60 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
60 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Are physical product review sites still profitable or waste of time?

by xTrav Banned
52 replies
Am I wasting my time with Amazon affiliate niche sites? Are they pretty much a thing of the past and dried up? Or are they still profitable and worthwhile?

Please discuss.

Trav
#physical #product #profitable #review #sites #time #waste
  • Profile picture of the author sovereignn
    Amazon still works pretty well and converts amazingly well just gotta promote high ticket items
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6100838].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author xTrav
      Banned
      Originally Posted by sovereignn View Post

      Amazon still works pretty well and converts amazingly well just gotta promote high ticket items
      Well, that's good news because all I ever hear is info products this and clickbank that. But...when I goto Google and search products I can't really seem to find any niche review sites listed on page one search results so I was curious as to how people are getting sales?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6100913].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author fin
        Some people are doing very well with Amazon.

        Much like everything else, you just need to work really hard.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6101031].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Premier Plugins
        Originally Posted by xTrav View Post

        Well, that's good news because all I ever hear is info products this and clickbank that. But...when I goto Google and search products I can't really seem to find any niche review sites listed on page one search results so I was curious as to how people are getting sales?
        That doesn't sound like a problem. To me, that sounds like opportunity.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6101041].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Hamida Harland
        Originally Posted by xTrav View Post

        But...when I goto Google and search products I can't really seem to find any niche review sites listed on page one search results so I was curious as to how people are getting sales?
        Are you sure? Maybe you're looking at the wrong type of products. Every time I research a product that costs over $100 and has a decent number of searches I find tons of niche review sites on page 1 of Google (too many for my liking!)
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6102548].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ross Cohen
    Personally, I'm a fan of Commission Junction's network. There are well over 1,000 companies to promote, and a large number of the payouts are huge - exceeding $100, $200, and more (of course depending on if it's per-sale, per-lead, what the offer is for, etc.)
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6101042].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author taskemann
      Originally Posted by Ross Cohen View Post

      Personally, I'm a fan of Commission Junction's network. There are well over 1,000 companies to promote, and a large number of the payouts are huge - exceeding $100, $200, and more (of course depending on if it's per-sale, per-lead, what the offer is for, etc.)
      Yeah, but the problem with CJ is that you sometimes have to wait many weeks before you get accepted by the vendors. :p

      With Amazon you can start right away.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6102912].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Ross Cohen
        Originally Posted by taskemann View Post

        Yeah, but the problem with CJ is that you sometimes have to wait many weeks before you get accepted by the vendors. :p

        With Amazon you can start right away.
        Most accept you right away... very few keep you waiting more than a day or so. With Amazon, getting only around 4% commissions, you'd need to promote a product selling for $2,500 to make a $100 commission. On CJ, this is a rather regular commission rate, and certainly more attainable than promoting a multi- thousand dollar product.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6104691].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author taskemann
    Originally Posted by xTrav View Post

    Am I wasting my time with Amazon affiliate niche sites? Are they pretty much a thing of the past and dried up? Or are they still profitable and worthwhile?

    Please discuss.

    Trav
    As long people are searching for the products, it can be very profitable.

    The trick is to create niche sites about products that have very little competition in the search engines, but which receives many exact searches each month.

    What I prefer to do is create one page for each product, this makes the site more targeted against those who search for the product. And remember -- Fokus on only ONE keyword. Use your keyword as domain name, title, meta tag, in the description and 1-3% keyword density of your main keyword in the text!

    And one more important thing; Write your own high-quality content! This is what Google wants

    Jimmy
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6101077].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Tevis Verrett
    Originally Posted by xTrav View Post

    Am I wasting my time with Amazon affiliate niche sites? Are they pretty much a thing of the past and dried up? Or are they still profitable and worthwhile?

    Please discuss.

    Trav
    Hey Trav:

    Sorta depends!

    I will share with my warrior brothers, that XXX review drive traffic to my websites more than any other keyword.

    and it is easy to optimize for:

    Type Geo 2.0 Review into Google and Booyah, there I am in the number 1-5 position, your mileage may vary.

    This is where I part with Amazon, yuck! They are making maaad bank off of your hard work, and you get what? Pennies!

    Although this sounds like a shameless sales pitch for K2 (OK so it is a shameless sales pitch for K2). . .

    Find operators like me who will facilitate or kit for you (meaning dropship).

    I am working to dominate the watersports niche.

    The longterm play is to do the hard work and earn yourself some repeat customers. . . rather that being one of the bazillions praying at the feet of the monster.



    Dont hesitate to mosey on over to my websites, pick something (product) that trips your trigger, write a review of it, make a vidjo and get traffic to your site, and convert them.

    Contact a facilitator like me, we dropship it to your customer!

    You get paid AND earn a longterm customer. . .

    Isn't that we we ALL are Internet Warriors?

    Humbly offering my 0.3,

    Tevis
    Signature

    Tevis Verrett, Boss of Triumvirate Capital Group
    Always Looking for New Affiliate & JV Partners:
    Ever wanted to make money selling money? We teach Financial Literacy. . . for the rest of us!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6101196].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Kal Sallam
    Yes they are profitable and a good marketing model you can adopt as well.

    The main important elements would be:

    - A Good product choice,(one that is in demand)
    -A good pre-sell page.
    -Traffic & SEO.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6101244].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TheAdsenseGuy
    Originally Posted by xTrav View Post

    Am I wasting my time with Amazon affiliate niche sites? Are they pretty much a thing of the past and dried up? Or are they still profitable and worthwhile?

    Please discuss.

    Trav

    No, for the most part it's a waste of time. You may be able to still rank in Google for keywords under 500 exact searches per month - until Google does another algo update and gets rid of those Aff. sites. But go type a product keyword into google that gets over 3000 exact searches per month. You won't really find any more affiliate review sites on the first page anymore.

    I used to have a ton of Amazon affiliate sites that were ranking well. But last October, G did a big algo update and all those sites just dissapeared from Google and never ranked again. They were not deindexed - just won't rank anymore. I think Google is now spidering pages looking for affiliate links - if you got them on your page - it will get a penalty so your page won't make it to page 1 of Google search.

    You may want to build authority sites monitized with adsense. They still rank just fine. And you have to build your site with great content or it won't rank either.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6101476].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author taskemann
      Originally Posted by TheAdsenseGuy View Post

      No, for the most part it's a waste of time. You may be able to still rank in Google for keywords under 500 exact searches per month - until Google does another algo update and gets rid of those Aff. sites. But go type a product keyword into google that gets over 3000 exact searches per month. You won't really find any more affiliate review sites on the first page anymore.

      I used to have a ton of Amazon affiliate sites that were ranking well. But last October, G did a big algo update and all those sites just dissapeared from Google and never ranked again. They were not deindexed - just won't rank anymore. I think Google is now spidering pages looking for affiliate links - if you got them on your page - it will get a penalty so your page won't make it to page 1 of Google search.

      You may want to build authority sites monitized with adsense. They still rank just fine. And you have to build your site with great content or it won't rank either.

      Are you sure about that?

      Because my Amazon review sites that I created for 1-2 months ago rank very well for their main kaywords' in Google. :p
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6101582].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author xTrav
      Banned
      Originally Posted by TheAdsenseGuy View Post

      No, for the most part it's a waste of time. You may be able to still rank in Google for keywords under 500 exact searches per month - until Google does another algo update and gets rid of those Aff. sites. But go type a product keyword into google that gets over 3000 exact searches per month. You won't really find any more affiliate review sites on the first page anymore.

      I used to have a ton of Amazon affiliate sites that were ranking well. But last October, G did a big algo update and all those sites just dissapeared from Google and never ranked again. They were not deindexed - just won't rank anymore. I think Google is now spidering pages looking for affiliate links - if you got them on your page - it will get a penalty so your page won't make it to page 1 of Google search.

      You may want to build authority sites monitized with adsense. They still rank just fine. And you have to build your site with great content or it won't rank either.

      So...you are saying that all affiliate marketing is dead because Google is not ranking them on page one anymore? So then how do affiliate marketers make money these days? Only from PPC?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6102301].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Recession_Proof
        Product review sites are never a waste of time, but for that to really be profitable you need to have solid reviews filled with content. And a lot of visitors. Its hit or miss depending on your level of understanding on how Amazon works and of course you SEO skills. Still it's pocket change compared to what you can make if you were selling the products themselves.

        You need to have access to thousands of high end products that sell constantly. After that its just a numbers game Amazon generates a lot of traffic. Pretty much goes like the old saying, enough s##t sticks to the wall eventually. If you wanna know a little more check this WF Amazon JV link.
        Signature
        Buy Wholesale Name Brand Cell Phone Accessories For Samsung, Apple, LG & Google

        Rank Your Business Or Website On The First Page Of Google!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6102504].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author curvesahead33
          Hey,

          I agree with Recession_Proof on the quality content and reviews. I think promoting Amazon products is still viable, however, you have to choose your route:

          1) relatively low competition, high-search, EMD type selling, or
          2) building "authority-ish" sites that bring in traffic for a particular buyers niche and have a mix of relevant content and reviews
          3) using Squidoo or other sites like it and leveraging their traffic and PR to promote your links

          With Amazon it appears to be a matter of volume.

          However, in interests of diversification, I think checking out the option to sell the products yourself is a great one!

          Originally Posted by Recession_Proof View Post

          Product review sites are never a waste of time, but for that to really be profitable you need to have solid reviews filled with content. And a lot of visitors. Its hit or miss depending on your level of understanding on how Amazon works and of course you SEO skills. Still it's pocket change compared to what you can make if you were selling the products themselves.

          You need to have access to thousands of high end products that sell constantly. After that its just a numbers game Amazon generates a lot of traffic. Pretty much goes like the old saying, enough s##t sticks to the wall eventually. If you wanna know a little more check this WF Amazon JV link.
          Signature
          Hope you're having a productive day! Remember, take action & keep at it!! You can do this!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6248369].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author superowid
        Originally Posted by xTrav View Post

        So...you are saying that all affiliate marketing is dead because Google is not ranking them on page one anymore? So then how do affiliate marketers make money these days? Only from PPC?
        Why so sad?
        Many of my friends still work and make money with Amazon...
        and the best thing is they never be worried again with Google.
        Facebook and twitter are the best for them... that what they said to me.
        So... be happy!
        Signature

        Hard time to keep promoting business? Don't worry!
        JUST USE MY GRAPHIC & VIDEO SERVICES
        . . . . . Let me help cutting your ad production cost! . . . . .
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6102647].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author TheAdsenseGuy
        Originally Posted by xTrav View Post

        So...you are saying that all affiliate marketing is dead because Google is not ranking them on page one anymore? So then how do affiliate marketers make money these days? Only from PPC?
        No, affiliate marketers make most of their money by promoting to their list.

        When it comes to Amazon I think the way to make money going into the future is this. Start an ecommerce business but sell your stuff on Amazon's Website. You will have to get an Amazon Sellers Account. You find a manufacturer and buy from them for wholesale and sell on Amazon retail. Or go to local stores and buy up their clearance items and sell that on Amazon.

        Then YOUR Amazon page will rank in Google all day long and be immune to Google slaps.

        You see, Google doesn't want your Amazon affiliate website to rank. To Google, every Amazon affiliate site is a "thin affiliate site". Your the middleman. No one needs your review site because the searcher can find reviews and the product to buy on sites like Amazon or Walmart.com,ect.

        The goal of every Google algo update is to get rid of sites that don't offer anything unique and valuable to the web. Unfortunately, pretty much ALL Amazon affiliate sites fall into this category. If your site is still ranking that just means they haven't gotten to it yet. Your site has just slipped through the latest algo. But there will be another algo update, and another. Until they get you.

        Now if you were an actual ecommerce site selling the product, Google would be fine with your site.

        Good luck
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6228883].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author cooler1
          Originally Posted by TheAdsenseGuy View Post

          No, affiliate marketers make most of their money by promoting to their list.

          When it comes to Amazon I think the way to make money going into the future is this. Start an ecommerce business but sell your stuff on Amazon's Website. You will have to get an Amazon Sellers Account. You find a manufacturer and buy from them for wholesale and sell on Amazon retail. Or go to local stores and buy up their clearance items and sell that on Amazon.

          Then YOUR Amazon page will rank in Google all day long and be immune to Google slaps.

          You see, Google doesn't want your Amazon affiliate website to rank. To Google, every Amazon affiliate site is a "thin affiliate site". Your the middleman. No one needs your review site because the searcher can find reviews and the product to buy on sites like Amazon or Walmart.com,ect.

          The goal of every Google algo update is to get rid of sites that don't offer anything unique and valuable to the web. Unfortunately, pretty much ALL Amazon affiliate sites fall into this category. If your site is still ranking that just means they haven't gotten to it yet. Your site has just slipped through the latest algo. But there will be another algo update, and another. Until they get you.

          Now if you were an actual ecommerce site selling the product, Google would be fine with your site.

          Good luck
          Google have their own affiliate network, so doesn't Google want people's sites to rank that use that or is it only Amazon?

          Didn't Google say in their quality guidelines that affilliate sites are OK as long as they provide value and aren't just doorway pages designed to make money?

          If Google's goal is as you say "is to get rid of sites that don't offer anything unique and valuable to the web" then they wouldn't be ranking blogs and facebook pages high which copy the Amazon product description literally word for word and contain nothing else. The whole thing about what is unique and valuable is subjective anyway because no algo anytime soon is going to be able to determine what is valuable.

          Some of the customer reviews on Amazon are great, but a lot of products only have reviews with very limited info so I don't see how you can conclude that no one needs a review site to find out more on the product.
          Signature

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6229952].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author syncmaster913n
          Originally Posted by TheAdsenseGuy View Post

          The goal of every Google algo update is to get rid of sites that don't offer anything unique and valuable to the web. Unfortunately, pretty much ALL Amazon affiliate sites fall into this category. If your site is still ranking that just means they haven't gotten to it yet. Your site has just slipped through the latest algo. But there will be another algo update, and another. Until they get you.


          Good luck
          This (part in bold) has got to be one of the biggest pieces of BS I've ever read on any internet marketing forum.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8797695].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author David Black 68
            I used to have loads of Amazon sites but like others have said, you don't earn much from small items. You can earn good money from higher ticket items but I find them much harder to sell.
            Still, with hard work and hard marketing, there's money to be had there, just not for me..
            As for Google, I've still got a few sites with Amazon affiliate links in ranking OK - Google will let decent sites with good info show ok in the SERPs
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8797710].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Teravel
        Originally Posted by xTrav View Post

        affiliate marketing is dead because Google is not ranking them on page one anymore?
        This is exactly why so many people are failing at Internet Marketing. You care to much about what Google thinks of your website. Answer me this...

        1) Is Google going to visit your website and click your ads?
        2) Is Google going to purchase Amazon products through your links?
        3) Is Google going to sign up to your mailing list and purchase your products?

        Of course not!

        When you focus on "Search Engine Optimization" and what Google wants, your building a business that is LITERALLY BEGGING FOR TABLE SCRAPS!!

        Marketing is connecting PEOPLE with SOLUTIONS. Those solutions could be information products that teach them something. They could be physical products to solve a situational problem. They could even be services that save people time.

        Instead of asking yourself how to make Google happy, ask yourself "Where can I find people that would be interested in [Your Niche]?"

        Let me give you a hint...

        * Social Networks
        * Forums
        * Q&A Sites
        * Web 2.0 sites
        Signature

        "Failure is feedback. Feedback is the breakfast of champions." -Fortune Cookie

        PLR Packages - WSO

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8798038].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author wolfmmiii
      Originally Posted by TheAdsenseGuy View Post

      No, for the most part it's a waste of time. You may be able to still rank in Google for keywords under 500 exact searches per month - until Google does another algo update and gets rid of those Aff. sites. But go type a product keyword into google that gets over 3000 exact searches per month. You won't really find any more affiliate review sites on the first page anymore.

      I used to have a ton of Amazon affiliate sites that were ranking well. But last October, G did a big algo update and all those sites just dissapeared from Google and never ranked again. They were not deindexed - just won't rank anymore. I think Google is now spidering pages looking for affiliate links - if you got them on your page - it will get a penalty so your page won't make it to page 1 of Google search.

      You may want to build authority sites monitized with adsense. They still rank just fine. And you have to build your site with great content or it won't rank either.
      There are so many things wrong with these statements that I don't know where to begin. To be honest, it smacks of sour grapes given the fact that you are having your own problems with Amazon sites.

      I do very well with Amazon. Making a blanket statement that virtually all review sites are "thin" is ridiculous.

      To answer the OP: Yes, product review sites are still very profitable when done correctly.
      Signature
      Want a REAL Online Business That's Fun to Run?
      CLICK HERE FOR INFO
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6252606].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author sidee
        Sour grapes? The guy knows what he is talking about.

        Google some products. Notice how the first half of the first page of SERPS (minimum) is Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, etc? Forget ever ranking #1 or even #5 for any worthwhile keyword. Your little niche affiliate site stands no chance against the big boys in the SERPS.

        Review sites are dead when it comes to using SEO to drive traffic to them.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8772049].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author cooler1
          Originally Posted by sidee View Post

          Sour grapes? The guy knows what he is talking about.

          Google some products. Notice how the first half of the first page of SERPS (minimum) is Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, etc? Forget ever ranking #1 or even #5 for any worthwhile keyword. Your little niche affiliate site stands no chance against the big boys in the SERPS.

          Review sites are dead when it comes to using SEO to drive traffic to them.
          It's true that the big box stores are dominating the first page in Google mostly now, but you can still rank for some long tail keywords. What do you deem as a worthwhile keyword?

          How many monthly searches does the keyword food blender reviews get?. The site ranking in 3rd spot on page 1 (foodblenderreview.com) is an affiliate site with only 77 backlinks to the domain according to seo quake.
          Signature

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8772391].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author wolfmmiii
            Originally Posted by cooler1 View Post

            It's true that the big box stores are dominating the first page in Google mostly now
            Big boxes are not dominating. Google HP Pavilion 15-n024nr review.

            It's a a newer-model laptop that I'm certain people are looking for. Outside of Amazon, not a single "big box" on page one.
            Signature
            Want a REAL Online Business That's Fun to Run?
            CLICK HERE FOR INFO
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8775711].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author jan roos
              Review sites are still wildly profitable.

              Don't just rely on Google for traffic as there are other ways to diversify your traffic.

              Video marketing, article marketing, ppc, facebook, media buying all works well.

              Amazon is awesome because of their high conversion rates. Mine is 20% this month so far because people are in buying mode and they trust and know Amazon.

              I do alright with CJ but it's not even coming close to Amazon from my experience.

              Cheers
              Signature

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

              Sign up for the free money mambas newsletter!

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8776049].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author sidee
                These are exceptions to the rule.

                The truth is most product review sites aren't ranking high on the SERPs. Good luck fighting each other for the tiny scraps that are left in SEO-land for the tiny number of keywords that are even marginally profitable to rank for.

                I'm not saying Amazon isn't a great way to make money - I use it and do great. But I'm not naive enough to think that using a method of product reviews via SEO is the way to go. There are much better sources of traffic. Use a keyword tool to show you how abysmal the environment is right now for using SEO to make money via sites like Amazon.
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8776251].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author wolfmmiii
                  Originally Posted by sidee View Post

                  These are exceptions to the rule.
                  I own a handful of sites that are all ranking just as well as my lawn and garden site.

                  Also, just a few more examples:

                  Dell Inspiron i15RV-1952BLK review
                  ASUS D450CA-AH21 review
                  Lawn Boy 10632 review

                  But hey, if you want to stay out of the game because you think big boxes are owning, I'm not going to stop you. One less person to compete with.

                  As for keyword tools, I don't use them.
                  Signature
                  Want a REAL Online Business That's Fun to Run?
                  CLICK HERE FOR INFO
                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8776637].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author wolfmmiii
          Originally Posted by sidee View Post

          Sour grapes? The guy knows what he is talking about.

          Google some products. Notice how the first half of the first page of SERPS (minimum) is Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, etc? Forget ever ranking #1 or even #5 for any worthwhile keyword. Your little niche affiliate site stands no chance against the big boys in the SERPS.

          Review sites are dead when it comes to using SEO to drive traffic to them.
          I own a handful of review sites and they are still doing very well. As a matter of fact, I did a spot check of 10 products on my lawn and garden site they other day and 9 of the first 10 products I checked were all on the first page of Google so I'm not quite sure what you are talking about.
          Signature
          Want a REAL Online Business That's Fun to Run?
          CLICK HERE FOR INFO
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8775691].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author WorkOnline
    Amazon still works very well, you just have to work hard on it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6102212].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author hammahead
    I agree with Hamida, Google will rank a page well if it likes the content and delivery. Write original sales content and don't over stuff the keywords and you will make it to page one. SEO takes time to develop but is well worth it.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6102585].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Alexchan338
    The method still works and even with low priced items, but you have to position your marketing strategy in ways that will get you traffic. A good keyword research will give a nice boost to rankings, if you go with SEO way. Direct promotion with facebook can also be efficient (it really depends how you can utilize FB to its full potential). Major affiliate sites like CJ.com, sheresale.com, or even peerfly.com (as seen on tv products) has tons of great products to promote. You just have to make your affiliate website as targeted as possible.

    If you put in the effort and structure your affiliate website and build it for long term success, putting more effort into it, using unique content for your site, and with linking strategy properly structured, there's no need to worry about any of the Google updates.

    Google is trying to optimized their search engine to provide the best possible information to browsers in one search. If your information is extremely relevant, then it will stay up there. Obviously that's only theory in a nut-shell. There are many factors that goes into growing the authority status for a site.

    There's just too much to go through in one post, so hope this helps a little.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6102938].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author wilken
    I would prefer CJ over Amazon. Amazon's commission is relatively low and their cookie duration is very short although on the other hand one can buy several products from Amazon and you can get several commissions just from one buyer.
    But CJ offers about 3000 advertisers, some offering very high commissions and also their enough good companies and products that could be advertised.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6103122].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Nicola Lane
    If anyone is in any doubt about this I suggest reading warrior View Profile: TiffanyDow site:

    Tiffany Dow's Internet Marketing Blog

    She has recently started a home and garden Amazon site - and is currently also doing PLR in this area, here is a recent post about this area:

    Home and Garden Niche Monetization Mentoring Part 13
    Signature

    I like to keep an open mind, but not so open that my brains fall out

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6103157].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JKflipflop
    Well, physical affiliate product review sites are my only source of income - so I am guessing that yes, they still pretty much work!
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6104311].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author rocky1234
      Originally Posted by JKflipflop View Post

      Well, physical affiliate product review sites are my only source of income - so I am guessing that yes, they still pretty much work!
      Do you follow GSni2 systems method???
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6105048].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author WorkOnline
    I'm not having problem in using Amazon. It's really not a waste of time. You just have to work harder and have patience on everything you do. It's simple but it means a lot.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6104970].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Bond Girl
    Xtrav,

    There are many, many people who will tell you that being an Amazon affiliate is not a waste of time, including me. It converts very well and as for the 4%, if you choose the tiered form, your percent raises with the number of things that you sell.

    The other big point is that you do not just get a commission on what you sold but also on anything and everything else that person buys while they are there at amazon.

    For now, it is still a very good way to make some cash. But as with everything, diversify so that you do not have all of your eggs in one basket so to speak.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6108885].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author MaggieDavid
    Hi I think Amazon is still good, but do not make that the only affiliate you have diversify. Make sure the content is good, do good reviews, make sure your keywords are the best and you only go for good niches, until you are experiences enough to take on highly competitive ones.
    Signature

    To Your Success
    Maggie
    6StarMedia - Website Design, Business/Corporate Design, SEO, Copyrighting and Website Management Services Plus much more

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6108923].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Manoj V
    Amazon review sites are still very profitable. Even though the commission seem to be less at a starting point of 4% the trick is to target high priced items. Choose those products that are popular by looking for at least 20 reviews and a minimum of 4 stars. Use common sense and don't choose products that you may not buy online.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6108978].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TamilYoung
    Trav, Don't ever think that Amazon is worth when it comes to Affiliates. The commissions may be low (compared to a digital product), but you get paid for anything the customer buys after visiting Amazon with your link. Further, Amazon has the Lion's share when it comes to Online shopping and it has a track history of paying out for Affiliates.

    If we are able to identify a great niche and put up a site with value content and are able to rank in the first page for atleast 5 buyer keywords, you are done. You can expect a good monthly earnings. If you need any specific help please ask me or send a PM. Will be more than happy to help.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6109087].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author audrey77
    I have better luck with Amazon than Clickbank or even Adsense. I think because the site converts very well and people feel secure buying through such a reputable online retailer.

    The key though is finding the right product to sell, which also means, finding the right keyword. Some keywords, you can never rank in the top 2 spots, because it is taken by the company's official website. At least, that's what I'm struggling with, especially products with reputable brand names. So, in that sense, I still have much to learn in picking the right products.

    Maybe someone can advise if selecting a branded name/model as the keyword to target is worth the effort when the company's website always comes up on top in the search rankings?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6109693].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Hamida Harland
      Originally Posted by audrey77 View Post


      Maybe someone can advise if selecting a branded name/model as the keyword to target is worth the effort when the company's website always comes up on top in the search rankings?
      It is difficult to outrank the company's website but you don't have to be in the top spot to make sales. Depending on the product, people will often read a review before going to the official website.

      So if your website is directly underneath and it's clear that you're providing info and reviews that they wouldn't find on the company website, you should still get traffic. Just make sure your title in the search engines is compelling enough to make them want to visit your site first.
      Signature
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6228786].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author neodoxa
    Sorry to hijack this thread... But is mentioning brand names in reviews illegal? It seems like it would violate some sort of copyright law or something. No?

    Like, I have a website... and I was thinking about starting to write product reviews on it... is it ok for me to mention specific brand names in those reviews and compare/contrast them?

    Thanks.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6227729].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author neodoxa
      Originally Posted by Nicola Lane View Post

      Why would mentioning a brand name be illegal? No one would be able to talk about anything!

      How can you review something without mentioning what it is??

      I'm sorry neodoxa, but you are not making any sense.

      I just thought that maybe you'd need written approval by the company in order to publish their name and talk down on (or even about) their product (like when comparing two products).

      I can't post links due to my post count... but if you google "is it illegal to mention brand names in reviews" and click on the Redbus result... You'll see that a company tried to sue a guy for writing about them without their consent. And then further down in the comments, people say it is illegal to use brand names on your site.

      After reading through that, it seems like it can be a gray area. I just asked because I don't want to have potential legal troubles down the road if I go and use a bunch of brand names in my reviews without consent.

      I'm usually over-cautious about things... so I'm sorry if it was a stupid question.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6229689].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Nicola Lane
    Why would mentioning a brand name be illegal? No one would be able to talk about anything!

    How can you review something without mentioning what it is??

    I'm sorry neodoxa, but you are not making any sense.
    Signature

    I like to keep an open mind, but not so open that my brains fall out

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6228646].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Marcus Rockey
    Yes I have an acne site that sells physical products. This makes me an income.

    We must provide value to the reader first. Are you doing this as a priority? Is your keyword a buying one? What about list building, is this a priority?

    Physical sites do work, you will see lots of threads across this forum with success stories on Amazon products.

    Don't give up but some changes may be needed, quite often only small ones.

    Good luck

    Marcus
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6228918].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    It is more difficult. In my opinion, Google is trying to cut out the middle man and go directly to the source. So in the past where it was easy to out rank the site with the goods it has become harder.

    But it is still very doable. Find a mix of high and low end products. Develop a site focusing on one type of niche product. So you may focus on health products for example. Personally, I would suggest staying away from electronics not because it is so competitive (which it is) or because Amazon caps at 4% but because many of the products change so quickly.

    It can be done and be very profitable. Amazon is very trusted. May as well get a piece of that action.
    Signature

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

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6248430].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author trader26
    Have you heard of Chris Guthrie? He has made millions with selling physical products through Amazon. It is not something that I am into, but I did get his wordpress them called AZON and it works really well for conversions. He is the authority on this subject and has put things out there lately on how to avoid getting your sites de-indexed by google. I would check him out if you are serious about doing amazon affilaite review sites.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6248659].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Moneymaker2012
    Amazon affiliate niche sites are still very useful to make good decent money with, conversions depends on what and how you promote.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8797759].message }}

Trending Topics