Site Support and Affiliated Vendors

[Forum Boss]

Folks,

In an effort to establish additional revenue sources, I've created relationships with some major vendors. We've been accepted as a Cabela's and Eddie Bauer affiliate. We are also working with Walmart, which offers very good prices on gun cases and gun safes.

Here's the deal--If you visit an affiliated vendor,such as Cabela's) by navigating through a link, AND if you buy a product, then a small percentage of the price is paid to our site a month later.

Ultimately, this could work out very well. It's a great way you can support the site, just by shopping for good deals on the web. But people have to remember to click through our links. If you see a Cabela's link on the site and then call them on the phone a week later we get nothing. Zip. Nada.

I've tried to identify some really good companies. Remember, ALL your purchases count whether they are shooting-related or not. For example, if you buy a new digital camera from Overstock.com, we could get a percentage of that sale. Or if you buy a new refrigerator at Walmart, we'd get a cut.

OUR LEADING MERCHANT PARTNERS
Brigade Quartermaster,Boots, Clothes, Hats, Packs)
Cabelas,Shooting gear, Reloading products, Optics, Outfitters)
Camping World,Packs, Tents, Clothes)
Legendary WhiteTails,Apparel, Gifts, and Gear for Hunters)
Magazines.com,Magazine Subscriptions--100% guaranteed)
Magellans,Travel Gear)
Overstock.com,Great prices on Cameras and Electronics)
Sharper Image,Gadgets, Electronic Stuff)
Sierra Trading Post,Clothing, Optics, Hunting Gear)
Swiss Outpost,Knives, Watches, Accessories)
Walmart,Safes, Gun Cases, Cleaning kits--and everything else.)

Right now, you'll see small banners and links for these and other affiliated companies on the more actively traveled pages in the site. You will find a set of links here:

http://www.6mmBR.com/sponsors.html

I just wanted to give everyone a "head's up", so you understand how the program works. If you purchase, the site gets a small cut. And its a win-win situation for everyone. I'm basically working "on spec" with the idea that people will buy from affiliated vendors once I place the links.

I know you'll find some great deals,see my post below) and I will try to set up links for the latest and best bargains.

- - -

Right now I'm monitoring things closely, before implementing the program full scale. I need your feedback to help me evaluate this program. If people are looking but not buying, I need to know why.

 

[harvey13118]

Paul on these sites you have listed would we use our normal everyday login?

Just askin.

 

[Forum Boss]

Paul on these sites you have listed would we use our normal everyday login?

Just askin.

You don't have to be logged in at all. All you have to do is visit the Merchant sites by navigating out through a link.For example, on our home page, www.6mmbr.com, there's currently a banner for Sierra Trading Post at the top, and a banner for Cabelas just above the Blog. Just click the banner/button/text link and the Merchant starts tracking sales automatically. You don't have to enter passwords or anything like that.

On the Sponsor page are 5 "mini-buttons" and I'll be adding more.

I actually built the Sierra Banner because that is an awesome binocular deal and I thought people should know about it. But it may be that the best thing is just to sprinkle text links everywhere like Google does.

 

[rstreich]

Paul,

You'll probably get a very high degree of browsing, i.e., someone traverses a link, looks around, and buys nothing. I've never looked at the numbers, but I would bet it's somewhere around 100 to 1 on average.

The trickier part for you is that you're relying on their websites to continue to track the fact that a buyer entered from this site. Most of those that you listed are probably pretty sound in this regard, but others maybe not. If they only store it in their session state, for example, and I step away from the computer for a while--long enough for the session to time out--I could come back and continue my shopping with the referring site information now lost. You'll have to watch the numbers and maybe make a test purchase or two to see if something like that might be happening.

 

[Forum Boss]

Paul,

You'll probably get a very high degree of browsing, i.e., someone traverses a link, looks around, and buys nothing. I've never looked at the numbers, but I would bet it's somewhere around 100 to 1 on average.

The trickier part for you is that you're relying on their websites to continue to track the fact that a buyer entered from this site. Most of those that you listed are probably pretty sound in this regard, but others maybe not. If they only store it in their session state, for example, and I step away from the computer for a while--long enough for the session to time out--I could come back and continue my shopping with the referring site information now lost. You'll have to watch the numbers and maybe make a test purchase or two to see if something like that might be happening.

Robert, you raise some good points. Both of the networks I'm using are supposed to be very reputable, but I'm monitoring the situation. One network has a transaction tracking feature so I can pull up a test purchase and track it all the way through the process. We'll see how it goes. It should be win-win for everybody. But thousands of impressions I'm delivering don't convert at a reasonable rate, then conventional adverts make more sense.

 

[rstreich]

Paul,

There are two things I'd try in a test transaction: First, just let a session time out--just let your browser sit for half an hour or so. Then come back and try to complete the transaction.

Next, try stepping outside of the "catalog" area of the website. Place like "Contact Us" or documentation areas can take you from one web server to another or just to a different set of pages that may not be set up to continue the tracking.

There are a limited number of ways to maintain state: it can be on the URL,very fragile and likely to be broken by the second test above), by sessionId,kept on the server, less fragile, but tied to a particular browser instance and if not persisted, will time out with all state lost), by cookie,puts the state on your browser, usually only used to store your sessionId), and by identity,the best, but you have to set up an account first).

If I can help you out with any of this, I'd be happy to do so. You'd be welcome to call, just PM me for a phone number.

 

[Forum Boss]

Well guys, guess I'd be a guinea pig. We just added the Eddie Bauer Outlet store.

They have some really nice fleece stuff, and down jackets. It's been cold in California this year, and I've been looking for a slip-on clog type footwear that I could wear in the morning. I have some Ugg boots, but they're too heavy.

Anyway, I found EXACTLY what I was looking for. Just bought these--real leather, real shearling, for $24.99 at the Bauer Outlet,regularly $59.50, item # i19 710 1188).

NOW We'll see if the transaction tracks as promised.

 

[DesertLefty]

Dang! I need a pair of those. Guess I'll have to follow your leader...

Lefty

 

[Forum Boss]

Well, it looks like the Eddie Bauer outlet, at least, is on the ball. The transaction showed up this morning, along with a $1.50 commission on the $24.99 item.,$30 with shipping).

I hope you guys find it worthwhile to participate.

 

[Rustystud]

Paul:

Are those the vogue Slippers you wear when counting all your bucks?

They look the part. Maybe one of these days I will be a rich retired lawyer that can moderate a like minded bunch of shooters web site.

I am a little jealous.

Rustystud

 

[Forum Boss]

Rusty,

I assume the remark was in jest. In reality, I haven't practiced law in 16 years, and you'd be shocked at how low my salary was when I quit that business. As far as being rich--I wish! No, this has been very much the labor of love, and the revenues per month are less than most contemporary corporate lawyers would bill in one day.

 

[Hipshot]

I'd be REALLY careful about picking on Paul.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Paul: If the vendor is not on your "list" does that mean the forum/sight won't get a kick back,commission) if I buy something from them?
,Have Powder Valley in mind) Mike.

 

[Forum Boss]

NorCal:

None of the regular banner advertisers,e.g. Powder Valley, MidSouth, Sinclairs) provide a % of sales. That's OK because they are paying for impressions delivered via the site. They also don't have the "back end" web tools to track transactions generated by clicks from this site.

The Merchants with the small buttons,Cabelas, Sierra, Orvis etc.) are those that provide a commission of sales. In addition,on the sponsors page) we have deals with Overstock.com, Magazines.com, NETFlix, MilitaryClothing.com, Magellans, and a couple others. In order to get credit, you have to click one of the links. The tracking software is "activated" by the URL code in the link itself. BTW, if you don't have NETFlix yet, I highly recommend it. Great choice of movies, and their turnaround time is FAST.

Sponsors: http://www.6mmbr.com/sponsors.html

Gunamonth,

I'm told that anything purchased during the same computer session will count. So, yes, you can navigate to the fishing department and the sales can count. One of my helpers cautions, however, that the longer the session and the more navigation you do within a site, the greater the chance that the "link" is broken and we won't get credit.

Here's a link directly to Orvis Fishing:

http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000009181328&pubid=21000000000114952

 

[harvey13118]

How is the program working? Just made a small order at Midway for Kimber magazines thru this site and at checkout signed in so all shipping etc popped up.