a question about affiliate links

[megan328]

I'm doing a niche site showcasing certain products within a certain niche - it basically looks like a regular shopping site, I am using wordpress & I have a couple of questions of what is best as far as linking to the merchants product page is concerned

1. when I show the excerpt - should the "view details" or "read more" link go to a post describing the product or go directly to the merchant product page?

2. If the link goes to the post and I know the product is sold by two merchans (example, amazon and walmart) should I just pick one to link to or should I give the visitor a choice e.g. "check it out at walmart" and "check it out on amazon"

just need to know what works (converts) best (from more experienced people) on this kind of site

thanks! :-) megan

[Ryzon]

Hey Megan,

According to my opinion:

1) In the first scenario, the 'view details/read more' link should lead to your own post describing the product in your own words. That looks more realistic and professional and shows that you have personal first hand knowledge about that product and are not just an affiliate promoting for commission. Besides the readers/viewers are more inclined towards a 'neutral' review rather than from the merchant.

2) Chose the one which gives you the higher commision ;) lol. If both of them offer the same commision and are practical, then I would suggest there is no harm in providing both of their links so that consumers get a choice. There are many folks who are comfortable with doing transactions with a particular merchant like ebay, amazon, etc.... and are not willing to risk with giving their credit card info to a new (at least for them!) merchant.

As far as what converts well, it depends! Seriously it depends on your niche and the way your general site is organised etc. You will get a variety of answers even if you get to ask the 'hotshots'. The above suggestions are based on my personal opinion and will HOPEFULLY not disappoint you!

Cheers,
Ryzon

[megan328]

Ryzon, Thanks! for the reply - that really helps - and I hope more people will also give their opinions so I can think through this clearly

personally, I was/am inclined to have the view details link go to a post where more detailed information and photos can be shared but I recently ran across some sites that I noticed did it the other way so I just did not know what might be better

Thanks again, megan

[Lynn Terry]

Hi Megan,

It really depends on a couple of factors. If the merchant does a good job of closing the sale, and you are targeting commercial keyword phrases, you want to send them through to the merchant in as few clicks as possible.

If you are targeting informational keyword phrases and/or the merchant sales page doesn't address all the details, then you may want to provide that information to assist your visitors with the buying decision.

You might provide two options/links. One to "Click Here to Check Pricing & Availability" and another "Click Here For More Product Info". You'll have to analyze your stats and conversions and see what works best in your market, with your products, with the keyword phrases you're targeting. Sometimes the results will surprise you, but you want to go with what works best given all the variables in your position.

[megan328]

Lynn, Thanks! that makes total sense :-) ~megan