Amazon Widgets
The Amazon affiliate program provides several methods to earn extra income from your existing website or blog.
Let's discuss some of the popular and lesser-known Amazon Widgets that you can use to earn affiliate commissions on your blog or website.
Unfortunately, these widgets don't work on Squidoo but that's OK because you can always use the Amazon module.
Your opinion counts so be sure to take part in the polls and voting!
Ready? Let's head down the Amazon...
Recommended Product Links
Start by selecting a product line then either enter some keywords or choose a product subcategory. You can choose the size and color options for your link.
Here's a small one for coffee makers:
And here's a large one:
Recommended Product Links
This widget is perfect for sites and blogs offering product reviews or industry news.
Using the keyword feature, you can focus on specific manufacturers like Senseo or Phillips.
Or you can show Amazon's bestsellers within certain categories like Home & Garden or Tools & Hardware.
Recommended Product Links
Banner Links
Banner Links
Banner Links are a tried-and-true method to generate affiliate income.
In fact, several blog and website templates make it easy to insert these banners into your content.
Rotate your banners on a regular basis and be sure to highlight seasonal promotions.
Banner Links Duel
Product Cloud Widget
Here's one using the music category.
See a perfect example of a Product Cloud here:
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000549.php
Product Cloud Widget
Give your affiliate efforts a trendy look with the Product Cloud widget.
Ideal for sites that change regularly like blogs because it ensures fresh product links.
This widget is also highly customizable.
Deals Widget
In addition to the Deal of the Day, you can show Lightning Deals and Our Best Deals.
The Deal of the Day is a single item or small set of closely related items available at a discount for that day only.
You also have the option to include Lightning Deals which are a single item paired with a limited quantity of extra savings coupons, available for 4 hours or until all the coupons are used.
The third option is to include Our Best Deals. These are a selection of discounted items and ongoing promotions from across Amazon.com.
Deals Widget
Since it displays a wide variety of products and is not "smart" in the sense that it neither
(a) displays products related to your content nor
(b) allows you to choose the products to display,
this widget would do best on a site or blog that has a more general theme, like news or shopping.
Unbox Video Previews Widget
Show studio previews for a huge range of recent and classic movies or TV shows available from the Unbox video download service. The Amazon Unbox video downloads store has thousands of DVD-quality TV shows, movies, and more for you to purchase or rent.
This widget is highly customizable in terms of selecting the type of shows to display: specific movies and TV shows, specific genres like drama or comedy, even specific studios.
You can also show a rotating list of the latest or greatest shows or movies sorted by Amazon sales rank, release date, box-office ranking, Amazon customer or IMDB rating, and more.
Unbox Video Previews
This widget would do great on a blog or website devoted to specific shows, movies, or stars, as well as sites focused on the entertainment industry and consumer electronics.
Slideshow Widget
It is also highly customizable in terms of product selection, format, sizes and even colors.
Here's one I created for "baby music":
Slideshow Widget
This is a great widget to add some color and interaction to any site, and it would be an especially great addition to a site or blog that already has a slideshow, such as a Flickr or Photobucket collection, especially if you design the widget using the same look and feel.
My Favorites Widget
Use this widget to showcase DVDs you own, products you recommend, your top picks for Valentine's day, your favorite movies, music you grew up with - almost anything.
Like the other widgets, it is highly customizable in terms of products and appearance. Here are two examples:
My Favorites Widget
This is a perfect addition to a personal blog or a social networking profile like MySpace or Facebook. Create a variety of Favorites like books, CDs, movies and place them around your site.
Wish List Widget
The Wish List Widget lets you show the contents of a publicly available Amazon Wish List in a convenient format on your page. A Wish List is a list of products that you can make as you're browsing on Amazon.
You can use this widget to show everyone what you'd like for your birthday or special occasion, or you can show your friend or relative's Wish List to help plan a special occasion like baby showers and birthday parties.
Wish List Widget
Another great option for personal blogs or social networking profiles like Facebook or MySpace.
Create a unique list at Amazon for each upcoming event like Birthday CDs, Christmas Clothes, Camping Trip Gear so your friends and family can make the best choice.
Omakase Widget
Oma who? Is that the woman on The Apprentice?
The Omakase widget is probably the least understood and therefore least utilized Amazon affiliate widget.
Omakase links will show your site's visitors what they're most likely to buy based on Amazon's unique understanding of the site, the user, and the page itself.
Omakase works by using a spider to crawl your site and identify the content in order to determine the type of products to display.
The results are configurable into several standard banner formats.
Omakase Widget
Share your thoughts, ideas and experiences using the Omakase Widget. Does it work? Is it better or worse than the other Amazon Widgets?
Rate the Amazon Widgets
Amazon Associates Blog
http://affiliate-blog.amazon.com/
Read the Amazon Associates blog for more news and tips on using the Amazon affiliate program to its full potential.
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