Looking for your ideas on this....

[pete]

I was just sent a link by one of those guru types about a new program for ebay affiliates. I'm not really an ebay'er but this does look interesting. I did
a google to bypass the guy's link and found some interesting stuff.

Since you guys really seem to know ebay, I thought I'd ask for your opinions.

I'm listing a couple of links. None are any sort of affiliate links, just a progression of how I found things.

The first is a link to a forum where the developer of the program talks about it.

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=162058

Then, the main site itself - although this also comes up in the forum post.

http://www.buildanichestore.com/

This is new, with the first post on 10/18.

It might be something you all would be interesting in promoting, it might be junk. I have neither bought, nor signed as an affiliate. Thought I'd wait and see what you all thought about it.

(I usually do not link to another forum, but I feel that getting to an original post by the developer himself was a legitimate reason to do so.)

[pete]

22 views and no opinions?

Not even an It sucks! ??

[Craig McPherson]

Pete,
I looked into just yesterday actually. I got an email from a friend about it.
Still doing my Due Diligence so the jury is out but on the surface it has great potential.

To Be Continued.....................


Craig

[Jim Wilson]

I was just sent a link by one of those guru types about a new program for ebay affiliates. I'm not really an ebay'er but this does look interesting. I did
a google to bypass the guy's link and found some interesting stuff.

Since you guys really seem to know ebay, I thought I'd ask for your opinions.

I'm listing a couple of links. None are any sort of affiliate links, just a progression of how I found things.

The first is a link to a forum where the developer of the program talks about it.

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=162058

Then, the main site itself - although this also comes up in the forum post.

http://www.buildanichestore.com/

This is new, with the first post on 10/18.

It might be something you all would be interesting in promoting, it might be junk. I have neither bought, nor signed as an affiliate. Thought I'd wait and see what you all thought about it.

(I usually do not link to another forum, but I feel that getting to an original post by the developer himself was a legitimate reason to do so.)

Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I am afraid that my Algebra class online is kicking my butt right now and this, along with the recreation of AuctionHints, did not allow me the time to check this out until tonight.

To be honest I haven't heard of this one before but it does seem worth looking into. I am constantly seeking new things worth putting an affiliate link to here on my site. This one definitely seems to have the potential I seek.

My plan is to better (and more fully) investigate it and then I might test some links here to see how it does.

But...

I always buy things before I put my name behind them and thus I would have to wait until I have both the time and the money. My overall plan will be buy it, test it, and then market it if it does indeed keep its promises.

As another person so appropriately stated...

"More to come"

Jim Wilson
http://helpsean.com
Please Continue To Help Sean!

[pete]

Thanks, guys.

To be honest, I never even knew there was such a thing as an eBay affiliate. I think I'm as interested in that concept, and how much can be made that way as I am in the package itself, or selling it as an affiliate.

Just an entirely new concept to me.

It seems you might first need a niche sort of site that you could use to lure the folks in. I'll have to dig a bit deeper on this one.

Thanks for your replies.

[sprock]

YES YES YES ....

I was going to wait to see if Jim could change my username to my fullname (first and last) but I saw this thread and can vouch for BuildANicheStore .. the developer (Kelvin) and I have had several conversations and I am in the process of building several sites with it.

Over the years I have been using the eBay affiliate program with some good success, and came across a few good products to make things easier, but this nichestore application is the best thing I have seen, and it's very easy to set up.

Here are some examples of stuff I have done so far ...

BlogSprockit (http://www.blogsprockit.com) - My blog, look at the auction posts and you can see how I have integrated the auctions into the blog, This was a little more difficult and will require one to have knowledge of customizing blogs or HTML, but Kelvin is working on a easier way to integrate this.

Bargain Strollers (http://www.bargainstrollers.com) - This is my first custom implementation of the script, and still needs some work, but you can see how well it displays eBay auctions.

Bargain Baby Lots (http://www.bargainbabylots.com) - this is a generic default install with no customization, it's a basic install of the script and is very easy to set up.

I included the above URLs so you can see a cross section of different results using the buildaniche software.

I started using it when it was only a week old, played with it for a few days and then had to get back to a few higher priority projects, and as soon as I get those done I will be back to these sites and pushing the aBay affiliate biz BIG TIME.

I will put my name and reputation on this product, I think it's that good.

If any of you need some assistance with pieces of it, let me know, I'll be happy to help.

Regards . . . Scott

[Stephan Iscoe]

Hi, Scott;
Thanks for the great examples.
I built my first site in less than an hour,
including the download and dirt-simple install.

I used the early version default template and
did a little mild customization, which anybody with
some basic html skills can do.

The result is at BigStarSunglasses.com (http://BigStarSunglasses.com)

The key to success with this niche program is to
integrate the links to your store through content and anchor text placement as well as other relevant promotional outlets - hobby newsletters, offline ads, etc.

The smaller, more tightly-focused niche sites will also do better in
the search engine results and Google page rank if relevant text content is
added to the niche builder site.

Scott, your blog is a fine implementation of that principle.

I like this software a lot :)

Best of Success,
Stephan

[Ramiro Rodriguez]

As with all business opportunities you can make money if you apply yourself. I was a little disturbed that you bypassed the guy's link.

You'll pay the same if you join with or without the guy's link.

Just think of all the work the guy did only to have someone bypass his link. Of course he wants to make money. I'm sure he's paying rent too. And buying food, etc.

[pete]

Ramiro, it's a shame, but many people will go way out of their way to avoid clicking an affiliate link. As you mentioned, even if they pay no more.

They would rather the developer, author, whoever keep all the money than they would feel good about sharing some of their cost with whoever pointed them in the right direction.

It's a shame so many people have such feelings, but they do.

Through the 90's I sold point-of-sale, GPS based vehicle tracking and other specialized computer systems. I can't tell you how many people would let me spend a day on the road and in their place of business demonstrating a system, only to call the software developers and try to buy it "direct". While they would not sell that way, the cost would have been the same either way. I guess they just wanted my "free" training?

These same people would not think about going to the manager of a Best Buy or car dealership and ask to pay the same price, but not give the salesperaon any commission. True, some might try to bypass the salesman to save his commission, but in the case of affiliates, it doesn't matter, as you say, the cost to the buyer is the same.

It's just how some people are wired, I guess. If they can't save anything, why share with somone they don't know?????

[Natalie Williams]

I think that when some people see the affiliate link, they feel by bypassing it, they have "one-upped" the affiliate and they possibly feel a bit smarter because they know HOW to bypass a link.

Two other reasons:

1) Some affiliate programs have 2 levels, so a person may want to join the affiliate program themselves and then use that link to join again becoming their own 2nd level person and THEN buy the product. So they make a commission off theirselves.

2) If the affiliate program has only one level, then they can still join and buy the item through their own affiliate link.

Most affiliate programs frown upon the above mentioned tactics, but it still happens.

[Maggie]

Just wondered how many people got into the eBay affiliate thing? I bought the buildanichestore software myself and have started using it on a few domains for the last couple of months. The secret to success with it is to drive traffic to the web site(s) - and, although I'm not getting rich (yet!), I am converting some of the traffic to sales.

I also put together a video (now on Youtube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spJodNWRK3M - which shows how to set up the software on your hosting account so that you can configure the store.

Happy New Year - and Happy eBay affiliates!

LOL
Margaret

[Maggie]

If you're running a site with the eBay affiliate links which used to come through CJ, then now is the time to update to using eBay's inhouse affiliate program. It is live and sign-up is reasonably straightforward.

The url for the new program is http://www.ebaypartnernetwork.com (definitely not an affiliate link :D )

They still have to enable some of the stuff - like the editor kit - so there's no great panic.

By the way, for UK sellers, there's a 5p listing day coming up this Thursday, 3rd April.

Cheers
Margaret