Getting Amazon money for this site (at no cost to you)

[BoydAllen]

If you look around on this page, near the top, you will see a row of Buttons that link to various advertisers. Their presence helps pay for this site. The last one on the right is for Amazon.com, and every time that you use it to go to Amazon, and then buy something, a small percentage, is credited to this site... out of Amazon's pocket, not yours.

That is all fine and good, but what if you get in the mood to shop some time when you are not on this page? For these situations, there is a convenient solution that gives the same result.

You can drag and drop the button onto your Bookmarks Toolbar, which will give you a shortcut icon to click on the whole time that your browser is on screen. Making the extra effort to do this, when multiplied by the total number of those who enjoy this site, would have a large impact on what this site can afford to do, and present for our enjoyment, and it won't cost you a thing.

If you need help getting this done, post on this thread, and I will walk you through it, or at least try to. (It really should be very easy for you to do. If I can ....)If you already are using the Bookmarks Toolbar feature of your browser, adding one more shortcut should be a non issue, but it important that you put it there by dragging the button from this page. If you already have one that got there another way, please delete and replace it.

The Forum Boss will be doing something more eye catching and slick on this later on, but I could see no harm is an early start by this post. Thank you for your time.

Boyd Allen

PS: One way to tell if you have done it correctly is to compare the URL (web address) that is showing when you are on Amazon's home page, from your Bookmarks Toolbar, with the one that you see when using the button on this page. If they are the same, you are good to go.

If you did this correctly, you should see this in the URL slot when you arrive at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=accuratescom-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

 

[284driver]

Thanks Boyd. Did not know that tidbit of information.

 

[Forum Boss]

Thanks for the explanation Boyd.

Does this really work, and will it really help the site? Yes and Yes!

On Monday, one of our members, let's just call him Mr. Smith, purchased a high-tech spotting scope, a deluxe watch, and some other items. He told me that Amazon.com had the cheapest price on the web (when you considered shipping). The commissions generated from Mr. X's purchases will pay for the forum server for three weeks. So, Mr. Smith got a good deal ... AND by clicking on the Amazon link before ordering, he helped everyone in the Forum by helping cover our overhead costs.

It's a win-win.

 

[Rtheurer]

Awsome

And they ship direct to any of your troops over seas as well!!!!

RussT

 

[cncmill]

Thanks for the post Boyd. I purchase a lot of stuff through Amazon since they always seem to have the best price and shipping. I will admit, I almost always forget to go through this site to get to Amazon. Now that I have a link, this site will benefit everytime. Thanks again.

Erick Crouthamel

 

[Forum Boss]

To clarify this process, here's how it works. Either:

A. Come to the Forum Page and Click on the Amazon Link at top right, then start shopping.

OR

B. Starting at the Forum Page, LEFT-Click (and hold down button) on the Amazon Link at top right. Now drag the "ghosted" link up to your bookmarks tool-bar in your browser. This places the commission link in your tool-bar, so you can use it any time. This works in Firefox and Chrome browsers.

OR

C. For Internet Explorer Users, RIGHT-Click (and hold) the Amazon Link at top right, then select "Add to Favorites" from the Pull-down Menu. This places the commission link in your favorites menu, so you can use it any time.

Now, with process B or C you will have our commission link in your set of Bookmarks. Click this link when ever you plan to shop at Amazon.

If you did this correctly, you should see this in the URL slot when you arrive at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=accuratescom-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

 

[Forum Boss]

One Important point I want to add is that the more sales are logged, the higher the commission rate. So even if you are only buying a small, low-cost item, this can potentially help a lot. When the number of sales rises past certain milestones, this can raise our commission percentage on ALL the sales, large and small.

This means that if a lot of guys get involved, even for "small-ticket" items, this can help us get a larger commission (much larger) when other guys buy big-ticket items. Every little bit helps!

 

[BoydAllen]

Just checking in. I see that a fair number of you have looked at this thread. Has anyone run into any problem dragging and dropping the Amazon button on this page onto his Bookmarks Toolbar? Sometime I forget that there are folks out there who are at all different levels of computer knowledge and experience, and that it is human nature not to want to ask a question as publicly as these forums are, but let me encourage any of you who might have run into snags in getting this done, to speak up.

Boyd

 

[M-61]

First: I am a firm believer the only stupid question is the unasked one. Therefore:
I can not get a page up the has ANY adds at the top....Nothing resembling the Bosses example Sinclair.... Brownells..AMAZON thus there is nothing for me to'drag' anywhere.
Because this is such a great site, if there is a way to contribute money, besides sending a check, I want that ability too. My concern is to do it properly so that the commission does indeed go to this site.
My computer skills range from none to poor thus a simple mistake is really easy for me to make. I feel that I am not alone in this area just judging from the number of inquires I received on how to leave 'FEEDBACK' which to some may have been easy or second nature....for me it took some time to get comfortable negotiating the moves.
How do I get the page in the example?

 

[rvn1968]

If you are still online,PM a phone # to me.I thinki we can work this out,Tom.

 

[M-61]

PM sent

 

[BoydAllen]

I should have made the same offer. If you want some help, you can PM me as well. Good thought.

 

[LongRanger]

Thanks for contributing this info, Boyd. The Boss's instructions for Google Chrome worked for me and now Amazon sits on my bookmark bar for Google Chrome. Other than Powder Valley, most of my on line purchases are with Amazon....hard to beat the prices of either company.

Frank B.

 

[BaconFat]

Can you just copy and paste the URL link into a desktop shortcut and end up with the same results as a bookmark? I bookmark stuff I visit on occasion, but I buy a lot of stuff from Amazon all the time. Because of that I have a shortcut I use instead of a bookmark.

 

[Forum Boss]

Can you just copy and paste the URL link into a desktop shortcut and end up with the same results as a bookmark? I bookmark stuff I visit on occasion, but I buy a lot of stuff from Amazon all the time. Because of that I have a shortcut I use instead of a bookmark.

Yes, you can do this. I just did it with Windows machine running XP.

Right Click on this and "Copy Link Address"

http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=accuratescom-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

2. Right Click on your Computer Desktop in empty area

3. Select, from pull-down menu, New > Shortcut

4. When the Shortcut location window appears, paste this

http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=accuratescom-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

5. Click "Next" > Then in Naming Screen, Label the Shortcut something like "ForumAmazon".

6. Click "Finish". If you have done it correctly, you'll see this in the browser address bar when you click the link:

http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=accuratescom-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

What this does is apply a tracking code whenever you shop at Amazon. A small commission comes back on all sales. This way you help support the site, and it really doesn't cost you anything extra (Honest!).

 

[Uthink Uknow]

Hey Forum Boss:
I think you should put the notice and method(s) to get to Amazon on a sticky on more than one of these rooms so it becomes second nature to do this.

 

[Forum Boss]

Hey Forum Boss: I think you should put the notice and method(s) to get to Amazon on a sticky on more than one of these rooms so it becomes second nature to do this.

Not a bad idea, but not many people read the stickies. We are working on a little reminder that would float in from the left margin.

You are right though... If a good share of our forum members clicked through the link before they shopped we could hire another full-timer and you would see a huge increase in the number of tests and videos we could produce.