Shop at Amazon! ...or what I learned when Clark accidentally committed wire fraud.

[Adina P]

Yesterday was “Cyber Monday”.  That’s when we all start shopping for Christmas gifts online, right?  Clark and I do most of our online shopping at Amazon.  Clark is even an “Amazon Prime” member.

I know you shop at Amazon too.  You do it through our DK affiliate link and doodle rescue organizations this way (I give 25% of all our proceeds to doodle rescue).   Thank you so much!

Here’s the funny/scary story about my dh Clark and his wire fraud.  Also, the lesson we learned.

Earlier this summer, Clark was changing some of the links/banners to Amazon on the DK main page.  He thought he was done and had tested everything.  But then something amazing happened.  Our commissions exploded!  I mean, we earned more commissions in one day than we usually do in one or two months!  Always the buzz kill… Clark told me that this was too good to be true and something was definitely wrong.  He was right.  (Darn it!)

He fixed it, and self reported to Amazon… who then took care of any feelings of elation I had.  :-)  So everything is alright and Clark is probably not going to jail.  (At least not for that!)

Here’s what Clark accidentally did:

He accidentally put an Amazon tracking link (what Amazon uses to know who to pay us commissions for) on not just the people that clicked on our Amazon link, but on EVERYONE that viewed our site.  So everyone that came to our site and then went to Amazon in the next 24 hours and bought something earned us a commission.  Cool!  Nope… wire fraud.  Amazon only wants people that intentionally used our link to Amazon to earn us a commission.  Not people that just happened to come to DK and then happened to later buy at Amazon.  We know that and that is fair.

Here’s what I learned:  Only about 1 out of 40 of you are actually using our Amazon affiliate link.  That is HUGE!  To put it in perspective, if everyone used our Amazon link all the time when they shopped Amazon, we would be able to donate an additional $13,000 to doodle rescue organizations every year.  Thirteen grand.  No kidding.

So I need to know what I can do to increase the number of people that use our Amazon affiliate link without spamming you with Amazon links all the time?  You are already shopping at Amazon.  So might as well support DK and doodle rescue, right?

We have the ad at the top right of the page… we have the Amazon search widget in the right column of the front page.  What more should we do?  

http://amazon.doodlekisses.com

[Adina P]

We've announced it now and then but it is hard to know how many people read our announcement emails or forum posts.

[Deborah Brown]

I saw it in an announcement a few weeks ago but never saw it on the site.  I think my browser blocks it completely.  I see some text for it but not a link or ad:

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

So, this is interesting . . . I am on DK multiple times a day, and I have never ever noticed the "Shop thru our links" area in the upper righthand corner of the main page.  I just opened it now and dragged it over to my desktop.  Now, whenever I shop on Amazon, I will simply open their site via my desktop.  Perhaps, you just need to inform people (like me) to pay more attention!

[Annie Oak]

Wow, I didn't know this!  I'm sure the average Amazon user doesn't even know or care about who can or cannot get a commision.  I just thought all those adds I see on all my favorite sights were teasers to get you to look at their merchandise.  I have never read about how sights or bloggers made commisions.  Thanks for letting us know, too bad we didn't learn this before Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  I'll use your link in the future , now that I KNOW!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I rarely shop on Amazon, but I will try to remember to go through DK when I do. 

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I think you should send a mailing to everyone on DK. Use Mail Chimp or something similar and produce a newsletter. Tell people all about your contribution to rescue. Name the rescue. Link to the rescue. Explain the affiliate Amazon program and send everyone a Happy Holiday message. This is how I would reach out to the members here some of whom are very sporadic visitors.

[Adina P]

Clark and I have been working on regular email newsletter stuff...we get a little done, then it gets put on the back burner, get a little done, put on the back burner, and so on!  Thanks for the reminder!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Good reminder, Adina.  I know I do forget about this at times....I will do better.

[Christine & Camus]

I've got the DK Amazon link on my tool bar.  An easy reminder for me when I plan to order from Amazon. 

[Pam Sadberry]

Adina:

I joined doodle kisses some time mid this year.  I had no idea that if we used the link that a donation would be made.  As I look at the home page, I do see the link, but, assumed just like facebook, that this was an advertisement.  I'd recommend that maybe monthly or quarterly, whatever is easier for you, that you let new members know more about this link and opportunity.  I recall you sending a welcome message when I joined, and you may have even explained this in the letter, but, I needed to get my bearings on the site and may have overlooked this great opportunity.

 

If I can assist in any way, please let me know.

 

Thank you for sharing this information.  Now I will be more diligent.

 

Have a great day.

Pam & Doodle Mackenzie

[Lisa, Charlie & Archie]

I shop on Amazon all the time and had no idea you had a link to the site, I will use it in future! I just never noticed it.

[Adina P]

Nobody's wondering where "Easter" Washington is...? LOL
(Someday I will learn to spell check).