Link Locator Direct
PROGRAM SUMMARY
We know you want your affiliate partners to find the useful links you provide
them! Link Locator was developed to ensure that these valuable sales tools are
even more accessible, by encouraging merchants throughout the LinkShare NetworkTM
to create key standard image categories and populate them with current, relevant
links.
How is this helpful to your affiliate partners? For example,
if affiliates are looking for current "free shipping" offers, all they need to
do is look within that category instead of searching your entire inventory of
links. This will both save time and ensure that they will locate the links they
need to drive sales to you.
NEW "DIRECT" FEATURES
Link Locator Direct is a new web-services feature that enables Merchants to more
widely distribute Link Locator categorized creative to all your LinkShare Affiliate
partners through three XML data feeds. The available feeds for affiliates are:
- Home Links - Links to merchants' default landing page
- Text Links
- Links to merchants' Link Locator-categorized text link creative
- Banner Links
- Links to merchants' Link Locator-categorized banner creative
NEW "DIRECT" BENEFITS
Acquire and Retain Key Affiliate Partners
Affiliates will seek to join merchant partners that provide the best tools
to drive sales. Participation in Link Locator Direct will allow you to acquire
and retain many types of affiliates such as innovative tech savvy businesses,
deal and promotion sites, and any other affiliate that can incorporate XML data
feeds into its site Drive More Sales
Link Locator Direct enables
affiliates to innovate their business models and drive more sales for their merchant
partners through an efficient link distribution system.
Experience Higher
Conversion Rates
Past performance tells us conversion rates for promotional
links such as coupons and free shipping are significantly higher than those for
other creative. The Link Locator Direct feed allows merchants to offer affiliates
and end-users the links they want.
Enhance Brand and Customer Satisfaction
If you have ever managed promotional creative, you realize that consumer
offers can change daily. Until now, there was no efficient way to distribute new
creative and ensure that your affiliate partners would update expired consumer
offers. By downloading the Link Locator Direct feed daily, your affiliates will
have direct access to the most current Link Locator-categorized links. This feature
will reduce the possibility that consumers see expired offers and consequently,
enhances your brand and ensures that your creative meets your consumers' expectations.
Ensure Accuracy
Have you ever lost out on affiliate channel sales
data because the affiliates' link tracking code was accidentally modified? The
Link Locator Direct data feed provides a consistent format and in conjunction
with automated incorporation into affiliates' sites, can reduce human error in
transferring and placing link code manually.
Save Time
Reduce the
time it takes to promote new and updated links to your affiliates. By categorizing
your creative in the standard Link Locator categories, your links are automatically
distributed to all of your approved affiliates.
Affiliates also save time in
locating and incorporating home, text, and banner links. Instead of copying the
LinkShare tracking code for each link within merchants' Create Links sections,
affiliates can download XML feeds that contain all the Link Locator links for
their merchant partners.
Reduce Costs
By saving time on the tasks
associated with frequent creative changes you can reduce operational costs.
Take Advantage of a Free New Feature
from LinkShare
LinkShare
continues to innovate and provide its valued partners with the tools to be successful.
This feature is free of charge to both merchants and affiliates.
CURRENT STANDARD CATEGORIES AND LINK LOCATOR CRITERIA
Below
is the list of standard image categories - we encourage you to participate in
as many as you can! Please be sure to only populate your new categories with links
that fit the Link Locator criteria. This way, we can guarantee that affiliates
will indeed find the links they are looking for.
Best
Converting
- Intended to highlight
specific links (text, banner, individual products, etc) that are performing best
for your program.
- Must be updated regularly
so that affiliates are aware of the most current and effective links.
Logos
- Must be company name and/or image.
- It
is preferable to provide various IAB standard sizes.
Free
Shipping - Must be a promotion that
offers free shipping to the consumer.
- Must
have an expiration date clearly stated in the Name/ID field so that the affiliate
is able to view it.
- It is recommended to have
an expiration date also included within the link so that the consumer is able
to view it.
Promotion/General
- Intended for current promotions, specials, or deals
for the consumer.
- These promotions may include
both ongoing and limited-time offers – but exclude free shipping or coupon based
offers.
Coupons
- Must include a code to be entered at checkout or automatically
be calculated at checkout.
- Must have an expiration
date clearly stated in the Name/ID field so that the affiliate is able to view
it.
- It is recommended to have an expiration
date also included within the link so that the consumer is able to view it.
Hot
Products - Must be current top sellers
on your site.
- Must be limited to 10 items.
- Must be individual product links or lead to
a product page.
Once you have created any
or all of the above standard categories, you will be included in both an ongoing,
monthly email to LinkShare affiliates and in the Affiliate Resource Center.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
(1) Create a new standard
link category - Log into your merchant
account.
- In the Links/Merchandising area of
the Navigation Panel (the first page you see when you log in), click "Image Categories".
This shows you a list of all categories currently available for your use.
- Click
in a blank field.
- Enter a standard category
(ex: "Free Shipping" or "Promotion/General").
- Click
the Save Changes button.
(2)
Populate the new category with new or existing links - Decide
which new or existing links you plan to place in the new categories.(Please be
sure that the links are consistent with the criteria listed above).
- Click
on that link type listed under the "Links / Merchandising" section.
- Locate
the links that you want to reassign or upload/create the new links.
- Use
the drop-down menu in the Category field to select one of the new standard categories
(ex: "Logos") for these links.
- Make sure that
the links are assigned to all.
- Click the Save
Changes button.
REMINDER:
Keep affiliates informed! Update all these standard categories frequently with
fresh links!
For further information on LinkLocator Direct, see the LinkLocator Direct Implementation Guidelines.
