I have a growing niche content site, and right now it seems like the best Amazon items to sell are books. Is this even worth it? I mean, do I have a chance of people buying them from my site instead of going directly to Amazon? If so, how should I structure the links? Reviews? Links from content pages? Thanks!
It seems to me you should be able to sell books if you give your surfers an added value. Amazons books are competitively priced so price is not a hindrance. If you had a site about religion and you blog about religion maybe the religious book niche is where you should be. If you have a blog about programming then programming books might sell well. The key is to give surfers an added value which I know is much easier said than done.
alphamonk is exactly right. You will sell items on Amazon if they are related to your readers interest. Offer them good quality information, honest reviews of products and place links within your content to Amazon.
Two follow-ups: 1. What are the best links to use? I'm starting with the larger graphic link w/o prices. Is it better to include prices, or even use text links? 2. How do you structure your reviews? My site isn't a blog, but a content site with over 20 pages. Should I have a "Hot New Product" type link on my homepage with reviews? Thanks!
Go for "big fish" commissions, set up review sites for $500 products like HDTVs, PCs and the like sold on Amazon. Use profitable keywords like "buy Samsung model#" or "Canon 1234 camera review" to attract people already considering getting a certain brand.