Eblogger Tricks.com: 2009/07

10 Reasons For Becoming An Amazon Affiliate

First of the single best reason for not becoming an Amazon affiliate: Amazon and its products do not ‘fit’ with your blog or website. If you feel that way, no problem. There are hosts of affiliate programs available, so you will certainly be able to find one that fits better with the content of your blog or website than Amazon.

However, the Amazon Associates Program is well worth considering for most bloggers. I use it on some of my blogs, and it has provided me with a reliable income stream so far - not my biggest, but definitely more than the ‘pennies and dimes’ that some say it has the potential to earn.

Following are some of the best reasons for becoming an Amazon Affiliate:

1. Amazon is a widely recognized and trusted brand – Amazon is frequently on top of the list of online stores that people make purchases from ans one of the most popular shopping destinations worldwide. Readers know Amazon, are familiar with it ans many are already customers - they trust it and do spend significant money there.

2. Commissions – Some may not be satisfied with a 4% commission. They are right in some ways, for 4% is not that much when you are selling a $10 book or DVD - however when you’re selling a $2000 Camera or a $3,500 Lawn Tractor (I know a guy who does quite well out of ride on mowers and tractors) it certainly adds up. But not just that, the 4% rate is their base rate for general products. Unfortunately it is as high as it goes on consumer electronics - however on most other products there is a sliding scale where depending on the number of items you sell your referral fee will go up to 8.50%. Sell more than 6 items in a month and your commission rises to 6% - sell over 630 and you’re up to 8% .. See for yourself:

3. People tend to buy more than one item - The great thing about Amazon is that you do not just earn a commission on the product that you direct people to, but on anything that they buy once they are at Amazon. The sales of other products that people make once they get to Amazon are most of the time much greater than the sales of the actual product you link to – and you will earn a commission on each one of them. You´ll be pleasantly surprised by this passive income. You earn a commission on anything that a person buys within 24 hours of you sending them to Amazon (if they do not leave their site).

4. It´s easily integrated - There are more and more plugins and tools that offer Amazon Affiliate integration built to help you place links in your blog posts with the greatest of ease. Ecto for Mac has a tool that searches for products and lets you link them in with just a couple of clicks. Wordpress has some nice plugins also. Affiliate links usually take just seconds to integrate.

5. Mulktiple payment options - Amazon offers a number of payment options to its affiliates. One of the things that I especially like is that they give you the option to be paid in products instead of cash. They also send out checks or deposit transferal fees directly into your bank account.

6. Small payments do add up – In the early days of making money from blogs most bloggers do not have the luxury of picking and choosing their income streams as much as they (hopefully) do later on. They need to earn money somewhere and even the small amounts that the Amazon Associates Program brings in at the beginning are better than nothing. Over time these payments will begin to add up for sure. In the early days you probably won´t earn enough to make the minimum payment amount every month and will have to wait a few months before getting paid - but those first pay outs will be milestones to be duly celebrated.

7. It is an investment that matures over time – It is a good approach to treat the Amazon Associates Program a little like a savings account or a long-term investment that you put a little into each week and which matures in its earnings over time. What does this mean? I add links to Amazon over time and find that in doing so I am steadily creating more and more doorways into the Amazon online store. With every link I add I increase the chances of sending someone to Amazon and seeing returns on those visits.

8. The holidays are pay time - While you´ll be making money as an Amazon Affiliate year in, year out it’s worth noting that things generally fire up in the lead up to Christmas and the holiday season. Over the years I have noticed significant jumps in Amazon earnings in December (as much as 150%). The key to achieving this is to plan ahead (make sure your links are all up to date a couple of months beforehand) and run a couple of Christmas specific posts in the lead up to the Holiday rush (start to prepare as early as September/October).

9. Wide array of products - What attracted me to using Amazon’s Affiliate program in the first place was the huge variety of products that they have on offer. This is a great thing if you’re niche is narrow or quite obscure, as a lot of bloggers have trouble finding affiliate programs to match their blog’s focus. Some widely read blogs do have an array of options for affiliate programs (that´s why you generally won´t find a lot of Amazon links on them), but many bloggers simply do not have the luxury of being able to choose high paying affiliate programs because they simply don’t relate to the topics of their blog. In these cases Amazon becomes one of the most attractive options.

10. Amazon is an easy way into the world of affiliate programs – If you are not sure about affiliate programs and just want to try one out, then Amazon´s Affiliate program is a good starting point. They provide you with everything you need to get started, they offer instructions and help and, most importantly, are a reliable partner. I started out with Amazon – and I am glad I did, because this first positive experience encouraged me to search for other affiliate programs and helped me a lot on my way to becoming a professional blogger.

So is the Amazon Affiliate Program for you?

You´ll have to answer that question for yourself - I won’t pretend that it works brilliantly on every blog, but I know quite a few bloggers who make significant earnings from the program. Blogs with a strong focus on products tend to do quite well through the program if links to Amazon are well integrated into posts (see some of my other posts for tips). Moderation in using the program is advisable - don’t place them in every post you write unless they are relevant. Links placed in genuinely helpful reviews obviously do better than links and banners in sidebars.

Just give it a try!

Technorati-Tags: amazon,affiliate program,amazon associates,links,montezing blog,make money,commission,referral fee

Adding a TwitThis Button to your Blogger Posts

Wouldn't it be great if you could just add a “TwitThis” button to every single Blogger post in order to make it easy for your visitors to share all of your posts with their friends and followers on Twitter, even if they don´t subscribe to your feed?

The following instructions will enable all of you who have a layout based blog at Blogger to do just that. (Instructions for Blogger Classic, Wordpress, and basic static HTML page will follow at a later date.)

This will require you to edit the HTML of your template. While I have tried to make this as simple as possible, if you don't feel comfortable doing this, then please don´t try.
The button will be added to the footer of every single post of your blog. It would not be wise to do this any other way, as the URL that will appear on Twitter will be the URL of the page on which the button has been clicked. If the button were placed just on the main page, then chances are that the post will no longer be there when someone reads the entry on Twitter, and it probably won´t win you any new and loyal readers if they don´t find what they came for right away. So, place the “TwitThis” button below every post.

There are also added some comments in the code that will make it a lot easier for you to add addional buttons in the future. Furthermore, they allow you to choose whether the buttons should appear on all pages or just post pages.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have added the Google Reader code from one of my previous posts, then you just need to add only the orange TwitThis code above or below the Google Reader one. If you have not done so, then you need to copy and paste ALL of the code.

1. Sign in to your Blogger Dashboard, then click the Layout link for the blog you want to add the button to.

2. Click the link for Edit HTML at the top of the Layout page.

3. Find the entry "Backup/Restore Template", click the link that says "Download Full Template" and save the .xml file to your hard drive. This backup file will help you restore your template should anything go wrong.

4. In the "Edit Template" section, find the box at the top right that says "Expand Widget Templates" and check it.

5. Use the search function of your browser to find the following line in the HTML code of your template:

6. Now find the following two lines:

7. Copy and paste the following code between those two lines:

<div>
<p><span id='footer-buttons'>
<!-- things placed after this line will show on all pages –>

<!-- TwitThis Button BEGIN –>

<!-- TwitThis Button END –>

<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
<!-- things placed after this line will only show on post pages –>

</b:if>
</span></p>
</div>
<!-- Footer Button Codes END –>

8. Click the button at the bottom of the page saying "Save Template".

If you get red errors of any kind, either follow the instructions given along with the error or leave a comment stating the specific error message. I will try to help you out. If you get any errors beginning with "bX-", just try again later. Sometimes Blogger has issues with itself that can be resolved by waiting a while.

9. Now, look at your blog. If you have done everything correctly, the button should be visible below every post. Test the button by clicking it on a post and sharing one of your posts on Twitter.

10. If you would like to add other buttons to the footer of your posts, the comments in the code will help you decide where to put your button codes. One place will show on all pages, and the other will only show on post pages.

Technorati-Tags: twitthis,button,widget,add button,share,twitter,code,template

Placing Adsense ads inside or between Blogger blog posts

Placing adsense ads inside blog posts is a very good method to increase your click-through rate (CTR).
The click-through rate is obtained by dividing the number of times an ad is clicked by the number of times it is shown (on your site). In short, by increasing the CTR on your page you will make more money.

As experience shows,the chances for ads to be clicked are much higher when they appear in the middle (inside blog posts) rather than at the sidebars(especially widely used right sidebar) or the footer,etc.

How to place adsense ads between Blog posts:

Important note: By following these instructions,the adsense units will be displayed between the blog posts on the homepage as well as archive pages and permalink(individual post pages).

1. Sign in to your Blogger Dashboard > click on the Layout link.

2. Click on the Edit link in the “Blog Posts” page element (take a look at the screenshot below)

.......a pop up window opens.....

3. Check the box next to “Show Ads Between Posts”.

4. Now, configure the ads, choose the format, fitting colours, etc., then SAVE THE CHANGES.

That's all! From now on adsense ads will show between your blog posts.

If you want to place adsense ads inside the blog post rather than between posts, just follow these instructions:

Placing adsense ads inside Blogger blog posts

1. Sign in to your Blogger Dashboard > Layout > Edit HTML

Check the box next to “Expand Widget Templates”.

2. Scroll down the window until you find the following code:

<b:if cond='data:post.includeAd'> <data:adEnd/> <data:adCode/> <data:adStart/> </b:if>

3. Replace said code with the code below:

<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'> <b:if cond='data:post.includeAd'> <data:adEnd/> <data:adCode/> <data:adStart/> </b:if> </b:if>

4. Now, scroll down the template code again and find the data-post body tag (look at the screenshot below):

and paste the code provided below just above that code (in order for ads to be shown above the post body). If you want ads to show below your posts, paste the code below that tag.

Here is the code for you to copy and paste:

<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'> <b:if cond='data:post.includeAd'> <data:adEnd/> <data:adCode/> <data:adStart/> </b:if> </b:if>

IMPORTANT NOTICE: If your Adsense ads do not show inside the post you will need to convert the code you received, because Blogger HTML does not always understand the Adsense code. You can convert the Adsense code here.

That's all!

Technorati-Tags: adsense,adsense between posts,adsense in posts,blogger,advertisement,ctr,click through rate,monetize blog,code,template

Guide to Becoming an Amazon Associate

Becoming an Amazon Affiliate is a very fast and easy as well as convenient way for you make money off your blog or website by allowing your visitors to order specific products from Amazon.com in exchange for a referral fee.

Here is how:

1. If you want to become an Amazon Affiliate, you must have a functional blog or website.

2. Go to the Amazon.com site and click on the "Join Associates" link on the bottom of the home page.

3. Fill out the online application to become an Amazon affiliate. Provide your blog or site address and its purpose, contact name, etc.

4. When you are done, submit the application and wait for Amazon´s response. Usually within 24 hours, they will send you an e-mail, either confirming or denying your request.

5. If your request is approved, Amazon will then provide you with the necessary links to place on your blog or website so that your visitors can start ordering products from Amazon´s huge inventory.

6. Now it is time to choose the products you would like to offer to the visitors to your blog or website from Amazon's inventory .

7. Submit the information about your choices to Amazon, place the links you get from Amazon on your homepage and you are ready to reap affiliate rewards! (Instead, you can also choose from a number of widgets if you think that would work or look better on your site).

8. Amazon will send you regular reports of activity from your blog or website. Retain these e-mails to track your affiliate earnings.

Good Luck!

Tips & Warnings

You can also make money by referring visitors to buy books of their own choosing at Amazon.
If you have any difficulties, ask the support staff at Amazon to help you.
You do not receive a referral fee for every product your customers purchase from Amazon - only for those products which you have chosen as recommended. (If you use widgets, then you receive a referral fee for products or product categories appearing in them).
If you want to maximize your earnings choose products or categories of products that sell in reasonable quantities and are in a higher price range, like Ipods, digital cameras, etc. (The 15% referral fee is for products from Endless.com only).

Technorati-Tags: amazon.com,join associates,links,widget,monetize blog,montezing website,make money,earn from blog

Adding an AddThis Button to Blogger

The AddThis button is a widely recognized and respected tool for spreading the content of your website or blog across the web by making it easier for your visitors to bookmark and share it with others, again...and again.

This simple and surprisingly powerful button is easy to install and provides valuable analytics about the bookmarking and sharing of your visitors, thereby enabling you to optimize your website or blog for a number of social networks like technorati, digg, stumble upon, etc.

The AddThis button will help create a buzz for your site, resulting in and increased popularity and a higher PageRank.

Now, how to install it?

First, please visit the AddThis.com homepage and register in order to get the code you need to insert to get the button. Follow the steps on the AddThis webpage to select the type and style of the button you want to add to your blog/site. Then copy the code AddThis provides for later use.

Now there are three options:

1. If you only want your visitors to submit and shareyour blog as a whole, then installing the button is very easy.

Sign in to your Blogger Dashboard -> Layout -> Page Elements -> Add a Gadget -> HTML/JavaScript and paste the code you copied at AddThis in the Content section. Preview, the Save the changes.

2. If you have already added an “Share This in Google Reader” button using the code I provided in an earlier post, then all you have to do is paste the code you copied at AddThis right above or below the code for the “Google Reader” button (in both cases after the code <div class='post-footer'>). Preview, Save. Voila, you´re done!

3. Otherwise, a little more work is required.

a) Open your Blogger Dashboard, then choose the blog you want to add the button to, then click on Layout -> Edit HTML.

b) Now save a copy of your code by hitting Download Full Template (You´ll need this in case anything should go wrong and you have to restore your original settings).

c) Check the box Expand Widget Templates.

d) Look for the code line <div class='post-footer'>

e) Insert the Addthis code immediately after the above code line.

f) DO NOT SAVE YET!!

g) Hit the Preview button to see if the button appears at the bottom of your blog posts.

h) If you are satisfied with the way things look, click Save Template.

i) If you do not like it, simply click Clear Edits to return your code to its original state.

P.S.: Alternatively, you can insert the code for the Addthis button directly above the code line < data: post.body/> .

Technorati-Tags: addthis button,addthis,add this,add widget,share content,pagerank,bookmark

Disabling right click in Blogger or on any webpage

In this post I shall explain how you can disable right click on your Blogger blog or any other webpage using a simple HTML code.

Isn´t it annoying if someone copies (and thereby steals) your blog posts, articles, images and any other kind of information created and owned by you and using it on their own site, claiming that they are the creators and owners of said content?

But 'disabling right click' might not be the right solution for this problem.
Most people come to your site to read information and only very few visit your site with the intent to steal your ideas, articles, images, etc. So, the great majority of people may very well think that “disabling right click” is insulting and won´t return to your site. I, myself, think it is not a very professional thing to do.
The best way to protect your images without offend anyone is to add a Watermark (logo) of your sitename, your name or initials to the graphics, pictures, etc.

Important Note: Using this javascript code, you will disable the right click and visitors will be warned that the content is copyrighted.
If you still want to add this feature to your site you can get the code here.

Now, where to paste it in blogger ?

and paste the Javascript code you got following the link above, then Save the changes.

How does it work?

If anyone right clicks on the webpage, a message will pop up on screen saying "function disabled". If this message is not to your liking and you want to change it to one of your own, like "sorry for the inconvenience....the work is copyrighted" or something like that, just replace the "function disabled" text with your own message in the Javascript code.

Technorati-Tags: copyright content,copyright images,copyright,disable,mouse click,right click,original work

Adding a “Share This in Google Reader” Button to Your Blogger Posts

Wouldn't it be great if you could add a “Google Reader” button to every single post in order to make it easy for your visitors to share all of your posts with their friends in Google Reader, even if they aren´t subscribers to your feed?

For all of you who have a Blogger layout based blog, the following instructions will enable you to do just that. (Instructions for Blogger Classic, Wordpress, and basic static HTML page will follow at a later time.)

This will require you to edit the HTML of your template. While I have tried to make this as simple as possible, if you don't feel comfortable doing this, then please don´t try.
The button will be added to the footer of every single post of your blog. It would not be wise to do this any other way, as the URL that will appear in Google Reader will be the URL of the page on which the button has been clicked. If the button were placed just on the main page, then the post may no longer be there when someone reads the entry in a friend´s shared items, and it probably won´t win you any new loyal readers if they don´t find what they are looking for right away. So, use the “Google Reader” button below every post.

1. Sign in to Blogger Dashboard, then click the Layout link for the blog you want to add the button to.

2. Click the link for Edit HTML at the top of the Layout page.

4. In the "Edit Template" section, find the box at the top right that says "Expand Widget Templates" and check it.

5. Use the search function of your browser to find the following line in the HTML code of your template:

6. Now find the following two lines:

7. Copy and paste the following code between those two lines:

<div>
<p><span id='footer-buttons'>

<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
<!-- things placed after this line will only show on post pages –>

</b:if>
</span></p>
</div>

8. Click the button at the bottom of the page saying "Save Template".
If you get red errors of any kind, either follow the instructions given along with the error or leave a comment stating the specific error message. I will try to help you out. If you get any errors beginning with "bX-", just try again later. Sometimes Blogger has issues with itself that can be resolved by waiting a while.

9. Now, look at your blog. If you have done everything correctly, the button should be visible below every post. Test the button by clicking it on a post and sharing one of your posts in Google Reader.

10. If you would like to add other buttons to the footer of your posts, the comments in the code will help you decide where to put your button codes. One place will show on all pages, and the other will only show on post pages.

11. If you would like a smaller button than the one that shows when you use this code, find the code "gr-small.png" in the file name of the image URL used and replace it with "gr-extrasmall.jpg", then insert a “2” after “sharegooglereader”.

Technorati-Tags: google reader,share this in google reader button,add button,add google reader button,widget,add widget

5 Great Ways to get FREE One Way Backlinks to Your Site

one way backlink

One way backlinks play a very important part in any website´s success. The more one way backlinks are pointing to your site, the higher your Google Pagerank will be and the more traffic you will get. This in turn should increase your sales, your income from ads, etc.

But there is one problem. Getting the right kind of quality one way backlinks from sites with high pageranks is by no way an easy task, and in this article i shall tell you about some of the best ways to get those free one way backlinks:

1. Write as much quality content as you can. This will encourage readers to link to your site. The more useful (and original) information you post, the higher the likelihood that people will link to it. But unfortunately, this method can take a while before it begins to pay off because like most of the new websites you won't get much traffic.

2. Write long (around 500-900 words) quality articles and submit them to top article directories like ezinearticles, GoArticles, ArticleCity and DropJack. The great advantage in this is that you'll not only get a backlink from high pagerank directories, but your articles will be used on other people's sites with a backlink to your site as well.

3. Participate in forums and discussion boards that are related to your website's niche and always add a link to your site in the signature. And make sure that you write quality posts, not spam. This will also help you get increased traffic to your site.

4. There is absolutely nothing wrong in getting a backlink from a related blog post you take the time to comment on. This is one of the most effective ways of one way link building, especially if you comment on blogs often. Comment on blogs related to your niche with a link back to your site as your signature - and again, do not spam.

5. Submit your site link to all of the major web directories. Getting listed in directories related to your site will not only bring you tons and tons of targetted traffic, but will also improve your search engine rankings. Some of these popular directories your site should get listed in are the DMOZ directory and the Yahoo directory. You can submit your link to both paid and free directories – it is certainly worth your time.

Technorati-Tags: backlinks,free links,blogger help,pagerank