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» Five Free Affiliate Widgets Turn Clicks into Cash These innovative shopping portals do not necessarily aim to change people's core buying habits. Instead, by routing purchases through these sites instead of going directly to the site from a search engine, consumers can earn points and cash back on their purchases.
Mixing Affiliate Marketing with the Green MovementShopToEarn is a turnkey e-business that links to about 700 retailers, while its environmentally savvy counterpart, ShopToEarth, boasts links to about 80 green companies. The portals operate identically — Dan Swiniarski, president to ShopToEarn/ShopToEarth, said that the only real difference is that the retailers linked to ShopToEarth are certified eco-friendly by a panel of experts. This is so consumers can be confident about the environmental impact the products they purchase make.
The business model basically works as follows: shoppers are paid to shop and refer other shoppers. You must be a member to take advantage of these benefits. Consumers are offered three levels of membership (members operate these Web sites as businesses to earn cash and points): Web Site Owner, Business Builder and Broker.
Each Web Site Owner receives two domain names: one that points to ShopToEarn and another to ShopToEarth. These consumers receive payments for each purchase made through their site, which saves them money on purchases. Business Builders earn commissions on their own shopping and earn bonuses for each new member they refer. The third level, Broker, is a combination of the former two levels and receives commission from all activity within their network. (Members receive their payments through monthly direct deposits.)
There is an annual fee of between $350 and about $500, but Joe Locke, vice president of sales, says most memberships quickly pay for themselves. Members also accrue points through various means that add up and are redeemed for additional money.
To make a purchase, all a member has to do is select the retailer from a drop-down menu on his or her homepage (the percentage of cash back is helpfully listed next to each retailer's name). The site then opens in its own window, and purchases are then made as they otherwise would be.
Benefits for E-Commerce Site Owners, AffiliatesRetailers and affiliates obviously stand to benefit from such a portal, as well. Forrester estimates that by 2012, online businesses will make up a $330 billion industry. If consumers see that they can earn a percentage of their purchase back, they'll be that much more inclined to buy a given product. The premise is that retailers have a "captive audience of about 80,000 members," each of whom obviously has a vested interest in shopping with the retailers affiliated with ShopToEarn/ShopToEarth. Further, with the cash members earn through both purchases of their own and referrals to other users, members have more income to spend, which creates a cycle that continually repeats. The portal is growing quickly: Since March 2008, ShopToEarn/ShopToEarth has increased from 1,200 to 80,000 members.
Getting Listed, Getting PaidTo become listed with ShopToEarn, Swiniarski says that retailers must have an affiliate program (sometimes also referred to as associate programs) in place. With that detail squared away, Swiniarski said that the retailer should prepare an offer and submit it to ShopToEarn. After the specific terms are nailed down, the retailer is added to the ShopToEarn network and its link is added to the retailer list. If the retailer deals with eco-friendly products, it must go through a review of the aforementioned experts panel. (Swiniarski noted that the requirements for ShopToEarth retailers have become stricter as it has grown.)
The percentage of cash-back savings is determined by each retailer — currently, discounts range from 1 to 30 percent. Swiniarski said that these numbers are usually based on various margins and profitability. ShopToEarn/ShopToEarth links to a wide variety of retailers both large and small.
Lisa Buyer, a spokeswoman for ShopToEarn/ShopToEarth, says that the goal of ShopToEarn and ShopToEarth is to increase environmental awareness and social responsibility. Swiniarski said that the ultimate goal is to empower people to choose a lifestyle of better health, both for themselves and the environment. Consumers can also feel good about using ShopToEarth: It has a nonprofit foundation dedicated to supporting earth-friendly charities and has plans in place to donate a portion of its sales to it.
Sally Marek Curran is a frequent contributor to ECommerce-Guide.com
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