Why Amazon Is More Difficult Than Others To Make Money

24 replies
I use Amazon for affiliate sales, but find it frustrating because the cookie they use only lasts 24 hours.
According to the book The Art Of Seo, the delay between the first click and the purchase of an item is as follows:

SAME DAY - 50% WILL PURCHASE
2 TO 7 DAYS - 9% WILL PURCHASE
8 TO 30 DAYS - 26% WILL PURCHASE
MORE THAN 90 DAYS - 3%

So make sure your landing page or the page where your trying to sell that Amazon product is really hot, or you will lose half the sales made because the customer purchased later!
#amazon #difficult #make #money
  • Profile picture of the author Takuya Hikichi
    24hr cookie has been in place with Amazon for years, perhaps from day one. I'm not sure.

    But Dress5761, if the customer IS purchasing at some point, it's really not the product selection issue or not even "cookie expiration" issue, but it's more of pre-selling skill that needs to be improved?

    I'm just trying to give you another perspective.
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    • Profile picture of the author drees5761
      Yes, that's what i was trying to say, but you said it better!...lol
      You may have done a great job selling it on your page, but if that person decides to buy when he gets paid at the end of the week or for another reason your screwed.
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  • Profile picture of the author drees5761
    I also read somewhere that if you direct someone to there shopping basket on Amazon it gives a longer cookie but never could find anything else about it.
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    • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
      Originally Posted by drees5761 View Post

      I also read somewhere that if you direct someone to there shopping basket on Amazon it gives a longer cookie but never could find anything else about it.
      The time frame for an item to expire in someones shopping cart is about 90 days and the time frame you get paid for (if the item is in shopping cart) is within 89 days of placement in the cart.

      From Amazon's Operating Agreement...

      "We will pay you advertising fees on Qualifying Purchases in accordance with Section 8 and the Associates Program Advertising Fee Schedule. Subject to the exclusions set forth below, a "Qualifying Purchase" occurs when (a) a customer clicks through a Special Link on your site to the Amazon Site; (b) during a single Session that customer either (i) adds a Product to his or her shopping cart and places the order for that Product no later than 89 days following the customer's initial click-through"
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      • Profile picture of the author cooler1
        Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

        The time frame for an item to expire in someones shopping cart is about 90 days and the time frame you get paid for (if the item is in shopping cart) is within 89 days of placement in the cart.
        Have you used a plugin which extends the cookie length to 90 days or doesn't it have much positive affect on the conversion rate?

        Is it correct that if you're using a shopping cart on your site then the visitor still has to click something else whilst they're on Amazon to add the item to their shopping cart or does the item get added to the cart once they've clicked your link?

        Originally Posted by Shaper View Post

        what do you mean that they pay you for stuff th you didnt reffer?

        It means if someone clicks your affiliate link and buys something else besides the product they clicked on, you still earn the commision for that sale.
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      • Profile picture of the author rajat2k2k
        Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

        The time frame for an item to expire in someones shopping cart is about 90 days and the time frame you get paid for (if the item is in shopping cart) is within 89 days of placement in the cart.

        From Amazon's Operating Agreement...

        "We will pay you advertising fees on Qualifying Purchases in accordance with Section 8 and the Associates Program Advertising Fee Schedule. Subject to the exclusions set forth below, a "Qualifying Purchase" occurs when (a) a customer clicks through a Special Link on your site to the Amazon Site; (b) during a single Session that customer either (i) adds a Product to his or her shopping cart and places the order for that Product no later than 89 days following the customer's initial click-through"
        So is there a add to cart link we can directly put on our affiliate website which will direct the customer to amazon with the product already added to the cart?
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        • Profile picture of the author cooler1
          Originally Posted by rajat2k2k View Post

          So is there a add to cart link we can directly put on our affiliate website which will direct the customer to amazon with the product already added to the cart?
          I don't think there is, I think you need to use a plugin to do this, but I don't think it improves the conversion rate much because if it did then everyone would be raving about it, but instead loads complain about the short 24 hr cookie.
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    Originally Posted by drees5761 View Post

    I use Amazon for affiliate sales, but find it frustrating because the cookie they use only lasts 24 hours.
    According to the book The Art Of Seo, the delay between the first click and the purchase of an item is as follows:

    SAME DAY - 50% WILL PURCHASE
    2 TO 7 DAYS - 9% WILL PURCHASE
    8 TO 30 DAYS - 26% WILL PURCHASE
    MORE THAN 90 DAYS - 3%

    So make sure your landing page or the page where your trying to sell that Amazon product is really hot, or you will lose half the sales made because the customer purchased later!
    Just goes to show how marketers view things differently. Personally, I am thankful and thrilled that Amazon allows me to be an affiliate. Amazon is a multi-billion dollar business. People trust Amazon and buy from them. I am very happy that I am able to get a piece of the Amazon pie.
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    • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
      Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

      Personally, I am thankful and thrilled that Amazon allows me to be an affiliate.
      Holy crap, it's an affiliate with brains. I've heard of such things, but never seen one in the wild
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  • Profile picture of the author twentytwo
    I love the 24 hour cookie! Sure it would be nice if it was 48 hours. Most of my sale's are because, of that lovely 24 hour period.

    I still cant believe they even give you credit for items you didn't refer them to, its great!
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    • Profile picture of the author Shaper
      Originally Posted by twentytwo View Post

      I love the 24 hour cookie! Sure it would be nice if it was 48 hours. Most of my sale's are because, of that lovely 24 hour period.

      I still cant believe they even give you credit for items you didn't refer them to, its great!
      what do you mean that they pay you for stuff th you didnt reffer?
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      • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
        Originally Posted by Shaper View Post

        what do you mean that they pay you for stuff th you didnt reffer?
        If someone clicks thru your article on "exercise bikes" and buys "sex dice" you get credit for the sale. No matter what you are trying to sell from Amazon if they click thru and buy something else on your cookie you get credit. Yes someone clicked thru my exercise bike article and bought those dice. I have sold all kinds of things I wasn't trying to sell - very awesome!

        On another note, it is good to see what people are buying. If it is related to your website, you may want to check it out and add it to your site. I have found some great products that way.
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    • Profile picture of the author Shaper
      Originally Posted by twentytwo View Post

      I love the 24 hour cookie! Sure it would be nice if it was 48 hours. Most of my sale's are because, of that lovely 24 hour period.

      I still cant believe they even give you credit for items you didn't refer them to, its great!
      what do you mean that they pay you for stuff th you didnt reffer?
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  • Profile picture of the author yixar
    Just started working with amazon and I already love it! It's awesome
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  • Profile picture of the author Artwm
    I've found quite the opposite. For me Amazon was always the easiest way to make money.
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  • Profile picture of the author ishuvonet
    I also did not get any success with amazon although I was less focused with it since their commission rate is not that much attractive.But I know some guys who have been making consistently a good amount of money every month only through Amazon and then sell their sites at a high price through Flippa.
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  • Profile picture of the author ochaim
    There's a wso out today that drops whatever you want into the customer's shopping cart.

    I can't really check on my phone here, but amazon looks like it has the option for you to link a shopping cart:

    https://affiliate-program.amazon.com...es/help/t1/a10

    Think using that will drop that 90 day cookie as opposed to the 24hr cookie product links drop?
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  • Profile picture of the author jaiganeshv
    It is going to get tougher with Amazon entering offline market at the same time cutting affiliates from diff states.

    UPDATE: Amazon promises jobs, development at San Bernardino site - ContraCostaTimes.com
    No wonder if Amazon ban will be a common term like Adsense ban..
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    All of these problems can be solved with a heavy influx of targeted website traffic everyday.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Racine
    I have to say, I have seen some interesting products purchased with my cookie being dropped from one of my niche sites.

    I have gotten more into selling on Amazon as I like having the affiliates promoting for me instead of me promoting for someone else for 4-6%.

    My 2 cents anyway :-)

    John
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  • Profile picture of the author equanto
    I don't think so..
    if there is a handicap, there must be an overplus

    here, let me take short review, compare amazon with another affiliate network, ex: clickbank

    Amazon affiliate cookies last 24 hours. If someone follows your link and makes a purchase within 24 hours, you are credited with the sale. If they follow your link and add an item to their cart - and then make that purchase within 89 days - you are credited with the sale.
    In this case, since your cookie lasts for 24 hours (or 89 days on items placed in their cart), you are credited with the sale even if they click on another affiliate's Amazon link during that time frame. So with Amazon, it's the first click until the cookie expires.
    ClickBank credits the last click. They create a 60-day cookie, so if your visitor clicks through your hoplink and purchases that product within 60 days, you are credited for the sale and earn a commission. BUT, if they click on another affiliate's hoplink in that time then that next affiliate gets credit for the sale instead.
    That's just two examples of popular affiliate programs, but as you can see they all vary quite a bit in how they track click-through's and sales from their affiliates. Not all merchants use cookies, and computer users can clear their cookies at any time.
    Ideally you'll pre-sell your visitors on the product you are promoting, and encourage them to click through and make their purchase right away.
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  • Profile picture of the author CyborgX
    I've heard someone says : " If you can't rank High, then make a Huge Indexed pages. It'll bring you the same result as well. "
    Is that true ? Will it works on Amazon ?
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  • Profile picture of the author wolfmmiii
    I do very well with Amazon. The key is building a site around products that you can rank for. It's also critical that you catch people at the proper stage in the "buying" cycle.

    If you know what you are doing, Amazon can be VERY PROFITABLE. I know this from experience.
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