17th Feb 2012, 11:46 PM | #1 |
Susan - Research Nut War Room Member Join Date: 2008 Location: Vancouver, WA
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I was thinking about buying a review theme that advertised it was mobile-ready. I remembered from Amazon's participation requirements posted online that there were restrictions on mobile site linking to Amazon. So I went back and read them again last night. #7 on the Participation Requirements documents says that Amazon will not pay commissions on links from mobile sites to Amazon. I queried their tech folks there about how that specifically would be a restriction on mobile sites. Basically, in summary - and you can PM me if you want the full quoted email reply but I don't want to post the exact whole thing here - you can link to Amazon from a site that is not designed as a mobile-specific site. In other words, you can link from a site that happens to look OK when visited by a mobile device, and you can use CSS media queries to make said regular site look OK on mobile devices. BUT, you cannot redirect your main review site to a mobile version through a mobile redirect and have links to Amazon on the mobile version - say on a sub-domain or .mobi or anything like that. So direct mobile sites showing up in search and being viewed on a mobile device or tablet can't link to Amazon and get paid commissions, and if a mobile device visits your "desktop-type" main site and redirects to a mobile site, you can't link from that site to Amazon and receive commissions. Basically, one site with a flexible design is OK, but a separate site for phones and tablets, not OK. Just trying to save anyone from doing the work to capitalize on mobile and mobile search only to find out that Amazon won't be paying you for those mobile site links. |
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18th Feb 2012, 02:38 AM | #2 | |
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Here is the whole line about promoting Amazon products on mobile sites: ---- 7. You will not, without our express prior written approval, use any Content or Special Link, or otherwise link to the Amazon Site, on or in connection with any site or application designed or intended for use with a mobile phone or other handheld device (which prohibition does not apply to any site that is not designed or intended for use with such devices but that may be accessible by such devices (e.g., on a non-mobile-optimized site via an internet browser on a tablet device)), or any television set-top box (e.g., digital video recorders, cable or satellite boxes, streaming video players, blu-ray players, or dvd players) or Internet-enabled television (e.g., GoogleTV, Sony Bravia, Panasonic Viera Cast, or Vizio Internet Apps). ---- Although the above line doesn't say that we can't promote on mobile sites, it says we need a written approval to do that. That really sounds nonsense. I cannot think of a reason why they require a written approval for promoting their products on mobile optimized sites. I would like to hear what other fellow Amazon affiliates think about this as well. | |
19th Feb 2012, 09:13 AM | #3 |
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It's very simple. Amazon has no clue what do to with mobile sites yet, so they restrict it - just to be safe. Once mobile optimized websites becomes the norm and standard, they will probably open up for it. There's probably also a whole lot of technical stuff that differs from regular browsing, so their tracking system might not yet be totally ready to handle traffic generated from a mobile device. I'm sure they'll get there, in time...
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19th Feb 2012, 12:08 PM | #4 |
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Amazon is being stupid. If the "link" is the same - what's the difference?? What about domains that redirect to each other - kinda the same?? I think the problem lies with when Amazon itself does it's own mobile switch - perhaps not keeping the link structure - thus locking out affiliates in some way. If you link to a product, it goes mobile - but not a search page as it stays normal desktop. Don't do much Amazon marketing anyway - country restrictions and low $%. |
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19th Feb 2012, 08:30 PM | #5 | |
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20th Feb 2012, 11:19 AM | #6 | |
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Now you can join Amazon UK, Germany, CA, etc as an aff - but it's a hassle trying to redirect all your traffic to those particular sites once they land on your main site. I'm just saying, they don't make it easy. :rolleyes: | |
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20th Feb 2012, 04:27 PM | #7 | |
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25th Jun 2012, 06:09 AM | #8 |
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wow, that's crazy, I never would have even thought of that. I bought a real nice .mobi site that I was hoping to use for amazon links so I'm glad I read this first. Thanks for the info.
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27th Jun 2012, 01:49 AM | #9 |
Mobile+WP = JumpMobi.com War Room Member Join Date: 2009 Location: San Antonio, Tx
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Am guessing (and this is the same issue that never got answered when trying to explain my concerns to commission junction) that sites like amazon and many of the major affiliates on CJ have a mobile specific website, typically on a sub domain - since many affiliate programs use cookies to track sales and referrals which are normally used on the main desktop site, it's my understanding that the same cookies technically would not work or play nicely if used on these "mobile" sites/sub domains - basically meaning you wouldn't get your commission because the referral cookie wouldn't function as intended and track the user/sale made by a mobile visitor. Most affiliate programs to me it seems are only functional for tracking desktop browsers/visitors On the main desktop websites and don't support the sales made on the mobile sites due to the technical limitation of cross domain and sub domain usage of cookies. It's a bit technical but read up on cookies and I think you will see what I am getting at Hope that helps more than confuses lol Cheers Jay |
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27th Jun 2012, 02:02 AM | #10 |
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Hi Jay, thanks for the information on this matter. Now I know why my commissions from Amazon are not working on a mobile phone ... ;-( Best Galahad |
27th Jun 2012, 02:09 AM | #11 | |
Mobile+WP = JumpMobi.com War Room Member Join Date: 2009 Location: San Antonio, Tx
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Am also wondering how the imposed cookie rule in europe is affecting affiliate sales? | |
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27th Aug 2013, 08:39 AM | #12 |
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FYI all - Amazon had upgraded themselves and now accept mobile links. Here's the overview from Amazon's Associates for Mobile section: Starting August 27, 2013, associates can earn advertising fees by driving mobile traffic to Amazon from their mobile-optimized website. Approved Android developers can integrate the Mobile Associates API into their app through a separate sign-up process at our Mobile App Distribution Portal. |
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affiliate, amazon, links, mobile, restrictions, sites |
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