Tag: affiliate

Amazon Terminates California Affiliates: Finding Solutions

I have been blogging for some times and I used only amazon as an affiliates to share books I love to read and other minor products that I used, not a major income through it but enough to take a notice when it is gone. A few days ago though Amazon dropped a bomb on all its California Affiliates without much warning.

On June 29th, Evening I just checked my email and I saw this notice;

Hello,

Unfortunately, Governor Brown has signed into law the bill that we emailed you about earlier today. As a result of this, contracts with all California residents participating in the Amazon Associates Program are terminated effective today, June 29, 2011. Those California residents will no longer receive advertising fees for sales referred to Amazon.com, Endless.com, MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned before today will be processed and paid in full in accordance with the regular payment schedule.

You are receiving this email because our records indicate that you are a resident of California. If you are not currently a resident of California, or if you are relocating to another state in the near future, you can manage the details of your Associates account here. And if you relocate to another state in the near future please contact us for reinstatement into the Amazon Associates Program.

To avoid confusion, we would like to clarify that this development will only impact our ability to offer the Associates Program to California residents and will not affect your ability to purchase from Amazon.com, Endless.com, MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com.

We have enjoyed working with you and other California-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program and, if this situation is rectified, would very much welcome the opportunity to re-open our Associates Program to California residents. As mentioned before, we are continuing to work on alternative ways to help California residents monetize their websites and we will be sure to contact you when these become available.

Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team

Effect on California Affiliates and how it was handled:

  • There has been speculated that there are about 25,000 affiliates in California who promoted Amazon. Now, they will be affected as they no longer will be getting paid for giving sales to Amazon.
  • Affiliates did not get much warning (It has been happening in a few other states such as Illinois, Colorado and others) but it was quick notice within a day for California affiliates. That did not gave anyone chance to react or prepare for this news.
  • Some expert bloggers made a lot of money from amazon and now that resource has been taken from them.
  • The biggest thing is Amazon still has kindle research center and other subsidiary companies in California, so they may have to still pay taxes and all affiliates are screwed for nothing.

Regardless of how politics, taxes and corporation deals with it, many online bloggers needs to find an alternative to Amazon to make money. While, I am last person to teach people about making money, we all need some money to keep site going, keep writing and manage the cost of running website. I thought of sharing a few alternatives to amazon for those who might be affected such as California residents right now.

Solution: Amazon Alternative:

The best thing about Amazon is that it has every type of product you can imagine, digital, physical, for men, women and children for every ages, books to gadgets and even someone told me you can even buy car or 2% Milk there too. I am not sure how shipping works with milk to keep it fresh! There are some weird products there, there is something for everyone there.

The best bet would be ebay and overstock but ebay has made it hard for people to join now and overstock has made a same action as Amazon by cutting off California affiliates. So, one needs to get various affiliates to replace the amazon’s wide variety of product choices.

  1. If you promoted books, movies then best bet would be borders and barns and noble affiliates.
  2. For other products, Walmart, Target, Sears would work.
  3. For computer and electronic, best buy, office depot would work. Babierus and Toysrus are good for toys products.
  4. Some people has suggested, setting up an LLC or Corporation in other state and set up amazon account there. It may not be easy, viable for some. I am not sure about legality of it too, so if you choose to do it, ask lawyer or expert before doing it.
  5. You can sell your amazon center website to someone as Pat suggested.
  6. You can re use your amazon product articles in squidoo legally and get paid from squidoo for any partial sales from Amazon.
  7. I find the best solution while searching online is Viglinks, where also you can use their system for Amazon and other affiliates and get paid 75% of amazon pay and they take 25% cut. There is another one called skimlinks a few people I know seemed to have trouble with them. You can certainly check both out and choose what works for you.
  8. Think about making money from other resources, do not put all of your eggs in one affiliate basket.

Do you have any other suggestions? If you were in other states where Amazon terminated the affiliate relationship, what did you do that is working for you? I think other states in US might be next in line sooner or later so it may affect many people.

How to Make Money With Amazon

Amazon is one of the best affiliate for many people who want to promote products and make money on side. If you are on hubpages, (or not), you can join amazon as an affiliate. It is very easy to do so by providing your email and login to to get tracking id. If you are using Hubpages to promote you site, I will show a few ways to make money via Amazon on Hubpages as well.

Update Note: If you are in USA, Amazon have removed its affiliates program in several states, such as California, Illinois, Colorado and others due to government Tax issues.

How to Get Signed up for Amazon:

  1. Sign up for an Amazon Associates account here.
  2. Then of course, sign in to your account.
  3. Click on “Build Links”. You will also see your tracking code, ending in -20.
  4. You can create text link, image link or combine text and image link and place it on your site.
  5. If you are Hubpages it is easy, just go to earning section on your own account and configure your amazon account by adding your unique tracking id for amazon. You are allowed to have up to 200 such tracking id for unit.
  6. In Hubpages, when you are writing hubs just go add an amazon capsule and you can use simple keyword to get amazon listing such as “books” or “cookbooks”. Or you can do specific product by getting its original ISBN from amazon.
  7. Once you have amazon capsule ready, and write about the subject or the product and publish.
  8. Do linkbuilding and add it to social media such as twitter or stumble upon and wait. Sometimes waiting for amazon earning can take some time but it happens. I got my first amazon sell in about 3.5 weeks, it was thrilling.

Current Status of Amazon on HP:

Right now amazon on Hubpages might be in limbo as they are being in California and Amazon has nixed all california affiliates, including myself. However, right now Hubpages is working with Amazon and other people who are not affected with a few US states, still continues to make money with Amazon, so this might be still a useful subject for those who are in other states or countries. It is also good for those who have their own websites along with hubpages.

Tips on Making Most out Amazon Affiliate Program:

I had been most successful with amazon prior to nixing California Affiliates, I was making some decent money with my cooking and cookware blog. Nothing to retire on, but it was increasing. Now, I can not use many tips but I want to make sure others can use it and make money by using this time trying tips that has worked for me and others.

  • Amazon always works best when you are doing specific product review type of post or hub. Let’s suppose you are writing, how to buy a best cast iron cookware, and you can write a review based on the product.
  • Choose a product that has 4 or 5 star ratings.
  • Choose a product that has at least 30 customer reviews on amazon.
  • Amazon also has a “bestseller” category for each products subject so go through it and pick the one of top seller products.
  • Do not cut and paste reviews from other site, do research from several sites (if you do not own the product yourself) and do genuine review with good things and bad things about the product.
  • Always add a good clear image of the product and link back to amazon at the end, so if people like it, they can buy it from your link.
  • You do not have to own the product and do not have to say you own it, when you do not, In my opinion honest reviews seems to be work best.
  • I have done shorter and longer reviews both and in my experience 800-1000 words long reviews seems to always convert better for me, so do not short change and write a good detailed review.
  • You can sometimes add related products but it is not necessary, when review is well written.

Problem with Amazon:

While I said earlier, amazon is one of the best affiliates for people, I still think there are some issues to remember when working with amazon.

  • Amazon has only 24 hour cookie, meaning, if someone visits your post but does not buy it right away and it is over 24 hours, you will not get commission for it.
  • Amazon has very low percentages such as 4% to start out with with maximum of 8% which I never quite made it. I got up to 6.5% once. Many other affiliate program may offer better commission.
  • Amazon only pays $25 for some electronics items such as laptop and some camera, regardless of if someone paid over $1000 for item, you will not get 4% of it or more. That sucks.
  • Amazon is nixing affiliate program in Many US states and it can follow in other states and other countries which may not be good thing for those who want to make money online.

Summury:

No matter what you do and choose, writing honest reviews and being valuable always helps. Content is always king or should I say Queen as being a woman! Good luck and hope you make money with Amazon.