Looking for general interest in associate / affiliate program.

**gSOLO_01** · 09-23-2003, 09:54 AM

Firstly I'm curious if you think the following is a feasible business model. I've developed (am developing) an application that is set to run in Macromedia Central. Below you'll see a couple of ideas that I threw together real quick. Would anyone be interested in distributing the application (or do you think that other people would).

Second, I'm looking for a partner to help me out with the project. Right now I'm just looking to get general feedback / interest. I will proceed and return with more information if it sounds like a thing to pursue.

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Amazon Central Associates Program (Patent Pending)

The Amazon Central Associates Program allows users to earn money by distributing the application to consumers. Amazon’s online reporting conveniently keeps you informed of the progress of your site by allowing you to check your earnings, traffic reports, tracking sales in a variety of ways at any time of the day or night.

Depending on the number and type of products sold, you can earn between 2.5% and 15% on the sale of products sold through Amazon Central.

Amazon will pay you by Direct Deposit, Amazon.com Gift Certificate, or check on a quarterly basis.

Sign up for the Amazon Associates Program
https://associates.amazon.com/exec/panama/associates/apply/

Here you will receive an associate id. This is used to track sales made through Amazon and Amazon Central.

Apply for a Free Developer Token
https://associates.amazon.com/exec/panama/associates/join/developer/application.html

Use the information that you used to sign up for the Amazon Associates Program in order to complete this step. You can have many unique developer tokens, which allow you to more accurately track where your sales are coming from.

Register with Amazon Central
http://associates.amazoncentral.com/apply/

Register your associate id and developer token with Amazon Central.

Distributing Amazon Central

Distribution rights are licensed at a fee starting at $14.99 per month. All sales and referral fees made through Amazon Central during that time will be credited to the licensed account. You may choose to terminate your account at any time, in witch Amazon Central will default to the standard earnings account. You may renew your account and recover those installations that you have referred to Amazon Central.

Distribution methods are as follows. Replace [associate id] and [developer token] with the corresponding keys issued in the previous steps.

Via a text link or 160x160 pop up window:
http://amazoncentral.com/install/?t=[associate id]&d=[developer token]

From within Macromedia Central:
Select - File > Install Application From URL
Enter the following URL –
http://amazoncentral.com/product.cfm?t=[associate id]&d=[developer token]

If Amazon Central is already installed:
Launch Amazon Central. Click the Amazon Central Logo that is located in the upper right hand corner of the application. A dialogue window will popup with input fields requesting an associate id and developer token. Enter the corresponding values and click okay.

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Thanks for your feedback.

**vampstko** · 09-24-2003, 10:31 AM

intresting concept.. i work with about 50-100 different affiliate programs but i have never heard 0f MM central.. can you explain this a bit more in idiot terms for us simple folk

**gSOLO_01** · 09-24-2003, 10:58 AM

Macromedia Central:

Vaguely it's a flash player shell the implements some new features and a built in try / buy / transaction / payment system, onlne offline awareness, integration with other apps.

Presentation:

http://marketing.product.breezecentral.com/p45237277/

What it is:

http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/cen...hat_is_it.html

How it works:

http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/cen..._it_works.html

DevNet:

http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/central/

Basically people would pay me to distribute my app with their Amazon affiliate details plugged in. So they get comission on any sales made through the program. I would be maintaining / updating the program and features...

**vampstko** · 09-24-2003, 11:49 AM

ok.. but seriously .. break it down to the most simple explanation, why would i use this service

**MG315** · 09-24-2003, 01:00 PM

i didnt know central was released. it was still in beta testing last time i checked

from what i read in your first post (and I'm probably missing something) you talk about how one would resell it, but you don't specify what they would be selling? you just refer to it as "the application." While the concept is good, its implementation depends completely on the product being sold.

Unless you are selling the application that allows people to resell their own applications...i think i'm confusing myself, lol

**gSOLO_01** · 09-24-2003, 01:44 PM

Central is/was not released...

I build a storefront (the application)

They distribute the application (I get .01 per distribution for example, paid monthly)

The user buys something from Amazon through the application.

They get up to 15% of the sale.

**vampstko** · 09-24-2003, 06:25 PM

well i still don't understand how this would make money .. and well i have my hands in everything.. dosen't amazon allready have an affiliate program

**younghistorians** · 09-24-2003, 08:04 PM

Intresting idea Gsolo...good luck

**gSOLO_01** · 09-25-2003, 07:53 AM

Originally posted by younghistorians
Intresting idea Gsolo...good luck

Thanks...

**gSOLO_01** · 09-25-2003, 07:57 AM

Originally posted by vampstko
well i still don't understand how this would make money .. and well i have my hands in everything.. dosen't amazon allready have an affiliate program

Let's throw Central and Amazon out of the equation.

I own a warehouse of 1000s of products. I build an ecommerce app (it's a prebuilt portal / storefront) that allows sellers to sell my products. The seller pays me a small monthly fee for the application and gets 15% comission on all sales that he or she makes.

Some of the benifits of this app include [benifits as apposed to an online browser-based storefront]: cooperating with other applications that are installed (i.e. being able to chat about a product, preview a movie / music before you buy the cd, tape or dvd); Enhanced experience (view a video of the music artist / author / product demo / reviews); Online/Offline (Store data for when youre on the go, allows the ability to search and show products when you dont have an internet connection, add them to your cart / wishlist); et cetera...

Heres a couple of screenies... I hope to have the app at 100% by the end of October.

And FYI; Central Is available now (preview beta):

http://macromedia.com/go/central

**MG315** · 09-25-2003, 01:20 PM

love the design (halo theme is great). But I have a few questions. When I buy something from you, would it have its own checkout/ecommerce setup or would it redirect me to amazon? And is the list of products connected to amazon (when you add products to amazon it makes them available to the app) or is it a separate entity that needs updating itself?

I think it's a great idea, but would the consumer (not the reseller, the one buying from the reseller) need central to view it? that would probably be my only hesitation in becoming a reseller for you (if i was in the market for reselling). And would resellers be able to customize the storefront to match their site? I guess I'm a little fuzzy on where the actual app would be located. would it be on your site and resellers redirect the users to you, would each resller need to install the whole app on their server (the data would need to be acquired from you but the design elements could be on their server) and if each reseller can have it on their server would the ability to customize it be available? While the design is great, if my site is all navy blue i'd like to have the storefront be navy blue also.

But i love the idea and design. heh i need to check out central when i get back home.

**gSOLO_01** · 09-25-2003, 04:58 PM

Thanks for your comments. This app is really still in the conceptual stage. I plan on releasing a watered down version to start, and again, based on interest decide whether to proceed or not.

Originally posted by MG315
When I buy something from you, would it have its own checkout/ecommerce setup or would it redirect me to amazon?

Unfortunately Amazon currently does not allow remote payment. This should be implemented in the future (not at the time I plan on releasing the app unfortunately).

Originally posted by MG315
And is the list of products connected to amazon (when you add products to amazon it makes them available to the app) or is it a separate entity that needs updating itself?

It's hooked up to Amazon - live. As long as your online you can get the updated products from Amazon. When offline, it gets the data from the cache.

Based on the success of this little app I would have the extra time / resources to develop... I hope to make a back-end for sellers to add / manage their own product inventory at Amazon. Distribute the app to only display their products et cetera.

Originally posted by MG315
I think it's a great idea, but would the consumer (not the reseller, the one buying from the reseller) need central to view it? that would probably be my only hesitation in becoming a reseller for you (if i was in the market for reselling).

Yes, Central would be required. I'd have to figure out how to sell that aspect of things to the reseller, but I can pull that off.

Originally posted by MG315
And would resellers be able to customize the storefront to match their site? I guess I'm a little fuzzy on where the actual app would be located. would it be on your site and resellers redirect the users to you, would each reseller need to install the whole app on their server (the data would need to be acquired from you but the design elements could be on their server) and if each reseller can have it on their server would the ability to customize it be available? While the design is great, if my site is all navy blue i'd like to have the storefront be navy blue also.

I really never thought of customizing the colors; but thanks for the idea. A section for a dynamic logo / text too.

Basically the app is on my server. The app is distributed by passing the two keys to the product.xml file (in my case a dynamic cfm file). Okay that probably doesn't make sense right now, but what the hey. I'll make graphics, search boxes and such that resellers can place on their site that install and launch the app. Or they can distribute it just via a text link or via their own or other applications...

Originally posted by MG315
But i love the idea and design. heh i need to check out central when i get back home.

Thanks

And do check it out...

**gSOLO_01** · 10-15-2003, 07:53 AM

FYI: http://gsolo.com/amazon

**MG315** · 10-15-2003, 11:17 PM

looks great in central, but does anything work other than the search thing on the main screen? cant add favorite, add to cart or view anythign from dropdown menu

**gSOLO_01** · 10-16-2003, 05:53 AM

Originally posted by MG315
does anything work other than the search thing on the main screen?

nope... everything is under construction...

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