loads of information already on the forum with great information on how to do this. Don't like this part? Outsource it.
        11. Repurpose reviews and articles for article directories, video sites, document sharing, etc. (Search the forum for "repurpose" for lots of ideas on how to get the most from your posts and get backlinks at the same time.)
        12. Watch traffic stats. What phrases are bringing people to the site? Can they find the information they're looking for? Modify content to fill in any gaps. If someone arrives looking for "types of beeps on the blah blah" and there's nothing in the review about "types of beeps" then add it.
        13. Try to get something new up on the site each week for the first couple of months, at least. The act of adding content to a developing site is a great traffic generator.
        You may not need to do ALL of those site promotion steps. Maybe the competition for your niche is so low that you find your site moving up pretty quickly. Maybe your niche is more competitive and you're going to have to pull out all the stops.

        At a minimum, your goal should be to get to #1 for at least your main keyword. If you wake up in the morning and you're not #1 yet then your job is pretty easy for the day - publish more content, modify your existing content if necessary, and build more backlinks.

        Traffic should show up before you're #1, though. Long tail traffic. If not, take the time to analyze your stats and rankings, look again at the strength of your competition and figure out what's holding you back. (If you're making thin sites - light on content - then your traffic generation strategies may need to be different.)

        Once you're a month or two in, assess the situation. Are you getting traffic? If not, make changes to your traffic generation techniques. Do your niche evaluation again. Is there something you missed? Getting traffic but no sales? Ask your friends, contacts or fellow warriors to give you some feedback. Make sure to check out your competition. What do they have that you don't that might make a difference? More information? More backlinks? Easier site navigation?

        Having said all that, don't over-think the process, either. It's easy to misunderstand how important it is to "think like your customer". This can actually make your work less stressful. I would bet there are lots of site owners who do really well and had never even heard of SEO or backlinks when they set out. They just knew that they could fill a gap online and give something of themselves to that gap. If you can do that in combination with the mechanics of ranking on the internet then nothing can stop you.

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2758711].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author bristol
          Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

          Roxanne - Not too forward. No, I don't have an ebook or video. There are several already available from some who have posted in this thread and while I haven't read any of them I've heard good things from friends about each.

          Not to oversimplify but my flow looks something like this:

          1. Find a niche using the process outlined above.
          2. Get a domain.
          3. Install WordPress.
          4. Update WordPress dashboard settings and implement plug-ins and SEO customization. (Need a starting point? Google Yoast Wordpress SEO. It's not 100% up to date with WP 3.0 but still invaluable material.)
          5. Come up with 5 section headings for the reviews like: features, pros, cons, consumer ratings/reviews, price - whatever might be most important to visitors.
          6. Pick the first 10 products to put on the site.
          7. Write the review for each product by looking online EVERYWHERE for information about the product, organize that information into th section headings and write the final version of each section.
          8. Publish the reviews on the site as they get completed.
          9. Write some helpful articles about buying these products and publish them to the site.
          10. Promote the site with bookmarking, Twitter, RSS feeds, blog commenting, articles on web 2.0 sites. Build backlinks, backlinks, backlinks. There's loads of information already on the forum with great information on how to do this. Don't like this part? Outsource it.
          11. Repurpose reviews and articles for article directories, video sites, document sharing, etc. (Search the forum for "repurpose" for lots of ideas on how to get the most from your posts and get backlinks at the same time.)
          12. Watch traffic stats. What phrases are bringing people to the site? Can they find the information they're looking for? Modify content to fill in any gaps. If someone arrives looking for "types of beeps on the blah blah" and there's nothing in the review about "types of beeps" then add it.
          13. Try to get something new up on the site each week for the first couple of months, at least. The act of adding content to a developing site is a great traffic generator.
          You may not need to do ALL of those site promotion steps. Maybe the competition for your niche is so low that you find your site moving up pretty quickly. Maybe your niche is more competitive and you're going to have to pull out all the stops.

          At a minimum, your goal should be to get to #1 for at least your main keyword. If you wake up in the morning and you're not #1 yet then your job is pretty easy for the day - publish more content, modify your existing content if necessary, and build more backlinks.

          Traffic should show up before you're #1, though. Long tail traffic. If not, take the time to analyze your stats and rankings, look again at the strength of your competition and figure out what's holding you back. (If you're making thin sites - light on content - then your traffic generation strategies may need to be different.)

          Once you're a month or two in, assess the situation. Are you getting traffic? If not, make changes to your traffic generation techniques. Do your niche evaluation again. Is there something you missed? Getting traffic but no sales? Ask your friends, contacts or fellow warriors to give you some feedback. Make sure to check out your competition. What do they have that you don't that might make a difference? More information? More backlinks? Easier site navigation?

          Having said all that, don't over-think the process, either. It's easy to misunderstand how important it is to "think like your customer". This can actually make your work less stressful. I would bet there are lots of site owners who do really well and had never even heard of SEO or backlinks when they set out. They just knew that they could fill a gap online and give something of themselves to that gap. If you can do that in combination with the mechanics of ranking on the internet then nothing can stop you.

          This is some AWESOME information!! Thanks!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2759541].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Remarques
          Erica:

          Again thank you for your excellent posts. They have truly been a value add for me.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2760486].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author JRCarson
            I know there has been a LOT of great points here in this thread, and we've established Amazon works already.

            But I just wanted to throw in that I really like Amazon. Last year at this exact time I was pushing ONE Amazon product with just a few (like...3) articles, then for Christmas...


            And I've made a little over 10k with those articles since, and they are starting to (hopefully) do the same this year. Needless to say, I've been all over this niche all year and all over Amazon since, and this year's pre-Christmas traffic looks good.

            And I live in Colorado! We were all (Coloradans) dropped from the Amazon Associates Affiliate program on March 8th (MONDAY morning, 7 am).

            We set up another company in just a little under 3 hours in another state, and we swapped the links and didn't miss a beat. Now Colorado doesn't get our income tax. Way to make a stand against Amazon Colorado! (...oh, I'm re-living that day!...beer...)
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2761083].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author jan roos
              Originally Posted by JRCarson View Post

              I know there has been a LOT of great points here in this thread, and we've established Amazon works already.

              But I just wanted to throw in that I really like Amazon. Last year at this exact time I was pushing ONE Amazon product with just a few (like...3) articles, then for Christmas...


              And I've made a little over 10k with those articles since, and they are starting to (hopefully) do the same this year. Needless to say, I've been all over this niche all year and all over Amazon since, and this year's pre-Christmas traffic looks good.

              And I live in Colorado! We were all (Coloradans) dropped from the Amazon Associates Affiliate program on March 8th (MONDAY morning, 7 am).

              We set up another company in just a little under 3 hours in another state, and we swapped the links and didn't miss a beat. Now Colorado doesn't get our income tax. Way to make a stand against Amazon Colorado! (...oh, I'm re-living that day!...beer...)
              Glad to hear you could get passed the tax issue that easily. I am just waiting for CA to pass that Bill then I will have to do the same thing.

              I guess I'll just open a LLC in Nevada and change accounts as well when it happens.

              No more stresses there then.

              Cheers
              Signature

              I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

              Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2770141].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
                Originally Posted by jan roos View Post

                Glad to hear you could get passed the tax issue that easily. I am just waiting for CA to pass that Bill then I will have to do the same thing.

                I guess I'll just open a LLC in Nevada and change accounts as well when it happens.

                No more stresses there then.

                Cheers
                Nevada CORP very smart move..

                max. protection, and max. tax saving...

                When you start make over 30k, you want switch
                to C corp...

                C corp tax you 25-30% of your profit..

                LLC pass through tax you 40-50% depends on your sutiuation.

                just a quick tip...



                Han
                Signature
                - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
                Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2771799].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author sellerscompanion
                  Amazon is definitely a great way to sell during the holidays. People absolutely trust them as a brand and will get in there and buy other items. So far this season, I see people going in on one of my links but buying multiple other items that I am not even selling. That is the real beauty of Amazon.
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2772312].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author PaulaC
              Originally Posted by JRCarson View Post

              I know there has been a LOT of great points here in this thread, and we've established Amazon works already.

              But I just wanted to throw in that I really like Amazon. Last year at this exact time I was pushing ONE Amazon product with just a few (like...3) articles, then for Christmas...


              And I've made a little over 10k with those articles since, and they are starting to (hopefully) do the same this year. Needless to say, I've been all over this niche all year and all over Amazon since, and this year's pre-Christmas traffic looks good.

              And I live in Colorado! We were all (Coloradans) dropped from the Amazon Associates Affiliate program on March 8th (MONDAY morning, 7 am).

              We set up another company in just a little under 3 hours in another state, and we swapped the links and didn't miss a beat. Now Colorado doesn't get our income tax. Way to make a stand against Amazon Colorado! (...oh, I'm re-living that day!...beer...)
              So nice to see someone from Colorado who took action. We get a lot of questions from people in those states that Amazon no longer deals with and many complain about it but don't do anything about it. You had it sorted in 3 hours...LOL...I love it!!
              Signature

              My Blog --> Affiliate Blog Online

              Our New Membership Site - Affiliate Tools HQ

              Amazonian Profit Plan - Our Complete Blueprint for Making Money Online by Promoting Amazon Products - The Amazonian Profit Plan

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2770162].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author FivestarHB
    Sojourn, thanks for the comprehensive description of your Amazon strategy. I have erally picked up on Amazon over the past few months, with sales/commission increasing 30 % each month. Use the product focus approach like Info Product Killer. The great thing about Amazon, is that buyers buy different things than what they went into the site originally to buy. It never ceases to amaze me the strange things that are sold thru my affy links on Amazon, which have no resemblance to the niches I am in, or the sites from which they entered. Thanks for the generous strategy. I am happy that all the IMers are getting excited about Facebook and YouTube marketing, so I can get on with my Amazon, Adsense and other affiliate sites.
    Signature
    I have Found the Ultimate IM Retirement Plan
    Done for you Marketing System
    17 Year old Company Recurring Income
    It is the Perfect Home Business!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2727391].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author AshleyB
      Erica,
      Thanks so much for the great information. You just filled in a lot of gaps in my Amazon education!
      Signature
      Media Buyer and Communications Specialist with Clickfunnels
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2727473].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Net Assasin
    I still make over $3000 per month selling segways of all things. Min sale is around $1,000 so commission is over $100 per sale.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2727606].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author T-shirtman
    Great info here

    I have seen people saying you need to Wright a 1000+ word review What I would like to know is if I was promoting something that you can’t really Wright 1000+ word review about is it ok for a 200-300 word review I was thinking along the lines of cd's or a garden folk for instance
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2728849].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
      Originally Posted by T-shirtman View Post

      Great info here

      I have seen people saying you need to Wright a 1000+ word review What I would like to know is if I was promoting something that you can't really Wright 1000+ word review about is it ok for a 200-300 word review I was thinking along the lines of cd's or a garden folk for instance
      300 words is just right. I know some people like to write full blown reviews and cover every angle. Yet with 300, you can cover the essentials and personally I think that they flow much better than the longer posts.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2728935].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author T-shirtman
        I am going to make a wordpress blog but I would like to know what other people do in terms on when doing there review do you make a post or a page?

        I was thinking of going down the page route, static homepage / then header link to an index page (also maybe a list on homepage) were it will be a list of all the review pages, my idea is not really to concentrate to much on homepage just the pages were the reviews will be

        Very simple but I feel it could work

        What are people's thoughts on this?

        Cheers for this info big help
        Originally Posted by Michael Franklin View Post

        300 words is just right. I know some people like to write full blown reviews and cover every angle. Yet with 300, you can cover the essentials and personally I think that they flow much better than the longer posts.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2752155].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JamesPenn
    I started adding some Amazon links to my natural health blog after reading this thread.

    I haven't gone with the approach that many of you have where you pick a product and try to rank for the product keywords. I've tried to pick a problem, rank high for that and then sell a solution.

    I've only really been promoting $8-15 books at the moment but had my first sale the other day - well, 10 sales.

    Someone obviously came to my blog, clicked on one of my product links, added it to their basket, and then went and did some more shopping. They ended up buying 10 items and spending about $200.

    I recommended a book in the "Beauty" category and one of their purchases was in the Electronics category.

    I'm now an Amazon convert. I'm getting a couple of sales every day now and all I've done is add a few Amazon images and links throughout some of the more popular blog posts on my blog. Amazon does the rest for you.

    Plus, there's so many products to promote and to the regular web user, they probably aren't aware that you're promoting Amazon products for your own financial gain.

    While I'm a long, long way off from making a living promoting Amazon products, I can definitely see that the potential is there.

    Thanks to all the helpful posts that people have made in this thread. It's helped me immensely and I'm sure it's helped a lot of others, too.

    James
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2740647].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      Originally Posted by JamesPenn View Post

      I started adding some Amazon links to my natural health blog after reading this thread.

      I haven't gone with the approach that many of you have where you pick a product and try to rank for the product keywords. I've tried to pick a problem, rank high for that and then sell a solution.

      I've only really been promoting $8-15 books at the moment but had my first sale the other day - well, 10 sales.

      Someone obviously came to my blog, clicked on one of my product links, added it to their basket, and then went and did some more shopping. They ended up buying 10 items and spending about $200.

      I recommended a book in the "Beauty" category and one of their purchases was in the Electronics category.

      I'm now an Amazon convert. I'm getting a couple of sales every day now and all I've done is add a few Amazon images and links throughout some of the more popular blog posts on my blog. Amazon does the rest for you.

      Plus, there's so many products to promote and to the regular web user, they probably aren't aware that you're promoting Amazon products for your own financial gain.

      While I'm a long, long way off from making a living promoting Amazon products, I can definitely see that the potential is there.

      Thanks to all the helpful posts that people have made in this thread. It's helped me immensely and I'm sure it's helped a lot of others, too.

      James

      Now Imagine those 10 sales per day was for a $200 product you'd be making $150 each day on auto pilot.

      Cheers
      Signature

      I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

      Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2740733].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TomBuck
    I know clickbank have recently been ripped into about how they are taking 10% of peoples money and how there are hundreds of T&Cs before you receive your check, but I still believe it is the best affiliate network.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2740927].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
    People are in buying mode right now...
    while it's great to share tips here..

    don't forget to build more sites, more traffic...

    it's Money Time..

    Most amazon affiliates make into 6 figures within this 3-4 month period..

    one thing for sure...

    Talking here all day, won't make you a DIME...

    Han
    Signature
    - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
    Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2741167].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author phpnetpro
    Thank Sojourn and everyone else for this great thread and resource. I do a lot of these similar techniques and am pleased to see I'm not the only one. I will have to post some of my insights when I have more time.
    Signature
    Need more organic search traffic? SideBacon SEO Experts

    My free, step-by-step training course: Build a WordPress Website
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2752181].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author rmac
      Thanks for all the tips & tricks re Amazon affiliate marketing. I have both Dan's and Paula's guides and have been following them.
      Am I seriously making money? I can say I am seriously making more money each month. Quality and patience is key.
      I do use the tactic of promoting some high searched, but lower priced products. This helps kick the number of sales up to get the higher commissions each month.
      Signature

      Brand New & Quality Niche PLR at the NichePLRShop

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2752563].message }}
  • Good read, my company is thinking about taking some of our close-outs on Amazon. I think after reading this though I will mention that they take a large percentage of sales.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2755255].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by theleathercollection View Post

      Good read, my company is thinking about taking some of our close-outs on Amazon. I think after reading this though I will mention that they take a large percentage of sales.
      They do take a large percentage, so they're not for everybody as a sales outlet.

      But if you can live with the margins remaining, they have the potential to put your stuff in front of a lot of eyeballs...

      You just have to run the numbers and see if it's worth it to you, especially for those closeouts that aren't moving anyway.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2755300].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Andrea Wilson
    Well I will be signing up with Amazon soon, any tips and tricks for me to use? $10,000 check monthly is big for a commission but I will try my best to make the most out of this program. Does this works like the ebay affiliate program?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2758460].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Randy Daugherty
    I believe there is always future in working with affiliates programs you just need to find out the secret....
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2759580].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by PaulaC View Post

      I've never heard that one before. No they don't cap commissions.

      For consumer electronics the commission goes no higher than 4% but for everything else it goes as high as 8.5% depending on how many items you sell in a month.
      Paula, I think the source for the idea that commissions are capped comes from the limits they put on certain products. From the Advertising Fee Schedule:

      Notwithstanding the advertising fee rates described on this page, the following limitations apply: (a) advertising fees for all Qualifying Purchases of Products that are personal computers (including without limitation desktops, laptops, notebooks, tablets, and netbooks) are limited to a maximum of $25 per personal computer, regardless of the Qualifying Revenues received from the sale of that Product; and (b) advertising fees for all Qualifying Purchases of Products that are Amazon Video On Demand Products or Amazon MP3 Products are limited to a maximum of $1.50 per unit, regardless of the Qualifying Revenues received from the sale of that Product.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2759834].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author abs007
      Originally Posted by Randy Daugherty View Post

      I believe there is always future in working with affiliates programs you just need to find out the secret....
      yes i agree
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2759877].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Rachel Zaouche
        This is a fantastic thread with great information - thanks very much to all those who contributed especially Sojourn who can write as much as she wants whenever she wants in my book.

        Just in time for the holiday season too!!

        All the best

        Rach
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2760129].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Novoxborder
    Write* sorry.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2760156].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Teutobod
    Hey guys one quick question: Do I have to refer 3100+ items every month to get 8.5% or once I have shipped 3100+ item my rate will remain 8.5% forever? Hope I'm being clear.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2771039].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author careybaird
      Originally Posted by Teutobod View Post

      Hey guys one quick question: Do I have to refer 3100+ items every month to get 8.5% or once I have shipped 3100+ item my rate will remain 8.5% forever? Hope I'm being clear.
      No, it is 8.5% for that month. For each month you have to start again.

      The 8.5% then applies to all items shipped in that month.
      Signature

      Owner of:

      [
      Fresh Store Builder]

      The worlds most advanced Amazon store builder with over 17,000 members.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2771052].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Teutobod
        Originally Posted by careybaird View Post

        No, it is 8.5% for that month. For each month you have to start again.

        The 8.5% then applies to all items shipped in that month.
        Thats what I thought but some comments in the first couple of pages confused me anyways thanks for clarifying
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2771067].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author PatriciaJ
      Originally Posted by Teutobod View Post

      Hey guys one quick question: Do I have to refer 3100+ items every month to get 8.5% or once I have shipped 3100+ item my rate will remain 8.5% forever? Hope I'm being clear.
      You start again every month, but knowing that helps you to set targets to aim for.

      As for caps it's a bit different for UK affiliates, there is a £7 cap on electrical items. I'm not sure about other types of product, but I've found that if you find products to promote that need accessories you can really push your sales up.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2771119].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author deepender
    Thanks for this kind of money making information, I will setup my account with amazon then definitely I will earn enough money.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2771082].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Napoleon Solo
    Thanks for such a great thread! I've just set up my first Amazon site and have just started to get some sales. Now I'm working on my second site. The invaluable information here really helped me to get going.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2771111].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dadamson
    I'd like to add that if you can rank for PRODUCT NAME "REVIEW" you can be wildly successful promoting amazon products.

    Items over $150 and lots of them is the only real way to make decent cash.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2771493].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author zic345
    Thanks all for the input on Amazon, it looks like that is an area of opportunity for me to grow my affiliate business. I have a few books on Amazon kindle and make a little bit from that too.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2772674].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author affenpinscher
      This is neither legal nor accounting advice but if you wanted to incorporate somewhere else, you might look at Delaware which does not have a sales tax and has a favorable business climate (they can't lose all the incorporation fees they get!).

      Reduce the possibility that Nevada or other state will go the way of North Carolina.

      P.S. Avoid Oregon. Although it has no sales tax, the business climate is increasingly hostile.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2772794].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Luke McCormack
    Apologies if this has been answered previously but so much info in this thread. Are people getting more clicks/conversions by stand alone text:

    Get upto 50% off xx only available through Amazon

    Or

    I really like xxx product (affiliate link embedded in xx) in a paragraph.

    Best regards

    Nigel
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2772833].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      Originally Posted by Han Fan View Post

      Nevada CORP very smart move..

      max. protection, and max. tax saving...

      When you start make over 30k, you want switch
      to C corp...

      C corp tax you 25-30% of your profit..

      LLC pass through tax you 40-50% depends on your sutiuation.

      just a quick tip...



      Han
      Thanks Han. Big difference between 30% and 40% will definitely keep that in mind.

      Originally Posted by affenpinscher View Post

      This is neither legal nor accounting advice but if you wanted to incorporate somewhere else, you might look at Delaware which does not have a sales tax and has a favorable business climate (they can't lose all the incorporation fees they get!).

      Reduce the possibility that Nevada or other state will go the way of North Carolina.

      P.S. Avoid Oregon. Although it has no sales tax, the business climate is increasingly hostile.
      Thanks for the great advice. Will definitely be looking into Delaware. Reason I thought of Nevada is because I see ads on TV here all the time from companies offering quic and easy Nevada incorporation services.

      No wonder CA is broke. They are making it so hard for businesses to stay here and big companies are moving out of the state. That's not a good thing no matter which way you look at it.

      Cheers

      Cheers
      Signature

      I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

      Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2773160].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mkpoway
      Couple quick questions for all you amazon affiliates:

      1. On a review-themed site, do you list the prices of the products you are promoting, or just hope people click though to Amazon and see the prices there?

      2. In your review itself, how many affiliate links do you place? I'm currently placing 3 affiliate links in my 400-word reviews - one at the beginning, one at the end, and one on a picture of the product. Will Google frown upon this?

      Thanks!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2774354].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by mkpoway View Post

        Couple quick questions for all you amazon affiliates:

        1. On a review-themed site, do you list the prices of the products you are promoting, or just hope people click though to Amazon and see the prices there?

        2. In your review itself, how many affiliate links do you place? I'm currently placing 3 affiliate links in my 400-word reviews - one at the beginning, one at the end, and one on a picture of the product. Will Google frown upon this?

        Thanks!
        1. It's something you need to test. One consideration is that Amazon pricing is dynamic. For some items, the price can change from day to day, or even hour to hour. So unless you are using the API or something to keep the prices updated, I wouldn't do it. One thing to test, though, is a link that says something like 'click here for today's low price'. It's similar to what Amazon does when they offer deals below standard pricing - you have to click a link for a pop-up or put the item in your cart to see the price.

        2. Why would Google frown on this? Three links is not a big deal. I use pretty much the same setup. I usually link the product name, the picture and some type of call to action. Perfectly reasonable behavior...
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2777329].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
        Originally Posted by tribros View Post

        What do you guys think about the following method with Amazon Affiliate program?
        http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...al-estate.html

        What's your experience? Any inputs?
        I kept up with that thread for the 1st couple of day but haven't read all the way through so I might have missed something but my guess is that it's possible to use that strategy with Amazon.

        I used an Amazon plug-in, no unique content and put up some exact match domains using low comp keywords. The sites ranked well - at first. Then they began to sink. They made a couple of sales but nothing outstanding. Makes me think there's some churn effect where the old sites drop off and new sites have to be added to replace them and the challenge becomes putting up new ones faster than the age rate of the older stuff.

        Doable, I suppose, but I hated the process. I wasn't proud of those sites. I couldn't connect with them. Some people can follow that kind of strategy and separate themselves from the sites but I couldn't do it. The thought of keeping up with all of those domains and registrations seems like a nightmare. I'd love it if I could achieve the same income with fewer sites.

        Originally Posted by mkpoway View Post

        Couple quick questions for all you amazon affiliates:

        1. On a review-themed site, do you list the prices of the products you are promoting, or just hope people click though to Amazon and see the prices there?

        2. In your review itself, how many affiliate links do you place? I'm currently placing 3 affiliate links in my 400-word reviews - one at the beginning, one at the end, and one on a picture of the product. Will Google frown upon this?

        Thanks!
        I started to list the prices and then read in Amazon's TOS something about not listing prices without actually using their data feed to keep them up to date so I took them off. I do categorize prices by price band ($200-300, 300-400, etc), though, using post tags and I suggest the visitor click through to Amazon by saying something like "check current pricing here", "compare prices here", "Amazon had the lowest price" - any of them hyperlinked with my affiliate link. I also use "click to order on Amazon" buttons.

        I have some reviews that have 3-5 links and some that have 10-15. My longest review is around 2500 words and has 12 affiliate links - a mix of images and text links. I always put rel="nofollow" in the HTML for the affiliate link just to be safe. The number of links doesn't seem to have held me back in ranking my home page or my individual reviews.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2777501].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author mkpoway
          Hey Sojourn,

          Thanks for the answers and for keeping up with the thread.

          Just to clarify: in every one of your affiliate links, you manually add the phrase rel="nofollow" into the affiliate link? So the html would be:

          <a href="www.amazon.com/whatever.html" rel="no follow">

          is that right?
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2781224].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author mkpoway
          Sojourn,

          Also, I just got around to using Hubpages and Squidoo today. Do you put your affiliate links directly into your hubs & your lenses, or do you only link to your review site?
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2781229].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author JRCarson
            Originally Posted by mkpoway View Post

            Sojourn,

            Also, I just got around to using Hubpages and Squidoo today. Do you put your affiliate links directly into your hubs & your lenses, or do you only link to your review site?
            You have to be careful with Hubpages, but I have affiliate links in most of my hubs. Squidoo, don't worry about it.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2782059].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
            Originally Posted by mkpoway View Post

            Hey Sojourn,

            Thanks for the answers and for keeping up with the thread.

            Just to clarify: in every one of your affiliate links, you manually add the phrase rel="nofollow" into the affiliate link? So the html would be:

            <a href="www.amazon.com/whatever.html" rel="no follow">

            is that right?
            Yes. I've made it a practice to do this on my websites and on my web 2.0 sites if they contain an Amazon (or other) affiliate link.


            Originally Posted by mkpoway View Post

            Sojourn,

            Also, I just got around to using Hubpages and Squidoo today. Do you put your affiliate links directly into your hubs & your lenses, or do you only link to your review site?
            Yes, but I link to my site first. I'd read somewhere (probably on this forum) that outbound links earlier on the page get a greater share of any passed link juice. No idea if that's true or not but between that and the fact that I'd really like to get the lens traffic over to my site, I figure I have nothing to lose putting the link to my site early on the lens and any Amazon affiliate links later on the lens.

            I do an intro module with a paragraph and an image, then a text module with a paragraph or two and say something like "you can compare features here: purple striped shower curtains (anchor text to site)".

            I might do another couple of paragraphs and images and then I'll do some Amazon product image links.

            The goal of the lens is to get a nice backlink but if the lens is done well it will also get decent traffic. Plus, initially, your lens might outrank your main page for your main keyword. Not all of that traffic will follow your link so why pass up the opportunity to get them to Amazon instead? Figure the combination gets the best of both worlds.

            I do the same with Hubpages but you have to adhere to their more restrictive outbound link policy.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2783202].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author TallShip
          I can relate to what you said Sojourn:

          Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post


          Doable, I suppose, but I hated the process. I wasn't proud of those sites. I couldn't connect with them. Some people can follow that kind of strategy and separate themselves from the sites but I couldn't do it.
          For me, part of the value of my sites is that I regard them as an extension of myself, albeit a virtual one. The content has to reflect my own emphasis on quality and value for the people who may be viewing it. I approach it as if I were actually going to be speaking with a friend or neighbor.

          Of course this means my site development is a lot more thought out and purposeful too, which takes time. I've been providing good, valuable content for years, and Google seems to recognize that. (based on how fast I can get content to page one) Kind of like a digital reputation rating or something.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2803944].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tribros
    What do you guys think about the following method with Amazon Affiliate program?
    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...al-estate.html

    What's your experience? Any inputs?
    Signature
    >> ** Discover 1,000's of Unique and Quality PLR Articles, PLR Ebooks, Softwares, Audios, Videos and other Private Label Rights products... Choose from 1,000's of Topics and Categories... Get Instant Access!! Make a Quick PLR Search...** <<
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2773008].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author discrat
      This Thread is really awesome for people wanting to learn more about being an Amazon Affiliate. I am subscribing to it for future reference.
      Signature

      Nothing to see here including a Sig so just move on :)

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2783719].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Steve Hines
        I've been reading through this thread for a while, and want to thank everyone for the input that has gone into this particular subject.

        Curious though, what would the general consensus be on review length?

        I've had minor success with longer reviews (1,000+ words) and a little bit of success with shorter reviews (500 words or less). So far my efforts have been spotty, so my successes have been nothing that I can measure effectively.

        Which model has proven more successful for the folks here - longer copy for the reviews or shorter copy?

        I am getting ready to write a bunch of new reviews and revise some old ones and would like to know what you all think. I know either can work, but want to know if anyone has any concrete reasons why one would be more effective than the other.

        Thanks.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2790369].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author careybaird
          Originally Posted by hines418 View Post

          I've had minor success with longer reviews (1,000+ words) and a little bit of success with shorter reviews (500 words or less). So far my efforts have been spotty, so my successes have been nothing that I can measure effectively.
          There is no right or wrong to this - a good short review will work for some products and a long comprehensive review will work for others.

          Try to stop thinking in formulas and take a look at the product you are reviewing. Don't count the words - just write a good review about the product. What are the plus points? The negatives? Tricks and tips. Nice pictures. Who is it suitable for? Who might be disappointed?

          Also look at how it is presented on the page - break it up with some bullet points, some bold text, headings and pictures.
          Signature

          Owner of:

          [
          Fresh Store Builder]

          The worlds most advanced Amazon store builder with over 17,000 members.

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2790387].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author sarahberra
    Why do text links convert so much better than widgets? It use to be the other way around.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2790947].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    Here is something I don't quite understand...

    I know you shouldn't use brand names or trademarks in domain names. How exactly do you choose a domain name for certain products then?

    Say you want to promote a specific line of items (made up product) "general electric toastmaster 502" and it gets a decent number of searches a month and you could easily get into the top results. But you can't use "generalelectrictoastmaster502 .com" or "toastmaster502 .com" as your domain because of the risk of getting in trouble. If you wanted to target something like "toaster reviews" it would be almost impossible to break into the front page of google, or say you wanted to do the general type of product like "buy toasters online" but that gets hardly any searches per month.

    Is something like "buytoastersonline .com/toastmaster502" good enough to get into google? Or should the keywords really be in the domain?
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2794027].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author SoEasyMoney
      Originally Posted by mattward View Post

      Here is something I don't quite understand...

      I know you shouldn't use brand names or trademarks in domain names. How exactly do you choose a brand name for certain products then?

      Say you want to promote a specific line of items (made up product) "general electric toastmaster 502" and it gets a decent number of searches a month and you could easily get into the top results. But you can't use "generalelectrictoastmaster502 .com" or "toastmaster502 .com" as your domain because of the risk of getting in trouble. If you wanted to target something like "toaster reviews" it would be almost impossible to break into the front page of google, or say you wanted to do the general type of product like "buy toasters online" but that gets hardly any searches per month.

      Is something like "buytoastersonline .com/toastmaster502" good enough to get into google? Or should the keywords really be in the domain?
      This is a great question and I've also wondered this many times myself. Will be anxious to see what others think of this.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2794180].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author dfs_dean
      Originally Posted by mattward View Post

      Here is something I don't quite understand...

      I know you shouldn't use brand names or trademarks in domain names. How exactly do you choose a domain name for certain products then?

      Say you want to promote a specific line of items (made up product) "general electric toastmaster 502" and it gets a decent number of searches a month and you could easily get into the top results. But you can't use "generalelectrictoastmaster502 .com" or "toastmaster502 .com" as your domain because of the risk of getting in trouble. If you wanted to target something like "toaster reviews" it would be almost impossible to break into the front page of google, or say you wanted to do the general type of product like "buy toasters online" but that gets hardly any searches per month.

      Is something like "buytoastersonline .com/toastmaster502" good enough to get into google? Or should the keywords really be in the domain?
      Regardless of what the domain name is, the site can be called "general electric toastmaster 502 review" or something similar. And, posts can have all sorts of variations of the product name in their titles. While you don't necessarily get the exact domain name boost to SEO, site and article titles help a lot too.

      Peace
      Signature
      Find something to enjoy about reality. It's not going to go away.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2794236].message }}
  • {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2794252].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author SK123
    What a heap of tutorials in here!- all from a simple question from Waken!
    Long a go I had passed over Amazon when I saw the low commissions.

    But now... No way, I've just been through "WF Amazon Booth Camp" in here-spiced with numerous undeniable testimonials. I've only got one option right now: to simply get started on this...

    Thanks so much Warriors for your generous sharing.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2803511].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author phpnetpro
    I don't think I have chimed in on this thread yet.

    I do think there is a lot of merit to these websites. I personally run a number of them myself and still actively make new ones that make good money.

    Depending on what type of niche you get into, you may have more work cut out for you. Some of the people make it seem easier than it really is, although that may be because they outsource nearly everything. It is a lot of work, but once you can get a site running and marketed properly, it will often not require much attention. You should keep your sites updated once a month or so at the very least though, just so they don't become stagnant in the eyes of the search engines.

    I like to get very specific with my product targeting, especially with Amazon products. I try to make a site based on just a couple of products or a small line or products.

    I will grace all of you with one decent example of my work in this area. I know most people won't spill their niche secrets, but I don't mind sharing one. Don't try to join in on this niche because there is not much left for decent keyword domains - just use this as an example for your own niches.

    I have recently (in the last two weeks or so) made a new site promoting amazon products for a particular niche: dog crates.

    My site and keyword:Dog Crate Sizes

    Although the site is extremely new, I already have a Google top ten ranking for "dog crate sizes". I make much simpler sites than this one, but the 20-30 pages for this site do help to make it a bit more powerful with search engines. I put this site together, from scratch, in about 4 days. I have been doing a bit of marketing every day or two since I made the site live. I get daily traffic to the site, all of it is free traffic. I send daily traffic to amazon. I haven't had sales every day but I have had over $400 in sales just since it started.

    The key is to make a site that may actually be useful to people and at least somewhat unique for a search engine. Figure out what they are looking for, give it to them and them pass them along to the next step (which, for us, we prefer to be the buying stage). You can target certain products and buying keywords, but you can also have quite a bit of success if you target the markets that people look at immediately BEFORE they will buy something. This allows you to insert yourself as the middleman .
    Signature
    Need more organic search traffic? SideBacon SEO Experts

    My free, step-by-step training course: Build a WordPress Website
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2803972].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author careybaird
      Your points that are exactly what I always preach

      Originally Posted by phpnetpro View Post

      Some of the people make it seem easier than it really is, although that may be because they outsource nearly everything.
      I wouldn't have been able to make a business online if I didn't start doing this. It is hard to let go but you must - you can't do everything. Give people clear instructions, reinvest your profits and get good people on board.

      Originally Posted by phpnetpro View Post

      The key is to make a site that may actually be useful to people and at least somewhat unique for a search engine. Figure out what they are looking for, give it to them and them pass them along to the next step (which, for us, we prefer to be the buying stage).
      Exactly that, make a site that is useful. This is what makes Google happy and is the ethos of the internet - you can't go against those two things.

      I always ask myself - would you be proud to show people that website?
      Signature

      Owner of:

      [
      Fresh Store Builder]

      The worlds most advanced Amazon store builder with over 17,000 members.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2806754].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JRCarson
      Originally Posted by phpnetpro View Post

      I don't think I have chimed in on this thread yet.

      I do think there is a lot of merit to these websites. I personally run a number of them myself and still actively make new ones that make good money.

      Depending on what type of niche you get into, you may have more work cut out for you. Some of the people make it seem easier than it really is, although that may be because they outsource nearly everything. It is a lot of work, but once you can get a site running and marketed properly, it will often not require much attention. You should keep your sites updated once a month or so at the very least though, just so they don't become stagnant in the eyes of the search engines.

      I like to get very specific with my product targeting, especially with Amazon products. I try to make a site based on just a couple of products or a small line or products.

      I will grace all of you with one decent example of my work in this area. I know most people won't spill their niche secrets, but I don't mind sharing one. Don't try to join in on this niche because there is not much left for decent keyword domains - just use this as an example for your own niches.

      I have recently (in the last two weeks or so) made a new site promoting amazon products for a particular niche: dog crates.

      My site and keyword:Dog Crate Sizes

      Although the site is extremely new, I already have a Google top ten ranking for "dog crate sizes". I make much simpler sites than this one, but the 20-30 pages for this site do help to make it a bit more powerful with search engines. I put this site together, from scratch, in about 4 days. I have been doing a bit of marketing every day or two since I made the site live. I get daily traffic to the site, all of it is free traffic. I send daily traffic to amazon. I haven't had sales every day but I have had over $400 in sales just since it started.

      The key is to make a site that may actually be useful to people and at least somewhat unique for a search engine. Figure out what they are looking for, give it to them and them pass them along to the next step (which, for us, we prefer to be the buying stage). You can target certain products and buying keywords, but you can also have quite a bit of success if you target the markets that people look at immediately BEFORE they will buy something. This allows you to insert yourself as the middleman .
      phpnetpro,

      That's a really nice Wordpress site, and you make some great points. If you can really be useful with your content, then people will surf your site for a number of minutes, and get all the information they need to make a purchase decision. Done.

      ...GEEZ that's a nice site....Did you use table widgets for those tables that anyone could use? Or did you do a lot of programming yourself (hence your name!)?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2806923].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    Nice to see an example of something that is working.

    I have to ask, though, what percentage of your sales come from google itself? I noticed you have ads on websites. I'm just surprised you can get such a result from being #10 in google with a keyword that doesn't get a lot of searches each month.
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2805589].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author phpnetpro
    Thanks for your comments everyone. I had no idea this many people would be interested in seeing one of these sites running. Only three people said something about it here, but I've had close to 100 people look at the site since I made that post late last night.

    I'll try to address everyone that asked something.


    Nice to see an example of something that is working.

    I have to ask, though, what percentage of your sales come from google itself? I noticed you have ads on websites. I'm just surprised you can get such a result from being #10 in google with a keyword that doesn't get a lot of searches each month.
    I'm getting probably 90% of my traffic from Google. I do get a bit of random traffic from marketing the site (articles on ezine, squidoo lens, topix, etc). I haven't even looked to see if other search engines have the site indexed, although I have submitted an xml sitemap to them all. I'm still just in the beginning stages of marketing the site really.

    I actually only get about 10% of my Google traffic from that particular keyword phrase though. Most of it seems to be other random keyword phrases that have two of my three keywords. From what I've noticed, I already have a number of top two page results besides that one: crate sizes, dog crate size chart, xxl dog crate, dog crate size guide.. just to name a few off the top of my head. I have also seen a lot of traffic for searching relating to a crate size for a particular breed of dog that I've mentioned on the site (ie, what size dog crate do i need for a cocker spaniel).

    Another thing to consider is that the google keyword tool isn't always right.

    I'll probably kick myself for giving this one away, but here goes..

    Ever since Google's instant search went live, SOME of the search dynamics have been changing. This really only holds true for searches performed on Google.com, but it's still a lot of searching. They have changed by altering people's searching habits since they will get suggested results as they type.

    For my particular site, consider an alternate search phrase for my exact keyword search - dog crate sizes could easily be searched as "dog crate size". The problem is that I don't rank on the first page for that phrase. However, since instant search went live, my keyword phrase became the preferred keyword phrase. Go to google.com and start to type in the phrase "dog crate sizes". As soon as you get to the first "s", you are automatically shown the results from "dog crate sizes". As a result, a certain portion of people that were going to search for "dog crate size" end up searching for "dog crate sizes". Google keyword tool doesn't pick up on short term trends in searching. If you can get in on a keyword that is on it's way up, you'll get there before every other internet marketer has tried to register the domain name.

    Something that a lot of people probably don't know about the keyword tool is that you can actually get more data for any given keyword phrase that Google has data for. Simply download a CSV export of the search data and you'll end up with a spreadsheet that will show you local (Google) monthly search volume for all of the keyword phrases you're looking at.

    My other reasoning for going for that keyword phrase is that it's on an upward trend on Google for about the last four years straight. Google predicts it will peak in spring of 2011, getting more traffic for "dog crate sizes" than has ever been searched before.

    I am getting most of my sales from Google and a few from my squidoo lens. Hopefully my traffic explanation above helps to clarify why it's able to do so good so quickly. I think once the site is completely marketed and grows to it's full potential, it may be one of my best performing VRE sites.

    I wouldn't have been able to make a business online if I didn't start doing this. It is hard to let go but you must - you can't do everything. Give people clear instructions, reinvest your profits and get good people on board.

    Exactly that, make a site that is useful. This is what makes Google happy and is the ethos of the internet - you can't go against those two things.

    I always ask myself - would you be proud to show people that website?
    I complete agree with you, except for the outsourcing part. Maybe I'm just anal about it, but I can't bring myself to outsource. I never have and don't know if I ever will. I may outsource to get someone to do basic stuff to help me run a website, but I can't have someone else make my sites for me. It rolls back to the question you mention in the end of your post - "would you be proud to show people that website?" - I'd spend more time explaining what I want and picking over tiny little things that it would just be easier to do it myself. Sure, I can only do one project at a time but I don't really feel the need to be doing more than that - keeps me focused.

    I am totally not saying that my stance on outsourcing is right for everyone or even most people. It's just right for me. I can sometimes be picky about the way I want a particular site to look or function. I am also picky about quality - I could never bring myself to hire a non-native English speaker to write content for me. It makes me cringe just thinking about it. The other reason is that there is not much that I need that I cannot do myself. Most people need someone to do their graphics, custom programming, etc for their websites. I definitely have an advantage there being able to do my own work and literally make any of my sites work exactly how I want them to (more on this in response to the next post).

    phpnetpro,

    That's a really nice Wordpress site, and you make some great points. If you can really be useful with your content, then people will surf your site for a number of minutes, and get all the information they need to make a purchase decision. Done.

    ...GEEZ that's a nice site....Did you use table widgets for those tables that anyone could use? Or did you do a lot of programming yourself (hence your name!)?
    Thanks for your kind words. I do have a fairly low bounce rate on the site so far and a pretty decent page view average per visitor. I have not taken the time to calculate my conversion rates for this particular site though. I usually wait a bit longer to do that (maybe after a full month of regular traffic).

    I am happy to hear someone compliment my site. I usually don't get to share these sites with people (by choice), so I almost never get feedback on them. I didn't use any kind of special plugin for the tables. It did take a decent amount of custom work to make it the way it is. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I've left it alone for the time being to see how it does. I may be switching from the amazon widget to a custom widget that uses image/text only links combined with some info. If you ask me, those amazon widgets just suck - most of them. The way they always cut off information. That sort of thing bugs me, lol.

    I really like using Wordpress and will sometimes use another CMS like Drupal, but I kinda prefer to use Wordpress for this type of website. They're really easy to update, Google loves wordpress sites and I like a lot of the features like auto-ping. Google usually indexes my website before I ever finish it, which is something I need to be careful about because they have indexed some bad/temporary pages before that took a while to get reindexed.

    With this site, I ended up using a php plugin so I can use php code within a page or post. The main page of the site, the size guide and the pricing chart are all nothing but a php include line to bring in the content of those pages from a php file I've made. I have a lot of the information stored in arrays in a file that gets included by those three files. It puts all of the information where it needs to be and if I need to change something, I just have to change it in one place to reflect across the entire site.

    The actual product pages have a php include line to show the styled table with the product info. Same as before, all of that info is held in a single file that generates all of the files and tables for me. They're not actually tables though. I think google likes sites that use div's over real tables. Tables just make for some very bulky code. I then have the article for each product written below the php include line for each product post.

    I do think that this is probably the most modified Wordpress VRE site I've made. I just have an idea when I registered the domain name and did what needed to be done to make it a reality.

    I have thought about making some Wordpress plugins to distribute or sell. Selling is always nice, but sometimes giving away a plugin can work wonders for backlink building .

    Whew, I think I'm spent. I think that may be the longest post I ever made here. Hope I've helped some people out there. Be kind and stay away from my niches, lol.
    Signature
    Need more organic search traffic? SideBacon SEO Experts

    My free, step-by-step training course: Build a WordPress Website
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2807987].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author SK123
      Originally Posted by phpnetpro View Post

      I'll probably kick myself for giving this one away, but here goes..

      Ever since Google's instant search went live, SOME of the search dynamics have been changing. This really only holds true for searches performed on Google.com, but it's still a lot of searching. They have changed by altering people's searching habits since they will get suggested results as they type.

      For my particular site, consider an alternate search phrase for my exact keyword search - dog crate sizes could easily be searched as "dog crate size". The problem is that I don't rank on the first page for that phrase. However, since instant search went live, my keyword phrase became the preferred keyword phrase. Go to google.com and start to type in the phrase "dog crate sizes". As soon as you get to the first "s", you are automatically shown the results from "dog crate sizes". As a result, a certain portion of people that were going to search for "dog crate size" end up searching for "dog crate sizes". Google keyword tool doesn't pick up on short term trends in searching. If you can get in on a keyword that is on it's way up, you'll get there before every other internet marketer has tried to register the domain name.

      Something that a lot of people probably don't know about the keyword tool is that you can actually get more data for any given keyword phrase that Google has data for. Simply download a CSV export of the search data and you'll end up with a spreadsheet that will show you local (Google) monthly search volume for all of the keyword phrases you're looking at...
      Thanks for that insight into the unfolding trend in Google searches. I think to be ahead of the curve, one really needs to do this for one's keywords and have an idea of what other keyword options may be appearing as a search is being typed in. With this idea, you could then refocus your contents to be optimized in this direction as well.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2810498].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by hines418 View Post

      Curious though, what would the general consensus be on review length?

      Which model has proven more successful for the folks here - longer copy for the reviews or shorter copy?
      Longer reviews work for me and my topic but the product has lots of features and buttons so there's more to write about. I really liked careybaird's comment "Stop thinking in formulas". Write what makes sense for the product. Find out what causes people to do their research before buying it, do their research for them, include that research in your review.

      What I didn't really understand when I started this site was I CAN ALWAYS CHANGE IT LATER. I could add information. I could add a table of contents to make it easier to navigate around the review. I could add more images. I could move the order of the sections in the review. I could add more content. The posts on my site that have generated the most money get on-going love and attention.

      Originally Posted by mattward View Post

      Here is something I don't quite understand...

      I know you shouldn't use brand names or trademarks in domain names. How exactly do you choose a domain name for certain products then?

      Say you want to promote a specific line of items (made up product) "general electric toastmaster 502" and it gets a decent number of searches a month and you could easily get into the top results. But you can't use "generalelectrictoastmaster502 .com" or "toastmaster502 .com" as your domain because of the risk of getting in trouble. If you wanted to target something like "toaster reviews" it would be almost impossible to break into the front page of google, or say you wanted to do the general type of product like "buy toasters online" but that gets hardly any searches per month.

      Is something like "buytoastersonline .com/toastmaster502" good enough to get into google? Or should the keywords really be in the domain?
      In your example, buytoastersonline .com /toastmaster502 is going to be just fine as long as your content is relevant, useful, well optimized. Getting the words in your domain or in your URL is nice, but not necessary. There are plenty of examples where sites rank #1 for keywords that aren't in their domain or URL. When you're just starting out you need all the help you can get so these are often recommendations you'll find from others but it's not the only way. If you wrote a great review of that toaster and put it on your personal blog at greeneggsandham .com with post titled "making toast with my green eggs and ham" you could still rank #1 for "toastmaster 502" or "toastmaster 502 review" as long as you included that text in your review, promoted the page the right way, used those phrases as anchor text here and there, and had a better combination of SEO and authority than your strongest competitor for those phrases.

      Sure, if you do toasterreviews .com you might have a hard time ranking initially (actually, that exact example would be an easy one...) but your individual reviews are likely going to bring you the first traffic anyway. As you collect a number of different toaster reviews in your site and your backlinks and site promotion efforts grow that can help both your individual posts in the rankings as well as your home page. Before you know it, you're the king or queen of toasters. My site ranks high for several specific brand name searches but the brand name isn't in my actual domain - just in the post title and URL. In fact, I just outranked the manufacturer for one model. Only Amazon is standing in my way for that one!

      Originally Posted by FullSails View Post

      The content has to reflect my own emphasis on quality and value for the people who may be viewing it. I approach it as if I were actually going to be speaking with a friend or neighbor.

      Of course this means my site development is a lot more thought out and purposeful too, which takes time. I've been providing good, valuable content for years, and Google seems to recognize that. (based on how fast I can get content to page one) Kind of like a digital reputation rating or something.
      Exactly. I even have visitors who ask me things that go against putting money in my pocket. "Could you review model abc?" when I know abc can't be bought online yet so I'm not going to make anything from that review. Or they include a comment telling others when a store that doesn't have an affiliate program is having a sale on the model. Since I manually approve all comments I always hesitate...do I really want to put this comment up on the site that helps pay my bills? Do I really want to take the time to write a review on a product that isn't going to make me money? And then, I do. I put it up. Or I write the review. How can I really be known as "an expert" or become a valued source of information if I hide information or intend to deceive? I can't do it. I realize that doing work that seams anti-income is really still valuable because it provides value to my visitors which flows back to me in other ways.

      Originally Posted by phpnetpro View Post

      The main page of the site, the size guide and the pricing chart are all nothing but a php include line to bring in the content of those pages from a php file I've made. I have a lot of the information stored in arrays in a file that gets included by those three files. It puts all of the information where it needs to be and if I need to change something, I just have to change it in one place to reflect across the entire site.

      The actual product pages have a php include line to show the styled table with the product info. Same as before, all of that info is held in a single file that generates all of the files and tables for me. They're not actually tables though. I think google likes sites that use div's over real tables. Tables just make for some very bulky code. I then have the article for each product written below the php include line for each product post.
      That's it!!! Your tables!!! They're perfect! I use WP Table Reloaded to generate tables on my site and I use them in a number of ways but they don't look as slick as yours and, yes the code is bulky. I only partially understand how you did it with php but I might have to investigate further.

      I hope people check out your site and click around as an example of how to lay out useful information in a way that is visually easy to digest. We've talked about lengthy reviews because more words usually means more traffic from search engines but then you also have to make it easy for your visitor to navigate those longer reviews and you've done a great job with that.

      Nicely done, phpnetpro. Thanks for sharing!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2811818].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    This is gold, thanks a lot. It also makes me feel like I'm REALLY over-analyzing my keyword research.

    edit: small question about Amazon. Do you get a much smaller cut if someone buys a 3rd party item from the site through your affiliate link?
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2808892].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Tyrus Antas
    If you're making a niche site around a certain topic
    and then send all that traffic away to Amazon, why
    not simply create a newsletter and get people
    to sign up?

    That way you don't sell just once, you have an
    opportunity to sell again and again.

    Tyrus
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2810518].message }}
  • {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2811003].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author SK123
    Hello Warriors,
    When investigating for an appropriate niche to promote in Amazon, what figures do you use as a guide to determine if you're gonna stand a chance in that niche:
    i.e:
    (1). Using Google Free Keyword Tool, What "search volume" brackets do you consider as being "acceptable" ?

    (2). What Competition do you consider as your upper limit?
    {beyond which you'll simply pass over that product}

    I'll greatly appreciate candid opinions.
    Thank you.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2818801].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Bryan V
      Wow I can't believe this thread has grown so much since I have last looked at it. Thanks for the great share on the crate website.

      Originally Posted by SK123 View Post

      Hello Warriors,
      When investigating for an appropriate niche to promote in Amazon, what figures do you use as a guide to determine if you're gonna stand a chance in that niche:
      i.e:
      (1). Using Google Free Keyword Tool, What "search volume" brackets do you consider as being "acceptable" ?

      (2). What Competition do you consider as your upper limit?
      {beyond which you'll simply pass over that product}

      I'll greatly appreciate candid opinions.
      Thank you.
      1. If a product gives a $10-20 commission, I'm happy settling for a lower search volume. If its lower, I will want a higher # of searchers. If it is a buying keyword, I will also settle for lower volume. It just depends what's worth it for your time.

      2. I have seen lots of guides and people to tell you that PR3 is the max they want to see on the top 10. However, easier, faster ranking is usually the case when most of the sites are pr N/A, 0, and 1.

      I pick them based on what I know I can personally outrank based on the top 10's optimization, backlinks, and if I can out-awesome their content. I can only learn this by doing.
      Signature
      Perhaps an attic I shall seek.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2819695].message }}
      • When I look at my amazon stats, I see crazy figures like hundreds of thousands of impressions, while the sites in questions maybe get 3k uniques a month. Still no earnings. Why is that?
        Signature
        [ENDORSED BY LMC]
        Stop Building Backlinks The OLD Way, Use >THIS< Instead!


        >Let Me Build HIGH QUALITY Backlinks For You!<
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2819739].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author SK123
        Originally Posted by pack12 View Post


        1. If a product gives a $10-20 commission, I'm happy settling for a lower search volume. If its lower, I will want a higher # of searchers. If it is a buying keyword, I will also settle for lower volume. It just depends what's worth it for your time.
        Thank you for the tip. However, when you say "I'm happy settling for a lower search volume..." Can you add a figure to that. Assuming the commission falls within $10-20, what search volume would you consider too low- based on your experience- (I'm somewhat new on these...:confused
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2819793].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Bryan V
          Originally Posted by SK123 View Post

          Thank you for the tip. However, when you say "I'm happy settling for a lower search volume..." Can you add a figure to that. Assuming the commission falls within $10-20, what search volume would you consider too low- based on your experience- (I'm somewhat new on these...:confused
          You can break it down yourself to see what's worth it for your time.

          My average amazon conversion is about 3% of the total visitors with "buying" keywords. So if you can get a term that has 1000 searches a month.. let's say you can rank #1 and get about 30% of that traffic--thats 300 hits a month. If you can convert 3%, that's 9 sales a month.

          Is 9 sales at $10-20 commission worth it for the amount of time/money it takes YOU to rank that page? Only you can decide. There's a lot of assuming in that example though. The numbers will vary.

          "Success is buried under a pile of failure."
          Signature
          Perhaps an attic I shall seek.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2824182].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author theentry
            Originally Posted by pack12 View Post

            You can break it down yourself to see what's worth it for your time.

            My average amazon conversion is about 3% of the total visitors with "buying" keywords. So if you can get a term that has 1000 searches a month.. let's say you can rank #1 and get about 30% of that traffic--thats 300 hits a month. If you can convert 3%, that's 9 sales a month.
            The conversation rate of your site or the site your are sending to?
            I'm usually counting the conv. ratio of the tour/site page I'm sending to.
            Signature
            Nifty Stats - the best free software to track your progress
            at multiple affiliate programs within one interface. Give it a try!
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2824201].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Bryan V
              Originally Posted by theentry View Post

              The conversation rate of your site or the site your are sending to?
              I'm usually counting the conv. ratio of the tour/site page I'm sending to.
              My conversion is usually 5-7% of clicks to Amazon's site. Pretty average I think.
              Signature
              Perhaps an attic I shall seek.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2865410].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author JamieSEO
                My conversion for Amazon is definitely not too flash

                Will definitely put to use some of the suggestions on this forum though to improve it
                Signature

                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2866125].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author SK123
            Originally Posted by pack12 View Post

            You can break it down yourself to see what's worth it for your time.

            My average amazon conversion is about 3% of the total visitors with "buying" keywords. So if you can get a term that has 1000 searches a month.. let's say you can rank #1 and get about 30% of that traffic--thats 300 hits a month. If you can convert 3%, that's 9 sales a month.

            Is 9 sales at $10-20 commission worth it for the amount of time/money it takes YOU to rank that page? Only you can decide. There's a lot of assuming in that example though. The numbers will vary.

            "Success is buried under a pile of failure."
            I can see what you mean- it's got to be a personal judgment- depending of what you think is "right" for you. And what is "right" can very much be verified after you've soaked your feet in the waters!
            (maybe I'm sticking too much to the numbers-perhaps over cautious!)

            Thanks for clarifying that.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2883765].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author JRCarson
              Originally Posted by SK123 View Post

              I can see what you mean- it's got to be a personal judgment- depending of what you think is "right" for you. And what is "right" can very much be verified after you've soaked your feet in the waters!
              (maybe I'm sticking too much to the numbers-perhaps over cautious!)

              Thanks for clarifying that.
              I just wanted to chime in that it's not about the numbers as much as looking and seeing what is popular on Amazon, then trying to write content for keywords that people are looking for, then assessing.

              I make quite a bit of money from a couple sites with keywords that are ALL "-" in the Google Keyword Tool (no information).

              These sites have products that are brand new. There's no data on Google for these!

              Sometimes the best products/keywords will have no data whatsoever, just a gut feeling, or observation around you will show that they are selling.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2890440].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author phpnetpro
                Originally Posted by JRCarson View Post

                I make quite a bit of money from a couple sites with keywords that are ALL "-" in the Google Keyword Tool (no information).

                These sites have products that are brand new. There's no data on Google for these!

                Sometimes the best products/keywords will have no data whatsoever, just a gut feeling, or observation around you will show that they are selling.

                This is completely true. I am having the most success with keywords that are recently gaining traffic - new products, new technology, etc. I swear some people have gone through Google info and grabbed anything with exact searches over 1000/month, so it seems like the only thing you can grab are up and coming keywords. They work quite well and most people brush them aside without giving them a second thought.
                Signature
                Need more organic search traffic? SideBacon SEO Experts

                My free, step-by-step training course: Build a WordPress Website
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2891129].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author ryanjm
                  ^I question whether google actually measures CTR and uses it for ranking...wouldn't it have to add a tracking cookie to the user's browser to see what they do after they leave google's site? Also, what if your site is just one long page? You would have 100% bounce rate even if the info is good, right?

                  Originally Posted by phpnetpro View Post

                  I swear some people have gone through Google info and grabbed anything with exact searches over 1000/month, so it seems like the only thing you can grab are up and coming keywords.
                  Yep. I've run WHOIS on some domains I wanted and the dns server is THIS-DOMAIN-FOR-SALE. It was pretty obvious when I looked at the site...it was just a bunch of gobbledy-gook nonsense that had nothing to do with the product it should have been promoting. The most confusing thing is that they don't make use of their domain before they sell it...such a waste.
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2891270].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ryanjm
    I read through about 6-7 pages of this thread, and I guess the answer to the OP's question is: Yes, but not many people are. The only person in the thread that I saw who posted 'real' money was PaulaC, and she said "we are making" which implies that she shares that $70k with someone, so it's not even all hers. I don't say that to demean anyone's work, but it just surprises me when I've seen other threads with titles like "150+ sites making $5-50/day" so I was expecting a lot of 6-figure people in the thread.

    Maybe there are just more dreamers than people able to implement the type of mass-site strategy needed to make real money? Like, if you have 10-20 sites and you just hover over and tend them like a garden, you can't make 'real' money I don't think.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2889097].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author phpnetpro
      Originally Posted by ryanjm View Post

      Maybe there are just more dreamers than people able to implement the type of mass-site strategy needed to make real money? Like, if you have 10-20 sites and you just hover over and tend them like a garden, you can't make 'real' money I don't think.

      I think you're right here to a certain extent, although I guess it depends on how successful those 10-20 sites are. If they all make $50/day, you're doing pretty good.

      I've been working online for over 15 years and started out running only a couple of sites. I put years and years worth of development into them and was able to build one of them into a really good site that made me some good money (about $15,000 per month from a single site).

      However, I realized over the last few years that these sites suck the life out of me and I never have the opportunity to expand beyond what I was already doing. That's when I started developing hands-off sites like these amazon sites. The object of these websites is to build a lot of them and to hardly ever have to do anything with them. If I ran newsletters on the sites, I would probably need some help but without them I am able to do it all myself. I do run newsletters on my better websites though.

      Another thing that I wanted to mention because it happened with my dog crate sizes site that I mentioned previously (which is still getting a ton of you guys looking at it). That thing involves the "Google dance". A few days after I posted to this thread, I was up to #4 on my main keyword phrase and in the top ten on quite a few other phrases that were bringing in traffic. Early Monday morning this week, my traffic to the site almost completely died. After some inspection, I couldn't find it in ANY of my keyword phrases - not just on the first page, we're talking 20-30 pages that I checked. At this point, most people that are not familiar with this situation would start to freak out. Check to see if your site is still indexed in Google. If it is, just take a chill pill and wait. Keep doing whatever you do for your site (build pages, links, etc). Your site will return and it should be in the same position or better than it left. Google can throw your site through it's "dance" if you throw a lot of backlinks at it in a short period of time (at least that's what I think causes it - seems to be the only relational thing each time this happens with my sites - almost always happens with new sites but not the old ones). Not long ago (four days after my rankings dropped off the face of Google) the rankings returned exactly where they left off. I thought this would be good to mention to others out there that may have this same problem and start worrying. Whatever you do, DO NOT MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES TO YOUR SITE! This can mess up everything you were working towards and bring you out of the dance worse than you were before.
      Signature
      Need more organic search traffic? SideBacon SEO Experts

      My free, step-by-step training course: Build a WordPress Website
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2889636].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Han Fan

        Google can throw your site through it's "dance" if you throw a lot of backlinks at it in a short period of time (at least that's what I think causes it - seems to be the only relational thing each time this happens with my sites - almost always happens with new sites but not the old ones)
        This is not true...

        If it was true...All I have to do, is building 30,000 Junk link to my competitions site it will bring him down...

        Google is Testing your Link Strength...

        • Your CTR rate
        • Bouncing Rate
        • Type of Links
        • Number of Links

        Google was design to be "end of searches", that means
        when you type "dog collar", the top site must be
        the best content page on that keyword, so people can stop
        searching...

        To test it, google throw any new coming site up
        rank very high at beginning, depends on the competition
        it could last 2 days, 2 weeks, or 2 month....

        to Test your CTR, bouncing rate..

        If you got unique, and valuable content, people
        will most likely CTR, and stay for a long time...

        If your CTR is higher than #1 site, google will place
        yours on the top, that is if everything else is equal...

        Link Velocity, and Link Acceleration is important too...

        How fast you build link and what type of link....

        you want make it look natural to google....

        For example, if you add Profile link one day, next day
        you add in video, blog comments, in random order, it
        does not appear natural to google....

        Here is the step:

        Announce your new site to the web->blogging post->blogging
        comments->Article links->video links->web 2.0->book marks->
        rss feeds...

        This will look like a natural event to google...

        I hope this help you solve the google dance..

        Just create, unique and high quality content...
        it will save you a lot of link building time..

        Let me know if you need anything..

        Han Fan The ArticleMan
        Signature
        - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
        Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2891221].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
          Okay,

          I got quiet few people PM about this... after I post message below...

          Here is thing...

          To success with IM, you just need master two things:

          • Traffic
          • Conversion

          you can be suck at everything else, but if you are master two things above you can make money all day/night long...

          One point I want to point out to newbies is, when you search "keyword" in google, you just search in one database...Google has tons of those through out the world...

          What appears ranking on your screen doesn't appears the same on someone Else's screen ....

          On top of that, google use cookies (google tool bar), track your habit, rank the one highest you mostly likely to want to see 1st...

          to test "true ranking" (there is no absolute true ranking), you have to use ccleaner, logoff your gmail account... go to different location, library, coffee shop, office, your home, type the same keywords...I bet the position shows up differently at different location...

          you can have site shows #110 position, at one location, #1 at another location.... the only way to guess if you are ranking well at all database is watch your cpanel traffic log....

          so don't get so attached to google ranking, focus on traffic generation... instead ranking google all the time...

          if you have low traffic, focus on conversion...pre-sale your amazon product...talk about "the pain" of customer not having the product... get customer emotionally involved...

          We by on "emotion" not "logic"....


          I hope this further clear out the points....

          let me know if you need anything..

          Han





          Originally Posted by Han Fan View Post

          This is not true...

          If it was true...All I have to do, is building 30,000 Junk link to my competitions site it will bring him down...

          Google is Testing your Link Strength...

          • Your CTR rate
          • Bouncing Rate
          • Type of Links
          • Number of Links

          Google was design to be "end of searches", that means
          when you type "dog collar", the top site must be
          the best content page on that keyword, so people can stop
          searching...

          To test it, google throw any new coming site up
          rank very high at beginning, depends on the competition
          it could last 2 days, 2 weeks, or 2 month....

          to Test your CTR, bouncing rate..

          If you got unique, and valuable content, people
          will most likely CTR, and stay for a long time...

          If your CTR is higher than #1 site, google will place
          yours on the top, that is if everything else is equal...

          Link Velocity, and Link Acceleration is important too...

          How fast you build link and what type of link....

          you want make it look natural to google....

          For example, if you add Profile link one day, next day
          you add in video, blog comments, in random order, it
          does not appear natural to google....

          Here is the step:

          Announce your new site to the web->blogging post->blogging
          comments->Article links->video links->web 2.0->book marks->
          rss feeds...

          This will look like a natural event to google...

          I hope this help you solve the google dance..

          Just create, unique and high quality content...
          it will save you a lot of link building time..

          Let me know if you need anything..

          Han Fan The ArticleMan
          Signature
          - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
          Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2909170].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author dremora
            Originally Posted by Han Fan View Post

            Okay,


            What appears ranking on your screen doesn't appears the same on someone Else's screen ....

            On top of that, google use cookies (google tool bar), track your habit, rank the one highest you mostly likely to want to see 1st...

            to test "true ranking" (there is no absolute true ranking), you have to use ccleaner, logoff your gmail account... go to different location, library, coffee shop, office, your home, type the same keywords...I bet the position shows up differently at different location...
            Instead of all that inconvenience, just download and use tor browser. It is a 'clean' version of Firefox, no cookies, no scripts, no flash, no nothing. It routes your connection through different proxies each time you load it, so it's perfect for testing rankings.

            you can have site shows #110 position, at one location, #1 at another location.... the only way to guess if you are ranking well at all database is watch your cpanel traffic log....
            Indeed, check everything, Google Analytics, Wordpress site stats, Apache access logs for a realistic view of your traffic.

            so don't get so attached to google ranking, focus on traffic generation... instead ranking google all the time...
            I know some people who get the bulk of their traffic from referrals and regulars who bookmark the site, and they are doing quite well.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2996893].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jeffczyz
    This is an amazing thread and it's great to see such successful marketers sharing their tips and success with everyone.

    I actually started on Amazon a long time ago, but never really did anything with. I, like many other people, turned my attention towards Clickbank and have done very well in that area.

    However, around May of this year, I started to see lots of changes in the quality of CB products and turned my attention back to Amazon. I actually had a little hobby blog in a niche that was more for my own pure entertainment and dealt with movies and DVD's.

    I started adding in some Amazon products on my hobby blog, which was a PR3, and began to see a few sales here and there. I started to get more serious and adding new content and reviews every few days and eventually started using WP Robot. My daily sales slowly began to increase, but it wasn't anything huge.

    So, like everyone else, I began to focus on traffic and getting some articles, press releases, directory submissions and things like that.

    Now, a few people may not agree with this method, but it worked really, really well for me. While submitting articles for links and traffic works, I ended up opening my blog to guest bloggers and article submissions, of course I approved all articles first.

    What I found is that those authors would spend a ton of their time building links for me and ultimately traffic. Using this method I saw my commissions increase from a few hundred a month on 1 blog to now upwards of 9-10k across 3-4 blogs a month.

    Obviously I repeated what I had learned on my main blog with the others.

    I've also put up several product specific sites that provide indepth reviews, photos and comments in weird niches. The one thing that is always constant, the price of the product is always over $150. While I do know a few people that exclusively target items under $5 and make a ton of money I've never gotten around to trying that method.

    One final tip for finding up and coming niches, and products...Google Insights. There is a goldmine of information sitting there if you know how to use it.

    Jeff
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2893992].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author careybaird
      Originally Posted by jeffczyz View Post


      Now, a few people may not agree with this method, but it worked really, really well for me. While submitting articles for links and traffic works, I ended up opening my blog to guest bloggers and article submissions, of course I approved all articles first.
      If you don't mind me asking, how did you open up your blog to guest bloggers and article submissions? Is this a third party website you have used?

      TIA
      Signature

      Owner of:

      [
      Fresh Store Builder]

      The worlds most advanced Amazon store builder with over 17,000 members.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2894712].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jeffczyz
        Carey - There are a few sites that you can join to find people that want to guest blog on various topics and you pay them.

        However, I used a few wordpress plugins and some article sites like UAW to get articles automatically put on my site.

        What I found is that some, not all, of the content is at least close to my niche. Even with the outgoing links in the articles it's definitely still worth the amount of traffic and 3rd party link building that's done for you.

        Jeff
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2895090].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    I have a question for people that are successful with Amazon, or at least making sales. This is my first ever affiliate marketing site, so bear with me.

    I have a new website, basically following Sojourn's info here, that is getting about 5-10 clickthroughs on my Amazon affiliate links per day (I know, not much). At this point it's generated about 150 total Amazon clicks but zero sales. The site itself currently sits at the bottom of page 1 for the main keyword (buying keyword). Yeah, I know I would get more traffic/clicks if I got the site higher, and I could definitely rank for some other nice keywords with effort, but I'm finding it hard to be motivated to do that because of the bad results so far.

    I know that's not a lot of info to go on, but any opinions on what I should do? I guess that might not be enough data to jump to any conclusion yet? I'm starting to wonder wonder if this is an item that people would rather read info about but then go to buy from a physical store.
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2904328].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by mattward View Post

      At this point it's generated about 150 total Amazon clicks but zero sales. The site itself currently sits at the bottom of page 1 for the main keyword (buying keyword). Yeah, I know I would get more traffic/clicks if I got the site higher, and I could definitely rank for some other nice keywords with effort, but I'm finding it hard to be motivated to do that because of the bad results so far.
      I had a chance to share some notes back and forth with Matt and he's on the right track. Some minor changes should turn some of his traffic into buyers.

      Each person's case will be different but if you find yourself in the same boat as Matt, here's how to analyze what's happening:
      Look carefully and thoughtfully at the phrases that are bringing your traffic.
      If these are phrases potential buyers would use (meaning your traffic is at least relatively targeted to your desired audience) and they're clicking over to Amazon but not buying it might be because:
      • the visitor still had questions when they left your site - research the product further to understand the factors shoppers of this product consider important and tweak your review/site to give them all the information they'd need to get through those factors.
      • found a better price elsewhere - check to see if Walmart has a significantly lower price on your product. If anyone does, it'll be them.
      • this isn't a product that is bought online much. Check the number of reviews on Amazon. The more there are, the better this signals that folks don't mind buying this product online.
      If these are not phrases that indicate potential buyers, your writing is bringing these visitors so you may need to tweak your style in order to include more buyer-oriented keywords.
      Others have had similar questions along the way about various other aspects of their website strategy. Here are some of the common gaps to consider if your own site isn't doing as well as you'd hoped but for different reasons than Matt's:

      1. Review format - does your layout make your review easy to read? People land on your reviews from a variety of phrases, some of which are questions. Can they quickly get to the section of information that might answer those question or are they faced with long blocks of text?
      2. Home page format - visitors landing on your home page need to be given some direction about where to go next. If they don't see some relevant menu tabs, buttons, or article titles they're probably going to leave.
      3. Monitor and analyze traffic stats - understand the phrases that are bringing you traffic, whether or not those are the types of phrases that will bring buyers, and then whether or not you're giving people the information that matches those phrases.
      4. On-page SEO - make use of H1/H2/H3 tags in your site theme and in the body of your posts. Use keywords inside those H1/H2/H3 title tags. Leverage images with good keyword-rich alt tags in your post. Create a nice looking 2-column table in Word that shows a quick overview of your product's features, convert it to an image and insert it in your review for more visual appeal and SEO benefit (Google Images traffic, too). Interlink your pages/posts where it makes sense.
      5. Go deep to beat the competition - You're probably not the first person to write a review on the product. Go check out the competition. Make your review better, easier to read, more detailed, more helpful.
      6. Write non-review, informational posts targeted at buyers: Top 5 ABC's, Best ABC's Under $X, Buying the Best ABC, Where to Find Christmas/Holiday Deals on ABC's for 2010. Make sure these point back to various reviews on your site.
      7. Backlinks - More, varied in type, keep building them.
      If you've got one product review ranking higher in the SERPs than the others, focus on it. Write another post on your site that can link to it, build more backlinks just to that inner page, tweak the review with more information. Create a Squidoo lens, a Hubpage and more articles to point to that single review. When you start to make sales - even one sale - you'll be amazed at how motivating it is to keep going!

      The biggest reason folks don't make sales (not the only one, just the one I see come up more often) is that they give up too early. When you first start out building any sort of path to online income there's often this great hope, this beautiful future vision - you're going to build the key to an entire life-changing event and riches will poor in and gold will flow from your kitchen faucet. It's really powerful and a great motivator.

      Then the work begins....
      ....and with each passing day it can be hard to hang on to that vision. It's an intangible barrier. I kind of think of it as a test of strength. If you can push past it, push any self-doubts aside, and force yourself to commit to whatever strategy you've selected (whether it be Amazon or not, one WSO over another) for a period of several months, you'll surprise yourself with more experience, more lessons learned and - likely - great results.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2915197].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jeffczyz
    Matt, Sending you a PM.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2904431].message }}
  • I'm updating here and still saying that I do better with eBay (fee-bay)
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2904804].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author StacyHolmes
    Let me put it this way, Amazon's not my best money maker, but there are things I like about it. I have diversified methods of monetization on my site, so I'll keep it, but it's not the hottest. :rolleyes:
    Signature

    Stacy from SiteSell Answers
    http://answers.sitesell.com

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2905278].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author IM nice guy
    I have to say, I have around 30 amazon product sniper sites, and so far I am pretty disapointed with the results I am getting. I find it tougher to convert buyers with amazon for some reason.
    Signature

    Warriors - Try LINKVANA For Just $14 First Month, Including Credits To Try Out The System! Check it out!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2905588].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
      Originally Posted by IM nice guy View Post

      I have to say, I have around 30 amazon product sniper sites, and so far I am pretty disapointed with the results I am getting. I find it tougher to convert buyers with amazon for some reason.
      IM nice guy,

      Are your sites strictly informative where you are reviewing the products with your Amazon links within the content? You definitely don't want anything too salesy. Strive to enhance your visitors' experiences by shedding light on the product and its features.

      What sort of conversion rate are you seeing?

      Take care....

      Michael
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2905807].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Wakunahum
      Originally Posted by IM nice guy View Post

      I have to say, I have around 30 amazon product sniper sites, and so far I am pretty disapointed with the results I am getting. I find it tougher to convert buyers with amazon for some reason.
      I wonder what disappointing results are.

      I get about 5% of click throughs buy the product I'm promoting and 3% will buy an unrelated product. That's not bad.

      Are your results similar?

      What are you expecting to get?

      What other programs are doing better than this?

      I haven't had any affiliate program have close to 1 in 12 converting buying a product.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2915402].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author StephS
        Man, there is so much information in this thread! Thank you to everyone who has participated. Sojourn, I want to add a special thank you to you - your informative and detailed posts are excellent! I have made my own PDF from the info to use to begin developing my own Amazon business plan. I do have a question though - does anyone create lists from their traffic on these sites? And if you do, how? Do you offer free reports for certain niches, or offer to notify visitors when new product reviews are available?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2929976].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
          Originally Posted by StephS View Post

          Sojourn, I want to add a special thank you to you - your informative and detailed posts are excellent!
          You're welcome! I have to tell you, sharing has paid me back nicely. I've made some great contacts, some new friends and even got a beautiful new header for my site! (Thanks Barry$!!)

          Originally Posted by StephS View Post

          I do have a question though - does anyone create lists from their traffic on these sites? And if you do, how? Do you offer free reports for certain niches, or offer to notify visitors when new product reviews are available?
          I do not build a list with my Amazon sites. I have "list-phobia". I think it has something to do with having escaped a long, intense stint in the corporate environment.

          However, I know some do. In fact, I was reading warrior Chris Guthrie's blog the other day and he talked about a site he sold and he included a link to that site. The site he sold is a great example of a product review site that became an authority site. Of course, he's been working on it for a long time but it's always helpful to study successful sites to help you build the road map for your own site. There's also a comparison table done using the WP Table Reloaded plug-in mentioned earlier.

          It looks like he built a list with this site and offered free buying guides to his list.

          You can read his post and get the link to his product review site here: I Just Sold A Website For A Nice Sum Of Money | Make Money on the Internet

          (I'm not associated with Chris so I hope it's okay to include a link to his site - just wanted to share sources I use to help me build my own Amazon strategy. I haven't purchased anything from him but I do find his blog very helpful!)

          As an update in the category of "new things to try", I don't use Amazon widgets on my site but I put an Amazon Deals widget on my site's home page on Black Friday that was specific to my product. I use the Flexsqueeze theme so there's a section below the site header where I can put links, images, or other information and I just stuck it there for the day. I know I saw sales from it as I sold some products that were in that widget but not normally big sellers for my site. Considering doing the same thing for Cyber Monday but making it a stripe banner that will run along the top - takes up less space so I can put it on the top of the home page as well as posts.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2931583].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author StephS
            Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

            You're welcome! I have to tell you, sharing has paid me back nicely. I've made some great contacts, some new friends and even got a beautiful new header for my site! (Thanks Barry$!!)



            I do not build a list with my Amazon sites. I have "list-phobia". I think it has something to do with having escaped a long, intense stint in the corporate environment.

            However, I know some do. In fact, I was reading warrior Chris Guthrie's blog the other day and he talked about a site he sold and he included a link to that site. The site he sold is a great example of a product review site that became an authority site. Of course, he's been working on it for a long time but it's always helpful to study successful sites to help you build the road map for your own site. There's also a comparison table done using the WP Table Reloaded plug-in mentioned earlier.

            It looks like he built a list with this site and offered free buying guides to his list.

            You can read his post and get the link to his product review site here: I Just Sold A Website For A Nice Sum Of Money | Make Money on the Internet

            (I'm not associated with Chris so I hope it's okay to include a link to his site - just wanted to share sources I use to help me build my own Amazon strategy. I haven't purchased anything from him but I do find his blog very helpful!)

            As an update in the category of "new things to try", I don't use Amazon widgets on my site but I put an Amazon Deals widget on my site's home page on Black Friday that was specific to my product. I use the Flexsqueeze theme so there's a section below the site header where I can put links, images, or other information and I just stuck it there for the day. I know I saw sales from it as I sold some products that were in that widget but not normally big sellers for my site. Considering doing the same thing for Cyber Monday but making it a stripe banner that will run along the top - takes up less space so I can put it on the top of the home page as well as posts.
            I checked out Chris's blog and the site that he sold. Thanks, that helped me a lot! I am planning and working so that one day I will have a good bit of traffic and I would like to be able to leverage it. Again, a fantastic post! I'm off to do some more research!
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2935872].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jan roos
        Originally Posted by Wakunahum View Post

        I wonder what disappointing results are.

        I get about 5% of click throughs buy the product I'm promoting and 3% will buy an unrelated product. That's not bad.

        Are your results similar?

        What are you expecting to get?

        What other programs are doing better than this?

        I haven't had any affiliate program have close to 1 in 12 converting buying a product.
        You are getting a great conversion rate and mine looks about the same as well. You would be hard pressed to see this kind of conversions anywhere from search engine traffic.

        Cheers
        Signature

        I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

        Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2930154].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author liquidice04
    depends on the niece, but if you can clickbank will always be superior for monetization.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2932136].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ntech25
    I have over 10 amazon stores right now. Some doing better than others but I am very happy and in process of adding 10 more stores. Takes a few weeks to start getting sales depending on niche. My sales are good and what I make monthly helps cover some rent and car payment and that I am happy with =) but I have seen more traffic increasing for my stores the ones I been doing some seo and sales coming with it.
    Signature

    Done For You Services - Custom Amazon Stores - Wordpress Blog - Unique Content and Design - My Reviews http://dfyservices.com/reviews or Skype = NTech52 - Examples - http://90dayfitnessworkout.com/ http://bmxbikeaccessories.com/ http://ps4store.com/

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2932153].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
    2 minutes -> increase conversion like crazy

    Today Only!

    This will only work if you have a list built...


    Grab the Monday Cyber Sale Link from Amazon to whatever
    the product you are promoting..

    Post it as a new post...

    Make "Call to Action": click here for your 40% saving + free shipping

    Really Really BIG....and bold..


    Send your subscriber a new email...

    Subject: *Open It* Super Saving Inside....

    put your post link on your page...

    send the email out...

    the whole process takes about 2 minutes...
    I bet by end of the day, you will get punch sales in..

    just a quick tip..

    You can do this:

    email -> your website post -> amazon

    You can't do this:

    email -> amazon

    Remember this will only work Today!

    so take action now!

    Han
    Signature
    - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
    Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2935743].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by Han Fan View Post

      2 minutes -> increase conversion like crazy

      Today Only!

      This will only work if you have a list built...


      Grab the Monday Cyber Sale Link from Amazon to whatever
      the product you are promoting..

      Post it as a new post...

      Make "Call to Action": click here for your 40% saving + free shipping

      Really Really BIG....and bold..
      Han - I came back to give you an extra thank you for this post but just noticed you said "this will only work if you have a list built". I must have skimmed over that part on Monday but glad I did because my no-list approach also resulted in additional sales.

      As soon as I read (or partially read, as it turns out) your suggestion I went off and created a special Cyber Monday post for my site. I scoured all of my affiliate networks for special Cyber Monday/Cyber Week sales for my niche and assembled them in a list. I used only text links but sorted them by store so Amazon in big letters with a list of text links to their deals, Walmart in big letters with a list of text links to their deals, etc.

      I put a link to the post in my site header, too, so it would be seen from any post anyone landed on as well as showing up in the Recent Posts section in the sidebar.

      I know it made a difference because I saw increased conversions and sales in Amazon and Walmart on Monday and Tuesday but also made sales through the other links on that list that wouldn't have been there had I not done that post.

      For November 1-28th this site averaged $78.56/day in commissions from all sources (90% is from Amazon). My average daily commissions for just November 29-30th went up to $207.38.

      I made a huge note in my tracking file to remember to play this up again next year and to carry the approach over to my other sites.

      Thanks for taking the time to share that tip! It meant $$ in my pocket.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2949005].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
        Sojourn,

        You are very welcome...

        I am glad you and me both made some awesome sales that day

        It took me 5 minutes to implement...

        but hey, action taker is the one win at end...

        I am glad you took my idea, went to another level with it..

        Han

        p.s. you still need a list.. that's secret ... the money is in
        the list...

        I would never build a site, without some sort of of list now




        Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

        Han - I came back to give you an extra thank you for this post but just noticed you said "this will only work if you have a list built". I must have skimmed over that part on Monday but glad I did because my no-list approach also resulted in additional sales.

        As soon as I read (or partially read, as it turns out) your suggestion I went off and created a special Cyber Monday post for my site. I scoured all of my affiliate networks for special Cyber Monday/Cyber Week sales for my niche and assembled them in a list. I used only text links but sorted them by store so Amazon in big letters with a list of text links to their deals, Walmart in big letters with a list of text links to their deals, etc.

        I put a link to the post in my site header, too, so it would be seen from any post anyone landed on as well as showing up in the Recent Posts section in the sidebar.

        I know it made a difference because I saw increased conversions and sales in Amazon and Walmart on Monday and Tuesday but also made sales through the other links on that list that wouldn't have been there had I not done that post.

        For November 1-28th this site averaged $78.56/day in commissions from all sources (90% is from Amazon). My average daily commissions for just November 29-30th went up to $207.38.

        I made a huge note in my tracking file to remember to play this up again next year and to carry the approach over to my other sites.

        Thanks for taking the time to share that tip! It meant $$ in my pocket.
        Signature
        - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
        Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2949346].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Bryan V
        Sojourn and Han: Thanks for the tip. Wish I would have seen it sooner to try it out..

        However, I wanted to say that I did absolutely nothing on those sites and commissions for cyber monday (and tuesday) were about 4x the normal amount.
        Signature
        Perhaps an attic I shall seek.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2955835].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Bryan V
        Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

        this site averaged $78.56/day in commissions
        $78.56/day from one site! I must be doing something wrong...
        Signature
        Perhaps an attic I shall seek.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2955851].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    I know that if you sell a certain number of items your commission rate rises. My question is, does that work retroactively? If I sell enough times to hit the next pay bracket, does that effect everything sold to get to that point?
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2937201].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by mattward View Post

      I know that if you sell a certain number of items your commission rate rises. My question is, does that work retroactively? If I sell enough times to hit the next pay bracket, does that effect everything sold to get to that point?
      Matt - Yes, the rate is retroactive for the items shipped during the month however the bar resets at the beginning of the next month. At least here in the US.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2937236].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    Awesome, thanks. Oh, and I've broken my sale drought since the last time I posted here, even though I haven't had a lot of time to work on my site. One of the sales was nothing to do with my niche, though.
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2937284].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
      Originally Posted by mattward View Post

      Awesome, thanks. Oh, and I've broken my sale drought since the last time I posted here, even though I haven't had a lot of time to work on my site. One of the sales was nothing to do with my niche, though.
      Congratulations! Selling stuff outside of your niche is just the icing on the cake with Amazon. Just keep following your plan as time permits and you'll see more sales before you know it.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2937338].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
        "I do not build a list with my Amazon sites. I have "list-phobia". I think it has something to do with having escaped a long, intense stint in the corporate environment."


        Eventually I will get the multi talented Sojourn to start a list..have been working on her....but meantime kudos to her incredible kindness in helping others.

        Her sites are stellar and her knowledge amazing!
        Signature

        Pen Name + 8 eBooks + social media sites 4 SALE - PM me (evergreen beauty niche)

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2937346].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author imagoodguy
    how long does it take to profit with amazon , do anybody know any good guides for it?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2937408].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Originally Posted by imagoodguy View Post

      how long does it take to profit with amazon , do anybody know any good guides for it?

      I have sent you a link to an excellent guide to making money with Amazon. It took my Amazon affiliate income to another level.

      Hope that helps.
      Signature

      Pen Name + 8 eBooks + social media sites 4 SALE - PM me (evergreen beauty niche)

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2937454].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author cweber
        Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

        I have sent you a link to an excellent guide to making money with Amazon. It took my Amazon affiliate income to another level.

        Hope that helps.
        Could I get a copy of this guide as well. I would be interested in it Thanks.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2937486].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author explorer976
    I have just started working on amazon. I wanted to ask you guys if I can put my site on adwords ppc to drum up some sales for Christmas???

    From my reading of amazon terms it seems they are okay with advertising their products on ppc but I am not sure if I have understood this correctly.

    Thanks in advance!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2948744].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author phpnetpro
    I just posted a thread last night that I thought would be relevant here, since this thread is what prompted all of the response that made me create the thread .

    How to Find a Niche Market for an Amazon Affiliate Product Website

    It's a really in-depth guide on how to find a good amazon affiliate product to make a website to refer sales. Anyone that has had trouble with doing their own niche research could greatly benefit from reading this.
    Signature
    Need more organic search traffic? SideBacon SEO Experts

    My free, step-by-step training course: Build a WordPress Website
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2948843].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Net Assasin
    Great post ! I have seen it already written in this post but I will say it again....

    DO NOT TRY AND FOOL GOOGLE !!!!!!!!!!!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2949199].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author getsmartt
    I second phpnetpro, he posted a great thread

    How to Find a Niche Market for an Amazon Affiliate Product Website

    I actually recommended to all purchasers of my WSO
    Signature

    Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2949299].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author nonamewm666
    what are the ratio of ppl buy from site like that ? i have a site has around 200 visitors per day is it worth to deal with amazon ?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2950473].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author explorer976
      I would really appreciate if someone can help me please!!

      my query -
      I have just started working on amazon. I wanted to ask you guys if I can put my site on adwords ppc to drum up some sales for Christmas???

      From my reading of amazon terms it seems they are okay with advertising their products on ppc but I am not sure if I have understood this correctly.

      Thanks in advance!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2951185].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author getsmartt
        Yes, as far as I know PPC is allowed, you cannot mention Amazon.com in the ad, but you can use PPC.

        Make sure that your pages comply with Google's TOS though (mainly the "thin affiliate" part) as they will ban your account.



        Originally Posted by explorer976 View Post

        I would really appreciate if someone can help me please!!

        my query -
        I have just started working on amazon. I wanted to ask you guys if I can put my site on adwords ppc to drum up some sales for Christmas???

        From my reading of amazon terms it seems they are okay with advertising their products on ppc but I am not sure if I have understood this correctly.

        Thanks in advance!
        Signature

        Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2951736].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author explorer976
          Thanks Getsmartt!!

          What do you mean by "thin affiliate"?? Never heard of that term before.

          Thanks
          Originally Posted by getsmartt View Post

          Yes, as far as I know PPC is allowed, you cannot mention Amazon.com in the ad, but you can use PPC.

          Make sure that your pages comply with Google's TOS though (mainly the "thin affiliate" part) as they will ban your account.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2951983].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
            Originally Posted by explorer976 View Post

            Thanks Getsmartt!!

            What do you mean by "thin affiliate"?? Never heard of that term before.

            Thanks
            Basically meaning a site with very little content, simply made to filter people to where they really want to be, through your affiliate links (Amazon, etc) for the sole purpose of collecting a commission.
            Signature
            "Keep moving forward."
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2955922].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author getsmartt
              Thanks Matt, I missed his question until this time through the thread, glad you stepped in

              Originally Posted by mattward View Post

              Basically meaning a site with very little content, simply made to filter people to where they really want to be, through your affiliate links (Amazon, etc) for the sole purpose of collecting a commission.
              Signature

              Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2959003].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ragusp
    yes i have been promoting amazon products for the last two years..still I have earned only 65 USD...and did not get the first check yet....very slow progress compared to clickbank..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2951691].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mr.gaurabborah
    Amazon doesn't work for me. I tried promoting the same way I promote my clicbank products. I didn't got a single for like 200 clicks at Amazon. However I always get 2-3 sales through clickbank.
    Someone told me that Amazon has higher conversion rates as people trust amazon. I guess I might be doing something.
    But clickbank is the thing for me. The commisions are really good as compared to Amazon
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2955899].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Bryan V
      Originally Posted by mr.gaurabborah View Post

      Amazon doesn't work for me. I tried promoting the same way I promote my clicbank products. I didn't got a single for like 200 clicks at Amazon. However I always get 2-3 sales through clickbank.
      Someone told me that Amazon has higher conversion rates as people trust amazon. I guess I might be doing something.
      But clickbank is the thing for me. The commisions are really good as compared to Amazon
      I'm exactly the opposite--can't make much from clickbank. The rare $20-$30 commissions I get are nice but it's pretty dismal overall. I tried product review sites, "problem solving" sites, and more general information sites. However, once I get enough Amazon sites going I'm going to try to hit some Clickbank products again.

      I'm doing product review type sites for Amazon... and it seems to work pretty well.
      Signature
      Perhaps an attic I shall seek.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2955929].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Hoodyy
    I think it's because when people are reading the review the links appear before them in the text.

    They wont want to try and find a widget when reading the review, it's for better usability for the visitor. They'll read the review and click the text link as soon as they've made their mind up or want to see Amazon's page for the item etc. It's easier for them to do that than look round for a widget or open a new tab and type in amazon. Once you've got the click, your job is done.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2969429].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mehak
    yep it is definitely possible to make money and it is very well know with a lot of publicity being done so you won't need to spend as much on marketing. In addition to this it's coming up to Christmas, use this season to your advantage and make some money!

    It's best to have lots of streams of income so if it's not making enough for you, don't stop. It's all about being persistent and determined.
    Stick at it while promoting other systems too and hopefully over time your income will grow
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2969442].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Diana Lane
    One of the worst things about the widgets (in my view, anyway) is how much they add to page load time. I suspect that a lot of people on dial-up would not bother to wait and would be off in search of something that's fast, not flash.
    Signature

    Plot short fiction, long fiction, even outline non-fiction * Edit the question prompts to suit your genre * Easily export text and image files for use with your word processor or Scrivener.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2969466].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      Originally Posted by Diana Lane View Post

      One of the worst things about the widgets (in my view, anyway) is how much they add to page load time. I suspect that a lot of people on dial-up would not bother to wait and would be off in search of something that's fast, not flash.
      Google is starting to track page load time as well and might start penalizing for it in the near future.

      Cheers
      Signature

      I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

      Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986187].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author XRay
      Originally Posted by Diana Lane View Post

      One of the worst things about the widgets (in my view, anyway) is how much they add to page load time. I suspect that a lot of people on dial-up would not bother to wait and would be off in search of something that's fast, not flash.
      Widgets featuring dynamic content can slow your site down, but if you're running your site on WP you should consider using the WP Super Cache and WP Widget Cache plugins to make your site load faster. I run both plugins on all my WP sites and I have noticed an improvement in load times.
      Signature

      I create quality online content at Squidoo, and Yahoo! Contributor Network to inform, to have fun and make some money at it along the way :)

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3001019].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jaiganeshv
    Very interesting thread on amazon affiliation.

    Some big guns could answer this?

    How about taking the best sellers alone and writing reviews for them with teasers. Example i can promote a very popular ebook with a teaser from the table of content or first chapter.

    Is this allowed in the TOS?

    Thank you
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2969484].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author stonewall13
      If someone clicks on your affiliate link and goes to amazon and then searches around comes back to the product and buy's. Does that still count. Do people have to buy right away after they click on your affiliate link.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2974348].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author getsmartt
        Your tracking cookie last for 24 hours, so as long as they buy something in that period of time (as long as they have not clicked on someone Else's link in the meantime), you get credited for the referral and sale.

        Originally Posted by stonewall13 View Post

        If someone clicks on your affiliate link and goes to amazon and then searches around comes back to the product and buy's. Does that still count. Do people have to buy right away after they click on your affiliate link.
        Signature

        Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2974366].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ben Holmes
      Originally Posted by jaiganeshv View Post

      Very interesting thread on amazon affiliation.

      Some big guns could answer this?

      How about taking the best sellers alone and writing reviews for them with teasers. Example i can promote a very popular ebook with a teaser from the table of content or first chapter.

      Is this allowed in the TOS?

      Thank you
      I don't know the answer.

      What I can tell you is to Google "Judo Book Reviews" - the first result will lead you to my website (BestJudo), first put up in 2001. It's been a very steady Amazon Affiliate for me, and I do publish the TOC and intro. Take a look at a few of my reviews...
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2977706].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author stonewall13
        If someone follows your affiliate link, and buy's something other than your product do you still get credit for it. Also can you link to top brands of a niche or does it have to be to a link to a unique product. thnks
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2981870].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author claycath
          Yes, if the customer goes through your link, it doesn't matter what they buy on Amazon. You get the commission.

          I often get sales for things totally unrelated to what product I was promoting.

          The downside is Amazon's cookie is only good for 24 hours I believe, so if they don't buy within a day, you won't get the commission.
          Signature

          Cathy

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2984092].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
            Originally Posted by claycath View Post

            Yes, if the customer goes through your link, it doesn't matter what they buy on Amazon. You get the commission.

            I often get sales for things totally unrelated to what product I was promoting.

            The downside is Amazon's cookie is only good for 24 hours I believe, so if they don't buy within a day, you won't get the commission.
            You will find that if you're doing it right then a good percentage of your sales SHOULD come from unrelated sales.
            Signature

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986016].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
              Originally Posted by stonewall13 View Post

              If someone follows your affiliate link, and buy's something other than your product do you still get credit for it. Also can you link to top brands of a niche or does it have to be to a link to a unique product. thnks
              If a buyer buys after following your link, you get the credit regardless of what they actually buy. And a lot of people tend to find something to buy besides the item they came for.

              You can link to individual products, search results, departments, even just the Amazon site if you want to. As long as your cookie is there when the sale takes place, you get the credit.

              Originally Posted by claycath View Post

              Yes, if the customer goes through your link, it doesn't matter what they buy on Amazon. You get the commission.

              I often get sales for things totally unrelated to what product I was promoting.

              The downside is Amazon's cookie is only good for 24 hours I believe, so if they don't buy within a day, you won't get the commission.
              Cathy, there's an exception to that. If the referral places the item in their shopping cart, your ability to earn commission is extended to, I believe, 90 days.

              So the question then becomes, how do you get people to put items in their shopping carts?

              One way I've played with is to recommend lists of related items. Each item is linked individually within the list. Advise people that the easiest way to get the list of items is to place each item in their shopping cart, then return to the list and select the next item and repeat the process. I tell them it works sort of like a layaway, so the items accumulate until they're ready to buy.

              For example, I might put out a list like this:

              > Fishing rod
              > Matched reel
              > Premium line
              > Tackle box
              > Case for protecting rod/reel during transport
              > Maybe a tackle kit

              So far, I don't have enough results to recommend the tactic, but things do look promising...
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986153].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author claycath
                Good to know John. I like your idea too.
                Signature

                Cathy

                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986182].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author getsmartt
                If you are using AWS to create your sales pages you can also add an "add to cart" button directly into your page. It will then take them directly to Amazon and verify that they intend to add it to their cart.


                Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

                If a buyer buys after following your link, you get the credit regardless of what they actually buy. And a lot of people tend to find something to buy besides the item they came for.

                You can link to individual products, search results, departments, even just the Amazon site if you want to. As long as your cookie is there when the sale takes place, you get the credit.



                Cathy, there's an exception to that. If the referral places the item in their shopping cart, your ability to earn commission is extended to, I believe, 90 days.

                So the question then becomes, how do you get people to put items in their shopping carts?

                One way I've played with is to recommend lists of related items. Each item is linked individually within the list. Advise people that the easiest way to get the list of items is to place each item in their shopping cart, then return to the list and select the next item and repeat the process. I tell them it works sort of like a layaway, so the items accumulate until they're ready to buy.

                For example, I might put out a list like this:

                > Fishing rod
                > Matched reel
                > Premium line
                > Tackle box
                > Case for protecting rod/reel during transport
                > Maybe a tackle kit

                So far, I don't have enough results to recommend the tactic, but things do look promising...
                Signature

                Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker

                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986221].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author Eager2SEO
                  Do you suggest using Iframes from the API or rewriting reviews? I was taught to summarize and rewrite the reviews manually. It is technically against Amazon TOS. The Iframe reviews list the first few lines and then have a "read more" link. The Iframes would be less work for me.
                  Signature

                  Available for article writing or <?php | .net ?> programming work! Article samples available on request.

                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986736].message }}
                  • Profile picture of the author getsmartt
                    I would definitely not be re-writing reviews posted by someone else.

                    Originally Posted by Eager2SEO View Post

                    Do you suggest using Iframes from the API or rewriting reviews? I was taught to summarize and rewrite the reviews manually. It is technically against Amazon TOS. The Iframe reviews list the first few lines and then have a "read more" link. The Iframes would be less work for me.
                    Signature

                    Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker

                    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986759].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author Eager2SEO
                  Originally Posted by getsmartt View Post

                  If you are using AWS to create your sales pages you can also add an "add to cart" button directly into your page. It will then take them directly to Amazon and verify that they intend to add it to their cart.
                  Which response group is this in? I would like to use this for items that do not have prices that can be displayed.

                  I do not want to bother with a remote shopping cart.
                  Signature

                  Available for article writing or <?php | .net ?> programming work! Article samples available on request.

                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986864].message }}
                  • Profile picture of the author getsmartt
                    try something like this

                    Code:
                    <form method="GET" action="http://www.amazon.com/gp/aws/cart/add.html">
                                    <input type="hidden" name="AWSAccessKeyId" value=<?php echo ; ?> />
                                    <input type="hidden" name="AssociateTag" value=<?php echo ; ?> />
                                    <p align="center">
                                    <input type="hidden" name="ASIN.1" value=<?php echo ; ?> />
                                    
                                    Quantity:<input type="text" name="Quantity.1" value="1"/><br/>
                                    
                                    <input type="image" title="" alt="Add to Shopping Cart" shoppingcart.gif" />
                                    </p>
                                    </form>
                    James

                    Originally Posted by Eager2SEO View Post

                    Which response group is this in? I would like to use this for items that do not have prices that can be displayed.

                    I do not want to bother with a remote shopping cart.
                    Signature

                    Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker

                    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986891].message }}
                    • Profile picture of the author Eager2SEO
                      Originally Posted by getsmartt View Post

                      try something like this


                      James
                      Very helpful, thanks. I didn't realize it is that simple.
                      Signature

                      Available for article writing or <?php | .net ?> programming work! Article samples available on request.

                      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2987419].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
    This is a great thread; thanks to all those who have contributed.

    My November (and now December) Amazon commissions have been going up, due to holiday shopping. The nice thing about Amazon is that they automatically show visitors custom pages based upon their prior browsing. About 50% of my amazon sales are for products NOT related to my niche!
    Signature

    HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2977646].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

      This is a great thread; thanks to all those who have contributed.

      My November (and now December) Amazon commissions have been going up, due to holiday shopping. The nice thing about Amazon is that they automatically show visitors custom pages based upon their prior browsing. About 50% of my amazon sales are for products NOT related to my niche!

      I am experiencing the same thing. Sales and conversions are way up this month because of the holidays and most of my sales is unrelated to my sites. It's quite interesting to see all the crap people buy from Amazon.

      Cheers
      Signature

      I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

      Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986196].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ntech25
    I have been using amazon for a few years now and I know a lot of people don't like their payout %. To me its not a big issue and trust me it adds up. Amazon has items that cost $10 and then items that cost $10,000 =) of course if you sell more expensive items you would earn a lot of money but selling a lot of small items also is good. Some days I could have 15 orders all items ranging from $10 to 100$ when you put all those items together and earn up 8% on each item to me is good.

    I have done very well with amazon and still am. I have other sites up also selling cj products and clickback and also different affiliates but I really just been focusing on my amazon stores.
    Signature

    Done For You Services - Custom Amazon Stores - Wordpress Blog - Unique Content and Design - My Reviews http://dfyservices.com/reviews or Skype = NTech52 - Examples - http://90dayfitnessworkout.com/ http://bmxbikeaccessories.com/ http://ps4store.com/

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2985341].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Todd R
    There are a lot of people making money a lot of different ways with Amazon.
    Signature
    Interested in affiliate marketing..?? Join Erica Stone and Todd Royer's webinar every Thursday, 8pm EST
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2985510].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author beavboyz
    Check out Chris Guthrie as well, he did a podcast on smart passive income that is very valuable and informative, also has a free e-book about this on his site.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2986802].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    Does anyone have any opinion on promoting heavy/large items through Amazon? There are a lot of things like refrigerators/freezers/desks/wheelbarrows etc, and some of them have a large number of reviews. The thing is, anyone can write an Amazon review; you don't have to buy the item there before you can comment on it, which doesn't at all mean that people are actually buying that item online/through Amazon.

    Do people buy things like that online? I don't necessarily mean fridges/freezers, but just large/heavy items in general. I'm just surprised when I see companies selling 200lb sofas through Amazon, which is even worse because 99.9% of the time, those don't have free shipping. I suck at discerning whether any particular item is something people would buy online or not.
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2987477].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
    If an item has over 50 reviews on amazon, chances are that people are ordering it online.

    My sister-in-law just bought a dishwasher online.

    My VA lives in a rural area, 45 minutes away from the nearest store, and she buys absolutely everything online.

    I would definitely consider buying a sofa online - if I bought it at a local store, I'd need to pay them for delivery, or pay a worker to bring his truck over to the store and get it into my house!
    Signature

    HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2995534].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author claycath
      I have bought a sofa online, a long with several chairs. But I didn't buy them through Amazon, I got them through Overstock because of the $2.95 shipping (think it was Overstock).
      Signature

      Cathy

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2995635].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author dremora
        Originally Posted by claycath View Post

        I have bought a sofa online, a long with several chairs. But I didn't buy them through Amazon, I got them through Overstock because of the $2.95 shipping (think it was Overstock).

        I bought plenty of furniture online, including Amazon, since i like a specific style and it's never available at local stores. I bought patio furniture set, a glass door dvd cabinet, 5' carpets and plenty of other big heavy things online since the styles are usually not available in brick & mortar stores. Plus there are plenty of people who have serious back problems etc,, they can't take long shopping trips and order furniture and big heavy stuff online.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2996930].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
          Originally Posted by claycath View Post

          I have bought a sofa online, a long with several chairs. But I didn't buy them through Amazon, I got them through Overstock because of the $2.95 shipping (think it was Overstock).
          Which is why it's cool that Overstock has an affiliate program through Linkshare! I've added Overstock and Walmart links to my site along with another vendor who specializes in my niche. I don't put all of them in every post, though, unless the prices are very similar in which case I'll say something about price competition between the two and how it's best to check both of them on any given day and then I include links to each of the potential sources. Otherwise, I'll link directly to the lowest cost provider and that is sometimes Overstock.

          Originally Posted by dremora View Post

          I bought plenty of furniture online, including Amazon, since i like a specific style and it's never available at local stores. I bought patio furniture set, a glass door dvd cabinet, 5' carpets and plenty of other big heavy things online since the styles are usually not available in brick & mortar stores. Plus there are plenty of people who have serious back problems etc,, they can't take long shopping trips and order furniture and big heavy stuff online.
          Great reminder, dremora, that not everyone likes the same things or lives in the same sort of suburban environment. I live in a really populated area outside Phoenix. If I want something, I bet I could find it within miles of my house but it's really hard to remember that not everyone has that same convenience. I know in the drive between here and Las Vegas or here and California we pass tons of small towns and cities where it's obvious they can't just run to the mall whenever they want. Many of these are not small homes, either! No matter how many times we've driven by I always find myself wondering how they get groceries much less any of the other items we all tend to add to our households.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2997386].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author mkpoway
            Question for all Amazon affilliates:

            Do you prefer a static home page style or a blog style for your sites, and why? Which style has better clickthroughs and conversions?
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2999815].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author jan roos
            Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

            Which is why it's cool that Overstock has an affiliate program through Linkshare! I've added Overstock and Walmart links to my site along with another vendor who specializes in my niche. I don't put all of them in every post, though, unless the prices are very similar in which case I'll say something about price competition between the two and how it's best to check both of them on any given day and then I include links to each of the potential sources. Otherwise, I'll link directly to the lowest cost provider and that is sometimes Overstock.



            Great reminder, dremora, that not everyone likes the same things or lives in the same sort of suburban environment. I live in a really populated area outside Phoenix. If I want something, I bet I could find it within miles of my house but it's really hard to remember that not everyone has that same convenience. I know in the drive between here and Las Vegas or here and California we pass tons of small towns and cities where it's obvious they can't just run to the mall whenever they want. Many of these are not small homes, either! No matter how many times we've driven by I always find myself wondering how they get groceries much less any of the other items we all tend to add to our households.

            How is Overstock converting for you? I am thinking of testing them out but just can't see how they can beat the current 12% conversions I'm getting from Amazon.

            Jan
            Signature

            I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

            Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3001072].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author kea55
    Does Amazon even have product decriptions? If so where are they? I can't seem to find them
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3000164].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Biggy Fat
      Originally Posted by mattward View Post

      Does anyone have any opinion on promoting heavy/large items through Amazon? There are a lot of things like refrigerators/freezers/desks/wheelbarrows etc, and some of them have a large number of reviews. The thing is, anyone can write an Amazon review; you don't have to buy the item there before you can comment on it, which doesn't at all mean that people are actually buying that item online/through Amazon.

      Do people buy things like that online? I don't necessarily mean fridges/freezers, but just large/heavy items in general. I'm just surprised when I see companies selling 200lb sofas through Amazon, which is even worse because 99.9% of the time, those don't have free shipping. I suck at discerning whether any particular item is something people would buy online or not.
      I have sold lawnmowers before through Amazon. The commission is super sweet.

      Originally Posted by mkpoway View Post

      Question for all Amazon affilliates:

      Do you prefer a static home page style or a blog style for your sites, and why? Which style has better clickthroughs and conversions?
      I personally use Wordpress. There are some free themes out there that you can use, but if you have $30 to spare, buy one of these themes:

      Wordpress Review Theme | Niche Review Themes
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3000189].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author kea55
    Can someone tell me how do you write 1000 word reviews of a product you don't own? also if where do you pull the info from. Amazon's product descriptions are extremely short.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3000879].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Biggy Fat
      Originally Posted by kea55 View Post

      Can someone tell me how do you write 1000 word reviews of a product you don't own? also if where do you pull the info from. Amazon's product descriptions are extremely short.
      I personally outsource this, but if you were to do it yourself, you would need to spend an hour or two or three to research the product and try and summarize the review in your own words. It's a PITA.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3000891].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author dremora
      Originally Posted by kea55 View Post

      Can someone tell me how do you write 1000 word reviews of a product you don't own? also if where do you pull the info from. Amazon's product descriptions are extremely short.
      I am a fast reader, so I skim through customer reviews in a couple of minutes and gather all the info I need. I pick the products with loads of reviews and list the most prominent stuff mentioned by the average reviewers, as well as some usage tips. I recommend taking some fast reading classes (there's plenty of free material online) it really helps with such research work and saves a lot of time.

      You can research the web for articles about the product (there are ezine articles on almost everything under the sun), look at blogs, forums etc.

      Amazon customer reviews are usually more than enough info for me, some people write more than 1000 words, some people even keep updating their reviews regularly and let you know how the product is holding up.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3002552].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Enfusia
        One of the really simple things I do to see what products people are searching for on Amazon and which will rank AND which will convert is:

        I have a multi niche auto amazon only blog lets say "really great products.com" I have any category I want on it.

        1. I fill it full of categories each posting at 1 per day.

        2. I have a little over 1k links to home with 30+ on page high pr blog comments.

        3. I use stat press plugin "free"

        4. I look at the search terms column to see what product names people are actually searching for.

        5. I check to see if those products are being purchased in my Amazon account.

        6. As new hot selling products rise up I build out niche sites for them in various manners.

        The benefits are that:
        1. I don't build stuff for stuff that nobody's searching for or buying.
        2. I vary rarely misfire and build out a niche site that stinks.
        3. I don't do tons of keyword research to find stuff that maybe will sell - or NOT.
        4. I see it on page one, know it will rank and have the sales already to know it converts before I build the site.

        I hope that helps.
        Patrick
        Signature
        Free eBook =>
        The Secret To Success In Any Business
        Yes, Any Business!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3002672].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author mkpoway
          Originally Posted by Enfusia View Post

          3. I use stat press plugin "free"

          4. I look at the search terms column to see what product names people are actually searching for.

          5. I check to see if those products are being purchased in my Amazon account.
          What is "stat press"?
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3004256].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author kingW
            Originally Posted by mkpoway View Post

            What is "stat press"?
            It's an analytic plugin for wordpress.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3007405].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author imarketed93874
            Banned
            [DELETED]
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3030307].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
              Originally Posted by imarketed93874 View Post

              The 4% commission is pitiful. I spent a few hours with it, earned $1.80, and decided there were better programs to choose.
              If you're doing it right, you'll easily exceed 4%, after the first few days of the month. You should be seeing at least 6.5% commission every month...if not more!
              Signature

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3083943].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author mrdomains
          Originally Posted by Enfusia View Post

          One of the really simple things I do to see what products people are searching for on Amazon and which will rank AND which will convert is:

          I have a multi niche auto amazon only blog lets say "really great products.com" I have any category I want on it.

          1. I fill it full of categories each posting at 1 per day.

          2. I have a little over 1k links to home with 30+ on page high pr blog comments.

          3. I use stat press plugin "free"

          4. I look at the search terms column to see what product names people are actually searching for.

          5. I check to see if those products are being purchased in my Amazon account.

          6. As new hot selling products rise up I build out niche sites for them in various manners.

          The benefits are that:
          1. I don't build stuff for stuff that nobody's searching for or buying.
          2. I vary rarely misfire and build out a niche site that stinks.
          3. I don't do tons of keyword research to find stuff that maybe will sell - or NOT.
          4. I see it on page one, know it will rank and have the sales already to know it converts before I build the site.

          I hope that helps.
          Patrick
          That's a excellent research setup you have there. This kind of site tends to grow rapidly page/post wise.What type of posts are you doing - written reviews or autoposter?
          Signature

          Free action plan : Think less. Do more.

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3151208].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author kea55
    ok and you know what i want to do , I want to put little discount graphics or amazon buy here now graphics on my site. anyone know how to do that?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3001219].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
    Jan - My Overstock specific stats for this one site are 4125 impressions, 538 clicks, 8 sales totaling $511.03 and $35.77 in commissions.

    This equates to an Overstock clickthrough rate of 13% and a conversion rate of 1.5%. For this site, my Amazon results for the same time period are a 19.4% clickthrough rate and a 4.9% conversion rate.

    Without a doubt, Amazon does better but some of that could be due to my placement of links or choice of products, as well. As traffic started to grow, though, I was getting a little concerned about the obvious and abundant links to just one online site.

    Initially, I included Overstock as part of an informal test to refer visitors to the lowest cost online retailer for any product or in scripting where I'd suggest visitors compare prices at Site A and Site B. This has only been the case on a few models.

    This sparked a couple of comments from visitors asking about refurbished listings on Overstock for these products which almost always had a price substantially less than Amazon's. There were never very many of them available for any particular product - maybe one or two - but I couldn't ignore that they were an option. I have a post on my site now that talks about how to get the best deals on these products from all kinds of sources including comparing buying options on Amazon, considering used listings, and this is where most of the Overstock sales come from.

    Another way I use Overstock, too, is to highlight temporary price fluctuations on certain models. Because I focus most of my time on this one site, I'm pretty in tune with prices and deals in the niche. If I notice that Amazon, Walmart or Overstock has suddenly undercut the other two on a model, I'll go in to the review for that model and put a blockquote update showing the date of the information and indicating that so-and-so has recently dropped to a very competitive price and I'll include an affiliate link to that lower price option so even if the whole post is filled with Amazon links it might have a big, obvious call to action for Walmart or Overstock for a short period of time. When the price goes back to normal, I remove the blockquote.

    In talking about this...I wonder if there isn't some way for me to be using the data feeds to identify price differences and changes in a more automated fashion....hmmm...not where I was going with this but you sparked an idea!

    Thanks!

    (Edited to add: Now I need to work on getting your Amazon conversion rate! Nice work!)
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3001378].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

      Jan - My Overstock specific stats for this one site are 4125 impressions, 538 clicks, 8 sales totaling $511.03 and $35.77 in commissions.

      This equates to an Overstock clickthrough rate of 13% and a conversion rate of 1.5%. For this site, my Amazon results for the same time period are a 19.4% clickthrough rate and a 4.9% conversion rate.

      Without a doubt, Amazon does better but some of that could be due to my placement of links or choice of products, as well. As traffic started to grow, though, I was getting a little concerned about the obvious and abundant links to just one online site.

      Initially, I included Overstock as part of an informal test to refer visitors to the lowest cost online retailer for any product or in scripting where I'd suggest visitors compare prices at Site A and Site B. This has only been the case on a few models.

      This sparked a couple of comments from visitors asking about refurbished listings on Overstock for these products which almost always had a price substantially less than Amazon's. There were never very many of them available for any particular product - maybe one or two - but I couldn't ignore that they were an option. I have a post on my site now that talks about how to get the best deals on these products from all kinds of sources including comparing buying options on Amazon, considering used listings, and this is where most of the Overstock sales come from.

      Another way I use Overstock, too, is to highlight temporary price fluctuations on certain models. Because I focus most of my time on this one site, I'm pretty in tune with prices and deals in the niche. If I notice that Amazon, Walmart or Overstock has suddenly undercut the other two on a model, I'll go in to the review for that model and put a blockquote update showing the date of the information and indicating that so-and-so has recently dropped to a very competitive price and I'll include an affiliate link to that lower price option so even if the whole post is filled with Amazon links it might have a big, obvious call to action for Walmart or Overstock for a short period of time. When the price goes back to normal, I remove the blockquote.

      In talking about this...I wonder if there isn't some way for me to be using the data feeds to identify price differences and changes in a more automated fashion....hmmm...not where I was going with this but you sparked an idea!

      Thanks!

      (Edited to add: Now I need to work on getting your Amazon conversion rate! Nice work!)
      Thanks for sharing. I will also test overstock on a few sites and see what happens. It would be nice to have a data feed plugin for the specific products which updates the prices from 4 or 5 different stores in real time and have your aff links in there as well. I think I've seen something somewhere that would be good for this but can't remember where.

      Cheers
      Signature

      I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

      Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3002630].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author kea55
    does anyone know how to get nice amazon graphics on a site. I didn't really want to use the little picture with the gold buy now button that comes from the associates link. I just want the little buy now button or some kind of graphics...to let people know my site is a store. any pointers?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3030828].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mrs S
    Wow - this is probably the most valuable thread I've ever read on the WF. Thanks to everyone who has shared their tips.

    I've been focusing on Amazon since the summer and while my commissions aren't mind blowing I've already broken the $400 this month - which is more than I made in 2009!

    Detailed and useful reviews are definitely key to making money here, but I have also had success with "top 5" type reviews where I compare and contrast 5 similar products on the same page. i suppose this is similar to the table approach mentioned.

    I have also had some luck with the Omakase widget - the one that displays products related to your review. I know that we should be focusing the attention on the links in the review itself - but I'm not going to complain when someone orders a $350 pool in the middle of December via the Omakase widget - almost $25 in commission on one sale!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3039968].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Dave90210
    How long have you been at this for and how are your promoting?


    Originally Posted by waken View Post

    I really got to ask this...
    I recently promoting Amazon after seeing quite a number of success stories here...

    But, when I checked my account.. I was wondering do you guys really make money with Amazon?

    I mean, serious money as an affiliate?
    Is that possible?

    Hm... I think I would better stick with other networks.
    The share is way to small...


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3039988].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Joe2
      I've just spent all afternoon looking through this thread and the info freely given is worth a small fortune both in time and financially
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3062066].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ltemodel
        I have to agree. I'm pretty much a newbie at this and the information shared by the well established marketers here is unbelievable.

        I've had a blog for a while, kind of a fun thing. I made a little through adsense and a couple of affiliate book sales, but probably not even enough to buy dinner.

        This forum post really got me rethinking everything I've doing and got me to reorganize and focus on making money.

        I believe that is what many new people need to really get going is specific guidance.

        So many of the gurus speak in generalities which lead to overwhelm. They say things like write to build trust, but to a newbie you need more specific examples. Erica Stone points out a very specific process in her posts. It's a very precise form as to what she does. If she came out with a product, I know I would probably buy just because of her posts on this forum. I wouldn't even need to be sent to a sales page.

        Thanks to all that have contributed, I hope to someday be knowledgeable enough to help other newbie warriors like this thread has helped me.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3062787].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author millasur
    I set up an amazon store a while ago selling supplements.

    The thing that frustrated me is I could never seem to edit it how I wanted it and it never looked how i wanted it to Tempted to give it another go after reading these tips, maybe i just need to find better niches.

    haven't yet read through this post yet but I will do..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3062960].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TimG
    One little tip that I wanted to mention that I didn't see it in this thread (I might have missed it though with all of the postings) is to add a seperate page for every new product that is purchased from Amazon through my site provided it matches the niche.

    For example, I have several sites dedicted to different forms of pest control (fleas, ticks, termites, bedbugs). Each site targets a few main products for that niche. If I see a product purchased that deals with that particular pest but I have no page targeting it then I go and build a page to cover down on that product.

    It seems to be working as I'm basically letting visitors to my site tell me what types of products they want based on what they end up buying through Amazon.

    Respectfully,
    Tim
    Signature
    Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

    Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3066202].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Diana Lane
      Originally Posted by TimG View Post

      One little tip that I wanted to mention that I didn't see it in this thread (I might have missed it though with all of the postings) is to add a seperate page for every new product that is purchased from Amazon through my site provided it matches the niche.

      For example, I have several sites dedicted to different forms of pest control (fleas, ticks, termites, bedbugs). Each site targets a few main products for that niche. If I see a product purchased that deals with that particular pest but I have no page targeting it then I go and build a page to cover down on that product.

      It seems to be working as I'm basically letting visitors to my site tell me what types of products they want based on what they end up buying through Amazon.

      Respectfully,
      Tim
      Absolutely. Once you've started to build up a bit of order history it can be a goldmine. Every now and again it will also throw up a totally unrelated product that's just begging for you to create a presence in another niche because no one else has spotted the potential yet and there is no way you'd have thought of it either without a buyer pointing it out to you.

      After years of running my own online shop and being limited to selling only the things I physically had in stock, being able to instantly satisfy buyers with lines I don't carry and then being able to list these things for everyone five minutes later (no waiting for new stock delivery and no need to find room for it either - wow!) is one of the things I really love about being an Amazon affiliate. Even the fact that it's possible amazes me a bit - I probably amaze easily
      Signature

      Plot short fiction, long fiction, even outline non-fiction * Edit the question prompts to suit your genre * Easily export text and image files for use with your word processor or Scrivener.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3066760].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author simaurile
    Originally Posted by waken View Post

    I really got to ask this...
    I recently promoting Amazon after seeing quite a number of success stories here...

    But, when I checked my account.. I was wondering do you guys really make money with Amazon?

    I mean, serious money as an affiliate?
    Is that possible?

    Hm... I think I would better stick with other networks.
    The share is way to small...


    Hi there,

    Me and my partner are making 6 figures using Amazon Affiliate Program. It is what has worked for us.
    Signature

    My Warrior Forum Blog.....HERE

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3083477].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author cooler1
    What is the best way to build backlinks to Amazon site's? I intend to make at least 25 site's next year so i need the backlinking process to be automated.

    Some people recommend 3waylinks.net but others say it isn't to good because you lose the backlinks if you unsubscribe.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3084107].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Shannon Spoon
      Originally Posted by cooler1 View Post

      What is the best way to build backlinks to Amazon site's? I intend to make at least 25 site's next year so i need the backlinking process to be automated.

      Some people recommend 3waylinks.net but others say it isn't to good because you lose the backlinks if you unsubscribe.
      You can get links from everywhere.

      1. social bookmarking
      2. Blog commenting
      3. forums
      4. Profile links

      Personally i think it is best if your links look natural. Also you should build them on a consistent basis. What i mean is don't build 500 links one day and then the next week you don't build any links. I also think it is important to get links from sites that are relevant to yours.

      Anyway here is one of my Amazon sites i am putting it out there to get advice. This is how i do my reviews. What do you guys think of it? | Best Computer Gaming Mouse

      Also do you think it is better to have one long review on the front page or several products on the front page with a small summary for each product?

      Thanks,
      Shannon
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3084144].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by Shannon Spoon View Post

        Anyway here is one of my Amazon sites i am putting it out there to get advice. This is how how i do my reviews. What do you guys think of it? | Best Computer Gaming Mouse

        Also do you think it is better to have one long review on the front page or several products on the front page with a small summary for each product?

        Thanks,
        Shannon
        Shannon, I like your review style, at least for the one on the front page (the only one I read). I also like the clean layout with minimal distractions.

        As to whether you should have one product or many on the front page, I think it depends...

        If you're doing very small sites focusing on one main product and the others are there for SEO and window dressing, keep the one long review on the home page.

        Otherwise, you might feature one long review (sans user reviews) and additional short snippets or photos with links. If readers want the user reviews, you could add a "read what other people had to say" link going to the actual review post. Take it one step further and add an anchor to the post and link people to that spot on the page...

        You will likely find that one way of doing things will work better than the others. That's the one you want to stick with for this niche...
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3084235].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TimG
        Originally Posted by Shannon Spoon View Post

        Anyway here is one of my Amazon sites i am putting it out there to get advice. This is how i do my reviews. What do you guys think of it? | Best Computer Gaming Mouse

        Also do you think it is better to have one long review on the front page or several products on the front page with a small summary for each product?

        Thanks,
        Shannon
        Shannon,
        Site layout looks good but in terms of one product or lots of products on the front page there are varied opinions on that matter. Some people do very well with one product while others praise the multi-product approach.

        Personally I list several products on my home page and then have an individual page for each seperate product. I build my sites using html and not as blogs.

        Also, do a search for the keyword phrase "best computer gaming mouse" and you'll find a hubpage site on the first page of Google's results. I'd recommend you chekc that marketer out as his hubpage has a decent score and he has built over 275 other hubs in various niches. I only birng this up so you can see what his approach is with this particular niche.

        Respectfully,
        Tim
        Signature
        Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

        Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3084838].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author AFI
    I didn't know they sold such expensive computer mouses. Hmmm....

    My point is, you're swimming among sharks. Keep your niches to yourself. (just some advice I learned the hard way)
    Signature

    Learn about Internet Marketing from my dofollow comment blog.....Make Extra Money At Home...
    I WILL BUILD YOU YOUR OWN CUSTOM AMAZON REVIEW SITE - HUNDREDS SOLD!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3084369].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Shannon Spoon
      Originally Posted by AFI View Post

      I didn't know they sold such expensive computer mouses. Hmmm....
      lol That's ok sometimes you got to put it out there to get some good feedback. I can only show it to so many people in my home and they will probably lie anyways. Yes that's nice....How much money did it make today? blah, blah, blah
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3084382].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Shannon Spoon
    Thanks Tim, I want to build several Amazon site sin 2011 and i am trying to get a feel for what approach i should take as far as how many products on the front page and what type of layout i should use.

    Shannon
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3086320].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TimG
      Originally Posted by Shannon Spoon View Post

      Thanks Tim, I want to build several Amazon site sin 2011 and i am trying to get a feel for what approach i should take as far as how many products on the front page and what type of layout i should use.

      Shannon
      Just sent you a PM.

      Respectfully,
      Tim
      Signature
      Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

      Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3086375].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Craig McPherson
      Originally Posted by Shannon Spoon View Post

      Thanks Tim, I want to build several Amazon site sin 2011
      Hi Shannon,
      You seem very focused and driven on your goals for this year. Congratulations.

      I seriously started zeroing in on Amazon about July/August last year. I have over 35 sites and was throwing content up left right and center but realised I was spreading myself too thin.

      It wasn't until mid October I decided to concentrate on my 3 best performing sites and only put up what I think is quality content that the commisions came in very regulary.

      I am ditching over 30 sites now and ramping up the 3. I am doing this after listening to guys that make considerable income from Amazon. All of them ,bar none, concentrate on a small handful of sites and turn them into authority sites.

      The above was not meant to derail you in any way but if I can save you a lot of grief down the track, I will be happy.

      Go for it Shannon, you deserve success

      Craig
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3117201].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
        Originally Posted by Craig McPherson View Post

        It wasn't until mid October I decided to concentrate on my 3 best performing sites and only put up what I think is quality content that the commisions came in very regulary.

        I am ditching over 30 sites now and ramping up the 3. I am doing this after listening to guys that make considerable income from Amazon. All of them ,bar none, concentrate on a small handful of sites and turn them into authority sites.
        100% agree!

        My life has been far easier since I started focusing on just a few sites and a couple of strategies. I want to diversify my assets as part of my overall financial security so I float a few of my other strategies in the background so they'll be there when I want to focus on them but my Amazon sites get the bulk of my time.

        The one Amazon site I started in April made $9509.75 in commissions from all affiliate links from May through December 2010. $8575.90 of that was from Amazon and the rest was from Walmart, Overstock and 1 other niche online retailer.

        In December alone that site generated just over $3400 in commissions.

        One site. One site with lots of room still to grow. I now have 83 posts on the site, 43 of which are product reviews.

        Some interesting lessons along the way. I sense one of my strongest sellers is about to be discontinued. Stock ran out the week before Christmas and it's only trickled in since. Just, of course, as I overtook Amazon and even the manufacturer to rank #1 for many variations of the product make and model. A great reason not to focus on just one product.

        The good news is that switching the traffic from that page to the replacement product (which was already on the site, too) was a piece of cake.

        Accessories for the model about to be discontinued have remained in demand and adding those to the review page has helped a lot.

        People have lots of questions about a couple of the products and leave lots of comments on the site. I answer every one of them and sometimes that takes a lot of work and research but those comments have helped bring in even more traffic and they help keep the page fresh.

        Visitors have started asking for certain information, too. A review on a competing product, a post on how to pick accessories, where to find deals on add-ons, etc. It's like getting free research! This part continues to amaze me. I have an outstanding list of post ideas just from site visitors.

        It's helped that I enjoy the subject even if I'm not an expert. I like doing the research. I like thinking about new ways to format my information. I like spending time building my plan of action for this site and I'm still intrigued by the potential of the niche.

        I don't generally want to race from the end of one year to the end of the next but I am excited to see what my 2011 Amazon commissions are going to look like.

        If you're slapping yourself silly wishing you'd started an Amazon site before the 2010 holiday shopping season, don't. Pick something evergreen and get started now. People buy stuff from Amazon every day all year long. The holiday season is just like getting a bonus from a traditional job but better since most companies don't do holiday bonuses any longer!

        (Dating myself since, yes, I'm old enough to remember when even large organizations could do envelopes of cash AND call them Christmas bonuses without any issues about being PC or having to report to the IRS!)
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3126853].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Craig McPherson
          Originally Posted by Craig

          I am ditching over 30 sites now and ramping up the 3. I am doing this after listening to guys that make considerable income from Amazon. All of them ,bar none, concentrate on a small handful of sites and turn them into authority sites.

          Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post

          100% agree!

          My life has been far easier since I started focusing on just a few sites and a couple of strategies.
          Erica is one of them. Pure gold in her posts. Read and do
          Signature
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127085].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tritrain
    I use a combination of popular, low priced items to push the quantities up, thus receiving a higher percentage.

    I also try to sell higher priced items to earn more income. I use the FSB script to build Amazon storefronts, then write original content, etc. to provide a valuable resource. It's been very successful!
    Signature
    Domains for sale - see seopositions.net
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3086379].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TimG
      Originally Posted by tritrain View Post

      I use a combination of popular, low priced items to push the quantities up, thus receiving a higher percentage.

      I also try to sell higher priced items to earn more income. I use the FSB script to build Amazon storefronts, then write original content, etc. to provide a valuable resource. It's been very successful!
      I'm not familiar with that script. Is it easy to use? I've been building static html sites instead of wordpress sites. This might make things much easier fo rme.

      Respectfully,
      Tim
      Signature
      Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

      Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3091488].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author BigNorm
    I've just started with amazon and that's because i wrote a review on a jump starter on xomba and so far it's made two sales over the last 3-4 months. I know it sounded minimal and I agree it does, but considering I only write it to see how fast it would rank and nothing else, no back links or anything. I was impressed but didn't look into ti further, so have decided to concentrate on amazon more than my other sites. I would love to fall into that 10k a month market.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3091859].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author FlashDriveDT
    Im making pretty good money with Amazon too. Not a killing like some of the other affiliates here, but seeing that amazon is only offered second to eBay on my website, I'd say its pretty good. The conversion rate is higher than eBay but as we all know, unfortunately the cookie only lasts for a day. Anyhow, if you have problems with amazon you may just want to put some more effort into ranking high in the SERPs (more high PR backlinks). If you can manage to outrank amazon itself for whatever product/keyword, you should definitely get a boost in sales. ;-)
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3115635].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author goosexxx
    Great NEW PRODUCT on Amazon to promote. Selling a lot of these.

    Floating shelf for flat screen tvs. One of a kind product with a great price so you earn a nice commission.

    Here are the links:

    Amazon.com: 48" Floating TV Wall Mount Shelf with...Amazon.com: 48" Floating TV Wall Mount Shelf with...
    Amazon.com: 36" Floating TV Wall Mount Shelf with...Amazon.com: 36" Floating TV Wall Mount Shelf with...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3118850].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author pukimama
      wow !! nice one, but are these your products ?

      Originally Posted by goosexxx View Post

      Great NEW PRODUCT on Amazon to promote. Selling a lot of these.

      Floating shelf for flat screen tvs. One of a kind product with a great price so you earn a nice commission.

      Here are the links:
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3123478].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Young Samurai
        Focusing on Amazon too.

        One area I'm uncertain on is keyword selection.

        I'd be very grateful if you could assist - Keyword Selection Paradigm
        Signature
        Kyle
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3124288].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
          Originally Posted by Young Samurai View Post

          Focusing on Amazon too.

          One area I'm uncertain on is keyword selection.

          I'd be very grateful if you could assist - Keyword Selection Paradigm
          Use Spyfu, find what keywords Amazon ad is on top from month to month

          check with google insight, look for trend..

          you want start build site 4-6 month before the trend reach it's max...

          also, to get best keyword...

          take most of the guess workout... You need paid tool...
          several of them...

          MS, NF, UKT.


          No brand name within domain, but it's okay in URL..


          so, you pick

          1 word or 2 word phase as main domain... or 3 word...

          than use long tail keywords as page URL...

          3-5 pages, is enough make you some serious money...


          than it's just back-linking time...


          Good luck!

          Han
          Signature
          - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
          Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3125510].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author nichegnome
    Banned
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3126039].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author lynneklos
      I've been doing affiliate marketing for a while, but I have just recently started building Amazon affiliate sites.

      I have text links with my KW as anchor text in my reviews. I also have what I think are gorgeous scrolling widgets of related products in the sidebars.

      Am I picking up that this is not a good idea? I really love these widgets, but if people have found that they hurt conversions, I'll turn those little puppies off! :confused:

      Thanks in advance for any advice!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3126101].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by lynneklos View Post

        I've been doing affiliate marketing for a while, but I have just recently started building Amazon affiliate sites.

        I have text links with my KW as anchor text in my reviews. I also have what I think are gorgeous scrolling widgets of related products in the sidebars.

        Am I picking up that this is not a good idea? I really love these widgets, but if people have found that they hurt conversions, I'll turn those little puppies off! :confused:

        Thanks in advance for any advice!
        Lynn, I use the widgets mainly for "set decoration", while counting on my text links to do the heavy lifting. For example, if I was going to review digital cameras (and I think just about everyone takes a crack at this at some point), I might use the widget to show camera bags or tripods or batteries, etc.

        And while it may not be the best SEO practice, linking your call to action (i.e., "click here to get today's price" or "click here to read user reviews") can be very effective.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3126339].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author gai001
    I've never had any luck with Amazon either. 4% for a lead that converts to a sale? Seems like a rip off and a bit of a time waster.

    Of course, I know some people are very successful with it. I just can't crack the code myself.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3126887].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author thelensboss
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127208].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Han Fan
      Originally Posted by thelensboss View Post

      I signed up for amazon but was declined due to having Apple iPad in my url title...on my next site i will definitely utilize amazon.

      just go to blogger.com

      make a simple blog

      send that URL for approval

      good luck

      Han
      Signature
      - Don't Wanna miss that Early Bird Special Again?
      Sign Up HERE: http://hanfanapproved.com/hfslc/getYourEarlyBirdSpecialHERE/


      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127524].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author coffeecashnow
      Hello warriors,

      I am very interested in that subject and I have a few questions.

      But first, thank you for all the information provided...

      1. When looking for a domain name, is it important to have mydomainname .com or is it as good if it is my-domain-name .com ? mydomainname being keyword rich.

      2. is the .info good for that type of site? to me it should be but i am totally unsure about that.

      Thank you!

      Olivier
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3153257].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author claycath
        1-You will get differing opinions on this and most will say don't use hyphens in domains. But I do know the ladies who wrote "The Amazonian Profit Plan and make very good money have domains with hyphens in them and it hasn't hurt them.

        2-I would stay away from the .info as it tends to be harder to rank. Stick with .com, .net or .org if possible.
        Signature

        Cathy

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3153356].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Craig McPherson
          [DELETED]
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3153392].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Gaz Cooper
            Originally Posted by Craig McPherson View Post

            Type the phrase

            free money making website

            into google and note the number of pages

            Done it,

            Nice ranking Craig, but as for domains extensions .com is KING still, and while you have a top page search result for your keywords, Dot Com still is the dominating extension for first page search results' dont you agree ??

            Results

            8 .com
            1.net
            1.info

            .com is still king

            Gaz Cooper
            Signature

            Beginners Guide to getting started in CRYPTO, FREE Ebook on a Massive Opportunity as the World shifts to Digital payment http://amzauthorityzone.com

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3153410].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Craig McPherson
              Originally Posted by GazCooperOnline View Post

              Dot Com still is the dominating extension for first page search results' dont you agree ??

              Gaz Cooper
              I do Gazza, for sure.
              It was a fairly silly response of mine.
              I pulled it down cos if it's irrelevance to the thread.

              Keep posting Gaz
              Signature
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3154452].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author tehnolife
          Banned
          The fact that .info domain names are harder to rank it's a complete MISTAKE!! There are a lot of guys that think .info domain names are bad domain names, but the SEO doesn't count if you have .info domain name or , .com or .ws....

          The way that you are seen if you have a .info domain names is a bad thing. It's true that .com domain names are for branding, but every domain name has the same SEO opportunity.

          Originally Posted by claycath View Post

          1-You will get differing opinions on this and most will say don't use hyphens in domains. But I do know the ladies who wrote "The Amazonian Profit Plan and make very good money have domains with hyphens in them and it hasn't hurt them.

          2-I would stay away from the .info as it tends to be harder to rank. Stick with .com, .net or .org if possible.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3156613].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author claycath
            Originally Posted by tehnolife View Post

            The fact that .info domain names are harder to rank it's a complete MISTAKE!! There are a lot of guys that think .info domain names are bad domain names, but the SEO doesn't count if you have .info domain name or , .com or .ws....

            The way that you are seen if you have a .info domain names is a bad thing. It's true that .com domain names are for branding, but every domain name has the same SEO opportunity.
            Well I have never had any luck with .info. My first choice is .com of course, then .org, then .net.
            Signature

            Cathy

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3157380].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
            Originally Posted by WealthWinners View Post

            Quick question to those who are using wordpress for your amazon sites.

            Are you creating "pages" for each review or "posts" for each review.

            Has anyone found if there was a difference?

            Generally I create pages for the basics (about, contact, privacy, etc).

            But then the product reviews are posts.

            Just wondering if one or the other hold any more weight?
            I use posts for my reviews, not pages. Permalinks are set to /%postname%/ so page URLs and post URLs are sitename.com/pagetitle or sitename.com/posttitle - no categories in the URL.

            I use pages for about, privacy, sitemap, comparison table, buyer's guide, and then I have a couple of pages for different price ranges of the products on my site. On each of those pages there are pictures of the models in that page's price range along with a link to Amazon and a link to my review. Helps with interlinking and navigation. I use this as a kind of funnel to get visitors who land on my home page to find what they're after as quickly as possible. Price can be a good way to narrow down their choices pretty quickly.

            Originally Posted by tehnolife View Post

            The fact that .info domain names are harder to rank it's a complete MISTAKE!! There are a lot of guys that think .info domain names are bad domain names, but the SEO doesn't count if you have .info domain name or , .com or .ws....

            The way that you are seen if you have a .info domain names is a bad thing. It's true that .com domain names are for branding, but every domain name has the same SEO opportunity.
            I agree with you. Not that I've run any tests, but .info was supposed to help ease the burden on .com and was created to act as .com - an unrestricted, international, top level domain. Logically, it doesn't make sense that Google would then make .info more difficult to rank than .com. It also doesn't make sense that the domain type would have so much more impact on ranking results than content. If content really is king, you should be able to rank any domain type for your keywords if you do it correctly (dependent on a slew of factors, of course).

            The issue appears purely a matter of perception - both in webmasters having a personal preference for a domain type and for searchers who may have more faith that one type or another is likely to have the information they seek.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3157447].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Giani
              Originally Posted by Sojourn View Post


              I agree with you. Not that I've run any tests, but .info was supposed to help ease the burden on .com and was created to act as .com - an unrestricted, international, top level domain. Logically, it doesn't make sense that Google would then make .info more difficult to rank than .com. It also doesn't make sense that the domain type would have so much more impact on ranking results than content. If content really is king, you should be able to rank any domain type for your keywords if you do it correctly (dependent on a slew of factors, of course).

              The issue appears purely a matter of perception - both in webmasters having a personal preference for a domain type and for searchers who may have more faith that one type or another is likely to have the information they seek.
              I have few .info domains which are being used for 2 purposes.

              1. Adsense and they are doing well. CTR on one of them is about 10%.

              2. I use them as Blogs to drive traffic to my product page. I use wp-robot there with no advertisements.
              Signature

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3159650].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author jaiganeshv
            Originally Posted by tehnolife View Post

            The fact that .info domain names are harder to rank it's a complete MISTAKE!! There are a lot of guys that think .info domain names are bad domain names, but the SEO doesn't count if you have .info domain name or , .com or .ws....

            The way that you are seen if you have a .info domain names is a bad thing. It's true that .com domain names are for branding, but every domain name has the same SEO opportunity.
            i do not agree with this. there are 1000s of one word .ws names but hardly show up in search results. but on the other hand a crappy .com shows up in first page.

            .com or .net or .org.. thats it

            Thanks
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3191291].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Gaz Cooper
        Originally Posted by coffeecashnow View Post

        Hello warriors,

        I am very interested in that subject and I have a few questions.

        But first, thank you for all the information provided...

        1. When looking for a domain name, is it important to have mydomainname .com or is it as good if it is my-domain-name .com ? mydomainname being keyword rich.

        2. is the .info good for that type of site? to me it should be but i am totally unsure about that.

        Thank you!

        Olivier
        Hi Oliver

        Keyword rich domains are best, I tend to focus on the exact product name or product number or if not available definately keyword rich domain names.

        As for the .info I own over 138 domains and they are all dot coms, I personally am not a fan of any other extension (well maybe .co.uk or .org and the reason for that is do any search and see what the top results are for the extension.

        Hope this helps

        Gaz Cooper
        Signature

        Beginners Guide to getting started in CRYPTO, FREE Ebook on a Massive Opportunity as the World shifts to Digital payment http://amzauthorityzone.com

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3153398].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author bay37
    Originally Posted by JWMims View Post

    Pick high margin products, but don't put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify, diversify, diversify!!
    Did you mean high price products?

    I believe that it's important to promote a mix of both high price and low price products. Cheaper stuff is easier to sell, which helps raise your commission rate up (progressive/performance commission structure).

    edit:

    Ahh snap, you must have meant not electronics (as those are capped at 4%). I sold over 1600 cheap (<$35) products from the "electronics" category last month. Again - if you can find good niches with tons of cheap products - just go for it. Then mix it up a bit.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127769].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Dan Manherz
      Originally Posted by bay37 View Post

      Did you mean high price products?

      I believe that it's important to promote a mix of both high price and low price products. Cheaper stuff is easier to sell, which helps raise your commission rate up (progressive/performance commission structure).

      edit:

      Ahh snap, you must have meant not electronics (as those are capped at 4%). I sold over 1600 cheap (<$35) products from the "electronics" category last month. Again - if you can find good niches with tons of cheap products - just go for it. Then mix it up a bit.
      When I was doing my Christmas site promotions using Amazon, I found that the key is to get people to follow your link to Amazon, whether they buy the product you are promoting or not. By using your link, any thing they buy on Amazon in the next while without going through another affiliate link will be credited to you.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127936].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author edge83
        Originally Posted by Dan Manherz View Post

        When I was doing my Christmas site promotions using Amazon, I found that the key is to get people to follow your link to Amazon, whether they buy the product you are promoting or not. By using your link, any thing they buy on Amazon in the next while without going through another affiliate link will be credited to you.
        Right on! People are way more inclined to browse around in Amazon and end up buying other things than almost any other affiliate program (at least that I can think of).
        Signature

        The simplest answer is usually the correct one.

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127946].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author edge83
    There is definitely a lot to be made on Amazon, and often overlooked due to the fact that the commission percentage is a lot lower than something like clickbank. However, it is a household name and deals with products that attract WAY more people, who also trust the idea of buying from Amazon.

    I agree with focusing on a few sites first- however, you don't necessarily need to have tons of products on your site. Focus on giving quality information / reviews for specific products that people are actively seeking information on.
    Signature

    The simplest answer is usually the correct one.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3127941].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author claycath
    Originally Posted by rana.zahid View Post

    i am also affiliate of amazon but did not make any cent yet .kindly dear member let me help to make money on line
    Read over this entire thread. It will help you learn a lot in how to sell Amazon stuff. Or invest in a course. There are several excellent ones out there specifically dedicated to teach you how to do it.
    Signature

    Cathy

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3133966].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author rajivkumar900
      I m impressed with the information given on this thread.
      Thanks to all who has given this valuable contribution.
      Rajiv
      Signature

      Rajiv Kumar
      Skpe: rajivkumar900
      Email id : rajivkumar900@gmail.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3136868].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author CaesarSEO
    Definitely making money with Amazon.

    Made $15 in 3 weeks. Yay!
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3137270].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author masterofinternate
    I must say one thing that Amazon is a trusted brand.Amazon associates have many ways to make money.not only will you earn money on the sales of books,music or DVD's but also in toys,kitchen,jeweleries and so on.Your advertising rate will range from 4% to 15% and income in a month can be near to $20,000.So if you pay your attention on this you'll get a good result.
    Signature

    Subscribe to Hotel Book Save
    !!!Get Discount on every Booking!!!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3137410].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
    Joining everyone else in this thread in a shout-out to Erica/Sojourn for all of her helpful posts!

    I just did one change to my amazon pages which, so far, is going great:

    I had the Amazon preview tool installed, which means that when visitors hover over an amazon text or image link, a little amazon pop-up-rectangle comes up which shows them the price, amount of stars, and a "buy" button.

    The nice thing about this features is that, from an affiliate standpoint, it works the same way it would work if someone would actually click over to Amazon from your site. This means, that just by getting your user to mouseover an image linked to Amazon (very likely to happen if you have a decent-sized image at the top of your post!), your visitor is now "cookied" into your affiliate link.

    Read more about it here: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com...ciates/tips/t8

    I have heard from some marketers that visitors may not like the pop up, but my visitors are leaving me nice comments on my review pages, thanking me for my research and reviews, so it may be different in different niches.


    As I said, I just installed it a few days ago, so it's too soon for me to have data about it, but I am excited about it.

    I can imagine that many people read my review and then, out of habit, type a-m-a-z-o-n into their browser without clicking through from my page. With this preview tool, if those people moused over one of my images or text links, even if they type amazon into their browser, they are buying from my affiliate link!

    Hope this is helpful
    Signature

    HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3139689].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author WealthWinners
      Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

      Joining everyone else in this thread in a shout-out to Erica/Sojourn for all of her helpful posts!

      I just did one change to my amazon pages which, so far, is going great:

      I had the Amazon preview tool installed, which means that when visitors hover over an amazon text or image link, a little amazon pop-up-rectangle comes up which shows them the price, amount of stars, and a "buy" button.

      The nice thing about this features is that, from an affiliate standpoint, it works the same way it would work if someone would actually click over to Amazon from your site. This means, that just by getting your user to mouseover an image linked to Amazon (very likely to happen if you have a decent-sized image at the top of your post!), your visitor is now "cookied" into your affiliate link.

      Read more about it here: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com...ciates/tips/t8

      I have heard from some marketers that visitors may not like the pop up, but my visitors are leaving me nice comments on my review pages, thanking me for my research and reviews, so it may be different in different niches.

      This is not my site, just found it as an example of the preview tool- hover over the image and you'll see how it works.
      Best Sewing Machine (

      As I said, I just installed it a few days ago, so it's too soon for me to have data about it, but I am excited about it.

      I can imagine that many people read my review and then, out of habit, type a-m-a-z-o-n into their browser without clicking through from my page. With this preview tool, if those people moused over one of my images or text links, even if they type amazon into their browser, they are buying from my affiliate link!

      Hope this is helpful
      Thanks for this tip. However when I went to the sewing machine site the popup didn't show anything inside. I was using Chrome as the browser so decided to check it on FF as well as IE. This plugin doesn't work right on Chrome (neither does much else). However it does work fine on FF and IE>
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3140377].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TammieJJ
      Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

      Joining everyone else in this thread in a shout-out to Erica/Sojourn for all of her helpful posts!

      I just did one change to my amazon pages which, so far, is going great:

      I had the Amazon preview tool installed, which means that when visitors hover over an amazon text or image link, a little amazon pop-up-rectangle comes up which shows them the price, amount of stars, and a "buy" button.

      The nice thing about this features is that, from an affiliate standpoint, it works the same way it would work if someone would actually click over to Amazon from your site. This means, that just by getting your user to mouseover an image linked to Amazon (very likely to happen if you have a decent-sized image at the top of your post!), your visitor is now "cookied" into your affiliate link.

      Read more about it here: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com...ciates/tips/t8

      I have heard from some marketers that visitors may not like the pop up, but my visitors are leaving me nice comments on my review pages, thanking me for my research and reviews, so it may be different in different niches.

      This is not my site, just found it as an example of the preview tool- hover over the image and you'll see how it works. Best Sewing Machine (

      As I said, I just installed it a few days ago, so it's too soon for me to have data about it, but I am excited about it.

      I can imagine that many people read my review and then, out of habit, type a-m-a-z-o-n into their browser without clicking through from my page. With this preview tool, if those people moused over one of my images or text links, even if they type amazon into their browser, they are buying from my affiliate link!

      Hope this is helpful
      Is there a plugin to install this script or is it a manual installation on each page of your sites?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3144336].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author bouncingboy
      Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

      I had the Amazon preview tool installed, which means that when visitors hover over an amazon text or image link, a little amazon pop-up-rectangle comes up which shows them the price, amount of stars, and a "buy" button.

      The nice thing about this features is that, from an affiliate standpoint, it works the same way it would work if someone would actually click over to Amazon from your site. This means, that just by getting your user to mouseover an image linked to Amazon (very likely to happen if you have a decent-sized image at the top of your post!), your visitor is now "cookied" into your affiliate link.
      Unfortunately, it doesn't cookie the user unless he clicks through. You don't get the cookie just because his mouse triggers the popup.

      The problem with it is that the price at Amazon isn't that great most of the time. They see the popup and find that the price is so-so, so they won't click through. There may be niches where Amazon's prices are really good, but not in my niche.

      I don't let my readers see the price without getting the 24hr cookie in return. A plain text link with no popup weirdness maximizes the chance of the reader clicking on an Adsense ad, which is what I really want the user to do instead.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185759].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
        Originally Posted by bouncingboy View Post

        Unfortunately, it doesn't cookie the user unless he clicks through. You don't get the cookie just because his mouse triggers the popup.

        The problem with it is that the price at Amazon isn't that great most of the time. They see the popup and find that the price is so-so, so they won't click through. There may be niches where Amazon's prices are really good, but not in my niche.

        I don't let my readers see the price without getting the 24hr cookie in return. A plain text link with no popup weirdness maximizes the chance of the reader clicking on an Adsense ad, which is what I really want the user to do instead.
        According to Amazon's page, here, you DO get the cookie when the mouse triggers the pop up: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com...ciates/tips/t8

        Why do you think not?
        Signature

        HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3189850].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author bouncingboy
          Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

          According to Amazon's page, here, you DO get the cookie when the mouse triggers the pop up:

          Why do you think not?
          Those terms never explicitly says that it will set the 24 hour cookie on mouse over.

          Go to the Amazon associates discussion board and search "1 order on the 13th" I've seen this mentioned several other times on the Associates discussion board as well. There was a bug last year where Amazon accidentally set the 24 hour cookie when it popped up but Amazon fixed it. It's pretty clear from the discussion board that it doesn't set the 24 hour cookie.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3190141].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
            Originally Posted by bouncingboy View Post

            Those terms never explicitly says that it will set the 24 hour cookie on mouse over.

            Go to the Amazon associates discussion board and search "1 order on the 13th" I've seen this mentioned several other times on the Associates discussion board as well. There was a bug last year where Amazon accidentally set the 24 hour cookie when it popped up but Amazon fixed it. It's pretty clear from the discussion board that it doesn't set the 24 hour cookie.
            I'll have to check out the discussion you mentioned, but this bit from the page Ellen cited might help...

            The link enhancer script you add to your Web pages will make a call to http://www.assoc-amazon.com. Because we are hosting the script on a different domain than the Amazon.com retail domain, Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more, we do not receive a customer's Amazon.com cookies when the script runs, but rather only after the product preview appears.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3191195].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author CMCarlin
              Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

              I'll have to check out the discussion you mentioned, but this bit from the page Ellen cited might help...
              Aye, this looks like a cookie is used, but I wonder, there should be a way to verify this, yes? I know some software that remove temporary files and cookies will list what is being removed, so there might be a way to see if some sort of amazon cookie is placed.

              I'm really curious about this.
              Signature
              I can help your business grow. Spend less time backlinking and more time focusing on your clients. Skype me anytime for more details. Custom packages available.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3194247].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Rachel28
                Hi,
                I started following this thread a couple of months ago and was really excited. Actually getting around to doing something has been incredibly hard but I've just written an article for ezine on the benefits of a product I've been researching, linking to a squidoo lens with a review. I'm such a novice that I'm having difficulty working out how to create text links, linking to the product from my lens, I've been studying the associates help page but am a bit confused. Sorry if this is an exasperating question but could anybody help?
                Many Thanks,
                Rachel
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3196211].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
    That is interesting about Chrome; I'll look into that further. Thanks
    Signature

    HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3140409].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Drewry_Media
    It's pretty much a matter of persistence, and patience. Before becoming a success in online marketing, it's just a huge waiting game
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3140660].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author LetsGoViral
    I agree that Amazon's commission is indeed very low. It seems that the only way to make money is via very expensive items: diamonds, yachts, expensive technology and similar.
    Signature
    Time of thinking is over.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3140686].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author WealthWinners
      Quick question to those who are using wordpress for your amazon sites.

      Are you creating "pages" for each review or "posts" for each review.

      Has anyone found if there was a difference?

      Generally I create pages for the basics (about, contact, privacy, etc).

      But then the product reviews are posts.

      Just wondering if one or the other hold any more weight?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3140882].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author matt5409
        Originally Posted by WealthWinners View Post

        Quick question to those who are using wordpress for your amazon sites.

        Are you creating "pages" for each review or "posts" for each review.

        Has anyone found if there was a difference?

        Generally I create pages for the basics (about, contact, privacy, etc).

        But then the product reviews are posts.

        Just wondering if one or the other hold any more weight?
        posts all the way. i create pages if i am promoting a special offer
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3152131].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
      Originally Posted by LetsGoViral View Post

      I agree that Amazon's commission is indeed very low. It seems that the only way to make money is via very expensive items: diamonds, yachts, expensive technology and similar.
      It's definitely about volume, that's true!

      Still, with so many products to promote, it's easy for the volume to really add up if you have a good base of sites established.

      And, it's still easy to rank physical product affilaite sites as compared to the non-physical sites

      Plus, the 24 hour cookie is a definite plus.

      Add it up and you still can make good money at it!
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3151745].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author matt5409
        Originally Posted by Michael Franklin View Post

        It's definitely about volume, that's true!

        Still, with so many products to promote, it's easy for the volume to really add up if you have a good base of sites established.

        And, it's still easy to rank physical product affilaite sites as compared to the non-physical sites

        Plus, the 24 hour cookie is a definite plus.

        Add it up and you still can make good money at it!
        a definite plus compared to what? amazons cookie value is about the worst there is!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3152136].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Darren Beecham
          Bless,

          any results you can share with this strategy?

          thanks in advance
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3152216].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author ghepburn
            If you lead someone to a particular product on Amazon but they buy something different on the site do you still get the commission?
            Thanks,
            Graham
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3152639].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author claycath
              Yes Graham, I often see things people order that have nothing to do with what I am promoting.As long as they get to Amazon through your link within that 24 hour cookie, you will get the commission on whatever they order.
              Signature

              Cathy

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3152669].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author NateRivers
              Originally Posted by ghepburn View Post

              If you lead someone to a particular product on Amazon but they buy something different on the site do you still get the commission?
              Thanks,
              Graham
              Yes. That's the beauty of Amazon... usually people buy more than just what they had clicked on at your site.
              Signature
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3152821].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author bless
            Hi Darren,

            I don't want to be too specific, but what I can say is that I will be disappointed if I'm not "retired" by June 1st this year.
            Signature
            Your Own Sales Boosting List Building Video in 48 Hours! Sell 750% More. Click Here to Find Out How!
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3156509].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
    I'm very limited technically, so I first hired a guy to install this plugin:

    WordPress › WordPress-Amazon-Associate « WordPress Plugins

    Then we discovered that it could only work with one amazon id (which would not allow me to track which pages or links my buyers were coming from) so he wrote me a php script. I'm still testing it out, and can let you know how it works.
    Signature

    HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3146931].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TammieJJ
      Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

      I'm very limited technically, so I first hired a guy to install this plugin:

      WordPress › WordPress-Amazon-Associate « WordPress Plugins

      Then we discovered that it could only work with one amazon id (which would not allow me to track which pages or links my buyers were coming from) so he wrote me a php script. I'm still testing it out, and can let you know how it works.
      Hi Ellen,

      Thank you so much for your reply! I want to test the preview option on several of my sites, so I would be very interested in if your php script works and, if so, will be looking for someone to write a similar script for me.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3150885].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author toddgaraham
      can anyone tell me that Amazon Affiliates is more like Google AdSense? or Does it work like the Click Bank thing?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3155649].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author coffeecashnow
        Thank you for your answers, i think i'll look for a .com even if I have the (-)

        olivier
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3155786].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Qamar
        Originally Posted by toddgaraham View Post

        can anyone tell me that Amazon Affiliates is more like Google AdSense? or Does it work like the Click Bank thing?
        Amazon is similar to clickbank. the only difference is that the former deal with physical products while the latter deals with digital products.



        Qamar
        Signature
        I help Thought Leaders, Coaches and Consultants
        Explode Their High Ticket Sales EXPONENTIALLY with just ONE CALL CLOSING.

        Want Me To Help You? click ==> High Ticket Closer.

        or

        Do You Want to become a High Ticket Closer Like Me and work from anywhere around the world?
        Click Here to Apply Now
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3155918].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author toddgaraham
          Originally Posted by Qamar View Post

          Amazon is similar to clickbank. the only difference is that the former deal with physical products while the latter deals with digital products.



          Qamar
          Thanks for clarifying, never knew clickbank only deals in digital. :confused:
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3155968].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author bless
    I have made close to 14 thousand British Pounds via Amazon uk, but that was in the past. For less competition, target other Amazon sites than the US one. (UK, Germany etc) An option is to target markets outside of Amazon, that hardly have competition at all. That's the strategy I'm currently following.
    Signature
    Your Own Sales Boosting List Building Video in 48 Hours! Sell 750% More. Click Here to Find Out How!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3151252].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Joe2
      Originally Posted by bless View Post

      I have made close to 14 thousand British Pounds via Amazon uk, but that was in the past. For less competition, target other Amazon sites than the US one. (UK, Germany etc) An option is to target markets outside of Amazon, that hardly have competition at all. That's the strategy I'm currently following.
      How do you do the translations to other languages?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3154602].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author John Henderson
      Originally Posted by bless View Post

      I have made close to 14 thousand British Pounds via Amazon uk, but that was in the past. For less competition, target other Amazon sites than the US one. (UK, Germany etc) An option is to target markets outside of Amazon, that hardly have competition at all. That's the strategy I'm currently following.
      I assume from this post that it's possible for an Amazon affiliate in any country to make money from any other country's Amazon site....

      Is there anything stopping an Amazon affiliate from putting multiple 'Buy Now' buttons onto a single item's review page -- one for each Amazon territory?
      (So for a particular item's page, you would have the 'Buy Now' link to that item on Amazon's US site, the 'Buy Now' link for the same item on Amazon's UK site, and so on)

      I'm hoping that a single review page could earn a commission no matter which country the reader is in....
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3288842].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ben Armstrong
        Originally Posted by John Henderson View Post

        I assume from this post that it's possible for an Amazon affiliate in any country to make money from any other country's Amazon site....

        Is there anything stopping an Amazon affiliate from putting multiple 'Buy Now' buttons onto a single item's review page -- one for each Amazon territory?
        (So for a particular item's page, you would have the 'Buy Now' link to that item on Amazon's US site, the 'Buy Now' link for the same item on Amazon's UK site, and so on)

        I'm hoping that a single review page could earn a commission no matter which country the reader is in....
        You can get a wordpress plugin called amazon link localizer (or similar?) that will basically direct them to their local amazon site based on their location. My sites are setup mainly for US Amazon but I don't want to miss out on any profit so I use the link localizer to capture the other 25% or so of the market.
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3288859].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Mrs S
          Originally Posted by MalceskiFan View Post

          You can get a wordpress plugin called amazon link localizer (or similar?) that will basically direct them to their local amazon site based on their location. My sites are setup mainly for US Amazon but I don't want to miss out on any profit so I use the link localizer to capture the other 25% or so of the market.
          One thing to note with this plugin is that you have to use the "raw" Amazon links in order for it to work. If you use any kind of pretty redirect then the plugin can't redirect the reader.

          Before you think about whether you should try and cover off multiple Amazon locations it's worth checking to see which countries your traffic is coming from.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3294138].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Ben Armstrong
            Originally Posted by Mrs S View Post

            One thing to note with this plugin is that you have to use the "raw" Amazon links in order for it to work. If you use any kind of pretty redirect then the plugin can't redirect the reader.

            Before you think about whether you should try and cover off multiple Amazon locations it's worth checking to see which countries your traffic is coming from.
            All my links are raw at the moment, but I wasn't aware of this. Thanks for the tip.

            Is it worth cloaking the amazon affiliate link?

            I've heard from a few sources that google will slap your site if there are too many outgoing affiliate links, but I'm not sure how accurate this information is.

            I've seen amazon affiliate sites both with and without it.
            Signature

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3295207].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author claycath
              I also know that Google hates cloaked links. Does that include the cloaked links that plugins like "pretty links" do? I hope not cos that's what I use!

              Anyone know?
              Signature

              Cathy

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3295313].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author jaxpot
                Originally Posted by claycath View Post

                I also know that Google hates cloaked links. Does that include the cloaked links that plugins like "pretty links" do? I hope not cos that's what I use!

                Anyone know?
                I read this before too, but didn't think anything of it.

                If anyone can shed some light on this, that would be great.

                I also use Pretty Links and I also use bit.ly.
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3296385].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author jeffczyz
                  Originally Posted by jaxpot View Post

                  I read this before too, but didn't think anything of it.

                  If anyone can shed some light on this, that would be great.

                  I also use Pretty Links and I also use bit.ly.

                  While I really like bit.ly for the stats, I tend to stay away from it. For those people that don't know what a link shortener is they may be skeptical to actually click on the link.

                  Since many online shoppers aren't as "tech savvy" as us seeing a ".ly" domain name may raise some flags for them... just something to think about...
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3298970].message }}
                  • Profile picture of the author jaxpot
                    Originally Posted by jeffczyz View Post

                    While I really like bit.ly for the stats, I tend to stay away from it. For those people that don't know what a link shortener is they may be skeptical to actually click on the link.

                    Since many online shoppers aren't as "tech savvy" as us seeing a ".ly" domain name may raise some flags for them... just something to think about...
                    Thanks for the advice. One thing I do often is "customize" my bit.ly links, so instead of the default "/xvsg1a" link they create, I change it to something like "http://bit.ly/dogTraining".

                    It's not too bad, plus Amazon links shortened by "bit.ly" becomes "http://amzn.to/xyz"
                    ===

                    On another note... I do like the fast stats you get from bit.ly, but I wish there was a better way to breakdown the time frame. They go from "Now" (past four hours) to 7 days. It would be nice to see the past 24 hours, or make the time frame more customizable.

                    Is there a way to do that in bit.ly?
                    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3313623].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author vij
            Originally Posted by Mrs S View Post

            One thing to note with this plugin is that you have to use the "raw" Amazon links in order for it to work. If you use any kind of pretty redirect then the plugin can't redirect the reader.

            Before you think about whether you should try and cover off multiple Amazon locations it's worth checking to see which countries your traffic is coming from.
            Doesnt Amazon disallow redirection or anything that leads to landing on a page without user interaction.


            Can anyone comment on this please.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3299144].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tritrain
    Originally Posted by rana.zahid View Post

    i am also affiliate of amazon but did not make any cent yet .kindly dear member let me help to make money on line
    The very best place to start as an Amazon affiliate is Hub Pages, then Squidoo, in that order.

    You benefit in a few ways.

    1. It is free.
    2. Hub Pages (and Squidoo) attracts a great deal of traffic and can help to push your pages up in the search engine ranking.
    3. Many visitors are familiar with both sites and usually trust what they read, thereby increasing the chance that they will follow your Amazon product links.
    4. You can do keyword research and niche research without paying a dime, so you have nothing to lose.

    Select a niche or two and make a Blogger or Wordpress blog. If you are consistent about posting and a decent writer, you can generate a following and possibly make some more money.

    Once you have developed a good presence on these sites, and you have started to generate some income, use the money that you've earned to buy/host your own domain. Then, build an Amazon storefront.

    Repeat.
    Signature
    Domains for sale - see seopositions.net
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3152709].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Giani
    After reading al the posts, I am truly inspired to promote Amazon products as Affiliate now. I have been making some money here and there but would like to focus on Amazon.

    If anyone can suggest me a good book or a process, i will be grateful. You can pm me. Thanks.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3153396].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author tritrain
      Originally Posted by Giani View Post

      After reading al the posts, I am truly inspired to promote Amazon products as Affiliate now. I have been making some money here and there but would like to focus on Amazon.

      If anyone can suggest me a good book or a process, i will be grateful. You can pm me. Thanks.
      Seriously, go to Hub Pages and read through their forum and guides. It is a great place to start and test your theories and research.

      One tip is to set up Amazon Associate tracking codes for each site in which I have Amazon products listed. Then I can see what is selling where best.
      Signature
      Domains for sale - see seopositions.net
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3156124].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jonibravo
    I knw a lot of people earning money from amazon.com. Its true that it is difficult but still so many success stories. It actually depends on your technique to earn. Try hard you will get earnings from amazon.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3155989].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ryanjm
    One thing I've learned in the past month is that it's better to be a "1st level affiliate" than a "2nd level afifiliate." What I mean by that is if you sell something on Amazon, you're essentially an affiliate of an affiliate. First Amazon takes their cut, then you take your cut. The result is that most of the profits go to Amazon and the manufacturer while you take a tiny percent for doing most of the heavy lifting of actually creating the sale.

    The alternative to that is to find smaller manufacturers or businesses that are web savvy enough to have created an affiliate program, but realize the value of someone selling for them and offer a much larger %. For example, the products I started to market are generally in the $150-500 price range, but we've worked out a deal with one supplier for 20% commissions. Others are open to negotiation after you deliver results/sales revenue.

    The only real benefit of amazon is unrelated sales and visitor trust in their website. Whether that's enough to make up for the pitiful percentage and massive number of competitor affiliates is up for debate.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3156554].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
      Originally Posted by ryanjm View Post


      The only real benefit of amazon is unrelated sales and visitor trust in their website. Whether that's enough to make up for the pitiful percentage and massive number of competitor affiliates is up for debate.
      In my testing, Amazon has won just because of the factors mentioned here - the trust and unrelated sales.

      I sold a $699 flatscreen tv through a link for a children's game recently - that would not be likely to happen with a merchant on cj.com.

      Also, most people have purchased from Amazon in the past, so Amazon has their credit card # - people don't have to even take out their wallet and enter their credit card number the way they need to with other merchants!

      It's definitely worth split-testing - amazon vs. other merchants, and the results would probably be different in different niches.
      Signature

      HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3157498].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Sojourn
        Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

        Also, most people have purchased from Amazon in the past, so Amazon has their credit card # - people don't have to even take out their wallet and enter their credit card number the way they need to with other merchants!
        Ellen, I hadn't thought of that but you make an excellent point. You know that "book I couldn't put down" thread that was up here recently? Well, I followed it over to Amazon for the description. The ratings were good and the author lives nearby so I HAD to buy it. (I mean, what if I run into him? ). Of course, I had to add another few bucks to get free shipping so I did.

        All of my buying information is set up and you know what? I NEVER do that. I DO NOT allow online retailers to store my credit card information when I have a choice - except Amazon. I didn't even think twice about trusting Amazon. The degree of distinction didn't quite hit me until you pointed it out.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3157661].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author coffeecashnow
          Hey guys,

          Thanks for sharing your views on the .info it makes me wonder now though.

          If you find a good domain name, not available in .com but it is in .org and in .net

          Is it a mistake to register only one? if not which one do you guys think is best?
          .org I believe from what I read before

          Thank you.
          Olivier
          Signature

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3157733].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author pmp613
      Originally Posted by ryanjm View Post

      One thing I've learned in the past month is that it's better to be a "1st level affiliate" than a "2nd level afifiliate." What I mean by that is if you sell something on Amazon, you're essentially an affiliate of an affiliate. First Amazon takes their cut, then you take your cut. The result is that most of the profits go to Amazon and the manufacturer while you take a tiny percent for doing most of the heavy lifting of actually creating the sale.

      The alternative to that is to find smaller manufacturers or businesses that are web savvy enough to have created an affiliate program, but realize the value of someone selling for them and offer a much larger %. For example, the products I started to market are generally in the $150-500 price range, but we've worked out a deal with one supplier for 20% commissions. Others are open to negotiation after you deliver results/sales revenue.

      The only real benefit of amazon is unrelated sales and visitor trust in their website. Whether that's enough to make up for the pitiful percentage and massive number of competitor affiliates is up for debate.
      Interesting approach - all the benefits of dropshipping w/o the headache of customers.

      Have you founf manufacturers and the like just by doing kw analysis and then googling manufacturers? or another way?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3157780].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Zeid Makkawi
    Wow, such a hot thread. Gotta love Warrior Forum members for such amazing information for free. Never though promoting amazon by building niche sites before, Maybe i should give it try

    Cheers
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3156685].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    I looked at some other direct, non-Amazon physical product affiliate programs and all of them had a worse commission rate than Amazon. Example, the HomeDepot.com affiliate program pays only 3% on products, which is pretty dismal. If you can work out a private affiliate deal for high commissions, then that is probably a great way to go, though. I may actually look into that.
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3157814].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author coffeecashnow
      Regarding sourcing products, a few years back I have purchased a great product(IMO) that helps you find dropshippers but unfortunately at that time I wasn't ready to make it online...

      it is called World Wide Brands and it is a little pricey.
      a Free option is DropshipDirect.
      There are also SaleHoo and Doba but I read a few bad things about them...

      Would have to check if they have the type of products you need...

      hope that helps.
      Olivier
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3158076].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Sweely99
    If someone has a trademark in their domain name, can they still sign up with Amazon? And can someone sign up with Amazon if they're not living in the U.S?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3157933].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author edge83
      Originally Posted by Sweely99 View Post

      If someone has a trademark in their domain name, can they still sign up with Amazon? And can someone sign up with Amazon if they're not living in the U.S?
      Extremely unlikely, and the owner could give a cease and desist.. not worth the risk.
      Signature

      The simplest answer is usually the correct one.

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3158001].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    If you have a trademark violation in your domain name you probably will be denied, but almost anyone in the world can sign up for the Amazon affiliate program. There are a few U.S. states that are not allowed, though. I've not heard of any other countries that are not allowed to be part of the program.
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3157991].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    Just another thought....How often have you purchased an item from a Commission Junction vendor vs purchasing an item from Amazon? I have shopped via some of the CJ vendors in the past (maybe once or twice). But I buy from Amazon all the time - great prices, free shipping (I joined the 2 day shipping program a couple years ago), great service...

    That said I also make money via other vendors including a few small ones. It always helps to diversify.
    Signature

    Pen Name + 8 eBooks + social media sites 4 SALE - PM me (evergreen beauty niche)

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3158025].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Fitzwise
    Writing good product reviews to me is the key. Don't just copy and paste what is on the Amazon page and hit points that you would look for if you were buying the poduct.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3158081].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author ryanjm
      Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

      In my testing, Amazon has won just because of the factors mentioned here - the trust and unrelated sales.

      I sold a $699 flatscreen tv through a link for a children's game recently - that would not be likely to happen with a merchant on cj.com.

      Also, most people have purchased from Amazon in the past, so Amazon has their credit card # - people don't have to even take out their wallet and enter their credit card number the way they need to with other merchants!

      It's definitely worth split-testing - amazon vs. other merchants, and the results would probably be different in different niches.
      Yeah, the type of selling I'm talking about is cutting out the affiliate middle-man altogether. CJ is just another 'amazon' in that they are taking a cut of the manufacturer's profits before you get anything. Some companies are web-savvy enough to be able to install affiliate software of their own on their website. That way you work directly with the manufacturer for your commission. Depending on the product and their profit margin, that number could much much higher than what Amazon will give you.

      Definitely going to be split testing this within the next couple of months after some of my sites are ranking where they need to be.

      Originally Posted by pmp613 View Post

      Interesting approach - all the benefits of dropshipping w/o the headache of customers.

      Have you founf manufacturers and the like just by doing kw analysis and then googling manufacturers? or another way?
      Pretty much. I "lucked out" in that I was part of a growing community of people who are very interested in a particular activity, and are willing to pay well for the equipment needed to do said activity. A U.S. based company just started a couple of years ago manufacturing equipment for this group of people. They are using some software called "post affiliate pro" which is pretty sweet for giving you very detailed info on where your visitors are coming from, sales, etc...

      Duplication of this approach is a matter of finding other businesses online which have something similar set up in the niche you want to sell for. We've been able to find a handful of companies already that sell related equipment and offer 20-30% commissions. This is all very new for us though so, as the above poster mentioned, split testing will be needed to see if 20% from unknown sites can overcome 6% on Amazon.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3158456].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author prostock81
    That is a good question-I am signed up and have been doing some promoting made a few sales, but the commission structure being like 4% I think I have made like $5.00 lol, guess of course it was the products I was promoting, but I honestly don't know how you can make a fulltime income doing this, but there are many that say they do so I am interested in other comments also. Thanks
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3158577].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
      Originally Posted by prostock81 View Post

      That is a good question-I am signed up and have been doing some promoting made a few sales, but the commission structure being like 4% I think I have made like $5.00 lol, guess of course it was the products I was promoting, but I honestly don't know how you can make a fulltime income doing this, but there are many that say they do so I am interested in other comments also. Thanks
      The key is to have a site that is attractive in layout and content to your visitors. Also, focus on getting traffic to your site. Follow the tips throughout this thread as traffic is critical.

      You also have to scale up so that you have an assortment of sites. It's all about volume!
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3161209].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jake Gray
    Amazon Affiliates.

    You will only survive if you write legit content. Don't just copy and paste. Connect with your readers -- Don't be so serious, Don't make them feel like you're trying to sell them something.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3159660].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
      I recently sold a handful of $200+ products from Amazon on a new page of my site.

      How?

      * I read all 400+ reviews of the product on Amazon, 200+ from Walmart.com and buzzillions.com, and took notes. (Yes, it took hours!)

      * I condensed all that information into a very helpful article, which ended up being 2,000 words.

      * I drove to a local merchant who carried these products and got permission to take detailed photos of the items. (Think Zappos- they don't just give you a stock photo, they take their own photos of the shoe at every angle!)

      * I put up the photos with appropriate captions throughout the article.

      * Next on my list - drag a friend to the store with me, so that she can shoot a few videos of me demonstrating the features of the product!

      * Optimized the page for "product xyz review".

      * Wrote articles, submitted them to article directories and blog owners and did blog commenting and forum profiling to rank my new page for "product xyz review"

      * Bonus tip: I wrote an article entitled "product xyz vs product abc" and I'm getting a lot of traffic for variations of that phrase - even though I'm #5 or 10 in google for it - all the other listings above me do not compare these 2 products, so people are clicking on my comparison article. Oh, and Google does not show ANY searches for this keyword, but I'm getting quite a bit of traffic from variations of this phrase!
      Signature

      HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3159873].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author matt5409
        Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

        I recently sold a handful of $200+ products from Amazon on a new page of my site.

        How?

        * I read all 400+ reviews of the product on Amazon, 200+ from Walmart.com and buzzillions.com, and took notes. (Yes, it took hours!)

        * I condensed all that information into a very helpful article, which ended up being 2,000 words.

        * I drove to a local merchant who carried these products and got permission to take detailed photos of the items. (Think Zappos- they don't just give you a stock photo, they take their own photos of the shoe at every angle!)

        * I put up the photos with appropriate captions throughout the article.

        * Next on my list - drag a friend to the store with me, so that she can shoot a few videos of me demonstrating the features of the product!

        * Optimized the page for "product xyz review".

        * Wrote articles, submitted them to article directories and blog owners and did blog commenting and forum profiling to rank my new page for "product xyz review"

        * Bonus tip: I wrote an article entitled "product xyz vs product abc" and I'm getting a lot of traffic for variations of that phrase - even though I'm #5 or 10 in google for it - all the other listings above me do not compare these 2 products, so people are clicking on my comparison article. Oh, and Google does not show ANY searches for this keyword, but I'm getting quite a bit of traffic from variations of this phrase!
        thats dedication! great advice, especially the final point. thanks!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3160398].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Syamsul Alam
        Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

        I recently sold a handful of $200+ products from Amazon on a new page of my site.

        How?

        * I read all 400+ reviews of the product on Amazon, 200+ from Walmart.com and buzzillions.com, and took notes. (Yes, it took hours!)

        * I condensed all that information into a very helpful article, which ended up being 2,000 words.

        * I drove to a local merchant who carried these products and got permission to take detailed photos of the items. (Think Zappos- they don't just give you a stock photo, they take their own photos of the shoe at every angle!)

        * I put up the photos with appropriate captions throughout the article.

        * Next on my list - drag a friend to the store with me, so that she can shoot a few videos of me demonstrating the features of the product!

        * Optimized the page for "product xyz review".

        * Wrote articles, submitted them to article directories and blog owners and did blog commenting and forum profiling to rank my new page for "product xyz review"

        * Bonus tip: I wrote an article entitled "product xyz vs product abc" and I'm getting a lot of traffic for variations of that phrase - even though I'm #5 or 10 in google for it - all the other listings above me do not compare these 2 products, so people are clicking on my comparison article. Oh, and Google does not show ANY searches for this keyword, but I'm getting quite a bit of traffic from variations of this phrase!
        OMG, this is golden nugget. I never think about that kind of title style! You shoot two product keyword with one article.
        Signature
        Signature Here...
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Move your cursor to my link and it will magically turned red when you do it. Try (and click) it!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185813].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ryanjm
    ^That is what I eventually want to be able to do with many of my sites. Providing real value and actually helping someone make a decision is key, rather than trying to trick them into clicking your affiliate link.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3159906].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
      Originally Posted by ryanjm View Post

      ^That is what I eventually want to be able to do with many of my sites. Providing real value and actually helping someone make a decision is key, rather than trying to trick them into clicking your affiliate link.
      Another bonus of providing REAL VALUE is that people will naturally link to your page, giving you free link juice and seo boosting! (That certainly does not take away from the job of generating traffic, but it's like icing on the cake - with whipped cream!)
      Signature

      HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3159974].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author claycath
        Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

        Another bonus of providing REAL VALUE is that people will naturally link to your page, giving you free link juice and seo boosting! (That certainly does not take away from the job of generating traffic, but it's like icing on the cake - with whipped cream!)
        I have always been curious about that Ellen. Do they actually link to the post when we are reviewing a product, even if it is an excellent review? I mean, why would they? Unless it's the company that is actually making the product, why would they be interested in linking to a product review?
        Signature

        Cathy

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3159996].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
          Originally Posted by claycath View Post

          I have always been curious about that Ellen. Do they actually link to the post when we are reviewing a product, even if it is an excellent review? I mean, why would they? Unless it's the company that is actually making the product, why would they be interested in linking to a product review?
          Hi Cathy,

          Sure, people link to my posts without incentive, because they're that GOOD!

          They generally do not use the anchor text I want, though, obviously!

          Get out of the WF mentality for a moment- there are millions of people who have blogs without any thought of financial incentive. If they see a post that strikes their fancy, they link to it.

          I have thousands of natural inbound links due to the quality of my content. Some edu and gov links too! Of course, I've paid psychologists $150 for one article at times!
          Signature

          HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3161124].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ibmethatswhoib
    Amazon has great conversions but the payout is waaaay to low for me, I would love to see side by side stats with the same traffic between amazon clickbank an others. It just seems to me you need a lot more traffic for Amazon to payoff, but the good thing is I doubt they're going anywhere with there sales, so it might be worth the extra work and traffic.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3160478].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author WarriorGal
    Amazing thread! I've taken notes on all the gems it contains. Tried Amazon a while back but without really knowing what I was doing. About to give it a shot again, this time more educated.

    Linda
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185247].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dklacy1129
    Good tips from all! I think I may have been going in wrong direction. I will definitely incorporate what I have read here and hope to get better conversions.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3185849].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mynt
    I was upset this morning to discover Amazon does not pay commission for products I purchase through my own affiliate link. Other than that, no complaints!
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3190007].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author stevex
    Great thread thanks for so much good information. I'm just starting to try my luck with Amazon and a few other CJ affiliate sites-we'll see how it goes!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3191266].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jaredmoon
    Banned
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3191396].message }}
    • Yes, you can make money with Amazon...but if you live in the freakin state of Illinois (like me)...those days are most likely numbered!! Oh well, EPN, Adsense, CJ.

      Let the dance continue.

      GM
      Signature



      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3191597].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    If you have an example of a site that uses the preview boxes, I would gladly check out whether it cookies the reader with the affiliate tag or not.
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3199050].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author iva
      Great thread! So many fantastic tips here.

      I asked this question on a different thread, but did not get any good answers. Wonder if somebody here might be able to help.

      Is there a way to find out how many different websites promote a particular amazon product?

      I guess more specifically, I am looking for sites that link to an Amazon product page, preferably not from other Amazon pages. Any ideas how I can check for it? Thanks.
      Signature
      Send me a PM if you have any questions.

      "Ask simple questions to get simple answers"
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3199157].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author AFI
        Originally Posted by iva View Post

        Great thread! So many fantastic tips here.

        I asked this question on a different thread, but did not get any good answers. Wonder if somebody here might be able to help.

        Is there a way to find out how many different websites promote a particular amazon product?

        I guess more specifically, I am looking for sites that link to an Amazon product page, preferably not from other Amazon pages. Any ideas how I can check for it? Thanks.
        Yeah search for the exact product in quotes and then look at the number of results that come up in Google. That will give you a ballpark figure.
        Signature

        Learn about Internet Marketing from my dofollow comment blog.....Make Extra Money At Home...
        I WILL BUILD YOU YOUR OWN CUSTOM AMAZON REVIEW SITE - HUNDREDS SOLD!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3199246].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by iva View Post

        Is there a way to find out how many different websites promote a particular amazon product?

        I guess more specifically, I am looking for sites that link to an Amazon product page, preferably not from other Amazon pages. Any ideas how I can check for it? Thanks.
        Run a search for the ASIN number with an exclusion for pages on Amazon.com. That should get you at least a rough estimate.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3200358].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jeffczyz
        Originally Posted by iva View Post

        Great thread! So many fantastic tips here.

        I asked this question on a different thread, but did not get any good answers. Wonder if somebody here might be able to help.

        Is there a way to find out how many different websites promote a particular amazon product?

        I guess more specifically, I am looking for sites that link to an Amazon product page, preferably not from other Amazon pages. Any ideas how I can check for it? Thanks.
        Well, with affiliate link cloaking there isn't an exact method to find how many people are linking to the amazon directly. However, you can get a decent idea of your competition a few ways.

        As mentioned in some other replies, search for the product/model number.

        Another method is to search for the link (uncloaked) that amazon provides you in the Associates program up to the ? in the URL.

        For example, to see how sites linking to the Keurig Single brew coffee maker you can search for "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AQSMPO?"

        That will give you an idea of those people directly linking. Again, not exact, but still helpful.

        You can also use Yahoo site explorer, copy and paste that same link and look at the # of inlinks. Be sure to change the dropdown to exclude links from this domain.

        Jeff
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3200412].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author iva
          Thanks, Jeff.

          Your Yahoo site explorer tip should do the trick.

          Originally Posted by jeffczyz View Post

          Well, with affiliate link cloaking there isn't an exact method to find how many people are linking to the amazon directly. However, you can get a decent idea of your competition a few ways.

          As mentioned in some other replies, search for the product/model number.

          Another method is to search for the link (uncloaked) that amazon provides you in the Associates program up to the ? in the URL.

          For example, to see how sites linking to the Keurig Single brew coffee maker you can search for "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AQSMPO?"

          That will give you an idea of those people directly linking. Again, not exact, but still helpful.

          You can also use Yahoo site explorer, copy and paste that same link and look at the # of inlinks. Be sure to change the dropdown to exclude links from this domain.

          Jeff
          Signature
          Send me a PM if you have any questions.

          "Ask simple questions to get simple answers"
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3201482].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
      Originally Posted by mattward View Post

      If you have an example of a site that uses the preview boxes, I would gladly check out whether it cookies the reader with the affiliate tag or not.
      Matt, I've PM'ed you a link that has the preview thing working. It's not my site.
      Signature

      HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3199861].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
        Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

        Matt, I've PM'ed you a link that has the preview thing working. It's not my site.
        I don't think the product preview popup cookies the user with an affiliate code...

        It DOES send the user 2 cookies, but there is a third one that is only set when the user clicks through. It's also the only one that gets overwritten if you click a different affiliate's link.

        I tested the previews on my own site, and when you view the preview, your stats log an "impression" but not a "click".

        I can't say for 100% sure, but I'm about 95% sure the popups don't give you credit unless the user clicks the link that shows.
        Signature
        "Keep moving forward."
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3204146].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TookMyFrog
    Ok... here's my question... how do you prevent a bunch of dead links from popping up in the future?

    For example, I had a great seller at Christmas. All of a sudden, sales for that particular product dried up... when I went to investigate, I realized that the product that I had reviewed was out of stock. I've searched Amazon and other networks, but it's nowhere to be found at the moment. I'm still getting really good traffic, but no idea of what to do with that page. The searches that are bringing traffic are brand/product specific, so it's not like I can just pop a similar product onto the page.

    And this is just ONE page that's bugging me. I go for larger authority sites instead of smaller sites, so I can just imagine the nightmare of trying to find broken links in a mass of posts on a few large sites PLUS what to do with the pages IF I do come across one. How do you guys handle this? Thanks.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3199882].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by TookMyFrog View Post

      Ok... here's my question... how do you prevent a bunch of dead links from popping up in the future?

      For example, I had a great seller at Christmas. All of a sudden, sales for that particular product dried up... when I went to investigate, I realized that the product that I had reviewed was out of stock. I've searched Amazon and other networks, but it's nowhere to be found at the moment. I'm still getting really good traffic, but no idea of what to do with that page. The searches that are bringing traffic are brand/product specific, so it's not like I can just pop a similar product onto the page.

      And this is just ONE page that's bugging me. I go for larger authority sites instead of smaller sites, so I can just imagine the nightmare of trying to find broken links in a mass of posts on a few large sites PLUS what to do with the pages IF I do come across one. How do you guys handle this? Thanks.
      You can't totally prevent dead links.

      What I do is add a note to the product page (on my site) in question explaining that the product is no longer available. If it has simply been replaced with a newer model, I say so and link to that. If not, I link to an alternate choice or a review of an alternate on my site.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3200347].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ellen C Braun
      Originally Posted by TookMyFrog View Post

      Ok... here's my question... how do you prevent a bunch of dead links from popping up in the future?

      For example, I had a great seller at Christmas. All of a sudden, sales for that particular product dried up... when I went to investigate, I realized that the product that I had reviewed was out of stock. I've searched Amazon and other networks, but it's nowhere to be found at the moment. I'm still getting really good traffic, but no idea of what to do with that page. The searches that are bringing traffic are brand/product specific, so it's not like I can just pop a similar product onto the page.

      And this is just ONE page that's bugging me. I go for larger authority sites instead of smaller sites, so I can just imagine the nightmare of trying to find broken links in a mass of posts on a few large sites PLUS what to do with the pages IF I do come across one. How do you guys handle this? Thanks.

      This is a concern of mine, especially as manufacturers change the names and update their products.

      However, I have found that keeping on top of my niche, I can easily replace one out of stock product with a similar, updated product.

      I'd be curious what kind of product is out of stock and has absolutely NO similar products available on amazon?

      The negative of ranking well for "black and decker mm875 lawnmower reviews" is that the "black and decker mm875 lawnmower" won't be around forever, but it probably will be there for at least a couple of years. So, I try to rank for product-specific keywords as well as category-specific keywords like "lawnmower reviews" - those words will always get searches until search engines are replaced by some other mechanism!
      Signature

      HelpEllen.com - the zaniest affiliate blog in cyberspace.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3200571].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author matt5409
        Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

        This is a concern of mine, especially as manufacturers change the names and update their products.

        However, I have found that keeping on top of my niche, I can easily replace one out of stock product with a similar, updated product.

        I'd be curious what kind of product is out of stock and has absolutely NO similar products available on amazon?

        The negative of ranking well for "black and decker mm875 lawnmower reviews" is that the "black and decker mm875 lawnmower" won't be around forever, but it probably will be there for at least a couple of years. So, I try to rank for product-specific keywords as well as category-specific keywords like "lawnmower reviews" - those words will always get searches until search engines are replaced by some other mechanism!
        i'm relatively new to amazon affiliates - do you know what happens if an out of stock product is linked to? does it simply say "out of stock" and suggest other items, or does it go to a 404?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3205031].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by mattward View Post

          People here often say that the Amazon ToS disallows affiliates to list product prices on their site, but I have not been able to find that rule listed anywhere. If someone knows where this rule is, please show us.
          Here's what it says in the linking requirements, included in the Associate Agreement by linking:

          http://affiliate-program.amazon.com/...ssoc_operating

          "Product prices and availability may vary from time to time. Because prices for and availability of Products that you have listed on your site may change, your site may only show prices and availability if: (a) we serve the link in which that price and availability data are displayed; or (b) you obtain Product pricing and availability data via the Product Advertising API and you comply with the requirements set forth in the License Agreement that are applicable to that data. In addition, if you choose to display prices for any Product on your site in any "comparison" format (including through the use of any price-comparison tool or engine) together with prices for the same or similar products offered through any web site or other means other than the Amazon Site, you must display both the lowest "new" price and, if we provide it to you, the lowest "used" price at which the Product is available on the Amazon Site. You may not otherwise include price information on your site."

          Originally Posted by matt5409 View Post

          i'm relatively new to amazon affiliates - do you know what happens if an out of stock product is linked to? does it simply say "out of stock" and suggest other items, or does it go to a 404?
          Amazon will almost never show you a 404 under any circumstances. If you link to an out-of-stock item, you go to a standard product information page (complete with suggestions, etc.), with the exception that the price will be replaced with a message (out of stock, no longer available, etc.).
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3206304].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Ben Armstrong
            Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

            Here's what it says in the linking requirements, included in the Associate Agreement by linking:

            http://affiliate-program.amazon.com/...ssoc_operating

            "Product prices and availability may vary from time to time. Because prices for and availability of Products that you have listed on your site may change, your site may only show prices and availability if: (a) we serve the link in which that price and availability data are displayed; or (b) you obtain Product pricing and availability data via the Product Advertising API and you comply with the requirements set forth in the License Agreement that are applicable to that data. In addition, if you choose to display prices for any Product on your site in any “comparison” format (including through the use of any price-comparison tool or engine) together with prices for the same or similar products offered through any web site or other means other than the Amazon Site, you must display both the lowest “new” price and, if we provide it to you, the lowest “used” price at which the Product is available on the Amazon Site. You may not otherwise include price information on your site."

            If you're doing a general review of a product there's nothing wrong with quoting a rough price of what they usually sell for. That is of course, as long as you make no claims that Amazon are selling it for that particular price.
            Signature

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3208503].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Joe2
        Originally Posted by Ellen C Braun View Post

        This is a concern of mine, especially as manufacturers change the names and update their products.

        However, I have found that keeping on top of my niche, I can easily replace one out of stock product with a similar, updated product.

        I'd be curious what kind of product is out of stock and has absolutely NO similar products available on amazon?

        The negative of ranking well for "black and decker mm875 lawnmower reviews" is that the "black and decker mm875 lawnmower" won't be around forever, but it probably will be there for at least a couple of years. So, I try to rank for product-specific keywords as well as category-specific keywords like "lawnmower reviews" - those words will always get searches until search engines are replaced by some other mechanism!
        What do you actually do on your review sites to get the customer onto another similar product
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3208240].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Originally Posted by TookMyFrog View Post

      Ok... here's my question... how do you prevent a bunch of dead links from popping up in the future?

      For example, I had a great seller at Christmas. All of a sudden, sales for that particular product dried up... when I went to investigate, I realized that the product that I had reviewed was out of stock. I've searched Amazon and other networks, but it's nowhere to be found at the moment. I'm still getting really good traffic, but no idea of what to do with that page. The searches that are bringing traffic are brand/product specific, so it's not like I can just pop a similar product onto the page.

      And this is just ONE page that's bugging me. I go for larger authority sites instead of smaller sites, so I can just imagine the nightmare of trying to find broken links in a mass of posts on a few large sites PLUS what to do with the pages IF I do come across one. How do you guys handle this? Thanks.
      That happened to me on an affiliate product I was doing well with. I just added a link to a related product and said "X is no longer available but try Z as it newer and more technically advanced". Everyone wants something shinier

      Also if you think the product shows signs of being a fad that may disappear you can link to a page that has that product and others instead of linking to a specific product page.
      Signature

      Pen Name + 8 eBooks + social media sites 4 SALE - PM me (evergreen beauty niche)

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3201499].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author onlineleben
        Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

        That happened to me on an affiliate product I was doing well with. I just added a link to a related product and said "X is no longer available but try Z as it newer and more technically advanced". Everyone wants something shinier

        Also if you think the product shows signs of being a fad that may disappear you can link to a page that has that product and others instead of linking to a specific product page.
        if this product is only temporary out of stock, try colelcting the email addresses of your prospectts and send them a mail when the product is available again.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3203340].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Benjamin Ehinger
    Originally Posted by waken View Post

    I really got to ask this...
    I recently promoting Amazon after seeing quite a number of success stories here...

    But, when I checked my account.. I was wondering do you guys really make money with Amazon?

    I mean, serious money as an affiliate?
    Is that possible?

    Hm... I think I would better stick with other networks.
    The share is way to small...


    I started putting up amazon websites about 3 months ago and after a month I thought I would never make any money with Amazon sites. I acted like a typical newbie, even though I am not, and I quit after two websites. Over Christmas I saw $25 in commissions come in from these two websites, that I did very little to.

    This made me think about making more sites and now I have 5 sites, working on the 6th and I have seen more sales. Hopefully I can continue to scale this up and get to where I am making over $100 a day from Amazon.

    Benjamin Ehinger
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3204672].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Spartacus
      Do you guys list the actual price on your website? Since Amazon doesn't show the actual price until you checkout.

      I for example use wpzonbuilder but it will only show the listed price with a striketrough. Not the actual price.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3204819].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    People here often say that the Amazon ToS disallows affiliates to list product prices on their site, but I have not been able to find that rule listed anywhere. If someone knows where this rule is, please show us.
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3204974].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    Okay, I definitely didn't see that. Thanks a lot.
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3206850].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author BarryOnline
    I don't list the price.

    I'll place a button with my affiliate link in it. Above the button I write something like.

    Price: Claim Discount At Amazon

    This should help increase CTR. Amazon almost always have a discount price so when someone clicks through to Amazon & sees the discount they may be more likely to buy.

    By adding this next to a button you could increase CTR & conversion slightly.
    Signature

    We are the universe contemplating itself - Carl Sagan

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3206913].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Mrs S
      Originally Posted by BarryOnline View Post

      I don't list the price.

      I'll place a button with my affiliate link in it. Above the button I write something like.

      Price: Claim Discount At Amazon

      This should help increase CTR. Amazon almost always have a discount price so when someone clicks through to Amazon & sees the discount they may be more likely to buy.

      By adding this next to a button you could increase CTR & conversion slightly.
      I started doing just this in December. I add the list price, cross it through and then underneath put a link telling the reader to click for the best price. My conversions increased after I started doing this.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3276246].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jan roos
      Originally Posted by BarryOnline View Post

      I don't list the price.

      I'll place a button with my affiliate link in it. Above the button I write something like.

      Price: Claim Discount At Amazon

      This should help increase CTR. Amazon almost always have a discount price so when someone clicks through to Amazon & sees the discount they may be more likely to buy.

      By adding this next to a button you could increase CTR & conversion slightly.
      I don't list prices either. Instead I say something like this. You can get xyz product on Amazon.com for up to 60% off. Click here t check it out.

      This works pretty well for me as I don't mention prices or specific discount percentages.

      Cheers
      Signature

      I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

      Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3295699].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author gforces
    An interesting topic. I think many of us have tried to make some money using Amazon at one point or another. Like most I found the commission level so low it didn't think it was worth my time and effort but looks like, after reading some of the posts here, that it is possible. Anyone got some good or access to good training on how to do it? To be able to piggy back on the Brand recognition of Amazon would be awesome. Cheers
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3208489].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author paulie888
      Originally Posted by gforces View Post

      An interesting topic. I think many of us have tried to make some money using Amazon at one point or another. Like most I found the commission level so low it didn't think it was worth my time and effort but looks like, after reading some of the posts here, that it is possible. Anyone got some good or access to good training on how to do it? To be able to piggy back on the Brand recognition of Amazon would be awesome. Cheers
      I don't want to point to specific courses and show favoritism, but if you go into the WSO section you'll find several high-regarded WSOs on Amazon that have had many good reviews and testimonials.
      Signature
      >>> Features Jason Fladlien, John S. Rhodes, Justin Brooke, Sean I. Mitchell, Reed Floren and Brad Gosse! <<<
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3210842].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by MalceskiFan View Post

        If you're doing a general review of a product there's nothing wrong with quoting a rough price of what they usually sell for. That is of course, as long as you make no claims that Amazon are selling it for that particular price.
        That's correct. In fact, in this thread:

        http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...on-prices.html

        the original poster emailed Amazon and got an answer I did not expect, given the language I quoted.

        Rough prices work, as long as you are up front about them. I've even used exact prices to entice clicks by phrasing it something like:

        "At the time of this posting, Amazon was selling this item for $xxx.xx, a yy% discount. Click here to see the current price---> (affiliate link)"
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3211017].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author abelacts
    Wow this post has changed my perception of you can't make money from Amazon. Thanks to Paula for making this thread interesting and enlightening. Most importantly, Amazon is not something you can ignore.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3209491].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author AkosBlog
    I make 20$ a month and I'm very pleased with it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3264087].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Steven Miranda
    I haven't applied myself to Amazon to make really good money but I have made under $100 with Amazon.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3276088].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
      Originally Posted by imationx View Post

      I haven't applied myself to Amazon to make really good money but I have made under $100 with Amazon.
      That's a great start! Just know that success with Amazon entails having multiple sites. So after you see success after setting up your first site, just go into a different product category and replicate the process.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3276203].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Matt Ward
    Question for anyone that's making a significant number of sales: do you find that a majority of them are misc items and NOT items you are promoting/reviewing?

    In my case, out of all of my sites, only one of them has sold a lot of the items I was promoting. On my other sites, almost every item sold was either a random item bought via clicking over to Amazon, or another item in the same category of item, but not one I had reviewed or was even promoting. I'm not sure if this is an issue with my sites/way I write, or just the way Amazon tends to convert.

    My January conversion rate was rather low (less than 5% on clicks through to Amazon) so I feel like it should have been a lot higher.
    Signature
    "Keep moving forward."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3288576].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ben Armstrong
      Do any of you amazon affiliates write press releases for your sites as part of your SEO strategy?

      If so, what kind of format do you use?

      I now have 2 amazon affiliate sites up and running and I'm currently focussing on SEO. I've used link wheels, article marketing, blog comments, forum posting, RSS Syndication but can't for the life of me find any information on how I would go about writing a press release for an amazon affiliate site.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3288637].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Mrs S
      Originally Posted by mattward View Post

      Question for anyone that's making a significant number of sales: do you find that a majority of them are misc items and NOT items you are promoting/reviewing?

      In my case, out of all of my sites, only one of them has sold a lot of the items I was promoting. On my other sites, almost every item sold was either a random item bought via clicking over to Amazon, or another item in the same category of item, but not one I had reviewed or was even promoting. I'm not sure if this is an issue with my sites/way I write, or just the way Amazon tends to convert.

      My January conversion rate was rather low (less than 5% on clicks through to Amazon) so I feel like it should have been a lot higher.
      Mine are generally products I've promoted with a small number of "random" products.

      If you're finding that people are buying another item in the same category then that may suggest that their own on-Amazon research points to the other product. Maybe you should review that one too?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3294130].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Craig McPherson
    I tell them up front that I am sending them to Amazon.
    Full disclosure.
    Amazon's reputation is first class so any visitor would be glad to click thru to the big A
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3297262].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author cooler1
    When writing a review how many keywords should you be targetting? I currently have an outsourcer making some site's and they told me that they will target around 2 to 3 keywords in the reviews. Is that enough?
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3299303].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tjm2788
    I generally use a core keyword (usually product name + review) around 5% density and then sprinkle 2 - 3 related keywords throughout the article probably around 2% density.

    Then build links with keyword achcor text for each one.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3301296].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author co-creator
    Just do more of what you've done to make those first sales! Also, read up on material on how to become really successful on clickbank. There's a program called Amazonian Profits Plan or something like that. It could really help you. Also, there are a couple of other really good books about making lots of money on Amazon... just look for them!

    Good luck!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3306456].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author russells
      My favorite way to make money with Amazon is to put together a Wordpress site that promotes a product line, say 10 models of a particular product.

      Then, I write a review or each product on its own page then rank each review for the product model keyword.

      At the end of my reviews I always put 'Click here to read the review in full' which is my affiliate link.

      Works wonders

      ~Russ
      Signature





      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3306485].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Mrs S
        Originally Posted by russells View Post

        My favorite way to make money with Amazon is to put together a Wordpress site that promotes a product line, say 10 models of a particular product.

        Then, I write a review or each product on its own page then rank each review for the product model keyword.

        At the end of my reviews I always put 'Click here to read the review in full' which is my affiliate link.

        Works wonders

        ~Russ
        Hey Russ - I imagine you have a really high CTR using that call to action at the end. But what is your conversion like on the Amazon side? The only reason I ask is that if I am looking for reviews because I want to know whether to buy the product or not and then you send me over to Amazon too early I might just click out and try and find someone who is actually reviewing the product.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3315315].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author canard5
        Originally Posted by russells View Post

        My favorite way to make money with Amazon is to put together a Wordpress site that promotes a product line, say 10 models of a particular product.

        Then, I write a review or each product on its own page then rank each review for the product model keyword.

        At the end of my reviews I always put 'Click here to read the review in full' which is my affiliate link.

        Works wonders

        ~Russ

        I'm curious about this too Russ. Specifically how long does your cookie stay in their system? (Wow that sounds somewhat dirty.)
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3315371].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author rileyb
          Here is a tip!!

          Amazon is paying really really good for their cell phone wireless service.

          Dont know if anyone has mentioned it yet, havent read this whole thread.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3315491].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author cooler1
        Originally Posted by russells View Post

        At the end of my reviews I always put 'Click here to read the review in full' which is my affiliate link.

        Works wonders

        ~Russ
        Shouldn't that say "Click here to read more reviews" rather than "Click here to read the review in full" because your review is seperate from the reviews on Amazon.

        Unless ive misunderstood. Do you actually put quotes from Amazon reviews on your site in addition to your review you wrote yourself?
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3464764].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JPost
        Can someone explain this? It shows that I have made 7 sales yet I didn't get paid for any of them... I just started on Amazon and it doesn't make sense to me.

        Is it because they haven't shipped yet?

        Thanks
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3464937].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Ernie Lo
          Originally Posted by JPost View Post

          Can someone explain this? It shows that I have made 7 sales yet I didn't get paid for any of them... I just started on Amazon and it doesn't make sense to me.

          Is it because they haven't shipped yet?

          Thanks
          Correct.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3464958].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Ryan Johnson
          Originally Posted by JPost View Post

          Can someone explain this? It shows that I have made 7 sales yet I didn't get paid for any of them... I just started on Amazon and it doesn't make sense to me.

          Is it because they haven't shipped yet?

          Thanks
          Congrats on the sales!

          The items will show up in earnings once they get shipped.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3466884].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author silentsal
            Wow! What a great thread! I've only read the first couple of pages, but there are some very useful tips already. It's very encouraging to see how much commission some people are earning from Amazon

            I'm planning to start working on Amazon affiliate sites very soon, with help from Dan Brock's Deadbeat Super Affiliate system (thanks Dan!).

            It's going to take me some time to get through the rest of the posts in this thread, but I'm looking forward to it... I'll probably resurface sometime next month

            Sally
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3467384].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author rvdp
              Hi! I made an Amazon review site two weeks ago and currently it is ranking #9 for an 18.000 exact match keyword. Got my first sale yesterday for $400, earning me $16.

              I seem to have everything under control except for the backlinking part. I just can't get it. Whatever I do, forum posts, forum profiles, blog commenting. pinging them, putting them in an RSS feed and submitting these, they just do not get indexed...

              It's very frustrating because the #1 only has around 120 backlinks, which should be easily achievable, yet it somehow seems impossible for me to even get to 10.

              Anyone have any advice for me, or know of a service that can guarantuee me a number of INDEXED backlinks in a reasonable timeframe?

              Thanks alot!
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3467572].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author claycath
                Give it time. It takes weeks and sometimes months for backlinks to show up but it doesn't mean they aren't there. Also ping your backlinks so they will get indexed faster.

                I don't think there is any service that can guarantee backlinks for you. I have found some good services on fiverr.com though.


                Originally Posted by rvdp View Post

                Hi! I made an Amazon review site two weeks ago and currently it is ranking #9 for an 18.000 exact match keyword. Got my first sale yesterday for $400, earning me $16.

                I seem to have everything under control except for the backlinking part. I just can't get it. Whatever I do, forum posts, forum profiles, blog commenting. pinging them, putting them in an RSS feed and submitting these, they just do not get indexed...

                It's very frustrating because the #1 only has around 120 backlinks, which should be easily achievable, yet it somehow seems impossible for me to even get to 10.

                Anyone have any advice for me, or know of a service that can guarantuee me a number of INDEXED backlinks in a reasonable timeframe?

                Thanks alot!
                Signature

                Cathy

                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3467645].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author rvdp
                  Originally Posted by claycath View Post

                  Give it time. It takes weeks and sometimes months for backlinks to show up but it doesn't mean they aren't there. Also ping your backlinks so they will get indexed faster.

                  I don't think there is any service that can guarantee backlinks for you. I have found some good services on fiverr.com though.
                  care to share them?:rolleyes:
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3467671].message }}
                  • Profile picture of the author claycath
                    Originally Posted by rvdp View Post

                    care to share them?:rolleyes:
                    Ok, here are the providers I have tried and are pleased with:
                    iranqseo
                    Cathy_Rey
                    mariuspe
                    daniel_gordon

                    I'm sure there are lots of others on there. Just check their ratings and see if they have mostly positive ratings.
                    Signature

                    Cathy

                    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3467837].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
                Originally Posted by rvdp View Post

                I seem to have everything under control except for the backlinking part. I just can't get it. Whatever I do, forum posts, forum profiles, blog commenting. pinging them, putting them in an RSS feed and submitting these, they just do not get indexed...
                RVDP....

                They will get indexed...Give it time! Also, be sure that you're backlinking every day...Frequency of backlinking does make a difference.

                So often people stop backlinking after doing a certain number....The best thing you can do is backlink a minimum number every day until your site solidifies in the ranking.
                Signature

                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3468335].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jdpackaging
    I just add ammazon and from hre I learned more.........
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3332179].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author samh
    Ok, I have my keywords, my domain, and I'm putting together a website with some reviews this weekend.

    It will be really interesting to see how I go building traffic and income in the next couple of months.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3349635].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author davidsamra
      Anyone having any problems with the recent changes in the Google algorithm? For Amazon affiliate vets, what do you see this doing to the future of your business?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3463284].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TimG
        Originally Posted by davidsamra View Post

        Anyone having any problems with the recent changes in the Google algorithm? For Amazon affiliate vets, what do you see this doing to the future of your business?
        My Amazon sales have increased based on many of my sites now sitting on page 1 for their respective keyword terms following the latest update.

        Was a nice surprise because was focused on other areas of my business and to see my Amazon sites suddenly doing better has me excited.

        One common factor between all of them is the use of an exact keyword domain phrase.

        Respectfully,
        Tim
        Signature
        Article Marketing Soldiers - The Best Selling Article Marketing Product On The Warrior Forum Is Now Looking For Affiliates! Make Over $25 Per Sale With This High Converting Product.

        Make More Money And Spend More Time With Your Family By Becoming A Scentsy Consultant - I Provide Personal Assistance And Help With Growing Your Business.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3463315].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author jan roos
          Originally Posted by TimG View Post

          My Amazon sales have increased based on many of my sites now sitting on page 1 for their respective keyword terms following the latest update.

          Was a nice surprise because was focused on other areas of my business and to see my Amazon sites suddenly doing better has me excited.

          One common factor between all of them is the use of an exact keyword domain phrase.

          Respectfully,
          Tim
          My sites has shown better rankings as well. I only use unique content and I am convinced that plays a big part in it.

          Cheers
          Signature

          I'll teach you how to make money like a Mamba.

          Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3463358].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author davidsamra
            Thanks Jan and Tim.

            I've been slow to start my Amazon affiliate journey with some real life distractions (over now) and was gearing up to start. Was worried I missed the boat and squandered an opportunity when I read about the new Google algo/Ezinearticles changes.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3463429].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author paulie888
          Originally Posted by TimG View Post

          My Amazon sales have increased based on many of my sites now sitting on page 1 for their respective keyword terms following the latest update.

          Was a nice surprise because was focused on other areas of my business and to see my Amazon sites suddenly doing better has me excited.

          One common factor between all of them is the use of an exact keyword domain phrase.

          Respectfully,
          Tim
          Tim, I find from experience that this is the crucial key to getting your sites ranked fairly easily. Once you have an exact match domain, can populate your site with relevant keyword-rich content and use the keyword in the title, description and meta-tags, you're already far ahead of many of your other competitors. When building affiliate or local sites, I won't even proceed unless I can procure an exact keyword match domain.

          Paul
          Signature
          >>> Features Jason Fladlien, John S. Rhodes, Justin Brooke, Sean I. Mitchell, Reed Floren and Brad Gosse! <<<
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3464063].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author AudioRoxor
          Originally Posted by TimG View Post

          My Amazon sales have increased based on many of my sites now sitting on page 1 for their respective keyword terms following the latest update.

          Was a nice surprise because was focused on other areas of my business and to see my Amazon sites suddenly doing better has me excited.

          One common factor between all of them is the use of an exact keyword domain phrase.

          Respectfully,
          Tim
          This confuses me. If you had an exact match domain, wouldn't your domain be the exact name and model of the product? Wouldn't that possibly lay you in hot water with the manufacturer?

          Also, I'm creating sites that have 5-6 reviews for 5-6 different products. What kind of exact match domain would you be looking for in this case since you would be promoting multiple products?
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3536967].message }}
          • Originally Posted by AudioRoxor View Post

            This confuses me. If you had an exact match domain, wouldn't your domain be the exact name and model of the product? Wouldn't that possibly lay you in hot water with the manufacturer?

            Also, I'm creating sites that have 5-6 reviews for 5-6 different products. What kind of exact match domain would you be looking for in this case since you would be promoting multiple products?
            he means more generic terms that relate to the product range he is promoting (I would assume so anyway). For example, if you are reviewing digital camers, you may not use the brand name in the domain, but you would go for keywords such as bestdigitalcameras.com, digitalcamerareviews.com, top10digitalcameras.com and so forth... tons and tons of variations to look at.

            This is because when people search for a brand camera, they usually put 'Brand Name digital camera'. So your domain name would cover the more generic keyword digital camera, and then this would be further backed-up by a page review with the title:

            (from the top of my head making it up)

            Samsung ES71 Digital Camera Review, King of face dectection? Read before buying..

            and so forth.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3537114].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Ehsan_am
            Originally Posted by AudioRoxor View Post

            This confuses me. If you had an exact match domain, wouldn't your domain be the exact name and model of the product? Wouldn't that possibly lay you in hot water with the manufacturer?

            Also, I'm creating sites that have 5-6 reviews for 5-6 different products. What kind of exact match domain would you be looking for in this case since you would be promoting multiple products?
            I generally find an exact match domain by adding "reviews" to the end of my keyword. For instance if I'm promoting "Blue Widgets" my domain would be "bluewidgetreviews.com/net/org". This makes the domain keyword rich since most of the keywords I target have the words "blue widgets" and "review" within them.

            This kind of domain will also allow you to create a long article making a comparison between the different models that you are reviewing directly on your home page. This adds a lot of value to your average visitor since it allows them to quickly decide which model or brand is more likely to help them without the need to go through each review.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3537415].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Daonlydude
    This whole Amazon thing sounds really interesting!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3463974].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ShaneM686
    So much great information about Amazon... thanks a lot guys!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3466656].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jamesrich1
    This thread is hotter than the sun. I want to live with Paula C and watch her every move.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3466683].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author imaviators
    just wondering has anyone use backlinking service? I have already my site up for a week now and wondering if it is ok for me to use backlinking service.. or should i wait maybe a week more before using backlinking services. i am just worried that sudden huge amount of backlinks will affect my ranking or even my listing on google..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3468774].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Ben Armstrong
      Originally Posted by sakhar1 View Post

      just wondering has anyone use backlinking service? I have already my site up for a week now and wondering if it is ok for me to use backlinking service.. or should i wait maybe a week more before using backlinking services. i am just worried that sudden huge amount of backlinks will affect my ranking or even my listing on google..
      I did my backlinks manually for the first month or two but last week I ordered some backlinks from fiverr just to see what effect it would have. If you're worried about penalties or getting slapped then maybe just purchase a few high PR backlinks or as I did... a backlink Pyramid.
      Signature

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3483046].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author lbee
    There are certainly techniques for really going after Amazon Affiliate income. It's not a big part of my business model, but I do throw in Amazon links whenever I mention a product, but don't rely on it for steady income. That gives me diverse outbound links from my sites, and who knows when someone will make a purchase. Via the cookies they use, I've sold a Macbook Pro from a link to a type of green tea

    It's nice to see that surprise deposit every now and again
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3476787].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mikesan
    Wow this thread is huge. Obviously I haven't read everything but I'm glad to see many people are succeeding with amazon's affiliate program.

    My brother has over a dozen xfactor style sites but never tried amazon. He didn't lose any rankings after the Farmer update because his content is unique and high quality.

    Anyways, we'll be trying out amazon on the sites and report back on our anticipated success. One example site of his: Breville Espresso Machine ESP8XL | The Coffee Brewster ranked #8 in google for the exact keyword.

    So I guess nothing has changed: quality content + good links = great serps
    Signature

    Confused about starting an online business? Not sure what's out there and what works? Visit:
    onlinebusiness.com to learn more today.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3507360].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author onlineleben
    @mikesan
    just watch out that you don't get into trouble because of the brand name in the domain. Otherwise, really nice site.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3511449].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author akira07
    I think if you want to make good money, you should concentrate to certain method first. As for me, I'm concentrate on minisite concept.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3512161].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tchavez
    This is a very informative thread. I've been looking for tips on starting selling amazon stuff and this answers the questions I have. thanks to all!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3512348].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Franklin
    Be very careful if you decide to head down the slippery slope of using brand names or trademarks in your domain name....I personally do not recommend it! It's not worth the potential trouble.

    Rather, you should focus on product category keywords. There are plenty of great ones available, especially with qualifiers....Hundreds, if not thousands, are still available.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3537502].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Mike McAleer
      Originally Posted by Michael Franklin View Post

      Be very careful if you decide to head down the slippery slope of using brand names or trademarks in your domain name....I personally do not recommend it! It's not worth the potential trouble.

      Rather, you should focus on product category keywords. There are plenty of great ones available, especially with qualifiers....Hundreds, if not thousands, are still available.
      I totally agree athough I have lucked out thus far with a certain TM name that I own.
      Signature

      Recent domain flips : $8->$1000 Social recruiting Software dot com $8->$2000 MobileSalesSoftware.com
      Invest in domains without the hard work !
      Email for details...Mike McAleer at me dot com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3538028].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Warpanda
    It's been a while since I read this post ! Now it has 18 pages ! So many good tips about Amazon Affiliate. When I will earn a decent income from Amazon, I'll come back and share my findings.
    Still struggling but I can almost see the light ! In the meanwhile I'm going to reread everything post once more.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3538234].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Marketing Cheetah
    Anyone can launch a good Amazon WSO by collecting the pieces of information available in this thread
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3538246].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author aaronngoh
    I subscribe to this thread as it is full of valuable information that cannot find elsewhere.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3538357].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author limestone614
    I've built 2 sites that promote Amazon products, between them they have sold 3 items in 12 days, with a value to me of $6. not amazing, however i can see that if i had 150 sites, then, no more work for me.

    Couple of years at 2 sites a week, it should get easier as time goes along.

    I like Amazon.

    Plenty of new products every day means plenty of new niches every day.
    Signature
    The Best Organic Traffic Solutions.
    For yours, take the next step: Visit Safeserps
    .
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3544053].message }}
    • Originally Posted by limestone614 View Post

      I've built 2 sites that promote Amazon products, between them they have sold 3 items in 12 days, with a value to me of $6. not amazing, however i can see that if i had 150 sites, then, no more work for me.

      Couple of years at 2 sites a week, it should get easier as time goes along.

      I like Amazon.

      Plenty of new products every day means plenty of new niches every day.
      Quantity isn't always best. You could make a great income with 1-3 big niche specific sites. You aren't doing yourself any favours posting your only two successful sites in your sig.

      Rather than pumping out sites. Maximize your current pages. Find those that work the best then optimize them to the point that they can't be improved any more. Mean while trying to improve those that aren't doing so well. You literally are just throwing potential out of the window.

      And I'm giving you this advice knowing I too am in the same niche as one of your sites. Difference is I've endorsed those products for sponsors at events. And I'm known among several communities so my word is king.

      Sorry I don't often get to brag

      Oh and quick tip so you don't make the amazon pages any harder for me to outrank. When linking to your products. In the html code put <a rel="nofollow" href="amazon-link">text</a>. That way Amazon supposedly doesn't get any link juice.

      Would appreciate it, for the sake of both me and you

      *EDIT* Can't believe I forgot. Congratulations on taking action and making some money! Keep going, but take my advice
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3544200].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author vanleurth
    I'm trying to build a tool that will scrap all google content ads from a website.
    Is this possible or should I use adsense api?

    Thank you

    V.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3554691].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Damani Tabor
      Originally Posted by vanleurth View Post

      I'm trying to build a tool that will scrap all google content ads from a website.
      Is this possible or should I use adsense api?

      Thank you

      V.
      You should post this in a new thread so as to get better attention.

      Regarding adsense ads, they are loaded in frames, which means that you will not be able to scrape with HTML based tools.

      Using UBot, you should be able to get this done using a 'choose by attribute' command and then scrape.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3565637].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Zenix
    Wow, this thread is really interesting. Thanks guys, I will read it more throughly soon.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3557195].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ryansjones
    I've made about $2 so far at Amazon. Though I am still trying to figure out how to earn more. By the way, do any of you have Amazon Associate stores? If so, how are you doing with them?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3565661].message }}

Trending Topics