eBay Affiliate Program

CrunchyPostingGoodnessOn 05.05.2008 at 1:21 pm Said:

The current website I have and the other two I’m creating all have my business name associated with them (branding). I do this to reassure my customers that they can trust any seller, item, or site that I may link them to, as having equivalent standards to mine.

There are many other venues which offer affiliate services that I would happily participate in. However, since I do not trust eBay or its unstable environment, I could not do a disservice to my customers and visitors by linking them there.

The money I may earn in commission is simply not worth using my company to advertise another that so many dislike. Doing so would effectively reduce the trust my customers and visitors place in me and my business.

Just my opinion.

MechelleOn 05.05.2008 at 2:07 pm Said:

WOW! now those are some serious fill in the blank - to want us to advertise for them on our own websites. Especially in consideration that they undercut our sells- my sells- by running directly competing ads for off eBay companies next to our- my- auctions that we- I- pay for, yet get less exposure than the ads of these other companies. No amount of money would be incentive enough for me to ever advertise eBay on my own site. Unbelievable!

Yes, I have more consideration for my customers to point them in eBay’s direction (because of what eBay is not the community)- and my own name

NoblespiritOn 05.05.2008 at 2:45 pm Said:

Richard,

This was #8 in our series of PESA Community Conference Calls. The recording can be found here:

PESA/ECMTA Best Practice Round Table Conference call – eBay Affiliate Marketing

The Recording:

http://www.noblespirit.com/PESA/Conf_recorded_on_Apr__3_2008__3-49PM.mp3

The Power Point Slides:

http://www.ecmta.org/affiliate

Regards,

Joe Cortese

CrunchyPostingGoodnessOn 05.05.2008 at 3:19 pm Said:

Just to clarify, my statement above is purely from a professional selling viewpoint and not personal emotion.

As a business person I must accept that, to a certain extent, people buy based on emotion. Buyers also learn to trust in certain brand names and/or stores.

From a strictly financial standpoint, earning those amounts simply by referrals is very enticing. However, I must also take into consideration the trust and reputation my business name has earned. Is the amount of money I may make from these referrals worth the potential loss in credibility from my buyers and website visitors?

At this time, I do not believe it is worth the risk. Plus, who knows, eBay may have more changes in plan for this feature and as I stated before, I do not subject my business to guinea pig experiments.

MechelleOn 05.05.2008 at 7:49 pm Said:

Let me clarify - My position is predominantly rooted in emotional disgust.

Ticket GuyOn 05.06.2008 at 7:41 am Said:

Noblespirit the recording page you are sending does not work. What is the connection between PESA and EbayAffiliatePartner Program. is Pesa a part of that or is Pesa just giving a credit back like a ebay referral store credit? I am looking to see how I can get higher credits back from the partner ship program and get paid as an affiliate but with higher commissions.

NoblespiritOn 05.06.2008 at 8:51 am Said:

Hello Ticket Guy,

I just tried the recording.Please allow a couple of minutes for it to download on to your computer. Then open the file.

Hello (Crunchy…),

Have you had an opportunity to listen to the recording? There is a significant number of eBay sellers who have a long history of driving buyers from their websites, post sale email communication, and other promotions directly to their eBay sales.

Regards,

Joe Cortese

TWOn 05.06.2008 at 8:56 am Said:

As a small time seller I would not even consider sending customers found elsewhere to eBay. It would be very counterproductive. But, like so many programs released by eBay these days, I am sure this program was not designed for the small seller.

I think a lot of members are reversing this process and using eBay as an advertising platform for other sites.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that the dismal 1% growth is what prompted eBay to come up with this. Unfortunately I doubt that it will work. eBay would be better off spending money to save the membership they already have instead of showing them the door with policy after policy designed to make it more difficult for the core seller.

But even that might be too late given the pig headed attitude in the front office. The execs have already alienated the members that stood by them for years to the point of no return.

Patricia1On 05.06.2008 at 11:24 am Said:

@ Noblespirit

“Have you had an opportunity to listen to the recording? There is a significant number of eBay sellers who have a long history of driving buyers from their websites, post sale email communication, and other promotions directly to their eBay sales.”

To the contrary, I’ve been doing the opposite with good success. My large commissions are coming from my website and more often than not they are coming from customers who originally bought from me on ebay. Maybe for what I’m selling, this was the best route. Art is kind of different than widgets - though ebay has never considered that.

NoblespiritOn 05.06.2008 at 12:36 pm Said:

Hello Patricia1,

Yes, I’m aware that for certain types of sellers in certain categories, eBay is an advertising medium to drive traffic, cross merchandising and up sell opportunities to their off eBay sales. But, for those who use eBay as a primary channel, affiliate revenue is a one time initiative that can bring regular, consistent and significant residual income each and every month.

Affiliate models are not for everyone. But for those sellers who should be pursuing this avenue as a viable, seamless supplement to their eBay business it makes all the sense in the world. The purpose of the affiliate opportunity is not to self-compete but to induce new creative opportunities for sellers to earn additional income.

The sellers who were featured in Richar’d presentation above make $2,000-$3,000 a month without lifting a finger. Once you get it started, the program is generally self-sufficient and runs itself.

When eBay is paying up to 75% of the FVF, every sale becomes compelling. The PESA Rewards Program transfers all the affiliate fees directly to the PESA member who incorporates the model in their promotional activities.

Regards,

Joe Cortese

NoblespiritOn 05.06.2008 at 12:39 pm Said:

The purpose of the affiliate opportunity is not to self-compete but to induce new creative opportunities for sellers to earn additional income….

…from things they are already doing, and more.

-JC

Patricia1On 05.06.2008 at 12:56 pm Said:

@ noblespirit - some of us simply don’t sell widgets…a fact ebay has never understood About all we can do with their platform is to use it as an advertising base….they don’t make it appealing in any other way.

NoblespiritOn 05.06.2008 at 1:44 pm Said:

Hello Patricia1,

Could you point me to an example of the products/items you sell? If you wish, please email me at service@noblespirit.com, I will have them forward my private email address to you. Are you subscribed to the Ominiture store reports? Have you ever reviewed some of the key words, entry pages, etc that buyers use to find you on eBay? How are you placed among your competitors and what does your competitive landscape look like?

Regards,

Joe

HenriettaOn 05.06.2008 at 4:19 pm Said:

Hi Joe
I have been on your mailing list for at least 8 years so I know that you are being nice.

I don’t know about Patricia1 but I don’t have a store any more. My inventory is such that when the FVF went up to 12%, by the time eBay, Paypal and the Post Office all got their cut I could either work for 2c an hour or quit. I have my pride, I will not work for a penny less than 5c an hour which is about what I was making after the FVF went up to 10% from 8% the year before.

I did find the omniture reports extremely useful when I had a store and I had no competition, niche to the max.

Patricia1On 05.06.2008 at 5:02 pm Said:

Thanks Joe. I just shot you off an email. I don’t get store reports anymore…had to close my store early this year. I should be in the top 10 percent with 100 percent feedback and DSR’s of 5.0, 5.0, 5.0, 4.9. Been selling on ebay since Sept. 1998. I’d welcome any pointers you can give.

We do have an ongoing problem in the Arts category feature plus listings. Its due to the delayed indexing they instituted awhile back. They’ll hold flag a listing and hold it for a couple hours or more then put at the top of the newly listed page. Well, some artists discovered that under certain circumstances they can simply revise their listing and it will be placed back at the top of the newly listed page - so they revise their auctions constantly and that keeps them on the newly listed page. Some listings stay there for the duration of their auction! That bars other listings from any exposure on the newly listed page. We’ve complained about it and ebay polices it for awhile but then it starts all over again. Its a glitch that they just haven’t bothered to fix. So, some of us end up throwing away $20.00 a pop and are getting little exposure. I believe this may be part of the problem.