I used to use Amazon affiliate links on various websites years ago, but had lost track of what was happening, because I found that people got used to seeing the same old amazon boxes on every website, just as they have grown accustomed to seeing a PayPal donate button. We tune out the images we see all the time.
The other down-side of trying to use Amazon as an affiliate-type programming is that you only get a 24-hour cookie, meaning the purchase has to happen pretty quickly. Most programs out there give you a more leisurely 30 days for your click-ees to make a commitment.
However, Amazon has some nifty new widgets that I think look pretty good, and I’ve been looking again at trying out Amazon as a tool for monetising my blogs. I decided to share them with you in case you either had never used Amazon Affiliates, or had, like me, not looked at them in some time.
Unbox Videos and Slideshow give a moving and active presentation to the Amazon product links. Nicely eye-catching.
I particularly like the Product Cloud. People like this layout of information right now, and are used to clicking on category tag clouds on blogs. I think My Favorites would be most suitable for a personal blog or a review blog.
Likewise, Wish List might work best on a personal blog. Personally I’m not sure how much time Quick Linker would save someone, since it’s not that difficult to add an amazon link to a website as things stand now. Will have to explore this one.
Search is one I’m not sure how useful it will be. If people want to search amazon, my own feeling is that they’ll just go to amazon and search. If you aren’t familiar with aStores, they’re something Amazon has added to make it incredibly easy for someone to create an entire website shop based around Amazon products. Amazon even hosts the shops. You can see an example here with Cheap-iPods.com .
The Products Link widget isn’t really anything new, although it’s in an easier-to-plug-in format. Product Preview and Context Link (below) look promising if you’re interested in advertising Amazon products without actually cluttering up your sidebar with any additional widgets. I particularly like the Product Preview, because you can decide exactly where and when the adverts appear.
Text Links follows a format similar to Text-Link-Ads, but it leads to a specific destination on Amazon.com
The Omakase, Banner, Recommended Product Links (below), and Search Box (below) widgets look a lot more like traditional Amazon advertizing, but with the ease of an automated widget.
I’d written off Amazon.com as a source of potential income on websites, but these new widgets look quite interesting!
October 10th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
I can only find Amazon text, like what you pasted verbatim, not instructions how to paste the code into my wordpress blog. Amazon says to paste into the blog. What, I have to paste this code three times a day when I add blogs? That can’t be right!
Paste where? Main index template?
What about Amazon Links Pro, a WP plug-in, and just paste my Amazon Associates ID
Can I use both or which works better or where to find info for this?
Thank you! Glad I found you while searching for this info. Cool site! Will spread the word.
July 21st, 2009 at 9:06 pm
It was a very nice idea! Just wanna say thank you for the information you have shared. Just continue writing this kind of post. I will be your loyal reader.Thanks again.
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Thanks for sharing with you!
October 9th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I was reading your blog to find out what you thought of the Amazon widgets. We are an Amazon affiliate and have developed a “widget” which allows you to select any Amazon product(s) and include them in a Flash video. It’s the next generation of widgets because you create it with your own pictures, text, video and sound files, then pick the products you want to include. The result is a Swyzzle show (Swydget) that can be embedded in your blog, customized to your subject matter. Click a product and you are immediately taken into a shopping cart where that product can be added. Then, it takes you to Amazon’s checkout page.