Cafe Chatter

Welcome to Cafe Chatter - Grab a cup of coffee or a nice glass of tea and pull up a comfy chair while we talk about our lives, our relationships, what it's like to return to school, how much we love (or hate) our jobs and how great (or miserable) our online stores are doing!! Cafepress brought us together as friends and now we are inviting you to join us!!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

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
[2007.03.27 17:00:00] Message queued in room for moderator(s)
[2007.03.27 17:01:51] Bear Mountain has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2007.03.27 17:23:04] Jim has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2007.03.27 17:57:46] MartyCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2007.03.27 17:59:13] artfromnature has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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"
[2007.03.27 18:00:01] givitup has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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...
[2007.03.27 18:00:15] zoescloset has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:00:16] trscott: hey carl...
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[2007.03.27 18:00:26] Message sent to moderator(s)
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[2007.03.27 18:00:42] UncleFrog has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:00:44] AngelaCP: hi everyone
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[2007.03.27 18:00:45] i'm still sick has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2007.03.27 18:00:54] AngelaCP: we'll be ready to start in 2 minutes....
[2007.03.27 18:00:55] JillCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2007.03.27 18:01:14] DogWire (hazeleyes7) has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:01:21] Buyyours: hello
[2007.03.27 18:01:27] boogerballs has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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?
[2007.03.27 18:01:40] kippy has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:01:45] Rico: Hello
[2007.03.27 18:01:46] Adam has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:01:47] maryo has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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
[2007.03.27 18:01:58] GYG has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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??!!/
[2007.03.27 18:03:50] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.27 18:03:54] AngelaCP: so now... shelby....
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[2007.03.27 18:04:10] Towal has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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. :)
[2007.03.27 18:04:51] Agent 86 has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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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.
[2007.03.27 18:05:17] buba has left the room (logged out)
[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
[2007.03.27 18:05:47] umlando has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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 18:09:17] Message sent to moderator(s)
[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 18:10:39] ameriyank has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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
[2007.03.27 18:12:11] justbernard has left the room (logged out)
[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.
[2007.03.27 18:17:08] Shawn - Pristinephoto has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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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 18:17:51] zehda has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:17:53] BrittaCP: we're reconnecting
[2007.03.27 18:17:54] MarcCP has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.27 18:17:55] AngelaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:17:59] MartyCP: Sorry about that folks -- network hiccup.
[2007.03.27 18:18:01] JillCP has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.27 18:18:03] MartyCP: Doesn't that figure?
[2007.03.27 18:18:09] ShelbyCP has left the room (logged out)
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[2007.03.27 18:18:23] ShelbyCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:18:30] MarcCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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
[2007.03.27 18:21:37] JillCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:22:05] Kim has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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.
[2007.03.27 18:23:12] The_Late_Affiliate has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.27 18:23:24] really_clever has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[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 18:28:20] SeattleNetball has left the room (logged out)
[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.
[2007.03.27 18:31:28] MarcCP has left the room (logged out)
[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.
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[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 18:59:50] 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 19:04:16] 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?
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[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.
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[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

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Monday, March 26, 2007

Official chatroom log 3/26/07

[2007.03.26 18:20:47] Welcome to the CafePress Chat Room[2007.03.26 19:02:24] AngelaCP: Hi everyone
[2007.03.26 19:02:38] AngelaCP: thank you for attending today's affiliate chat[2007.03.26 19:03:04] AngelaCP: the host of today's chat is Shelby, our affiliate manager
[2007.03.26 19:03:12] Bob has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:03:24] AngelaCP: with us today, is Warren, Affiliate Associate[2007.03.26 19:03:37] AngelaCP: We have MarcCP, BrittaCP, and MartyCP
[2007.03.26 19:04:00] Nimirra has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:04:00] AngelaCP: MartyCP left his laptop at home, so he will answer questions in the form of AngelaCP or BrittaCP
[2007.03.26 19:04:10] AngelaCP: This chat is moderated
[2007.03.26 19:04:30] AngelaCP: There is another chat tomorrow for the Affiliate CJ program
[2007.03.26 19:04:58] screamer: Is the chat tomorrow at 3 covering the same information as this one?
[2007.03.26 19:05:01] AngelaCP: I can answer this now
[2007.03.26 19:05:30] AngelaCP: today's chat is for current members of our Affiliate Program to answer any questions you may have regarding the transition
[2007.03.26 19:05:36] Fi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:05:42] BizarreTees - Kelly has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:05:51] AngelaCP: Tomorrow's chat is to learn more about the new Affiliate Program on CJ
[2007.03.26 19:05:57] ethel0001 has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:06:12] AngelaCP: So i'm going to pass this on to Shelby
[2007.03.26 19:06:26] topteedesigns has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:06:29] AngelaCP: We only have an hour so let's get started....
[2007.03.26 19:06:30] jen has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:06:33] ShelbyCP: Thank you for joining us today!
[2007.03.26 19:06:34] rightwingmike has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:06:48] ShelbyCP: We’re here to talk about the new CafePress Affiliate program – powered by Commission Junction – and the process for transition from our current internal program to this third party network.
[2007.03.26 19:07:03] danesrus has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:07:13] ShelbyCP: We want to thank those who have sent questions to us at affiliates@cafepress.com and posted on the forums, and encourage you to keep them coming.
[2007.03.26 19:07:18] JillCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:07:28] ShelbyCP: Remember – FAQ’s can be seen at http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/affiliate/cjfaqs#qs
[2007.03.26 19:07:53] ShelbyCP: Before we get started I’d like to give a brief overview of the new program, and offer a bit more information as to how and why choose to partner with a 3rd party affiliate network.
[2007.03.26 19:08:10] ShelbyCP: In October of 2006 marked the one-year anniversary of the current affiliate program. We needed to know from our SK’s what they thought about the program. This was done in tandem with a financial review of the program.
[2007.03.26 19:08:11] ManishaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:08:37] thinkdeeper has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:08:55] ShelbyCP: The original objective of this program was to drive incremental external traffic to CafePress. We discovered that it did not meet this objective. It also did not meet the financial objectives and our Shopkeepers told us, via survey, that they expected more out of the program.
[2007.03.26 19:09:15] ShelbyCP: Why did we choose to close the current system?
[2007.03.26 19:09:32] ShelbyCP: It was not meeting the above objectives, and less than 3% of the Shopkeeper community have joined the Affiliate program.
[2007.03.26 19:09:39] jillkk has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:10:11] ShelbyCP: Only ¼% (one quarter of one percent) of our total SK community has earned any affiliate commission in the program.
[2007.03.26 19:10:18] JaNell: Plus, I'm wondering why we can't have both CJ AND in-house affiliate programs? Zazzle does.
[2007.03.26 19:10:18] JillCP: JaNell:
[2007.03.26 19:10:47] AngelaCP: sorry about this, janell - we'll answer this after shelby's done w/her intro
[2007.03.26 19:10:53] ShelbyCP: Also, the program was doing very well driving traffic internally, from one shop to another, but this was not meeting the objective of driving new traffic to CafePress – and ultimately this is not profitable.
[2007.03.26 19:11:01] ShelbyCP: Therefore we were faced with a 2 choices:
[2007.03.26 19:11:25] necok9s has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:11:30] ShelbyCP: 1. Close this program, that was ultimately missing the mark on expected return, and have NO affiliate program.
[2007.03.26 19:11:33] LuvLetters has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:11:53] ShelbyCP: 2. Close the program, and partner with an external affiliate network.
[2007.03.26 19:12:05] ShelbyCP: We decided that the opportunity to benefit from an affiliate program was too valuable to pass up, and we chose to start looking at 3rd party options.
[2007.03.26 19:12:10] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:12:13] ShelbyCP: We looked at 4 affiliate program providers
[2007.03.26 19:12:28] ShelbyCP: We chose CJ – Why?
[2007.03.26 19:12:41] ShelbyCP: 1. We wanted to meet some very specific objectives, the most key objective being drive more traffic to CafePress merchandise from site outside of CafePress. CJ has the largest reach, and the best opportunity to do just that.
[2007.03.26 19:13:03] ShelbyCP: 2. Last October we polled all affiliates via email (survey monkey poll) – 34% of active affiliates responded. We learned that the most used external program by our Shopkeepers/Affiliates was CJ –over 56% of the respondents reporting current activity on CJ.
[2007.03.26 19:13:22] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:13:32] CathyJ has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:13:36] ShelbyCP: 3. Other networks require exclusivity, and should we want to develop another internal program in the future, or partner with other networks we won’t be prohibited from doing so.
[2007.03.26 19:14:01] ShelbyCP: Other benefits to external networks are improved reporting tools, html banners, direct deposit, all of which CJ provides.
[2007.03.26 19:14:14] ShelbyCP: We know this decision is not popular with many folks, and we’re sorry to those who are upset. Please know that we did do our homework, and we did decide on this program with the best interest of 3 parties in mind – our entire network of Shopkeepers, Affiliates, and CafePress.
[2007.03.26 19:14:46] ShelbyCP: Now – lets jump right into Q&A – we know you have questions – so please send them in – we will answer all that we can. Thank you
[2007.03.26 19:15:09] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:16:25] Jim: is there going to be a rep from CJ here tomorrow?
[2007.03.26 19:16:44] JillCP: JaNell: Thanks for your question about the ability to have both an internal program and an external network. Ultimately, we chose to work with an external network because building and maintaining Affiliate programs is not a core competency for CafePress. We wanted to provide the capability but there are other companies out there that can do a better job at this than CP.
[2007.03.26 19:17:04] AngelaCP: No there will not be a CJ rep here on tomorrow's chat. The affiliate team will be here to answer your questions. Shelby, Warren, and Mina
[2007.03.26 19:17:14] BWS has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:18:26] Lekker Jen: If we decide to opt out of the marketplace at some point and then opt in again later... Would we lose our rankings and start from scratch, or would we be put in the mix using stats from our previous stint in the marketplace?
[2007.03.26 19:18:26] ShelbyCP: No, you would not start from scratch. Position in the marketplace is not affected by opting out and opting in again.
[2007.03.26 19:18:47] Lekker Jen has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:18:51] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:19:01] Lekker Jen has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:19:04] springdale has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:19:39] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:19:47] Lekker Jen has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:20:10] Lekker Jen has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:20:16] Fi has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:20:16] MinaCP: Andy: No, you can link to specific shops but no to your own
[2007.03.26 19:20:27] MinaCP: *not
[2007.03.26 19:20:46] Shawn - Pristinephoto: The FAQ states that we cant use CJ links to link to our own shops/products. While I understand that shopkeepers will not be able to earn commissions on their own products, this prevents affiliates who are also shopkeepers from setting a cookie on a shoppers machine. Is this a case where the FAQ is worded poorly or is it true that we cannot set cookies when linking from our websites to our shops?
[2007.03.26 19:20:46] WarrenCP: As with the current program, linking to your own shops/products is not allowed. We will have a system in place where we monitor orders that may have been incidentally referred to an affiliates own CafePress shop.
[2007.03.26 19:21:51] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:21:57] JaNell: Could you give us the exact % breakdown for commissions on CafePress items that we sell through CJ?
[2007.03.26 19:21:57] WarrenCP: The base commission rate is 15% for CJ Affiliates participating in the CafePress Affiliate Program.
[2007.03.26 19:22:24] BWS has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:22:52] hazeleyes7: What is the difference between today's chat and that of tomorrow?
[2007.03.26 19:22:52] MinaCP: Hazeleyes: Today's chat is for current affiliates to get an overview of the CJ transition. Tomorrow is to learn more about the new program on CJ
[2007.03.26 19:23:27] CathyJ: Will people be able to choose categories or direct link to CP only?
[2007.03.26 19:23:28] WarrenCP: If you're referring to where CJ affiliates can link to, yes, CJ affiliates have a choice as to where they can link to in the CafePress website.
[2007.03.26 19:23:50] Adam has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:23:52] hazeleyes7: If a customer follows an external affiliate link to our shop but then clicks on CafePress in the white upper bar and buys something in the marketplace, do we still get the affiliate sale?
[2007.03.26 19:23:52] ShelbyCP: In this case, no. The affiliate who drove the customer from outside of CafePress would earn credit for the sale since they brought the customer to CafePress in the first place.
[2007.03.26 19:24:06] Adam has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:24:25] Lekker Jen: Did you ask these current Sks that were with CJ how they felt about it, or just assume they were there and all was welll? Seems to me it's more than just who is there now.
[2007.03.26 19:24:25] JillCP: Thanks Lekker Jen for your question about the how the SK's felt about CJ. The survey did ask SK's what they liked about the networks they were associated with as well as what they disliked. We asked them about specific items and provided open ended options so that we would receive all comments people wanted to share.
[2007.03.26 19:25:07] Sherry: Have all current members of the Affiliate program (even non SK's) been notified of the impending change or should SK's notify those they know of?
[2007.03.26 19:25:07] WarrenCP: Yes, all CafePress Affiliates have been notified regarding the migration.
[2007.03.26 19:25:26] absolute cotton: You mentioned you had only 2 options: 3d party or nothing. What about option #3: aggressively market the existing affiliate program to outside partners instead of leaving it up to the shopkeepers to affiliate each other?
[2007.03.26 19:25:26] ShelbyCP: Good question! The feedback we received from SuperAffiliates outside of CafePress was that they aggregate all of their affiliate relationships on the major providers like CJ, LinkShare, or Performics. It is inefficient for them to partner with merchants on a one-off basis. Also, our reporting systems did not meet their needs in all cases.
[2007.03.26 19:25:27] stickerpedia has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:25:53] screamer: Folks online today do not need to attend tomorrow because it will provide the same information, is that correct?
[2007.03.26 19:25:53] MinaCP: screamer: It covers slightly different topics, tomorrow is about the benefits, and differences of the program
[2007.03.26 19:27:13] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:27:18] ace: Will we still lose 5% commission and volume bonus rights from affiliate sales made through CJ like we did with the CP affiliate program, or will this policy be eliminated with the new CJ program.
[2007.03.26 19:27:18] ShelbyCP: This policy will remain as is.
[2007.03.26 19:27:39] Shawn - Pristinephoto: Actually, Warren didn't answer my question. Currently linking to your own shop is allowed in the current system. It only sets a cookie but does not give commission, but it DOES set a cookie.. My question is in the new system will it behave the same way?
[2007.03.26 19:27:39] WarrenCP: Sorry about that, yes, it will set a cookie.
[2007.03.26 19:27:53] Mare SK: Do you have to be an affiliate to be in the Marketplace at all?
[2007.03.26 19:27:53] MinaCP: No, you don't have to be an affiliate to be in the Marketplace, you only have to be opted into teh Marketplace, if you want people to affiliate to your shop/products.
[2007.03.26 19:27:56] AngelaCP: Everyone that's a member of the affiliate program that was opt in for communication should have received an email with a link to the survey in October 2006
[2007.03.26 19:28:01] The_Amazing Shadow: Did all the affiliates get sent this survey, because I checked my email and never recieved one?
[2007.03.26 19:28:15] AngelaCP: I answered Amazing Shadow's question...
[2007.03.26 19:28:57] topteedesigns has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:29:15] BWS has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:29:25] BizarreTees - Kelly has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:29:34] blonde_designs: not a question..more of a statement...I'm all for it if it boosts sales!
[2007.03.26 19:29:34] MinaCP: More sales are good! :)
[2007.03.26 19:29:45] Suntop has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:29:54] BizarreTees - Kelly has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:30:01] Towal: I'm confused by some of this. We were told we were growing faster than expected...heck faster than CP could even keep up with. The best holiday season ever..blah blah blah so why a huge push to bring in MORE traffic in a rapid way rather than giving the program TIME to succeed?
[2007.03.26 19:30:01] JillCP: Hi Towal: Thanks for the question about growth. The growth that our SK's are experiencing is fueling the growth for CafePress and we are having a hard time keeping up with it. This doesn't mean that we don't want you to have more visitors to grow even faster. More traffic will drive more of your sales. We love the challenge our Shopkeepers provide us and we want to help you grow more.
[2007.03.26 19:30:42] camo baby has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:31:22] Dooni Designs: will our links still work with the pid's.. just as links or will they become "broken links?"
[2007.03.26 19:31:22] WarrenCP: Your current affiliate links will continue to be tracked until May 31, 2007. Afterwards, the links will still direct to the specified location URL however, traffic and transaction data will no longer be recorded. We've had a couple of requests for the current links to be re-directed and we're currently investigating it.
[2007.03.26 19:31:27] Lekker Jen: Will Loyalty Programs be actively recruited?
[2007.03.26 19:31:27] ShelbyCP: Loyalty programs are one of several affiliate business models we will recruit for, provided they meet the Code of Conduct related to software applications published by the affiliate industry providers and the CafePress TOS on CJ. Not all loyalty affiliates are parasites and we need to be smart enough to know the difference. We will publish our guidelines regarding this issue soon.
[2007.03.26 19:31:45] camo baby gifts has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:32:11] LuvLetters: Presently,For shops to appear in the marketplace they must be a part of the affiliate program...will this still hold true under CJ?
[2007.03.26 19:32:11] WarrenCP: Yes, in order for a shop to be in the marketplace, it must be opted into the CafePress Affiliate Program.
[2007.03.26 19:32:16] stickerpedia has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:32:27] Rhea: What are the names of the loyalty programs with which CP will affiliate through CJ?
[2007.03.26 19:32:27] ShelbyCP: We don't know yet. We need to have more conversations with these affiliates and understand if they can meet the needs of our Shopkeepers
[2007.03.26 19:32:30] Jim: why was the announcement handled so poorly, without any FAQ ready to do rigt away?
[2007.03.26 19:32:37] MarcCP: We’re sorry you feel that way. We emailed all current members of the affiliate program members within 12 hours to notify them of the changes, and FAQ’s were posted that next afternoon.
[2007.03.26 19:33:36] screamer: Is the commission rate the same?
[2007.03.26 19:33:36] ShelbyCP: The commission payout through CJ is 15%.
[2007.03.26 19:34:06] Adam has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:34:09] LuvLetters has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:34:54] screamer: do we need to do anything to "sign up" as an affiliate again, or do anything else to our affiliate links to make the "transition"?
[2007.03.26 19:34:54] MinaCP: You need to get an account with CJ. We are looking into a solution that will be easy for the links to transition.
[2007.03.26 19:34:56] puzzled has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:35:04] stickerpedia has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:35:17] JillCP: Towal: To finish the last question you asked about growth, stating that it is confusing. The current affiliate program was not achieving financial objectives and helping with growth. In fact, by eliminating this program it will help the growth more. Our ability to build and maintain Affiliate systems is not a core competency.
[2007.03.26 19:35:21] puzzled has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:35:56] Bob: Can you describe the major differences to shopkeepers and affiliates under CJ?
[2007.03.26 19:35:56] WarrenCP: For shopkeepers, the changes to the Affiliate Program will not impact them as much as Affiliates. For Affiliates, they will receive a world class tracking system along with HTML tools. Additionally, CJ offers direct deposit as a form of payment.
[2007.03.26 19:36:56] Adam: how long will the cookie last for?
[2007.03.26 19:36:56] MinaCP: The cookie will last for 30 days.
[2007.03.26 19:37:16] camo baby has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:37:19] JaNell DBA "JaZilla": Why is linking to your own products not allowed, and is this CJ's decision, or CP's?
[2007.03.26 19:37:19] ShelbyCP: Linking to your own products is not allowed and this is CafePress's policy. The purpose of the Affiliate Program is to have third parties (besides CP and the SK) drive more traffic to CafePress.
[2007.03.26 19:37:26] chickles: how will the top 600,000 products be chosen for the feed to CJ?
[2007.03.26 19:37:30] MarcCP: Best selling products
[2007.03.26 19:37:48] zoescloset: can you please clarify the rule about not linking to your own items. how does this work if you are linking to a group of items (or to a section of the marketplace) that may include some of your own designs but also includes those done by other shopkeepers
[2007.03.26 19:37:48] WarrenCP: The rule is a CJ Affiliate who is also a CafePress shopkeeper may not link to their own products or shops. We will have a system in place that allows us to monitor transactions for "double dipping"
[2007.03.26 19:38:12] ace: If I bring traffic in from google to my shop, then link to another shopkeepers shop. Do I get a commission for generating the traffic?
[2007.03.26 19:38:12] ShelbyCP: Linking to your own Shop is not permitted. You can link to portal pages, the marketplace, search results or other Shops from Google to generate an Affiliate commission.
[2007.03.26 19:39:10] zoescloset: I'd like some more clarification. So it is okay for us to set a cookie and if someone with our cookie ends up buying something we created, the cookie will just be ignored?
[2007.03.26 19:39:10] ShelbyCP: What do you mean by set a cookie?
[2007.03.26 19:39:12] KellKell SK: If we opt out of the new CJ aff. program, will we still be listed in the CP marketplace?
[2007.03.26 19:39:12] MinaCP: You don't have to be a CJ affiliate. You choose to opt out of the marketplace only if you don't want to be picked to be affiliated to.
[2007.03.26 19:40:04] cat1: will the CJ affil program disallow volume bonus?
[2007.03.26 19:40:04] WarrenCP: The migration to CJ does not change the volume bonus for shopkeepers. Affiliate sales do not currently count towards the shopkeeprs volume bonus. This rule will remain intacted when program migrates over to CJ.
[2007.03.26 19:40:27] prfctlyred: Will you have an xml feed with CafePress?
[2007.03.26 19:40:28] MinaCP: prfctlyred: Yes, it's part of the developer's network
[2007.03.26 19:41:02] RWS has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:41:08] shopaholicchick: will we be automatically added to CJ if we are opted in to the marketplace?
[2007.03.26 19:41:08] WarrenCP: If your shop is currently opted into the Affiliate Program (opted into the marketplace), then CJ Affiliates can link to your products/shops.
[2007.03.26 19:41:20] Dazzle has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:42:00] dcgal has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:42:01] ace has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:42:05] ace has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:42:16] scarebaby: My question is simple and based on ignorance. What's "in it" for the shopkeepers here?
[2007.03.26 19:42:16] MinaCP: scarebaby: Shopkeepers will get more traffic provided by the reach of the affiliates in the CJ network that want to advertise us.
[2007.03.26 19:42:18] Jolent: Our current inshop affiliate links to other shops...will they need to be removed? Changed?
[2007.03.26 19:42:18] WarrenCP: Until May 31, 2007, in shop links will still be tracked and recorded. Following that date, traffic and transaction data will no longer be recorded.
[2007.03.26 19:43:04] Rasael has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:43:18] kiwi: One year seems a very short time to give the existing program to become viable. Most new ventures don't turn profit the first year. Many of us feel that it was not given a chance to take off.
[2007.03.26 19:43:18] ShelbyCP: Its a good point Kiwi, and we considered this. Only 0.25% of our community actively participated in the Affiliate Program and its not meeting financial objectives. We feel migrating to CJ will extend our reach and bring the incremental customers our Shopkeepers need to increase their sales. In the end, this is all about making more money for the Shopkeepers.
[2007.03.26 19:43:23] JillCP: Towal: You are asking why we can not leave the program in place longer. We are not doing so because of priorities. If we leave this in place longer we will have to pull back on other programs such as launching new merchandise which benefits most of the Community and only a quarter of a percent of our Shopkeepers benefited from the current program.
[2007.03.26 19:43:32] Lekker Jen: Why is the time period for change over so short?
[2007.03.26 19:43:32] MinaCP: Lekker Jen: The program is scheduled to end May 31, which provide 2 months to transition.
[2007.03.26 19:43:44] slamdunk: will people who manage "shirt of the day" blogs, and top site lists still be able to function in the same manner?
[2007.03.26 19:43:44] WarrenCP: Yes, these sites can still function as normal. However, they should definitely join the CafePress Affiliate Program powered by CJ which will be launched in mid April
[2007.03.26 19:43:54] NinaPa: How will the transition affect 4thclick affiliates, who have mixed sites including both their own products and those of other CP shops?
[2007.03.26 19:43:54] ShelbyCP: We are working closely with Alan from 4thclick to handle his migration to CJ as smoothly as possible. You should follow up with Alan directly regarding next steps.
[2007.03.26 19:43:59] Bob: Well direct deposit definately is a good thing! Hope CafePress adopts that soon! :)
[2007.03.26 19:43:59] MinaCP: Yes direct deposit is a good thing. :)
[2007.03.26 19:44:12] Cassiopeia has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:44:18] boop: If we opt out of the affiliate program are we automatically opted out of the marketplace?
[2007.03.26 19:44:18] WarrenCP: Yes, if you opt your shop out of the Affiliate Program, that shop will be opted out of the CafePress marketplace.
[2007.03.26 19:44:53] clipprx has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:46:04] kiwi: WarrenCP - we don't want both affiliate comission and our own commission on our own products. We want to be able to set the shopper's cookie.
[2007.03.26 19:46:04] WarrenCP: Linking to your own shop will drop a cookie on the customers browser, however, that goes against our Affiliate Agreement and we will be monitoring these types of transactions (assuming a sale is made).
[2007.03.26 19:46:43] hazeleyes7 has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:46:59] camo baby gifts: i been to cj but cant find out how to sign up how do we do that
[2007.03.26 19:47:12] MarcCP: The program begins on April 10, you’ll be able to sign up easily on that date. Check with Warren at affiliates@cafepress.com , he’ll be able to walk you through it
[2007.03.26 19:47:12] clipprx: If a cj member puts some of my stuff on their site and something is sold. What is my commission, if any?
[2007.03.26 19:47:12] MinaCP: clipprx: 15% base, if you earn more than 10,000 a month it's 20%
[2007.03.26 19:47:20] Bob: Will we still see where the sale came from in the CafePress sales reports? In other words will we see which came from CJ, which from the marketplace and which from our shops?
[2007.03.26 19:47:20] WarrenCP: Yes, in your shop reports, we will still provide the source of the sale.
[2007.03.26 19:47:53] Christie: Will I be able to link to a specific product and receive affiliate commission like I can now?
[2007.03.26 19:47:53] WarrenCP: Yeeeeeesssssss
[2007.03.26 19:48:25] Bridgett: Was it taken into account that most SK's aren't really, really big into being an affliate and are just now barely grasping the process? Because of this if they sign up for CJ, and they don't perform to CJ's expectations that their account will be locked? As was mine.
[2007.03.26 19:48:25] ShelbyCP: CJ's policy is that accounts that generate $0.00 within 6 months are deactivated. As long as you earn at least $0.01 in six months, your CJ account will remain active.
[2007.03.26 19:48:29] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:49:09] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:49:20] Adam: why didnt you fix the current program rather than seek alternative 3rd party solutions?
[2007.03.26 19:49:20] JillCP: Adam: To answer why we didn't fix the program. Our core competency is to enable people to sell and share their products through an online shop, make and fulfill the orders and provide customer service. Our core competency is not building and maintaining Affiliate systems. By staying true to our core, we can help our Shopkeepers w/ improved stores, merch and service.
[2007.03.26 19:49:30] char: will xml still be available to create custom datafeeds or only the 600,000 will be available
[2007.03.26 19:49:33] MarcCP: All of the API’s that are currently available will still be available.
[2007.03.26 19:51:20] JaNell DBA "JaZilla": What about Cj's policy of shutting accounts that don't "make enough"?
[2007.03.26 19:51:20] WarrenCP: CJ's TOS states that if an affiliate does not generate a commission (0.01 or more) within a 6 month time frame, their account will be de-activated. As long as you generate any commission in that time span, your account will remain active.
[2007.03.26 19:51:30] i'm sick: So maybe this is more of a question for tomorrow...but then how do we plan ahead? Can we implement new links before April 10?
[2007.03.26 19:51:30] MinaCP: you can only start to link on April 10, when we launch to the public..
[2007.03.26 19:52:01] MrsEvilGenius has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:52:22] zehda has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:52:57] ameriyank: THe only problem I have with the new program is we can't link to other shops from our shops. If you can fix that, I might be actually use the affilaite program at CJ. The way it is being set up, I am not sure I want to participate because it means I have to build a new web site and take on that added expense.
[2007.03.26 19:52:57] MinaCP: ameriyank: You can't link from a shop, you'll have to use an external website.
[2007.03.26 19:53:32] Kate has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2007.03.26 19:54:34] Sherry: Signing up at CJ is not easy (or maybe not possible?) for those who do not have a website. Will these people be able to affiliate?
[2007.03.26 19:54:34] WarrenCP: You can enter in your CafePress shop domain and will contact you if necessary regarding your sign-up.
[2007.03.26 19:55:07] maryo: I'm sorry but I just don't believe that veteran affiliate marketers would ever choose CJ as their affiliate network of choice.
[2007.03.26 19:55:07] ShelbyCP: We have spoken to many veteran affiliate marketers (inside and outside of the CafePress community) and many people are very excited about our choice to go with CJ. I think there a lot of misconceptions circulating on the forums and we hope people will judge CJ through personal experience working and not through hearsay. Also, we hope people will recognize CJ has matured a lot in the last 4 years.
[2007.03.26 19:55:16] Jolent: If commission payout through CJ is 15%, how much are we actually paying out? Surely CJ is going to make something.
[2007.03.26 19:55:16] MinaCP: Jolent: 5% to cover program costs
[2007.03.26 19:55:25] luvletters has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 19:55:51] Lekker Jen: Jill, you didn't answer the question TOWAL asked. Why not give the Affiliate program more time?
[2007.03.26 19:55:51] JillCP: Hi Lekker Jen: Sorry about the response to Towal. I did respond but there is a character limit on the answers, so I had to split it. The answer to time extension was that we had tradeoffs. We could prioritize this and leave it or hold back on programs that benefit a most of the community. This was a hard decision. Shopkeepers that earned commissions are a 1/4 of a percent of the total community.
[2007.03.26 19:56:42] puzzled has left the room (logged out)
[2007.03.26 19:56:55] slamdunk: can we still link to specific products?
[2007.03.26 19:56:55] MinaCP: yes, you can still link to specific product, except the ones that are excluded: custom postage, and fulfillment items
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[2007.03.26 19:57:27] Rhea: Please define a super-affiliate. Please explain the difference between an ordinary affiliate and a super-affiliate. Please identify some super-affiliates so SKs can familiarize themselves with these entities.
[2007.03.26 19:57:27] ShelbyCP: Marketingterms.com defines SuperAffiliate as: An affiliate capable of generating a significant percentage of an affiliate program's activity. One example I can think of from the Affiliate Summit panel is Vinny from Incubeta.
[2007.03.26 19:57:31] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:57:42] ameriyank: What's a loyalty program?
[2007.03.26 19:57:42] WarrenCP: Loyalty Programs are basically programs (websites) that reward a customers for making purchases from the list of merchants that they offer. Ususally, the reward is in the form of points which they can redeem for a prize or a cash back on their purchase.
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[2007.03.26 19:57:50] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2007.03.26 19:58:01] AngelaCP: Just to clarify, you do not have to be in the CJ affiliate program for your shop to show up in the CP marketplace. However, if you do not want your shop or products to be available for affiliates on the CJ affiliate program - you will need to opt of the marketplace. I hope this clears it up.
[2007.03.26 19:58:05] KellKell SK: We're getting conflicting answers here -- do SK's *have* to be opted in to the new CJ affiliate program (even if they choose not to be a CJ affiliate) to remain listed in the CP marketplace or not??
[2007.03.26 19:58:20] AngelaCP: reverse again...my answer to KellKell SK
[2007.03.26 19:58:36] NinaPa: Will we still want to provide a page in our CP shop with info on CJ's affiliate program instead of the old CP one, and include our own shop banners and text links? If so, how will we build that page?
[2007.03.26 19:58:36] ShelbyCP: You could still do this in the same manner you do today. You should contact affiliates@cafepress.com and we can schedule a call with you to discuss ideas.
[2007.03.26 19:58:54] Romy: Will CP be reevaluating the success of the CJ program in another year's time? And perhaps making further changes at that point, too?
[2007.03.26 19:58:54] JillCP: Hi Romy: We will evaluate the CJ program in the manner that we evaluate all programs. Changes will only be determined by performance.
[2007.03.26 19:59:08] G guy: When do the in house aff payments officially end?
[2007.03.26 19:59:08] WarrenCP: We will stop recording transactions on May 31st. If the last sale that you made as an affiliate is on May 31st, you will receive the commission in your July check (after the 30 day time frame for commission to clear).
[2007.03.26 19:59:55] i'm sick: So if I'm understanding this right, the new affiliate commissions would be paid by CJ directly, and not come through CafePress? Likewise, we wouldn't have the tracking info. available through CP, correct?
[2007.03.26 19:59:55] ShelbyCP: Correct, your affiliate commissions will be paid by CJ on the 20th of every month. Your tracking and reporting statistics will be available through CJ >> Run Reports tab
[2007.03.26 20:00:14] The_Amazing Shadow: The payout does increase with over 10,000 in revenues though, correct?
[2007.03.26 20:00:14] WarrenCP: Yes, affiates that can generate a high amount of revenue qualify for a commission bump.
[2007.03.26 20:00:22] G guy: But the old links will remain active and payable til may 31?
[2007.03.26 20:00:22] WarrenCP: Yep
[2007.03.26 20:00:43] Timewarp has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2007.03.26 20:00:51] The_Amazing Shadow: It's seems that the changeover is fast when there apeople with over a year invested in setting up links and sites.
[2007.03.26 20:00:51] JillCP: Hi The Amazing Shadow: The changeover is difficult especially when people have invested a lot of time in setting up their sites and links. We realize this and that is why this decision was so hard.
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[2007.03.26 20:01:17] JaNell DBA "JaZilla": I know that CafePress has been represented at professional affiliate trade shows. Did CP get a response from the type of affiliate CP is now seeking, and if so, what was that response?
[2007.03.26 20:01:17] ShelbyCP: We've had a lot of interest from large SEM Affiliates (search engine marketing) affiliates that we met at Affiliate Summit in January. They are interested in partnering with CafePress because we offer a huge variety of products they can promote throughout their web sites
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[2007.03.26 20:01:25] cat1: Angela,your affil opt out marketplace answer was confusing.
[2007.03.26 20:01:35] AngelaCP: Seems like my answer confused a few people
[2007.03.26 20:01:36] Message sent to moderator(s)
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[2007.03.26 20:02:24] AngelaCP: Similar to the affiliate program today, you must opt out of the CP Marketplace if do not your shop or products to be affiliated by other affiliates
[2007.03.26 20:02:26] maryo: But Warren didn't answer the question. What if your own designs are mixed in with others on a Marketplace or Portal page? You can't control who clicks on what.
[2007.03.26 20:02:26] WarrenCP: This is allowed in some cases. For example, if you operate a political blog outside CafePress and send traffic to the Politics portal on CafePress and you happen to be a Shopkeeper selling political merchandise, we recognize there will be incidents where you generate an affiliate commission off your own product by accident.
[2007.03.26 20:02:48] ace: CJ is seriously the best choice, this is a good switch.
[2007.03.26 20:02:48] ShelbyCP: Thank you!
[2007.03.26 20:03:09] AngelaCP: Everyone...time's up
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[2007.03.26 20:03:20] AngelaCP: We have a lot of questions that not answered
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[2007.03.26 20:03:48] AngelaCP: please email the affiliate team at affiliates@cafepress.com if you have any unanswered questions
[2007.03.26 20:03:48] maryo: What about the drawbacks of the program? You're being disingenous at the very least. You are fostering an atmosphere of distrust and that is not helping the situation.
[2007.03.26 20:03:48] ShelbyCP: The drawbacks to our Shopkeepers are they will be required to do some work to migrate their links. We are evaluating ways to make this easier.
[2007.03.26 20:04:14] AngelaCP: thank you everony for attending
[2007.03.26 20:04:43] AngelaCP: thank you everyone for attending
[2007.03.26 20:05:03] AngelaCP: bye everyone
[2007.03.26 20:05:13] AngelaCP: the lobby is open if you want to chat and socialize there

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