eBay Partner Network Tips and Ideas

I'm starting to gain some good traction with the eBay affiliate program lately, or more correctly named eBay Partner Network. On my beef jerky blog, it's become my second best revenue stream, second only to direct advertising sales.

If you're not using eBay's affiliate program, it's worth your while to explore.

http://www.ebaypartnernetwork.com

They pay a per click fee that varies based on the quality of traffic you refer. Quality is defined as the long term value of each person you refer, including the purchases they make, the stuff they sell, how often they use PayPal, and other factors.

That's important to understand. You'll get a higher per click fee, if you send them really good traffic.

The factor that we publishers can influence the most is a visitor's likelihood to purchase something.

To do this, you need a website that's focused on something specific. After two-and-a-half years of running my beef jerky blog, I've built up a steady traffic of visitors interested in trying out new beef jerky. But it's more specific than just beef jerky, it's beef jerky reviews. My readers are not looking to make their own jerky, nor looking for the best bargains, they want to know where the best tasting jerky is. These visitors are willing to buy.

As it turns out, eBay has a rather large marketplace of beef jerky sellers. These people either sell their own homemade jerky, or they sell bulk brands of jerky. All I did was connect my visitors to eBay's jerky page using ad banners that say stuff like, "Visit eBay's Beef Jerky Marketplace". That alone is probably enough to pique someone's curiosity.

The other way I refer traffic into eBay is through product reviews. I buy up jerky from these homemade jerky sellers, and write reviews. I still write honest reviews. If it's bad jerky I say it's bad, if it's good jerky I say it's good. But as it turns out, homemade jerky is almost always better than factory jerky, so no matter whose jerky I review, it usually turns out to be a good review.

The review includes an affiliate link to that jerky maker's eBay storefront. And it's that link that actually generates the bulk of my eBay referrals. Here's an example of such a review...

http://www.bestbeefjerky.org/2010/09/landos-jerky-garlic-pepper.html

So here's some thoughts to ponder....

• I'm thinking it's better to have a website/blog dedicated to reviews only, as opposed to one that covers reviews, news, funnies, and opinions. A dedicated review site should theoretically focus your traffic down to just those people who are serious about making purchases.


• Develop trust with your readers so that they feel compelled to purchase what you reviewed. Write intelligently, be consistent with your prior reviews.


• Review products that replenish. That is, products that the seller will restock and always have in stock. That way, visitors clicking through on an old article of yours will still see that product for sale.


• Review products from sellers that seem to have built up their own trust factor. It could be sellers with a high satisfaction rating, sellers who've built long history of selling on eBay.


• Review products that you can't buy anywhere else. Homemade jerky is a good example. But I've also seen people selling their own homemade pickles, homemade bird houses, handmade quilts.


• Consumable products work well for this, that is, products that don't last and need to be repurchased. People who make repeated purchases, theoretically should increase your per click fee. Food and drink is an obvious example. Guitar strings eventually need to be replaced. Scented candles need to be replaced.


• Review products that your readers will actually buy. Stay away from retarded stuff like "mystery gift box", or "wierd alien rock found in desert".


• Hobbyist products should also do really well. Rubber stamps and scrapbooking supplies. Knitting and sewing supplies. Hobbyists are passionate about their hobby and willing to make purchases, and repeated purchases.


• Link to the seller's storefront page because that should remain constant. Don't link to the individual product because that will eventually expire. Also linking to the storefront allows your referrals to see all of the sellers products.

Finally, I give you a link to an article written by eBay in March 2009 about affiliate marketing. It should give you an insight to what they're looking for in an affiliate publisher...

http://www.semj.org/documents/SEMJ_ebay_vol2.pdf

Let me know how you use eBay's affiliate program.  ✓