Damn my EPN Stats suck

Soon EPN will suspend more affiliates and then cancel the EPN program based on the latest news from the company. The company is going through a transformation for the worst and it is ran by a bunch of idiots. Ebay is sinking. Only the stupid keep creating sites to promote eBay.

 

I use BANS and API. About 20 sites too, going about $1000/month, 50%-50% bans and API.
BUT NEVER 34 ACRU/day...That's impressive, congrats!!

 

Don't agree. A lot of people are still making tons of money with the ebay program. You don't give up until the program is officially gone. Doesn't hurt to start working on other types of sites and affiliate programs, but it's not time to start singing with the fat lady.

-Megan

 

I don't agree with this sentiment, either. Yes, the company is going through transformations, and may not be overly well managed at the moment, but it's a large entity, and still has a lot going for it. It's far too soon to tell whether the various shifts taking place are going to be effective or not. I doubt that the EPN program will be dropped any time soon. The changes being implemented seem to me to be in keeping with an intention to maintain it as a profit center. One improvement that should be made there is to reverse the seemingly hostile attitude toward affiliates. They should be promoting goodwill among affiliates and not the sort of ill will that's been generated recently. It shouldn't be "them against us".

 

I personally am not focusing on EPN anymore as there is too much of a risk involved. I am still happily making $1k a month with them though.

 

Unfrotunately I was one of the affiliates that took it in the rear from EPN. Although after speaking with some people at PJ and other affiliates it looks like there are some MAJOR tracking issues in their system. The fix, just start banning affiliates...before finding the actual source of the mis-clicks or no referral clicks.

 

Guys what's the best way to promote EPN?

 

The VERY best way is to write a custom script that will use the eBay API to create some valuable service that people will use and buy eBay products as a result, like a custom shop of some kind.

But if that is out of your reach, the second best way is probably to create a small, niche site on a particular topic, write REAL content and add SOME product listings, using a content management system maybe, like WordPress + my plugin, or BANS. However, the main issue lately is that Google doesn't like this kind of "thin affiliate" site - if they see your main goal is just to sell stuff and your content is lame or non-existent you will drop out of the SERPS like a lead balloon.

In my opinion, content has to go first, not just tacked on as an afterthought. Think: would a human actually visit and stay on this site? If not, the chances are increasingly that neither would Google - they're getting too darned clever!

 

I've also suspended expansion of any further EPN activity until there are solid indications that the risk quotient has been brought back to something that makes sense vis a vis expending more time and money. I must say, that EPN converts better than anything else I have going at the moment. However, in the current climate, it's more prudent for me to place greater focus on addressing other affiliate opportunities.

 

Can you give good example sites that uses API from which I can follow? Thanks.

 

Sure, check out: http://www.programmableweb.com/api/ebay/mashups

There are LOADS of examples there, some of them really good ideas that I bet are making real money...!

 

Thanks bro! that's really a lot.
Can you give a pick from those sites that's a good model site to follow?
Thanks.

 

Use PHPBay

 

I'm doing ok with EPN this month, about the same as the past few months. But I have to agree that it is prudent to put resources into developing other affiliate programs until EPN settles down. I would be very angry if they terminated me after I put effort into another store. And I'm pretty suspicious about their ACRU "value pricing" that is coming up. Would love to see a viable competitor in the auction space.

 

Me too..........

I believe they are offering $50 on high quality ACRUs just as a ploy, meanwhile most of the ACRUs will probably be coming in at $1-$10.

 

I don't get a lot of ACRUs but they do add up. Dropping it to a couple of dollars would certainly make me focus things other than EPN.

 

I believe there's no best or worst script for EPN. you can use Phpbay, BANS(for total newbie) or custome made script.

Buttom line is, to make money from EPN, you need to drive targetted traffic and convert it.

 

My attitude, as well, as I indicated above. My ACRUs come naturally in the ordinary course of visitor activity. So far, I have a quality score of "medium". But all I can say about it is that there probably is a temporary reduction in risk of being "expired" as long as that score persists. I'm sure it's subject to fluctuations from a myriad of causes over which we have no control. On the other hand, EPN maintains that we are in control of that. How they can substantiate such a fanciful piece of fiction is a mystery to which we'll never be privy.

 

No PHPBay is better because it fuses with Wordpress.

BANS sucks because it's standalone and the CMS is garbage.

 

Uh uh... Wrong. WordPress/BANS integration works beautifully. BANS doesn't have to be a standalone. You get the best of both worlds.