3 Tips To Understand and Succeed with ePN Quality Click Pricing!
As we all take in the changes with eBay’s new QPC, or Quality Click Pricing compensation model, I think its very important that we begin looking at the Ways We Can Succeed in the new model, versus hashing out what we do and don’t like about it. Believe me, I am on tilt just like everyone else… I have build a a good portion of my business around ePN, and now I need to take what they are saying and run With the Flow, versus against it. Well, I don’t have to… I can always leave, which is the LAST thing I want to do!
To that extent, I want to offer this Series of Tips, that are bound to help us succeed with the new pricing model. I am going to implement these strategies immediately throughout my network of Informational Websites that use ePN as a primary monetization model.
Before I get into my own tips… I want to mention 2 things. The image on this post is a Target. The reason I chose a Target, is because that is EXACTLY what you want your websites to portray with every page you create, and every BUYER you send to eBay… A “Strategically Targeted and Optimized Website, That Drive Targeted Buyers to eBay”! The MORE OFTEN you come near the Bullseye, the more money you will earn!
The second thing I want to do is encourage everyone to read every one of the posts linked below. They are direct to ePN and they contain more information that I could even consider providing!
eBay Partner Network Links Regarding the Transition to QCP
- Announcing ePN Quality Click Pricing
- Quality Click Pricing FAQ
- ePN Message Board Thread with Q&A from Affiliates
- ePN Tips to Improve your Traffic
- Specific Roll Out Details and Key Dates
- ePN Quality Click Pricing Webinars – If you do NOTHING ELSE, attend the Webinars! It will answer every question you have!
Why Do I Think eBay is Making This Change – It’s About MY Intent!
In order to understand WHY I THINK eBay is making this change, we MUST put ourselves in their position, and try to understand the “Intent” of the traffic we send. eBay is paying us for things we truly don’t deserve… plain and simple. Its not an easy pill to swallow, even for me, but its true. Its like standing at an ATM and the machine kicking out $500 when you only asked for $40. Does the bank deserve that money back? Will you admit it and give it back to them, or will you say… hey, I only asked for this and it gave me that, therefore its mine! You may get to keep it for now… but they will just close your account.
The Visitor Intent Factor
If I send a visitor from a Golf Putter site to eBay today, MY intent was to get that person to buy the putter. (The Bullseye) Well, if he doesn’t buy what I suggested, should I still be compensated if he buys red velvet shoes for his wife 6 days from now? As much as I hate to admit it… no I shouldn’t! It was NEVER MY INTENT to have him buy the shoes, that was WAY off target and regardless of whether its my cookie on his system or not… in no way was it my intent. eBay is STILL going to give me something for sending this person into their system, but not as much as if he followed my intent and bought the putter, or another golf related item.
So – to understand WHY we have to adjust to this change, it’s so we are Compensated BETTER for Sending Targeted Buyers, (Closer to the Bullseye) that we Intended to Send, and Compensated Less for the Buyers who Purchased something else, which was NOT OUR INTENT. (Missed the target completely)
Make sense? It actually does to me also!
Tips for Increasing Your Intent Conversion Rate & Ultimately, Your Quality Score
eBay has a list of tips for this as well and you should definitely read them… for obvious reason, they cannot link to specific examples.. I can! :-)
1 – Embrace eBay as the Source of Products You Represent
This is stupid simple! You need to put as much emphasis on the fact that the product you have just gloated over for 250-500 words, is best purchased through the eBay Network, in fact, its the only way you can get it from your site! Be completely upfront with your visitors and let them know your source products through eBay whenever its justified!
If you check the “About Page” at the Golf Putter Reviews site, you will see it has a section about the source of the products:
How to Buy the Products on Our Site
All products represented on our website are sourced through the eBay shopping system. We chose eBay to source our products due to the wide selection of golf putters, as well as the buyer protections and security through the eBay system. If you are already an eBay account holder, buying through our website is easy… Find the product you are interested in purchasing through our Putter Reviews section, browse through the reviews to locate the exact item you need, and simply click on the items to purchase or bid for them on eBay.If you are not an eBay account holder, you can setup an account for free during the checkout process of the item you are buying. If you do not see a product you we looking for, please contact us at admin -@- golfputterguide.com and we will source the product and provide a review for you on our website.
How easy is that?
2 – Refer to the Target – And Keep Your Pages Focused on ONE Single Topic or Product
Many people, including myself, have looked at eBay as whole… and figured that as long as we sent visitors to eBay, we were good to go! That no longer holds true… Sure, you will still make a nickel for sending the visitor to the site, but if you send them to the EXACT PRODUCT they were looking for and you intended for them to buy, your nickel just turned into a dime, or more!
If you continue to send TARGETED BUYERS to the items you INTENDED for them to purchase, your dimes will turn into quarters!
Ideally, the targeted buyer will make the purchase on their initial visit! The longer it takes them to complete their purchase from the time you referred them to buy it, is a direct reflection on how you did your own job of selling them on it!
3 – Encourage Your Visitors To Learn More and Browse Around – But do it on YOUR Site!
Have no doubt, you cannot send 100% intent driven buyers to eBay all the time! BUT, if you handle the Q&A buying process on YOUR SITE instead of on eBay, your site quality will rise! eBay will not punish you for sending tire kickers to them, but they will REWARD YOU BETTER, if you handle the buying process on YOUR site, and send them a buyer!
Not only is this a great thing for organic search generated traffic, but it will build your site into an authoritative community at the same time! When people browse your site, it means they like your content. When people like your content, they tend to link to it. You know the rest…
The Bottom Line
Many are looking at this change as a bad thing. Sure, we all have reservations about the amount and frequency of change with ePN, but this change is actually going to work very well for those who grasp it… the rest, well, they will just be gone! If I was a guessing person, I would say that half of the affiliates out there will not change the way they do things, and ultimately, drop out of the system… either willingly, or due to lack of revenue.
If you have not been using the N1Way Guide to Building A Content Driven Website, you should start today!
Are You Going to Aim for the Bullseye and Prosper, or Just Hope you Hit the Target?
Previously Published Articles You May Like to Read:
- Quality Click Pricing Comes to ePN for eBay Affiliates
- ePN Quality Click Pricing QCP Affiliate Intent Target!
- ePN Quality Click Pricing Webinar Q&A
- 7 Tips for Getting Accepted into ePN – eBay Affiliate Network
- 5 Ways to Make Your Site Sticky and Increase Your ePN ACRU Quality
- Tips for Sending Engaged Traffic to eBay
- Am I an Idiot – Or Did I Just Miss Something at ePN?
Rate This Post
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
I have been doing my part to "Build the Internet" since 1994, when I built my first website! Since then, I have built hundreds of niche websites for myself and many others, focused on design, applications, ecommerce, search optimization and internet marketing.
Hey Mark: I have really enjoyed your posts the last few days with all the uproar and confusion over the ePN changes… I am going to try to roll with the punches like you have been and update my sites to take advantage of some optimization opportunities, as well as develop new sites with all those factors in mind.
As always, your blog inspires and educates me! Keep up the good work my friend!
-Tyler
Niche Store Journey
@ Tyler –
Great to see ya man! Thanks for the kudos on recent posts… its been a pretty crazy week so far, but after I fell through my panic zone, I am MORE recharged about this change than anything before!
I think its a GREAT CHANGE the more and more I look at it!
Mark
If what you are saying holds true…. then it excites me! Why… well can’t we look at our transaction downloads for exactly what you’re talking about? With that we can see just what our visitors are buying, whether related to the site they came through or not!
Looking at my stats, MOST of my sales are related to the site they came through… and of course I don’t think anyone’s stats will be 100% bulls eye… but don’t you think that would be a good source to look at? The transaction download!? At least it would give you an idea of what you’re up against…
I am mixed about all the changes..
But as with all the ebay policy changes even to sellers they say basically you can just leave.
As with almost every year the aff market changes and those that adapt and make their sites and pages more compliant to the changes they are the ones that usually prosper and then make more because the others chose to stay the same as before and fall by the wayside.
Remember the way Google treated Bans a year ago, we had to change our process then and alot of us are better off for having made the wp change and content changes…. just my two cents
Great post. Mark!
I have a good feeling about this too, of course we aren’t going to know how it affects each of us individually until it actually happens, I may need to tweak a couple of my older sites but that won’t take a huge amount of work. Looking at the items sold through my sites it’s very rare I am getting anything other than the item I intended to sell. Hopefully this will reflect in the commissions.
I think from the end of this month there is going to be a link in ePN dashboard which allows you to see what you would of earned under the QCP model, it may be worth using that as a guide of the changes needed to improve commissions.
Ben
After reading links, I would appreciate your effort on this one & also think point 2 is extremely valuable. Adios Mark!
If this hold true, niche marketers should prosper. I’ve read thru the faq and boards quite a few times. Time for a little Bob Marley – Don’t worry, be happy. A time to relax and get a better perspective.
Yes, look thru the transaction reports. If your familiar with excel you can cipher your data with sorting, filtering and formula’s.
If you separate the campaigns into sites or products you can then see how your campaigns relate in conjunction with the ‘custom id’ field. Another pointer is to check the Timestamp and Event Dates – closer those are together in relation to time, the better. Using excel you can add another column next to the timestamp, change the format of the Timestamp field to general (gets rid of the time) and then you can subtract that field from the event date of the winning bid/acru which will give you the time difference. See how close to the click your ACRU’s and Winning Bids are converting.
Mark, nice mention on the EPN conf call … congrats!
Thanks Greg… :-)
One way or another I have had alot of work to do with my sites. I use the Bans software and some of my sites to ok while others just do nothing. I know this is my fault but I just need to get thins stuff done. I hope that the payouts for more targeted sales will improve my odds but I will just have to hope. If anyone gets the chance to check out my site, any advice will help.
I am thinking about just hireing someone to take care of getting me more traffic.? Just don’t know if it will increase my income or not. Guess you don’t know unless you try right.
Thanks for the information and I will bookmark this page and come back to read it over again.
Blaine Sword
You guys keep dreaming and speculating. This new policy benefits no one but ebay.
@Blaine Sword:
For instance, your hockey site that is in your signature. You need to expand on your categories – they are too general. I looked at the best hockey equipment article and BAM – there it is, your expanded categories and products (types, models of helmets, skates) listed in the article right on your site, in front of you, but you don’t have a category for them on your site. These are the long tail keywords that you need to concentrate on. Even though it may be thin – it will still work if you just add the categories of those models, but it will be more powerful if you add content. That’s 31 new product categories and at least 14 product reviews and comparisons to those types of skates, helmets, etc. Which = more content for your site = more engaged users = more pages = more $.
Hello Sean
Thanks for checking out my Bans site. The info that you gave me is great and I will start working on it today. My plan is to write more content pages about the different products and mybe get them listed better in the search engines. Once the people are there they will continue on to the catagories that they are into and click through to ebay. I am going to try and rewright the home page too. Try to let people know that are coming in that this is a ebay feed auction site for the products that they are looking for. (the brands that they are looking for)
One more question. I have seen some nice blogs that have feeds in from ebay with specific items. Are blogs better? And how do they get the specific items into the site?
Thanks again and talk to you later
Blaine Sword
@Blain,
Checkout the BuildANicheStoreGuide.com – it’s a great site to get you started or get a different perspective. Webmasters use phpbay with their blogs-wordpress. There’s more of a learning curve, but once you get it, its worth it. Also, depends on what your goal is for the site you build, if you decide wp (uses phpbay), bans or some other script. Bans sites are, and can be just as successfull as the wp platform site (blog), just that the wp platform has more bells and whistles that you can add later. I use both platforms – wp for content-reviews and bans for an ecommerce driven site.
Thanks again for the help. Do you mind passing on a few of the blogs or bans sites that you have up and running? I would like to see how things are done and get some ideas on the set up not the niche. Also where can I get some ideas on placement of banners, adsence, text ads, for my site? Is there any info on the best places to put these things on your pages? Or is it a trial and error type of thing? You can always email me if you would like or we can just keep using this comment area. Its up to you. Blainesword@gmail.com
Well done on getting a mention of the EPN blog. Very useful article which I hope to put to use with my handful of EPN sites. Cheers.
This is an informative post that made me feel more at ease about the switch. I am a 10 year veteran to the eBay system and actually won an award from them as a result of my sales activity. One thing that I have learned is that whenever there is a change in pricing, they make it feel like it will benefit you, but it really only ends costing more money, so I’m interested to see the results of this new structure, and admit my skepticism.
Having said that I have been a part of the EPN for over a year now, and increasingly becoming more successful with it. My activities are the very definition of a niche market site driving targeted traffic at eBay. When I peruse through my transactions records they are almost always directly related to my niche. So when the author of this post reported that eBay will somehow factor in the purchases that are made, I was happy, but eBay themselves haven’t actually said this at any time (sure, they have insinuated it). Is there some new algorithm that identifies the final purchase and then factors in the keywords of the blog in order to ascertain that the traffic is on target?
I totally understand the logic behind not rewarding people for completely unrelated purchases, if they disappeared completely my commissions will not be substantially effected. However, I have read time and time again that some publishers will see a jump in their revenues as a result of this, and surely I must be a candidate for this claim. However, the rare time I have made a commission that was unrelated, I felt it was justified given that purchases made through sniper programs were never factored in. (This is another issue but perhaps eBay will now consider benefiting publishers for purchases made with snipers programs since they are so widely used.)
I also find it strange that no one ever reveals their site – nor does eBay provide examples – so we never have any models to reference. Who are these top performing site? Why can’t we ever see them so we can use them as inspiration?
I assume it’s because eBay wants to protect people’s privacy and the publishers don’t want to reveal theirs in the event someone steals their idea. Well, here’s mine for all to see:
http://www.defunkd.com/blog.vintageaficionado/
It’s become the internet’s leading reference on vintage t-shirts – I’m also an SEO expert, so the site ranks on the first page of Googles resuts in a number of highly sought after keywords, including the most competitive one, “vintage t-shirts” All of my traffic is organic, I don’t pay for any of it. All of the links I sent to eBay are very targeted, and conform to pretty much all of their tips to improve.
Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to brag here – I’m just providing a working model by which we can examine in order to discover how the change really will effect the persons who EPN say will benefit from this. I definitely am not on the upper echelon of publishers but do well given the cost of the product I promote.
I’ll keep you posted as per how this change effects me. And I cross my fingers that the new structure benefits those who drive targeted traffic, if that’s the case, kudos to eBay.
I have been watching my dashboard for my epn account and have noticed that now it has been over 20 days since I have recived a commission. Does anyone know if they are starting this new program now? I don’t make a lot of money with my sites but I do make about $10 a week on average. (nothing to brag about I know form over 15 different sites that I have.) But fo the last 20 days nothing. Please let me know if you know anything or have you been having problems.
Thanks
Once again Mark you cut through the fog.
I actually have no problem with this change, but it has put me in the position of starting over on many sites. This is not the first time and won’t be the last. That’s what bums me out. Constantly making major changes at eBay. To many changes to often is why I have 5k worth of merchandise sitting in a closet and not in eBay auctions.
Some great info Mark as usual.
But….say you have a iPhone site, someone clicks an iPhone auction item, views the auction but doesn’t buy. They then browse your site some more and see your article on Hummers. They then go back to their open eBay window, browse Hummer listings and buy one. That to me is, in your terms, a Bullseye.
But how is it even possible for eBay to determine the quality of this referral or if you even had a post on your iPhone site extolling the virtues of Hummer ownership which caused the visitor to buy one?
From your domain they’ll assume you’re selling iPhones. There are anomalies in this quality clicks system and the lack of total transparency is worrying.
We’ll have to wait and see…the bottom line is, eBay has more control now over what they pay affiliates and I don’t like that at all. We all know what’s going on with offline retail; ecommerce WON’T be spared either. eBay knows this and have acted to protect their interest.
In theory this all sounds OK I guess. The main issue I have with the idea of clicks being worth more the faster they convert is the fact that ebay is, after all, still an AUCTION site. Some of my niches center around higher priced items (2-3 thousand dollars). Many times there aren’t more than a few listings up at any given time and they are always auctions and almost never BINs.
I have practically never made a sale that wasn’t in the category I sent my traffic through on. But now ebay is going to punish me for sending traffic to an auction that may not end for another five or six days but will still prove just as profitable (now much more so) for them. If they had something in the algorithm to account for this problem I would be somewhat less agitated with the whole change
@ Josh –
You are reading a bit much into it – eBay will still REWARD you for auction type listings you send your traffic to, even if an auction ends in 6.9 days.
BIN is just ONE way to increase quality – if you send a user to an auction, they bid or watch it, then act on it before the 7 day cookie expiration, its still a GOOD visitor! They did EXACTLY what you intended for them to do…
Mark
As a follow up to my previous post. I have just reviewed my QCP preview, unfortunately I am down 40% compared to the current system.
It wouldn’t be as much if it weren’t for my newer campaign – it’s bringing my average down. This is another issue, no campaign is going to have a high QCP right off the top, so there will be little incentive for current and new publishers to start new campaigns.
I’m disappointed, but can’t say I am suprised, this is typical of an eBay pricing structure change. The hope that there will be a benefit when the bottom line always means less money in users pockets.
I am a high quality traffic publisher, exactly the type of one the team behind this switch would benefit.
I look forward to seeing the live models the ePN has announced they will be reviewing for us. Truth be told, I have to do some serious thinking as to whether or not this new system are worth my efforts.
Regrettably,
J
@Mark @Josh
They will reward, but not as much, this was exactly what I was talking about with my business partners. Personally I advertise niche’s and direct traffic to BIN’s, so in theory this could work out better…but let us say there was a rare snow globe ending in 6.9 days and I had 10 people goto it. They don’t bid till last 10 seconds… It ends for $1000. If normally I would get $20, the new system I’m getting around $6. The INTENT and QUALITY was EXACTLY what it was suppose to be, ebay just found a new way to nickle/dime the profits, bottom line.
I do not quite understand how I will know which of my links are the most effective. With the old system I could easily match up a specific sale with a specific link, but now I am not so sure. The possible lack of clarity could lead to a lack of incentive on my part to improve my site. You can give a sailor a ship and show him how to sail, but without a clear destination, his incentive to learn and improve is diminished.
Speaking as an eBay affiliate since 2005;
WHAT difference does is make if a visitor goes to a golf putter site, clicks on a eBay ad, and buys a washer?! A sale is a sale. I have been trying to wrap my head around the move to this new system for days, and my mind is boogled.
This QPC system WAS NOT set up to help affiliates at all. We are getting screwed! eBay affiliates from all niches, that market from all angles, are seeing a 50-70% drop across the board.
My problem with this, is that I have been with EPN for only 3 months now, but I have several top 10 rankings for several product related keywords so send them a ton of “quality” organic traffic. I was getting 5-9 new ACRUs a month, with half of the sales being $500 -$1,000 or more.. EPN defaulted ACRUs of only $1.00 for new publishers, and before I got a chance to prove the value of the new user sign ups, they made this change. Since I was already being screwed by underpaid ACRUS (since I’m new), my EPC was already well below what it should be. Not with this new system, it’s telling me Ebay is planning on paying me a measly $.08 per click (which is less than a third of what it is now). Google Adsense pays me $.50 per click, so why in the heck would anyone waste their time with EPN now, when Adsense pays so much more for new users.
I don’t think any of this holds for those of us sending high value, but low number of clicks per day. How can you make anything with 20 clicks a day paying you 14 cents a click?
@ Andrew -
I have found the same thing.
Sending a VERY TARGETED buyer – means fewer clicks and a high buy ratio. On one site that only sends roughly 35-40 clicks a day, but results in 15-20 sales each day, I am losing BIGTIME!
Unless they come out with a 2.00 per click rate – I will never break even as compared to the old pay method.
[...] As we expected lots of you have had questions about Quality Click Pricing and we’ve been busy on the discussion board answering them as they come in. There’s also been a lot of debate in the wider affiliate industry, which we’ve been reading with great interest and there’s one article in particular that we’d like to share with you from the Niche Store Builder blog entitled “3 Tips To Understand and Succeed with ePN Quality Click Pricing.” [...]
Leave your response!
On My YouTube Playlist
Latest Twitter Updates
Posting tweet...
Site Categories
Monthly Archive
My Favorite Places
Blogging Sites
Blogroll
Places I Write
Technology Sites
Site Credits
Niche Store Builder is powered by WordPress, using a modified theme originally inspired by Arthemia.
Home | About | Contact | Mark Hansen @ Google | Terms & Privacy