official Chat 03-27-07

[2007.03.27 16:59:53] Welcome to the CafePress Chat Room
[2007.03.27 16:59:53] Shopaholic Chick has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 16:59:53] All users in this room have been allowed to talk
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[2007.03.27 17:59:15] LeslieCP: hey there everyone
[2007.03.27 17:59:35] kiwi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 17:59:39] AT HOME RECORDS: Hello NYCap.
[2007.03.27 17:59:46] me: hiya
[2007.03.27 17:59:49] me: hello?
[2007.03.27 17:59:52] trscott: Hi there,...
[2007.03.27 17:59:59] I'm Here has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2007.03.27 18:00:07] trscott: heh heh..."boogerballs"....
[2007.03.27 18:00:08] WarrenCP: hello everyone
[2007.03.27 18:00:10] trscott: hi mystic...
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[2007.03.27 18:00:16] trscott: hey carl...
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[2007.03.27 18:00:44] AngelaCP: hi everyone
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[2007.03.27 18:00:54] AngelaCP: we'll be ready to start in 2 minutes....
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[2007.03.27 18:01:21] Buyyours: hello
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[2007.03.27 18:01:29] Shopaholic Chick: hiyas
[2007.03.27 18:01:30] Melody: What in the world...everything must be quede
[2007.03.27 18:01:30] mystic has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:01:34] ameriyank: OK how is everyone?
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[2007.03.27 18:01:45] Rico: Hello
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[2007.03.27 18:01:48] Erinn: hey
[2007.03.27 18:01:50] artfromnature: hello
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[2007.03.27 18:01:53] AngelaCP: This chat will be moderated... your questions will go into the mod que until we push it out to the room
[2007.03.27 18:01:53] NYCap: Hello there
[2007.03.27 18:01:58] Rico: Hello everyone
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[2007.03.27 18:02:16] AngelaCP: hi everyone
[2007.03.27 18:02:17] Shopaholic Chick: hi everyone
[2007.03.27 18:02:19] Rasael has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:02:21] AngelaCP: welcome to the affiliate cj chat
[2007.03.27 18:02:22] hazeleyes7: Hello everyone!
[2007.03.27 18:02:28] dooni designs: hi everyone
[2007.03.27 18:02:30] lasso has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:02:35] MartyCP: Howdy folks.
[2007.03.27 18:02:38] NYCap: where are the hors d'oeuvers?
[2007.03.27 18:02:40] Cora Competency has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:02:58] AngelaCP: the host for today's chat is the affiliate team - Shelby, Warren, and Mina
[2007.03.27 18:03:01] LeslieCP: nycap - i am asking the same question
[2007.03.27 18:03:22] AngelaCP: Also on chat is: Marc, Leslie, Jill, and Britta
[2007.03.27 18:03:30] LeslieCP: and marty!
[2007.03.27 18:03:40] AngelaCP: yes, marty is here
[2007.03.27 18:03:46] AngelaCP: how can i forget??!!/
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[2007.03.27 18:03:54] AngelaCP: so now... shelby....
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[2007.03.27 18:04:13] UncleFrog: Thanks for having these chats. Thanks especially to MartyCP, who went above and beyond last night.
[2007.03.27 18:04:31] eutstars has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:04:38] MartyCP: You are quite welcome. Though my fingers are a little tired from all the typing. :)
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[2007.03.27 18:04:59] ShelbyCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:05:08] ShelbyCP: Thanks for being here today! As you know we’re going to talk about the Affiliate Program migration to CJ.
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[2007.03.27 18:05:26] ShelbyCP: We’re going to answer as many questions as possible – if your question is not answered in the chat please send it to affiliates@cafepress.com
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[2007.03.27 18:05:54] ShelbyCP: Also, for those who haven't seen it yet FAQs are available at http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/affiliate/cjfaqs#qs
[2007.03.27 18:06:12] ShelbyCP: On April 10th we will open the Affiliate Program powered by CJ. Current members of the existing program will be able to use the system, as is, until May 31, 2007.
[2007.03.27 18:06:25] sat728 has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:06:42] ShelbyCP: Here is a some background information for those joining us today who have not been following the lively discussions on the forums regarding the affiliate platform migration.
[2007.03.27 18:07:23] ShelbyCP: The original objective of our current program was to drive more traffic from outside CafePress to increase more Sales for Shopkeepers.
[2007.03.27 18:07:46] ShelbyCP: This program did not meet that objective and the postive results of the program were not enough to justify the program costs. We know people are disappointed.
[2007.03.27 18:08:08] ShelbyCP: Also- over the past few days we’ve heard a lot of thoughts about CJ, and we’ve listened to all of them. We’re sorry some people disagree with our choice and we hope to ease your concerns as we go forward.
[2007.03.27 18:08:18] nosestone has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:08:30] ShelbyCP: We’ve also heard that the Affiliate team hasn’t communicated well lately, and been mostly invisible. You’re right, and we will change that. Going forward the affiliate team will be more visible and do a much better job communicating.
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[2007.03.27 18:09:48] ShelbyCP: We are working to provide a Getting Started Guide to help affiliates move over to CJ and expect to provide this early next week.
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[2007.03.27 18:10:43] ShelbyCP: Now I’d like to tell you about how creating links to CafePress using CJ will work.
[2007.03.27 18:11:03] ShelbyCP: CJ tracking supports the same functionality affiliates enjoy today. Affiliates will be able to link directly to CafePress Shops, product pages, portal pages, and Search results.
[2007.03.27 18:11:09] Jim has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2007.03.27 18:11:51] ShelbyCP: Once you've been accepted into the CafePress Affiliate program on CJ, you'll click the "Get Links" tab to begin creating links or to get banner creative
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[2007.03.27 18:12:21] ShelbyCP: Here is an example of the CJ link: http://www.qksrv.net/click-PID-567890. You will replace PID with your unique PID from CJ. (The PID number will automatically populate from the CJ account interface)
[2007.03.27 18:12:41] ShelbyCP: Now, let's say you wanted to link to a Shop on CafePress.
[2007.03.27 18:12:52] Shadow (Gimme My Cookies) has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2007.03.27 18:13:52] ShelbyCP: You would add the destination URL to your CJ link structure link this: Store Page Link: http://www.qksrv.net/click-PID-567890?URL=http://www.cafepress.com/rightwingstuff
[2007.03.27 18:14:22] ShelbyCP: The link above would take me to the RightWingStuff shop with my CJ affiliate ID.
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[2007.03.27 18:15:31] ShelbyCP: We will publish a Linking Best Practices page showing all the linking formats for linking to Search results and Product pages next week.
[2007.03.27 18:15:39] ShelbyCP: Now let's go ahead and open it up for Q/A.
[2007.03.27 18:15:56] Gandalf_Parker: I take it that the link to the conversion guide, FAQ, etc will be emailed out to us?
[2007.03.27 18:15:56] WarrenCP: The conversion guide and FAQ will be live on our site.
[2007.03.27 18:16:00] Lekker Jen: will you answer questions we didn't get to last night?
[2007.03.27 18:16:00] MartyCP: Yesterday we had waaay too many questions to answer (in the 100's), and we're getting a lot more already today. We're going to try to get to as many as we can, but if you don't get your question answered, you can either email affiliates@cafepress.com (we answer all of them), or stick around after the chat, and I'm going to stay here and try to answer as much as I can.
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[2007.03.27 18:17:23] BrittaCP: hang on guys... a bunch of us just lost connection
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[2007.03.27 18:17:53] BrittaCP: we're reconnecting
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[2007.03.27 18:17:59] MartyCP: Sorry about that folks -- network hiccup.
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[2007.03.27 18:18:03] MartyCP: Doesn't that figure?
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[2007.03.27 18:18:39] ShelbyCP: Sorry about that everyone - we lost Internet connection briefly. We're back now...
[2007.03.27 18:18:39] kiwi: LOL too many people sending email to affiliates@cafepress!
[2007.03.27 18:18:51] LeslieCP: LOL
[2007.03.27 18:19:01] MartyCP: I started to answer a question about Squidoo before I got booted: We're going to work directly with Squidoo to make sure it gets updated.
[2007.03.27 18:19:04] AngelaCP: those who sent in questions in the beg of chat...please resubmit. Sorry!
[2007.03.27 18:19:08] LeslieCP: I think the Goodyear blimp went over
[2007.03.27 18:19:41] Sherry: When I joined CJ I was asked for my website url. One of my current affiliates does not have a website, but does have a blog. Can a person who has no external website other than a blog use that as a website when joining CJ? or should they use their CP shop url?
[2007.03.27 18:19:41] MartyCP: Absolutely. Blogs are websites too. :)
[2007.03.27 18:19:48] Shadow (Gimme My Cookies): The CP people are bolting!
[2007.03.27 18:19:48] LeslieCP: We got booted off our connection out of the blue. I shall write an irate letter to our provider (in haiku format)
[2007.03.27 18:19:59] DogWire (hazeleyes7): Will the link to the published conversion FAQ be in the announcement section of the Community?
[2007.03.27 18:20:14] tshirtmaster has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:20:27] AngelaCP: Yes, I'll make sure to post that under My News and Announcements
[2007.03.27 18:20:46] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.27 18:21:07] ShelbyCP: zoecloset: I lost your question but you asked what we will do to keep our affiliate program parasite free. As a first line of defense, CJ has a network quality team of 10 individuals that do nothing but scour their network looking for anyone violating the terms - including parasitic activity. CafePress affiliate team will also be approving every application to ensure affiliates meet our quality
[2007.03.27 18:21:08] ShelbyCP: standards
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[2007.03.27 18:22:31] HAI: Is the new CJ program going to also handle shopkeeper referrals - if someone signs up to sell after clicking a banner from my site?
[2007.03.27 18:22:31] WarrenCP: No, the referral program is a separate program and that will not be handled by CJ.
[2007.03.27 18:23:09] NinaPa: How will any of the "big affiliates" find our individual shops, and will they want to link directly to us?
[2007.03.27 18:23:09] MartyCP: We'd actually like to do this, though we're still working on the best way to offer fair coverage when we've got hundreds of thousands of shops. If you have any suggestions, *please* email them to us at affiliates@cafepress.com. I (and others here) would love to hear them.
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[2007.03.27 18:23:27] UncleFrog: If the stated goal was to drive more external traffic via the affiliate program, does CP really believe that 12-18 months is enough time to (a) get the word out, (b) allow the SKers to formulate their own plan, (c) implement the plan before the desired results would be seen? Has CP given the existing program enough time?
[2007.03.27 18:23:27] ShelbyCP: Yes, we believe 18 months is enough time to evaluate the results of the program. There are many successful affiliates in the CafePress community and we believe they will enjoy even greater success on CJ.
[2007.03.27 18:23:59] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.27 18:24:30] Adam: the URL in that CJ link... does it have to be a cafepress.com link? just thinking..?
[2007.03.27 18:24:30] MartyCP: Yes, it has to be a cafepress.com link. I think it's a CJ security thing.
[2007.03.27 18:24:33] ThE_RiPPeR has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:24:33] Sherry: Where will we find the new information pages (Getting Started, Linking Best Practices) that you will be putting up? Will there be a link on the community page?
[2007.03.27 18:24:33] WarrenCP: Yes, we will be providing addtional documents like those on our site. The link for those documents will reside in the affiliate page (click on the "affiliate program" link in the footer).
[2007.03.27 18:24:53] Jim: There has been no mention made on how CJ will use the SKs images and/or trademarks - why? If there is problem who do we deal with CJ or CP (we licensed our work to CP not CJ)
[2007.03.27 18:24:53] LeslieCP: Hey Jim - CJ itself won't use the images; affiliates will. If you feel there's a problem, the CUP team is your first line of defense.
[2007.03.27 18:25:02] Diane has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:26:07] artfromnature: I have a lot of links already on my site. Do I have to go back and make new links to them all again?
[2007.03.27 18:26:07] MartyCP: We're looking at a solution for this. Hopefully you won't, but I can't guarantee anything yet. I am personally trying to put together a supportable (and scalable) solution, though, if that helps.
[2007.03.27 18:26:30] kiwi: Please address shop-to-shop links. Many SK's use their CP shop as their home website. Links to other SK's drive sales for both. Why are these links not seen as valuable enough to earn affiliate commission?
[2007.03.27 18:26:30] ShelbyCP: These are seen as valueable community exchanges however since they don't bring new users into the CP community, we felt this wasn't really meeting the objective of the affiliate program. We are evaluating the possibility of having a link exchange program in the future however nothing has been defined yet.
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[2007.03.27 18:27:03] Adam: thanks
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[2007.03.27 18:27:26] sat728: Does the cj pid follow if the customer changes stores?
[2007.03.27 18:27:26] WarrenCP: Yes, if a customer clicks on an affiliate link and browses through several CafePress shops, the affiliate cookie will remain with the customer throughout the shopping session.
[2007.03.27 18:27:27] Carl (Absolute Cotton) has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:27:28] ameriyank: thank god for Amrty!
[2007.03.27 18:27:48] blonde_designs: yay! marty remembered how to be green from last nite!
[2007.03.27 18:27:51] lasso has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.27 18:28:07] eutstars: why aren't the CJ links allowed on the shops?
[2007.03.27 18:28:07] MartyCP: It actually saved it. I'm used to the green now, too. :)
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[2007.03.27 18:28:22] MartyCP: Doh.
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[2007.03.27 18:28:38] slamdunk: how do we promote our own shop, but be eligible for commission if they browse into other shops?
[2007.03.27 18:29:05] Jim: Leslie, that was not the question - I license my mages to CP, what are CJs terms to use my images via CP¿
[2007.03.27 18:29:05] LeslieCP: Hey Jim - that's a good question, and we'll look into it for you. Do you have specific concerns?
[2007.03.27 18:29:07] NinaPa: How will big affiliates find individual CafePress shops on CJ, and will they want to? Why wouldn't they just link to the fabled "600,000"?
[2007.03.27 18:29:07] ShelbyCP: Affiliates are interested in linking to destinations that have the highest conversion rate. Shops that sell well and have a lot of merchandise will convert so its likely affiliates will want to link directly to these types of shops. We will work with our community to learn how we can give visibility of Shops to our affiliates. There is room for lots of creativity here!
[2007.03.27 18:29:31] MartyCP: Let me try to answer both of those questions (regarding links in shops, and cross-promotion in shops).
[2007.03.27 18:30:24] ameriyank: great question slamdunk!
[2007.03.27 18:31:00] eutstars: Visiblity would be nice. I have very little and alot of products.
[2007.03.27 18:31:04] tabitha has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:31:05] mystic: How steep is the learning curve for CJ? I have groups in my niche that are interested in aff. but I wory that if CJ is to complicated they will change thier minds.
[2007.03.27 18:31:06] WarrenCP: mystic: MinaCP - I've actually used CJ 1 about a year, and it's pretty easy to navigate, get links, look at reports..after a few times of getting familiar with it.
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[2007.03.27 18:31:29] Cora Competency: I'm curious about how the Affiliate Team defines the difference between a "Loyalty program" and a "parasite".
[2007.03.27 18:31:29] ShelbyCP: Parasites are spyware or adware that invade your computer and overwrite previously set affiliate cookies. They were associated with loyalty programs in the past (around 2001) because many of these sites offered downloads which some affiliates defined as parasitic. However, the loyalty programs today operate under very strict guidelines for usage to meet the CJ Code of Conduct standards.
[2007.03.27 18:31:39] MartyCP: Basically, we've seen that people are using the old affiliate program to primarily cross-link -- to try to convert visitors that don't buy from your own shop. But we're really trying to solve another problem here: How can we get visitors to CafePress who wouldn't normally visit?
[2007.03.27 18:31:43] blonde_designs: is it ok to continue promoting our shops from other sources aka myspace, comcast,aol...
[2007.03.27 18:31:43] LeslieCP: Of course - shameless self-promotion never goes out of style... and if you need help in that area, my team (the Top Shopkeeper team) is around to help.
[2007.03.27 18:32:14] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.27 18:32:32] Jim: Leslie, no concern rigt niow because I don;t know what the policy or legalities are ass that is CP's job to tell me!
[2007.03.27 18:32:32] LeslieCP: I don't see that the CJ program differs in this particular area from the one we had, but we'll look into it for you.
[2007.03.27 18:32:35] ShelbyCP: Parasites / loyalty programs is a very broad issue and we will publish some information about it in a detailed FAQ later this week. Currently there is a lot of misinformation being spread about parasites and we hope to correct it. Loyalty programs are only one of several affiliate business models on CJ.
[2007.03.27 18:32:45] DogWire (hazeleyes7): If CJ asks for our website URL, do we have to sign up a new account for each URL we have (I have multiple for CP) or can we just give one and that will cover everything?
[2007.03.27 18:32:45] WarrenCP: MinaCP-No, you don't have to sign up for a new account per website. You can use the same one and "register" the other websites. Just make sure you choose the right website when creating links - pretty easy it's a drop down and it generates it right away.
[2007.03.27 18:32:51] givitup: I'd like to hear CP's reaction to the ABestWeb replies in the thread CP started there - they were all negative about both CP and this move - these are the affiliates you are supposedly going after
[2007.03.27 18:32:51] JillCP: Hi givitup: Thanks for the questions about the ABestWeb thread. I understand your question as wanting to know what CP thinks about the thread we started there. CP did not make a post there....so we can not comment. We would be happy to let everyone know our thoughts to replies about any post we do make though.
[2007.03.27 18:32:53] blonde_designs: thank you leslie
[2007.03.27 18:32:53] LeslieCP: you're welcome
[2007.03.27 18:33:06] MartyCP: Right now, the CJ Affiliate Program is going to try to increase new visitors to the site. Once that program is up and running, we'll discuss the other problem -- how can shopkeepers improve conversion in their stores, and link with each other profitably. And I don't know what the best solution to that is yet, but I'm thinking about it.
[2007.03.27 18:33:26] blonde_designs: I'm a new sk so i was confused about that so thanks for clarifying
[2007.03.27 18:33:28] SeattleNetball: I'm a newbie..where on the site can I find the Linking Best Practices, etc.??
[2007.03.27 18:33:28] WarrenCP: These will be provided to you on the affiliates page which can be accessed by clicking on "affiliate program" in the footer.
[2007.03.27 18:33:30] blonde_designs: marty u rock...
[2007.03.27 18:33:30] LeslieCP: raise the roof for marty
[2007.03.27 18:34:29] kiwi: Some current affiliates consider all loyalty programs parasites. Can you explain what you meant yesterday when you said not all loyalty programs are parasites and we should be able to tell the difference? Examples of parasite activity versus non parasite activity?
[2007.03.27 18:34:29] ShelbyCP: Kiwi - none of the loyalty programs in the affiliate networks are considered parasites anymore. Back in the day, (2001) some of their tactics were considered parasitic because of the way they aggressively marketed their software. Since that time, they've cleaned up their act and operate under rigid standards of compliance.
[2007.03.27 18:34:34] daedreem_catscratches has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:36:05] Shawn - Pristinephoto has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.27 18:36:10] DogWire (hazeleyes7): Who will supply the holiday and sales banners? If it is CP, can we get the animated ones without the "shop now" so we can post them on our own shop since we can no longer earn affiliate sales for directing them to the marketplace?
[2007.03.27 18:36:10] WarrenCP: MinaCP -We will supply it and have it available in your CJ account. Animated banners, that's something we will most likely have still. If there are specific ones you guys would like we will definately consider those and plan around your suggestions.
[2007.03.27 18:36:10] Jim: Leslie, please do. does anyone even know what terms it makes it's affiliates agree to with use of the images they have access too?
[2007.03.27 18:36:10] LeslieCP: Part of the CP terms will address this - stay tuned.
[2007.03.27 18:36:22] Erinn: lol
[2007.03.27 18:36:22] ShelbyCP: Regarding the questions around parasites - we will post a very detailed FAQ in the coming days about this issue that will hopefully help everyone (including me) understand this issue more fully.
[2007.03.27 18:36:46] FaeryMeg: Have you decided anything about loyalty programs?
[2007.03.27 18:36:46] JillCP: Hi FaeryMeg! We have made a decision about loyalty programs. Loyalty programs come in different flavors, just like perks you get for using your grocery card. We are going to provide some more info online about them and the types we will not allow such as those that use pop ups to divert your traffic.
[2007.03.27 18:36:49] Jim: If I opt out of he affiliate/marketplace - why can't CP remove the CP link in the top banner as there is no benefit for me to send them to the marketplace since I am not in it?
[2007.03.27 18:36:49] LeslieCP: Hey Jim - are you talking about the bar at the top of Premium shops?
[2007.03.27 18:37:25] DogWire (hazeleyes7): Can you please answer slamdunk's question? It was posted without any answer.
[2007.03.27 18:37:25] LeslieCP: Hey DogWire - I think Marty just answered that - did you see it?
[2007.03.27 18:38:13] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.27 18:38:23] eutstars: How will our shops be found on CJ?
[2007.03.27 18:38:24] WarrenCP: Shops won't be listed specifically on CJ. If an affiliate finds your shop in the CafePress marketplace, they can then create their own link to your shop. CJ affiliates all have their own unique identifyer which they include in their affiliate links. It's a lot like the pid function that we currently use.
[2007.03.27 18:38:26] DogWire (hazeleyes7): Can you please answer slamdunk's question? It was posted without any answer.
[2007.03.27 18:38:26] MartyCP: I actually answered it over several posts. Scroll up, and look for the green.
[2007.03.27 18:38:37] Jim: If I opt out of he affiliate/marketplace - why can't CP remove the CP link in the top banner as there is no benefit for me to send them to the marketplace since I am not in it?
[2007.03.27 18:38:37] ShelbyCP: I'm not 100% sure but I think its because its important to have consistency in the navigation of the web site.
[2007.03.27 18:39:07] DogWire (hazeleyes7): Can you please answer slamdunk's question? It was posted without any answer.
[2007.03.27 18:39:07] ShelbyCP: I believe Marty answered this question above - let me know if it needs clarification
[2007.03.27 18:39:28] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.27 18:39:40] Jim: Leslie, yes I am
[2007.03.27 18:39:40] LeslieCP: That particular bar prevents you from getting your own customer service and return calls. Buyers don't necessarily understand that you're not the one stocking, fulfilling, payment processing and guaranteeing satisfaction. Having that there with (and the footer) help prevent buyer confusion.
[2007.03.27 18:39:56] DogWire (hazeleyes7): Yes Leslie. I did see Marty's answer - thanks! :)
[2007.03.27 18:39:56] LeslieCP: shirley
[2007.03.27 18:40:26] tshirtmaster: When cafepress will be listed in the results pages of the search engine of CJ? i've tried to find for "cafepress" on the search and i've never found it...
[2007.03.27 18:40:26] WarrenCP: The program is not yet live so we are not currently searchable under the list of available merchants in CJ. Once we're live (mid-April), you will be able to find us if you are a CJ affiliate.
[2007.03.27 18:40:51] maryo: Also, could you please inform people that the data feeds on CJ are not free unless you make over $10,000 a month?
[2007.03.27 18:40:53] slamdunk: can we have a specific example... like using myspace, I can link to other's stuff using the CJ pid, but only link to mine with no pid? and I get comission if they browse after linking to "shop X", but no commission if they enter my shop?
[2007.03.27 18:40:53] LeslieCP: shelby will answer this...
[2007.03.27 18:40:57] AngelaCP: Yes, that is correct and we wish that policy was different. We still have xml feeds and people can link to any shop/deep link to any page.
[2007.03.27 18:41:02] DogWire (hazeleyes7): What type of security is in place should CJ have a network hiccup and CP is working fine? (meaning: the affiliate cookie would not be set or tracked)
[2007.03.27 18:41:02] MartyCP: If CJ has a network hiccup, the click wouldn't ever get to CP. But we do have a backup tracking mechanism, just in case. We'd have to work that out with CJ, if it should happen.
[2007.03.27 18:41:09] kiwi: Shelby and Marty - thanks for your answers regarding cross-promotion in shops. With respect, I think the stated objective is short-sighted. The objective should be not just to bring new visitors to CP - but to bring the visitor CP and keep them shopping at CP for as long as possible. The shop-to-shop links meet the second objective.
[2007.03.27 18:41:09] ShelbyCP: I think Marty and I (and others) agree with you on this point. However the Affiliate Program isn't the correct place for this type of activity.
[2007.03.27 18:41:11] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.27 18:41:13] LeslieCP: ...due to me being way better at telling you how to pimp your shop than how an exact affiliate link works...
[2007.03.27 18:41:16] dooni designs: in creating links, will we still be able to use cafepress genererated thumbnails of products and designs on our websites?
[2007.03.27 18:41:16] MartyCP: Yup.
[2007.03.27 18:41:19] Lekker Jen: Even though shop to shop links were not bringing in new traffic, don't you think that they were adding to the overall conversion of sales? Rather than a shopper leaving when they didn't find what they want, they are directed to other designs and or shops.
[2007.03.27 18:41:19] JillCP: Lekker Jen-That is a really good question about how if stores were linking back and forth weren't we getting conversion. We struggled with this decision, because yes we were getting conversion but at too high a cost. If stores make a sale and the expenses for the sale were higher than the amount of the sale, then conversion is still at a loss.
[2007.03.27 18:41:26] Jolent: can we still have an 'affiliate us' page with our own shop banners we have already created and use?
[2007.03.27 18:41:26] WarrenCP: Yep you sure can. However, you'll want to direct them to CJ to have them sign up as a CJ affiliate so that they can start promoting your shop and its products.
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[2007.03.27 18:42:14] DogWire (hazeleyes7): Third party programs, such as CPShop will still work seamless with the new affiliate program and those running CP shops will still get affiliate commission even though they are not technically pushing traffic to CP?
[2007.03.27 18:42:14] MartyCP: Actually, the add to cart process is traffic. :) And yes, cpshop will continue to work. I'll be working on it over the next 2-3 weeks.
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[2007.03.27 18:43:08] ShelbyCP: Slamdunk - that's correct You can link to other shops, just not your own with your CJ link (PID). If when linking to your own Shop the person leaves and makes a purchase from another SK, you would not earn commission in this case.
[2007.03.27 18:43:45] Message sent to moderator(s)
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[2007.03.27 18:44:12] LeslieCP: But slamdunk - you can of course promote your shop via myspace, autosignatures, etc.
[2007.03.27 18:44:29] slamdunk: OK, thanks for explaining
[2007.03.27 18:45:27] Lekker Jen: How are we to believe that traffic will not simply get diverrted through these "loyaty programs" simply because the shopper gets a benefit? :Oh, I can go through and get points too". That's not actively seeking shoppers, and not something I am willing to pay for. Why should the shopkeepers pay for that?
[2007.03.27 18:45:27] ShelbyCP: Jen - the loyalty programs have a lot of reach to help us find new customers for CafePress shops. They also have a lot of churn. I hear your concern but in working with these programs I think you'll see they are constantly delivering fresh customers because people unsubscribe from their mailing lists or don't return to the site. I think your point is a good one though and this is something we
[2007.03.27 18:45:37] ShelbyCP: will need to evaluate when we work with this group of affiliates
[2007.03.27 18:46:22] ShelbyCP: If we find it to be the case loyalty programs are bringing us repeat customers, we may end our affiliations with them. We will need to test this and evaluate.
[2007.03.27 18:46:43] Jolent: Just to be clear....from inside our CP shops, we can no longer link to other like minded CP shops or pull their images into our sections...no shop to shop....so all those links must be removed?
[2007.03.27 18:46:43] WarrenCP: I'll try to break this question down into two parts. 1. No, if you are a CJ affiliate and a CP shopkeeper, you may not place affiliate links in your CP shop. 2. Your current shop to shop links will still work and you will still be credited for those types of sales until May 31st. After May 31st, the links will still work however, traffic and transaction data will no longer be recorded.
[2007.03.27 18:47:00] kiwi: Should we sign up for CJ now, or wait until the program goes live on Apr 10?
[2007.03.27 18:47:00] WarrenCP: I would recommend signing up for CJ now to familiarize yourself with the interface.
[2007.03.27 18:47:00] daedreem_catscratches: Will services like Squidoo still be able to work with you to keep their modules?
[2007.03.27 18:47:00] ShelbyCP: We are working with Squidoo on the migration to CJ and should have more information about how this will happen soon.
[2007.03.27 18:47:24] cowpie has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:47:49] Shopaholic Chick: can we get step by step directions on how to sign up for CJ because the ones that are currently in the FAQ are missing about 5 steps - inclduing the 1st step like were the sign up button is
[2007.03.27 18:47:49] JillCP: Hi Shopaholic Chick: This is a great question. A step by step guide is REALLY needed. Even I get confused reading how everyone is trying to explain it to each other in the forums. We plan to have it available online later this week. Stay tuned. We didn't think of this before so it will take us a couple of days to get it up.
[2007.03.27 18:47:54] ameriyank: So now we have to have TWO off CP web sites, one for Affialites and one for our own shops?
[2007.03.27 18:47:55] LeslieCP: hey ameriyank - perhaps i'm not understanding what you're saying, but i don't see how this is different from today's situation... thoughts?
[2007.03.27 18:47:59] kippy: The big issue a lot of us have is regarding loyalty sites sending affiliate sales to us that are not "earned." That could severely impact our volume bonuses, which a lot of people really rely on.
[2007.03.27 18:47:59] ShelbyCP: Kippy - this is a good concern, if we find it to be the case that Loyalty customers referred are making our SKs lose margin, we will end our affiliates with them. We will need to test and evaluate them. I hope that helps.
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[2007.03.27 18:48:56] Jim: If I opt out of he affiliate/marketplace - why can't CP remove the CP link in the top banner as there is no benefit for me to send them to the marketplace since I am not in it?
[2007.03.27 18:48:56] MartyCP: That's a branding thing. We still want visitors to know they're at CafePress. Hopefully folks can understand why we have a rule about not removing the logo. (Some day we may have a private label service, but we're nowhere near that yet.)
[2007.03.27 18:49:21] DogWire (hazeleyes7): In essence, this new change is to halt the affiliate program being used as a link exchange as there is more benefits to outside affiliates rather than SKs, correct?
[2007.03.27 18:49:21] ShelbyCP: Its a combination of this as well as the fact that supporting the affiliate program in terms of the engineering resources it was sucking up was not a profitable program for the company. Outsourcing affiliate tracking and reporting to CJ helps us free up resources to focus on Shopkeeper tools.
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[2007.03.27 18:50:58] Jim: so there is no real benefit for an SK to be an affiliate unless they are ging to move into big time on 3rd party sites without driving traffic to our own site?
[2007.03.27 18:50:58] LeslieCP: hey jim - being an affiliate is a different occupation than being a shopkeeper. this program doesn't differ from our internal program on that matter. whether you want to put the time and energy into working on being successful enough as an affiliate that you realize a benefit out of your efforts is up to you. same goes for being a shopkeeper, a'course... ;)
[2007.03.27 18:51:02] mystic: My fear is that I might work hard on my own to bring a customer to my shop, this customer buys from me and I don't get the full markup because they belong to loyalty program. Can someone clear this confusion up for me?:*-/
[2007.03.27 18:51:02] ShelbyCP: Mystic - we are going to evaluate our Loyalty partners closely and if we find they only drive repeat customers, we may not affiliate with them long term. Or we may affiliate for one month to get a fresh pool of customers and close down the affiliate campaign and re-launch it in a few months when there is another "fresh" set of customers in their user base.
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[2007.03.27 18:51:27] Lekker Jen: How long can we expect these evaluations to take?
[2007.03.27 18:51:27] ShelbyCP: They will be ongoing and we will keep you informed of our progress.
[2007.03.27 18:52:13] tshirtmaster: what is prasitic activity?
[2007.03.27 18:52:13] ShelbyCP: We will publish an FAQ around this within the week. There is a lot of misinfo floating around and we hope to clear the air soon :)
[2007.03.27 18:52:34] Jim: So, after readig the posts here - the new affilaite program as a goal is to drive poeple to the MARKETPLACE and not really our shops?
[2007.03.27 18:52:34] JillCP: Hi Jim: Yes the objective of the Affiliate program is to drive traffic to the Marketplace and ultimately to our Shopkeeper's products. This way we can provide a fair opportunity for every Shopkeeper to have an equal opportunity to receive a sale.
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[2007.03.27 18:54:07] Cat1: shops that sell well will get the affil sale,but lose vol bonus. How can we adjust that so it doesn't affect us so drastically?
[2007.03.27 18:54:07] ShelbyCP: Volume bonuses reward you for driving sales to your own store. If you want to increase your volume bonus, increase the amount of traffic to your store. Affiliate sales don't really impact your volume bonus because they happen on top of (in addition to) what you generate in your store.
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[2007.03.27 18:55:21] ameriyank: Maybe I'm not explainign this well enough. I have ameriyank.com. On that site I have both links to my shops and links to affialites. If soemoen clicks on a link to my shop and buys, I make a sale. If someone clicks on an affialite link, DOESn't buy, and ends up at MY shop, I make a sale, but do not get paid because of the cookie in their PC. So, to protect myself, I need 2 sites?
[2007.03.27 18:55:21] LeslieCP: ameriyank - i'm confused - any time you make a sale you get paid an amount. are you asking if you get an affiliate commission in this scenario? or if someone else does? or am i not understanding this question?
[2007.03.27 18:55:22] DogWire (hazeleyes7): Correct me if I am wrong - the 567890 in the earlier affiliate URL is what actually identifies the affiliate. A lot of SKs have copy and paste boxes with the code for new affiliates to copy for their banners - where we currently have the XXXXX for the pid, we would place that in the earlier example where the number above was?
[2007.03.27 18:55:22] WarrenCP: CJ has a different affiliate link structure than our CP one. The current program uses a pid to identify who the affiliate is but CJ affiliates use a different affiliate linking structure so if you are a CJ affiliate and would like to link to CJ, adding "?pid=xxxxxx" to the end of the referring URL won't work.
[2007.03.27 18:56:14] Shopaholic Chick: so the 600,000 rishest people get richer and the rest of us get nothing?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?
[2007.03.27 18:56:14] ShelbyCP: The CJ Product Catalog is a tool that helps affiliates structure their campaigns so they can learn the type of products and topics sold on CafePress. Just because a product isn't listed in the Product Catalog doesn't mean a customer referred from an affiliate campaign that used the PC can't find that product .. new customers are finding CafePress and will stay and shop around
[2007.03.27 18:56:36] Erinn: do we have to be a member of CJ to have people affiliate US?
[2007.03.27 18:56:36] WarrenCP: No, you only need to be a member of CJ if you wish to be a CafePress affiliate. As a shopkeeper, you do not have to join CJ to have affiliates link to your shop and products.
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[2007.03.27 18:57:32] eutstars: Wouldn't it be better to keep both affilliate programs? One to bring in outside visitors that wouldn't normally come. And one for the shopkeepers to link to each other and not have to remove most of their pages.
[2007.03.27 18:57:32] JillCP: Hi eutstars: We have received a few questions asking for the Affiliate program AND an internal linking program. This is something that may considered for the future. Thanks for the suggestion.
[2007.03.27 18:57:40] Bear Mountain: Where do we sign up at CJ
[2007.03.27 18:57:40] WarrenCP: You can sign up to be a CJ affiliate at www.cj.com
[2007.03.27 18:57:49] Shopaholic Chick: why cant we put CJ links on our CP shop?
[2007.03.27 18:57:49] ShelbyCP: Because the purpose of the Affiliate Program is to drive traffic from outside CafePress. Therefore, there really isn't a reason to have affiliate links within your CafePress Shop.
[2007.03.27 18:57:52] ameriyank: Marty the solution to interlinking shops in VERY easy. The problem was the cookie--where if someone went from Marketplace to shop 1 and back to marketplace shopkeeper 1 got a commsssion no matter what they bought. Solution is to get rid of Premium shop cookie and just let shopkeepers link between each other with CJ links. We win, CJ wins, CP wins.
[2007.03.27 18:57:52] MartyCP: Actually, in that scenario, Shopkeeper 1 would get a regular sale commission if she sold one of her own products, but would never qualify for an affiliate sale, even if the shopper went back to the marketplace. Premium shop cookies don't come into play.
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[2007.03.27 18:58:30] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.27 18:59:26] Carl (Absolute Cotton): Will other CJ publishers enjoy benefits we're unable to receive? Such as incidental (marketplace) purchases made by traffic referred to a specific shop? If so, is there no way we can enjoy the same benefits of traffic we've referred from offsite?
[2007.03.27 18:59:26] ShelbyCP: You enjoy the same benefit as any CJ affiliate - if you link to CafePress from an external web site, you earn commission for any sale that occurs if you are the most recent referrer from outside the CafePress marketplace.
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[2007.03.27 18:59:45] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.27 18:59:50] ameriyank: LeslieCP--No I am not asking if I get an affilaite commission in this scenario. I am asking if someone uses my affilaite link to get to another shopkeeper's store, doesn't like what they see, and ends up at MY shop and buys, do I lose the commission because they originally visited another shop from a CJ link.
[2007.03.27 18:59:50] LeslieCP: in this scenario, you'd get your standard markup, and it would qualify for volume bonus
[2007.03.27 18:59:58] blonde_designs: is there a way to have multiple cj members affilate us? to boost our sales?
[2007.03.27 18:59:58] WarrenCP: Of course!!
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[2007.03.27 19:00:16] maryo: Have you thought about providing more than one data feed? How about supplying data feeds for niche markets - like dogs, cats, geek, whatever. That way more people's products could be seen.
[2007.03.27 19:00:16] MartyCP: That's a great idea, and we'll probably do it.
[2007.03.27 19:00:40] Bob100: I know the intent is good but I still believe it is a big mistake not to give shopkeepers any incentive to link to other shops from their shops. This will severely impact cross promotion.
[2007.03.27 19:00:40] JillCP: Thanks Bob100! We are getting a lot of requests to create store linking programs. I am confident that this will be considered for the future.
[2007.03.27 19:01:23] LeslieCP: maryo - that is a great idea (especially as a geeky dog person such as myself)...
[2007.03.27 19:01:41] maryo: Thanks, Marty.
[2007.03.27 19:01:57] slamdunk: do we still get commission from our 4th click shops?
[2007.03.27 19:02:10] Shopaholic Chick: SHELBY 25% OF MY SALES COME FROM INTER CP LINKING
[2007.03.27 19:02:10] ShelbyCP: This is the portion of the affiliate program activity we are eliminating because it doesn't drive users outside CafePress.
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[2007.03.27 19:02:41] maryo: LOL - I was thinking of you Leslie.
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[2007.03.27 19:02:53] really_clever: If we choose to not join CJ will be be allowed to have people affliate during this evaluation period or will we have to wait?
[2007.03.27 19:02:53] WarrenCP: You do not have to join CJ in order for CJ affiliates to link to your shops or products. If you wish to allow for CJ affiliates to link to your shop or products, you need to opt your shop into the CafePress.com Affiliate Program. This can be done via the shop management page from in your account.
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[2007.03.27 19:02:59] slamdunk: eliminating 4th click???
[2007.03.27 19:03:00] LeslieCP: hey shopaholic - i'm curious as to how you came up with your traffic sources
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[2007.03.27 19:03:25] Erinn: can we campaign with the CJ users to get them to sell our stuff? like is there a community forum?
[2007.03.27 19:03:25] ShelbyCP: Not currently but we will evaluating this opportunity.
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[2007.03.27 19:03:39] really_clever: the cj website is a little confusing if we choose to sign up do we sign up under publishers?
[2007.03.27 19:03:39] WarrenCP: Yes, sign up as a publisher (affiliate). Their other option, advertiser, refers to merchants such as CafePress.com.
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[2007.03.27 19:04:14] boldave has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 19:04:16] Adam: maybe she used the source column?
[2007.03.27 19:04:20] DogWire (hazeleyes7): I agree with Jim. I like the fact of the help, cart, etc in that white bar but can those that opt out have just the CP logo without it being a hyperlink since it doesnt provide a benefit to the SK? This would maintain consistency to the shops without the link.
[2007.03.27 19:04:20] MartyCP: I don't think we'd budge on the linked logo thing -- it's a pretty basic thing to have the company logo linked at the top.
[2007.03.27 19:04:26] buba has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 19:04:42] umlando: I've got shops linked to each other - all within CP - will this change affect my own, plain vanilla html links to my other shops?
[2007.03.27 19:04:42] ShelbyCP: The links will operate but they will no longer track or report commissions.
[2007.03.27 19:04:46] MartyCP: Slamdunk -- We'll get things figured out with 4th click.
[2007.03.27 19:05:09] slamdunk: how does this affect 4th click shops? does the system automatically know the difference between my products and those I should get commission for?
[2007.03.27 19:05:09] ShelbyCP: We are working with 4thclick to help him migrate his links to the CJ platform. You should contact Alan Dail directly for details.
[2007.03.27 19:05:32] Shadow (Gimme My Cookies): Is there an equivilent to the current CP search box planned or already being implmented to work with CJ? I use that offsite and I know that gets used alot.
[2007.03.27 19:05:32] MartyCP: That's going to be implemented as a link through the CJ system.
[2007.03.27 19:05:44] zoescloset: can you clarify this? so there will be no affiliate pgm at all for several months? Mystic - we are going to evaluate our Loyalty partners closely and if we find they only drive repeat customers, we may not affiliate with them long term. Or we may affiliate for one month to get a fresh pool of customers and close down the affiliate campaign and re-launch it in a few months when there is another "
[2007.03.27 19:05:44] ShelbyCP: Please follow up with me at sferraribreen@cafepress.com and I will explain in detail ok?
[2007.03.27 19:06:15] buba has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.27 19:06:42] Shopaholic Chick: warren i tried that the www.cj.com is NOT an easy site to navigate!!!
[2007.03.27 19:06:42] WarrenCP: MinaCP - It took me a a few times, and it got easier. You'll know where to go in no time. Might look scary in the beginning but it really isn't.
[2007.03.27 19:07:10] givitup: Shelby, it does to drive traffic from outside -my ads,blogs, press releases, etc drive traffic IN
[2007.03.27 19:07:10] ShelbyCP: In this case, you should just update your links to CJ format. We will publish a linking best practices document explaining how to get started within about a week.
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[2007.03.27 19:07:47] Fricka: Before there was an aff program at all we still had that clickable logo... but if someone signed up from clicking on the CP logo we got referral credit... that's going to stay the same right?
[2007.03.27 19:07:47] LeslieCP: hey fricka - yep
[2007.03.27 19:08:00] UncleFrog: Will the CJ cookie be set to pay affiliates for repeat visits and purchases within the 30 day period?
[2007.03.27 19:08:00] WarrenCP: Yep
[2007.03.27 19:08:30] Lekker Jen: How could you not have known that there would be questions about parasites as soon as this change over to CJ was announced? Those should have been anticipated and ready prior to the announcement. You have to know the rep that CJ has....
[2007.03.27 19:08:30] ShelbyCP: To be honest, this surprised me. I think there is a lot of really old information posted on forums like ABestWeb and people really aren't familiar with the best practices that exist today. We will publish an FAQ to provide clarification on this issue.
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[2007.03.27 19:09:19] Sherry: Is there any way for a shopkeeper to know if his products are in the "top 600,000" feed that goes to CJ? And if they aren't there, what he needs to do to get them there? This information would help SK's with goal setting.
[2007.03.27 19:09:19] ShelbyCP: This is a good question and I don't have an answer today. Please check back with us on the issue.
[2007.03.27 19:09:27] ShelfLife: "Volume bonuses reward you for driving sales to your own store." That's a bit disconcerting as we currently get volume bonus credit for marketplace sales. Is this awkward phrasing or a portent of things to come? I.e, losing volume bonus on marketplace sales.
[2007.03.27 19:09:27] JillCP: HI ShelfLife: Volume Bonus is an incentive program. As with all programs, they are evaluated every year for performance. There is nothing scheduled right now that will change this program. It will be revisited at some point.
[2007.03.27 19:09:49] g guy: Will CJ accept subdomains. As... www.myplace.com/mystore?
[2007.03.27 19:09:50] WarrenCP: Yep, they do.
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[2007.03.27 19:10:50] Jolent: I understood you to say yesterday that even tho we can promote your own shops, we still cannot set an affiliate link in sending people to our shops...said it would cause double dipping
[2007.03.27 19:10:51] LeslieCP: You don't want to put in your affiliate link and point at your own shop - this isn't different than the way it works today.
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[2007.03.27 19:11:33] blonde_designs: sorry im blonde...and prolly missed this...but there will be step by step instructions for people like me that need things in idiot terms right?
[2007.03.27 19:11:33] WarrenCP: We will be providing addtional documents in the affiliate page that can be accessed by clicking on the "affiliate program" in the gloabl footer.
[2007.03.27 19:11:43] Shopaholic Chick: if you cannot search CJ and find us - how will other CJ people know we are CJ people?!?!?!?!?!
[2007.03.27 19:11:43] LeslieCP: we're not live until april 10th. stay tuned...
[2007.03.27 19:11:49] Jim: How will the commission work if I send out a newsletter indeoendent of COP and someone buys one of my items fro outside CP but with my affiliate identifier? It sounds like I still do not receive the commission even thouhg I broght the traffic in independent of CP?
[2007.03.27 19:11:49] ShelbyCP: You receive the SK commission as a result of this sale. You also receive the affiliate commission. However we don't allow this as a practice. If it happens accidentally because someone found your product, its OK. The policy prohibits you from linking directly to your products or shops.
[2007.03.27 19:12:04] ShelbyCP: We recognize this may happen accidentally. Its blatant abuse we are looking to prevent
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[2007.03.27 19:13:24] givitup: Shelby, you said to update my links - the links from my press releases, blogs and ads are going to my shop! I can't use CJ on them. I was pointing out to you that it is sending outside traffic to CP when we do that.
[2007.03.27 19:13:24] ShelbyCP: The CJ program is designed for people who operate affiliate businesses outside of CafePress. If you are simply wanting to point to your shop, you probably wouldn't use CJ links for this purpose.
[2007.03.27 19:13:40] Adam: too quick too quick.. small chat window
[2007.03.27 19:13:40] ShelbyCP: indeed
[2007.03.27 19:14:02] Cassiopeia: If someone goes from my off-CP site and buys something from another SK will I ALWAYS get the commission (unlike the 30 day cookie in place now) or is there a situation where the cookie will not override?
[2007.03.27 19:14:02] WarrenCP: It is the most recent referrer so if your link is the last link that is clicked on prior to the purchase, then yes, you will receive affiliate commission for the sale.
[2007.03.27 19:14:46] Jolent: I understood you to say yesterday that even tho we can promote your own shops, we still cannot set an affiliate link in sending people to our shops...said it would cause double dipping
[2007.03.27 19:14:46] ShelbyCP: That is correct. The affiliate program is designed for people who operate affiliate businesses outside of CafePress. Its not designed for people who want to only send people to their CafePress shops.
[2007.03.27 19:14:52] Carl (Absolute Cotton): Slamdunk asked how we as offsite affiliates can send traffic to our shops and still earn credit for purchase they make once on cp's website. What's the answer?
[2007.03.27 19:14:52] MartyCP: The answer is -- you can't. To make money off the affiliate program, you have to send traffic from outside CafePress, to CafePress, and to somewhere other than your own shop. Not a popular answer, but I think we have to be clear that the CJ Affiliate Program is not going to be all things to all people; it's supposed to bring in new traffic to the site.
[2007.03.27 19:14:55] MartyCP: We'll be looking at the cross-linking/conversion issue separately -- and thinking about ways to solve that problem directly, instead of in a roundabout way.
[2007.03.27 19:15:39] GYG: Leslie why not?
[2007.03.27 19:15:39] LeslieCP: sorry - i got a ton of stuff all at once - what question am i answering?
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[2007.03.27 19:17:03] GYG: why not add the pid from our domain to our CP shop?
[2007.03.27 19:17:03] LeslieCP: What I was saying that you shouldn't link to your own shop with your own PID from an external website
[2007.03.27 19:17:08] Jim: This is the first time this phrase was used affiliate businesses outside of CafePress thats make it clearer and should have been used from the strat. Simply put, it is not a program aimed at SKs being affiliate marketers but you want professional affiliate marketers?
[2007.03.27 19:17:08] ShelbyCP: Correct - we are trying to distinguish between the Affiliate and Shopkeeper business since they are very separate activities requiring different skill sets. The way we positioned the current affiliate program was that anybody can make money as an affiliate and some elements of this were not realistic.
[2007.03.27 19:17:16] maryo: Thanks you guys for staying later
[2007.03.27 19:17:37] AngelaCP: welcome maryo :D
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[2007.03.27 19:17:46] AngelaCP: there's still a lot of questions
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[2007.03.27 19:18:09] AngelaCP: marty has 75 in his queue.... we don't think they will all be answered unless we make him stay until midnight ;)
[2007.03.27 19:18:38] Bob100: I think what I'm hearing is that it now will be a disadvantage to link to any other CafePress sites from your shop. Instead of incremental income, those links now are leakage and detract from your own sales.
[2007.03.27 19:18:38] ShelbyCP: For now, I think this is the correct way to think about it. We hope to introduce a program at some point that will encourage linking to other Shops but it will happen outside of the Affiliate Program.
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[2007.03.27 19:19:00] AngelaCP: okay... with so many questions still left...
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[2007.03.27 19:19:11] AngelaCP: we're going to end this in 5 minutes...but continue in The Lobby
[2007.03.27 19:19:32] AngelaCP: it will be open with Marty, Shelby and I
[2007.03.27 19:19:48] AngelaCP: so just a heads up everyone
[2007.03.27 19:19:59] AngelaCP: i thik marty and shelby's hands are hurting :D
[2007.03.27 19:20:34] LeslieCP: overall, i think that some folks do need to decide whether learning how to be a professional affiliate is an additional occupation to take on. being a great shopkeeper can be a full-time occupation itself, without dedicating yourself to a second. i personally love helping folks be creative in their own shops, but talking about links and PID's and such isn't where my specialty is.
[2007.03.27 19:20:43] daedreem_catscratches: Sorry about marty and shelbys hands. :)
[2007.03.27 19:20:59] Sherry: When I joined CJ I was asked for my website url. One of my current affiliates does not have a website, but does have a blog. Can a person who has no external website other than a blog use that as a website when joining CJ? or should they use their CP shop url?
[2007.03.27 19:21:00] WarrenCP: Yup, you can use a blog. I used my blogger.com url for this.
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[2007.03.27 19:21:49] tanith: If I link to MY shop with a CJ affiliate ID I'm in violation of TOS. If the person then leaves my shop and buys elsewhere I get nothing because I wasn't allowed to have an affiliate link. If an different person links to MY shop with a CJ affiliate ID then leaves and goes to another shop THEY get affiliate credit. We BOTH drove OUTSIDE traffic but I don't get any affiliate credit
[2007.03.27 19:21:50] ShelbyCP: We are asking you to differentiate between being an Affiliate Vs. being a Shopkeeper. If you operate an external web site focused around your busines on CafePress, you are choosing the Shopkeeper route. If you have a web site that displays content and banner ads to promote other merchants you are operating as an AFfiliate. You will want to decide which route to take. For some people, it may be bot
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[2007.03.27 19:22:43] jgoode: correct me if i'm wrong. you are saying we can not cross promote. however, we CAN cross promote outside of cp.. on our own domains.. if we have such stores, correct? thats the main point of affiliating..
[2007.03.27 19:22:43] ShelbyCP: That is correct - you CAN cross promote from outside domains. This would be viewed as traffic external to CafePress.
[2007.03.27 19:22:56] LeslieCP: hey tanith - as a shopkeeper, you can drive traffic to your own shop - of course!
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[2007.03.27 19:23:08] LeslieCP: remember: tanith the shopkeeper is different from tanith the affiliate
[2007.03.27 19:23:16] Lekker Jen: Then why not change the current program to one with teirs, peopple will strive to reach higher sales to make more and we don't lose the community that "sets us apart".
[2007.03.27 19:23:17] MartyCP: Unfortunately, even additional affiliate sales with the old system wouldn't have made it profitable. It's the whole system that's the problem -- the payment structure, the code, reporting, everything. With CJ, we eliminate a lot of that because they manage that part of the system for us.
[2007.03.27 19:23:18] umlando: This sounds really complicated, but waaaay less confusing than whe you started. Thanks.
[2007.03.27 19:23:20] MartyCP: I feel personally attached to the old program, since I've worked so much on it over the last year-and-a-half. But even I have to concede that it just wasn't built for success. I think we need two separate programs, of which CJ is one. I don't know what the second is yet, but I hope to be a part of it.
[2007.03.27 19:23:33] LeslieCP: shopkeepers sell their own stuff
[2007.03.27 19:23:39] LeslieCP: affiliates sell other people's stuff
[2007.03.27 19:23:56] mystic: I am confused about not having other shops listed on my shop. If I drive traffic from outside Cp to my shop and then once there I intoduce them to other similar Cp shops, why is that bad?
[2007.03.27 19:23:56] ShelbyCP: Its not bad. Its just that the company is no longer willing to compensate SKs for this type of traffic.
[2007.03.27 19:24:09] FaeryMegg: Do the affiliate cookies only work through referring links? If an Sk creates an online ad that links to their shop and someone with a CJ cookie clicks on that link, will the affiliate get commission or will the SK get all of it?
[2007.03.27 19:24:09] MartyCP: The shopkeeper gets all of it (and yes, it would qualify for volume bonus). It's built that way.
[2007.03.27 19:24:23] slamdunk: need clarification regarding 4th click please
[2007.03.27 19:24:24] ShelbyCP: We are working with 4thclick onthe migration to CJ. Please contact Alan Dail directly regarding next steps
[2007.03.27 19:24:24] dooni designs: Leslie.. speaking of i have still never recieve any top shopkeeper emails @ doonidesigns@aol.com. im sad
[2007.03.27 19:24:25] LeslieCP: weird
[2007.03.27 19:24:30] LeslieCP: am i landing in your spam bucket?
[2007.03.27 19:24:52] cowpie: What happened to the 4th Click question? You're eliminating 4th Click from the affiliate program?
[2007.03.27 19:24:53] ShelbyCP: 4thclick will move to CJ. Please follow up with Alan at 4thclick directly.
[2007.03.27 19:24:54] LeslieCP: shoot topshopkeepers@cafepress.com an e-mail to remind me to look into it
[2007.03.27 19:25:18] eutstars: Leslie, will you help me get my shop exposed? I have alot of designs but am rarely found.
[2007.03.27 19:25:18] LeslieCP: shoot me an e-mail and i'll take a look (addy above works)
[2007.03.27 19:25:24] pet-teez: will things get figured out with PrestoGifto? I don't want to loose all the pages I used it for to built my Teez sites
[2007.03.27 19:25:24] ShelbyCP: We are working with PrestoGifto on the migration to CJ and should have information to share regarding next steps soon.
[2007.03.27 19:25:38] cat1: Angela,why not answer the questions offline put them up,and send us an email to the link?
[2007.03.27 19:25:39] AngelaCP: Cat1, we will do our best to answer the questions that was unanswered and post on the forums. It may take a few days... but great suggestion.
[2007.03.27 19:25:48] blonde_designs: sorry im blonde...and prolly missed this...but there will be step by step instructions for people like me that need things in idiot terms right?
[2007.03.27 19:25:48] ShelbyCP: Absolutely!
[2007.03.27 19:25:51] ameriyank: Let me get this straight, if I join the CJ program and I have links to MY shops and Affilaite shops on a separate web site, if someone clicks on the affilaite link FIRST, and then goes to My shop, I get ZERO?
[2007.03.27 19:25:51] MartyCP: If they clicked through the affiliate link first, and then your link to your store, you'd get your full commission, and the affiliate wouldn't get anything. (Your click would be most recent, and therefore would count.)
[2007.03.27 19:25:53] ShelbyCP: within the week
[2007.03.27 19:26:23] pet-teez: Thanks for the answer Shelby :)
[2007.03.27 19:26:27] FaeryMegg: If affiliates are gonna get sales for traffic I send to my own store, then I'm gonna take all the volume bonus (from the marketplace or not) that I can get.
[2007.03.27 19:26:28] ShelbyCP: This is not correct... not sure what you mean but I think you are going down the wrong path.
[2007.03.27 19:26:40] Shadow (Gimme My Cookies): I aven't seen a top shopkeeper e-mail.... I would like to think I am ... at least this month :)
[2007.03.27 19:26:40] LeslieCP: you should get contacted by dafna if you're a TS - stay tuned :)
[2007.03.27 19:26:59] i'm still sick: I asked Zoe's question, too. Why can't we just get an answer now?
[2007.03.27 19:26:59] ShelbyCP: which question?
[2007.03.27 19:27:22] DogWire (hazeleyes7): If we have a link in our store (without an affiliate id) to our CPshop based url that lists designs of other CP stores and they find (and buy) a product through that new page, is it considered a no-no?
[2007.03.27 19:27:22] MartyCP: Nope, that's legal.
[2007.03.27 19:27:26] Franco has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 19:27:48] pet-teez: I was thanking you for answering the question about prestogifto
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[2007.03.27 19:28:03] dooni designs: anyone know what will happen with prestogifto now?
[2007.03.27 19:28:03] ShelbyCP: This was answered but in case you missed it we are working with Jessie at PrestoGifto to migrate to CJ and will have more information soon regarding next steps.
[2007.03.27 19:28:28] pet-teez: why is it so important that they come from out of CP? it'd be a sale that may not have happened anyway
[2007.03.27 19:28:28] ShelbyCP: Because otherwise we are double-paying for the commission and the program is unprofitable.
[2007.03.27 19:29:08] Circusvalley has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 19:29:09] Towal: why all the 'email me" crap? It's SO inefficent. Why not answer here, in the forum and on FAQs so that we can ALL see the answer and not have to send a million seperate emails to get our questions answered
[2007.03.27 19:29:09] ShelbyCP: Because some people's questions are very in depth or require research on our part before we can answer. Its not a conspiracy to not answer questions... doing the best we can :)
[2007.03.27 19:29:26] luvmytzus: ShelbyCP, how does that mean CP is double-paying?
[2007.03.27 19:29:56] LeslieCP: 'cuz tanith the shopkeeper should be promoting the shop as part of being a shopkeeper. affiliates sell other people's things - not their own.
[2007.03.27 19:29:59] ShelbyCP: It means we are paying the affiliate and SK for the same sale.
[2007.03.27 19:30:18] givitup: If tanith shopkeeper is different from tanith affiliate why can't tanith affiliate link to tanith shopkeeper's shop and if the customer goes on to CP and buys - tanith affilate get credit?
[2007.03.27 19:30:18] LeslieCP: oops that's the question i just answered
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[2007.03.27 19:30:45] Jim: Shelby, so if I send out an independent newsletter from CP, the only way I will earn affiliate money if by driving them to the marketplace (or naother shop) planting my cookie via my shop will do nothing?
[2007.03.27 19:30:45] ShelbyCP: That is correct Jim. What I would recommend you do is send traffic to other Shops or the marketplace for Designs you don't offer in your Shop.
[2007.03.27 19:30:56] givitup: shopkeepers sell their own stuff
LeslieCP: affiliates sell other people's stuff
[2007.03.27 19:30:56] LeslieCP: right-o
[2007.03.27 19:31:00] LeslieCP has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.27 19:31:08] AngelaCP: hey everyone - jill and leslie has to run... they have a meeting they're late to. they said bye!!!
[2007.03.27 19:31:31] ShelfLife: Shelby, I absolutely do not believe that you are surprised by the parasite argument. Or that you believe that affiliates think that loyalty programs are "clean" -- affiliates KNOW the CODE of CONDUCT and all the other "standards" in place, but they disagree with the definitions used. If that surprises you, I'M STUNNED. IMO, you'd be better served to publicly recognize that there are (cont...)
[2007.03.27 19:31:31] ShelbyCP: ...
[2007.03.27 19:31:36] GYG: But it seems the marketplace needs to refurbish its ways of selecting products- ie: tag spamming.. or this will not do some of us any good at all
[2007.03.27 19:31:36] MartyCP: We hate tag spamming as much as you guys do, obviously. I think we're going to schedule a chat just so we can discuss ideas with shopkeepers on how to best combat it. I've got some ideas, and I'm guessing you guys havea lot more.
[2007.03.27 19:31:46] ShelfLife: SHELBY, cont. If that surprises you, I'M STUNNED. IMO, you'd be better served to publicly recognize that there are differences of opinion rather an attempt to discredit people who disagree with your definitions.
[2007.03.27 19:31:46] ShelbyCP: Fair enough ... there are differences of opinion.
[2007.03.27 19:31:49] blonde_designs: is the lobby open now?
[2007.03.27 19:31:51] BrittaCP: yes it is
[2007.03.27 19:32:03] blonde_designs: thanks britta
[2007.03.27 19:32:07] ShelbyCP: And we are all learning about these various perspectives and will communicate when we know more.
[2007.03.27 19:32:15] Erinn: bye thank you
[2007.03.27 19:32:18] AngelaCP: bye everyone! i'll see you in The Lobby
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[2007.03.27 19:33:08] jdp: How the heck do we get in the lobby???
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[2007.03.27 19:33:25] BrittaCP: if you don't see it... log out and back in... double click on it to enter