Question.

[StinkyPink]

What affiliate tools do you folks find most useful in todays market?

The reason I ask...
I do spend a lot of time at the zoo, I am quite used to the demands of affiliates over there. Fact is, Greenguys Board has always been of a different crowd. Here we have a lot of Linklist, Tgp, and bloggers. Freesite and gallery submitters etc. So downloadable content and custom banners, templates, creatives etc. is a given... meanwhile the zoo likes tube clips, fhg's, peel ads, social widgets, morphing rss feeds etc.

What is converting for the affiliates these days?

Thank you for your replies

[Cleo]

Member access, RSS feeds, decent banners

[Toby]

1) A site tour that converts
2) A member area that retains
3) Regularly updated FHGs, and by regular I mean at least monthly and in a quantity roughly equivalent to the average number of site updates during that same interval. Short of that, access to the member area to get content to build my own galleries.

That's it, I can do the rest myself.

[Simon]

Please be sure to offer a NON-MORPHING version of your RSS feeds with well-written NON-SPUN text or there are of lot of webmasters here who will never, ever use them.

In case you'll ask "but why?".... here are some reasons.

http://www.greenguysboard.com/board/...21&postcount=2
http://www.greenguysboard.com/board/...0&postcount=10
http://www.greenguysboard.com/board/...8&postcount=22
http://www.greenguysboard.com/board/...11&postcount=2
http://www.greenguysboard.com/board/...30&postcount=4
http://www.greenguysboard.com/board/...9&postcount=21
http://www.greenguysboard.com/board/...27&postcount=8

HTH

[StinkyPink]

Originally Posted by Simon

In case you'll ask "but why?".... here are some reasons.

Thank you Simon. I would not have offered Morphing feeds, we are working on our blogs now and all posts are hand written, we are just waiting on design. If affiliates want them morphed theres plugins and scripts for that.

Now... about RSS feeds. What style is best? Gallery style with a video or a series of pics? Or editorial style with a thumb and links to the gallery and tour? Or even other ideas?

My examples of affiliate tools are industry-wide, we are trying to keep it simple. Offer the most useful tools.

[Cleo]

Originally Posted by StinkyPink

about RSS feeds. What style is best? Gallery style with a video or a series of pics? Or editorial style with a thumb and links to the gallery and tour? Or even other ideas?

I use Blogs Automater to pull in feeds.

I add this code to all images so that they fit within my blog's page. So bigger is fine but not a bunch of little thumbs.

style="display:block;margin-top:4px;margin-right:auto !important;margin-bottom:4px;margin-left:auto;max-width:538px;border:solid 2px black;"

Pics should either not link at all or link to a bigger pic, not some blog full of traffic leaks. One or two pics is fine or one movie. One text link to the paysite, not a whole bunch of spammy links.

A paragraph or two of text is good. On some of my blogs I use it as a starting point to write something of my own. Others I have Blogs Automater morph the text.

[StinkyPink]

Thank you Cleo, and others.

I am beginning to wrap up our current tools. When I took over this project there were many things wrong and still several things to tweak. Seems like a never-ending process. With progress being made i am ready to start adding new content. I am really focusing on what affiliates are using these days because a lot of tools came out because of some fading or passing internet fad. While many tools can still be useful and used in different ways by creative affiliates, some are just more important or more useful. Mobile has ecome a big deal, and html5 as well. These are all things taken into account when thinking of new ways to distribute our content. Both for affiliates and members areas.

[dreadbandit]

access to videos from members area and my own tools.

[ecchi]

RSS feeds:
Ideally "chatty text" that does not only advertise the site but also interests the surfer.
Thumbnails that go to a bigger version of that one picture, but with a site ad beneath it (like an old school picpost) or to a page with an embedded video that INCLUDES THE SCENE IN THE PHOTO, also above an ad for the site.
Definitely NO blind links (e.g. thumbnails that go directly to the tour).

Free Hosted Galleries:
Include free hosted thumbnails to use as links (like AEBN).
Offer ACCURATE pre-written gallery descriptions for text TGPs. Ideally both long (sentence or two) and short (five words or less), but most important is accuracy and detail, i.e. NOT "Teen naked and wanting a fuck." But "Jane (18) strips naked on the bed."
Include the option of downloading the gallery list with our choice of delimiter (I prefer pipe, because that is what my scripts expect, but others go for tabs, commas, or quotes, so we need the choice).

[Greenguy]

Originally Posted by ecchi

Free Hosted Galleries:
Include free hosted thumbnails to use as links (like AEBN).
Offer ACCURATE pre-written gallery descriptions for text TGPs...

L A Z Y

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Greenie

L A Z Y

Oh yeah. I work about 100 hours a week (no life!). So when it comes to updating my TGPs I ideally want to be able to download a pipe deliminated list with my ID already included e.g. either:
http://www.sponsors-site.com/galleries/gallery1009?id=ecchi|Sarah tied naked to a tree in the woods
or (depending on whether it is a text link or thumbnail link TGP):
http://www.sponsors-site.com/galleries/gallery1009?id=ecchi|http://www.sponsors-site.com/thumbnails/thumb1009.jpg
That way I can just upload the list to my server and let the script do the rest!

[StinkyPink]

Originally Posted by ecchi

RSS feeds:
Ideally "chatty text" that does not only advertise the site but also interests the surfer.
Thumbnails that go to a bigger version of that one picture, but with a site ad beneath it (like an old school picpost) or to a page with an embedded video that INCLUDES THE SCENE IN THE PHOTO, also above an ad for the site.
Definitely NO blind links (e.g. thumbnails that go directly to the tour).

Free Hosted Galleries:
Include free hosted thumbnails to use as links (like AEBN).
Offer ACCURATE pre-written gallery descriptions for text TGPs. Ideally both long (sentence or two) and short (five words or less), but most important is accuracy and detail, i.e. NOT "Teen naked and wanting a fuck." But "Jane (18) strips naked on the bed."
Include the option of downloading the gallery list with our choice of delimiter (I prefer pipe, because that is what my scripts expect, but others go for tabs, commas, or quotes, so we need the choice).

Thanks for the tips on the rss feeds, I think I will have this one covered. As for galleries, I will keep the hosted thumb url in mind, and the rest is available now via ccbtools. In fact I just had all descriptions rewritten, and personally checked by me. However, we are thinking of switching to another affiliate tools admin software/service soon, I have been improving things over these last few months, and during the switch I will have the opportunity to improve even more.

I am taking EVERYTHING said here into consideration! Please let me know what is, or can be hot for affiliates in TODAYS industry.

[StinkyPink]

Originally Posted by dreadbandit

access to videos from members area and my own tools.

We offer this as well, though upon request. I plan to add password request to our support system once we get everything switched to new aff. admin. I offer MANYways to contact me directly as well.

[Greenguy]

Originally Posted by ecchi

Oh yeah. I work about 100 hours a week (no life!). ..

I was hoping the hidden at the bottom of my message would properly relay the sarcasm in my post

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Greenie

I was hoping the hidden at the bottom of my message would properly relay the sarcasm in my post

I saw it, I didn't take offence, I was just replying!

[Greenguy]

But you replied way too honestly!!!!

[dreadbandit]

Originally Posted by StinkyPink

We offer this as well, though upon request. I plan to add password request to our support system once we get everything switched to new aff. admin. I offer MANYways to contact me directly as well.

New aff? Means you're planning to add more than ccbill?

Sounds like a good think to do (about request system) - I'd check it out but:
> I have rich history (10 years long) of personal dislike about ccbill based affiliate programs, and not just because stats takes some MINUTES to load... was using many sponsors in past and wasn't pleased - also my friend did for a couple of last years and when I've seen ratios (mostly se traffic) we've decided to drop all of them. It's sad because I see so much nice sites working just on ccbill, what a waste... Simply doing so much better with nats that has cascade billing and at least one alternative to ccbill.

> I go for partnerships so my rule is to rather stay away from sponsors that don't give user trial option.

> Don't touch nothing that's not updated daily - don't know about your sites. Don't want to be rude - just two things above says no anyway.

[Cleo]

I'm just the opposite. I prefer CCBill over NATS. At least with CCBill I don't have amounts below the minimum payout sitting in a sponsor’s bank account.

[dreadbandit]

Don't want to start another "to ccbill or not" discussion, I'm happy that it works for you. I personally tried polish and english cc's on it and they didn't go through - surprisingly italian "postapay" card went (which is from italian post bank) and I was able to enjoy all of the burningangel girls for some times, some porn just draws me in

[Greenguy]

Originally Posted by Cleo

I'm just the opposite. I prefer CCBill over NATS. At least with CCBill I don't have amounts below the minimum payout sitting in a sponsor’s bank account.

Oddly enough, I have learned to fucking LOVE NATS

[StinkyPink]

Thank you for your reply.

Originally Posted by dreadbandit

New aff? Means you're planning to add more than ccbill?

We will always payout via ccbill, no question. After Ibill and WebmasterChecks, ePass, the only other option is zambaio and epoch. While I like epoch, we plan on adding them as a cascade within ccbill, along with segpay, whereas ccbill takes care of the accounting. As for zambaio, I am just too unfamiliar with them so, eh. *shrugs*

Originally Posted by dreadbandit

Sounds like a good think to do (about request system) - I'd check it out but:
> I have rich history (10 years long) of personal dislike about ccbill based affiliate programs, and not just because stats takes some MINUTES to load... was using many sponsors in past and wasn't pleased - also my friend did for a couple of last years and when I've seen ratios (mostly se traffic) we've decided to drop all of them. It's sad because I see so much nice sites working just on ccbill, what a waste... Simply doing so much better with nats that has cascade billing and at least one alternative to ccbill.

We plan on integrating to NATS, or MPA3, or another viable option is sliiing. I like sliiing, but there is that unfamiliar feeling I just can't get past. I spent several months setting up NATS (with CCBILL), just to have everything just foul up at once so we just figured it wasn't for us and just cut our losss. However, it is STILL an option.

Originally Posted by dreadbandit

> I go for partnerships so my rule is to rather stay away from sponsors that don't give user trial option.

A few of our sites are smaller fan sites designed to be bonus material for members of lilcandy.com. We decided to put a small signup fee on them to allow affiliates the opportunity to make a few extra bucks. To each their own, they are very cute girls.

Originally Posted by dreadbandit

> Don't touch nothing that's not updated daily - don't know about your sites. Don't want to be rude - just two things above says no anyway.

Our flagship site still updates, we try to keep it weekly, but the sauce is in the weekly webcam shows, and Candys Tweetly tweet tweets on twitter. She does requests and even goes on dates. We also have a couple niche sites to roll out in the near future. Lots of work!

Originally Posted by Cleo

I'm just the opposite. I prefer CCBill over NATS. At least with CCBill I don't have amounts below the minimum payout sitting in a sponsor’s bank account.

I used to have that same problem. I would be a billionaire if I was just paid all the under-minimums I am owed from all the programs in the last 12 years lol.

Originally Posted by Greenie

Oddly enough, I have learned to fucking LOVE NATS

We may be aiming for NATS for the long term. Meanwhile, I am looking into sliiing to replace ccbtools, just dunno.

[Greenguy]

Originally Posted by StinkyPink

We may be aiming for NATS for the long term. Meanwhile, I am looking into sliiing to replace ccbtools, just dunno.

I think that's a new one to me - do you know any affiliate programs that are currently using it?

[StinkyPink]

Originally Posted by Greenie

I think that's a new one to me - do you know any affiliate programs that are currently using it?

It was developed by a guy named Marco, also known as CHMOD. He has been around for awhile, seems like a dependable guy. I did get some sample urls but they were unknown to me, and some of them I couldn't even find the affiliate area, so I just don't know. There has been some threads where folks have said good things about it. Lets face it, this is a time in the industry where folks are sticking to what they kno, they just can't afford many 'mistakes' right now. It's no wonder there isn't much buz, and it's no wonder that onley newer or unknown programs may be using it. I feel this may be also because they find it via search engine as opposed to forums or resources where webmasters are used to the software/services they work with everyday.

[Greenguy]

StinkyPink - I looked on their site & then searched a name in their recomendations & found this program:
http://loveamateurscash.com/

It really doesn't look like anything special - kinda bland. Hell, there's not even a dump option for the hosted galleries:
http://loveamateurscash.com/tools/galleries/

From an affiliate POV, CCBTools looks MUCH better.

[Greenguy]

I also see they have a recomendation from "Swirls Bucks" and when you google that, they only thing I can find is a parked domain - http://www.swirlsbucks.com/ - which can't be good for a recommendation lol