First 3M Select created a best sellers content unit for their affiliates to use.  The unit contains a selection of their top selling products this week, and is updated for you regularly to make sure that it has the top converting converters in there.  This means for those of you who have a directory type site, you can put it on and forget about it.  Here’s this unit in all it’s glory:

Remember though – you can change any aspect of it to fit in with your site, except the products, which the merchant will change for you.

Today, they have taken up the Video Challenge by creating a number of product based units complete with videos embedded in the unit, take a look at them below:

Post-it® Index Arrows – add to your units

Post-it® Index Flags – add to your units

Post-it® Index Flags Desk Grip Dispenser – add to your units

Remember with managed units you can change everything about them so they fit in with your site except the products.  To access the managed units, make sure you’re signed into ECU and visit the Managed Units page.

3M Select has their affiliate program available on Buy.at, please make sure you are signed up to the program before using these units.

We have been busy adding some new merchants to Easy Content Units. New merchants means more opportunities for you to build units, or help add more choices to your existing ones. Take a look through the following merchants added this week:

Webgains:
Hats & Caps
Ted’s Shed

Affiliate Window:
Planfor
Technology in the Home
Get the Label
Born Gifted
Blooming Marvellous
Cdiscount
Green & Jacks

Buy.at:
Bear Grylls
Craghoppers
Denny and Sons
Sendit

Paid on Results:
Projects Clothing
True Colour Style

Users of ECU will appreciate the power of the Random Units. They are simple to implement, simply choose the merchant, the number of products and a keyword (if you like) and then off to the styling page. They are a quick and easy way to show a selection of products from a single merchant, without having to worry about choosing products and worrying if they are to go out of stock, as the system only pulls a selection from the current datafeed – simple.

However they didn’t really offer the degree of choices for some merchants or the flexibility to choose a group of products from that merchant.

So we have built in some new filters for you. These work for the Brand and Category values of the merchants feed. Here’s a quick picture how to for the new features:

From the home page, pop in your unit name, and select Random, hit continue.  If you are on the Create a Unit page, you’ll need to put in the unit name, and follow the next picture/instructions:

Next up choose the merchant whose products you’d like to feature, for this example we’re picking Extreme Pie on Webgains:

Choose a merchant

Next up it’s time to choose a category – well we’re after Bawbags Boxers, so we’ll choose Mens and Clothing – you may have to have a play as not all merchants feeds are up to scratch with category (or brand info for that matter).

Finally we’ll choose the Brand:

Choose the Brand

The only thing left to do on this page is choose how many random products you’d like to show (we chose 9). Then it’s time to hit continue and go to the styling page, where you can add the styling you want as per usual (details here if you need them).

On the styling page you’ll see that there’s a new Random option on the Admin tab, where you can change any of the settings (as seen below):

Have fun with these new features, and as ever if you have any questions, please ask away below or via a support ticket.

We’re constantly striving to improve our Easy Content Units, and i think you might just agree here’s another brilliant addition to the units.

All members can now add a You Tube video to their units, which will be shown above your unit.  Here’s an example:

So how can you add them? Keep reading!

Once you have added your products to an ECU, or clicked to edit an existing one you’ll end up on the styling page. If you got to the ‘Contents’ tab, you’ll find a new link for You Tube video (as you can see below):

Adding a video is easy, just specify the url to the video, and the size you’d like, and save the unit. You’ll see the video pulled into the preview.

You may have to play around with the sizes and colours, but I think you’re definitely going to agree this is a major step forward for our content units. If there any tweaks or features you’d like to see adding to this or any other area of ECU, just drop us a support ticket.

Easy Content Units… always innovating!

Well, a couple of days ago we put in the requirements that Amazon have forced upon affiliates in order to comply with the new Associates Programme Operating Agreement.  A couple of changes were needed to be made, one good and one not so.

Potentially one change could mean an increase in commission for some affiliates.  We will now show your classic Amazon ID (where you have given it on the My Details page) on all orders over £175, whilst those under will show the Performance Plan ID (if you’ve put it into the My Details page).  This relies on you providing the correct ID’s for the category you’re using at Amazon.

The other change that Amazon have inflicted on us, means that the units can look distorted, and it’s for this that we would like your help.  Amazon’s new terms had a line in which relates to showing their items in a price comparison page and is quoted below:

“In addition, if you choose to display prices for any Product on your site in any “comparison” format (including through the use of any price-comparison tool or engine) together with prices for the same or similar products offered through any web site or other outlet other than the Amazon.co.uk Site, you must display both the lowest “new” price and, if we provide it to you, the lowest “used” price at which the Product is available on the Amazon.co.uk Site.”

OK, this has really taken away any choices affiliates had about which product to promote and whether it’s through Amazon direct or a Third Party Seller.  Lots of affiliates hate to promote the third party sellers prices as they have extra delivery to be added, and are of course not Amazon.  Now we have to show the ‘Best New Price’ whereever that may come from and the ‘Best Used Price’ on all of their products.

One thing that blesses this (which I have noticed) is that the landing page for the product shows the best price – so if it’s a 3rd party seller, that’s the one shown, and Amazon is in the sidebar under other sellers.  So the change might help with clarity for the customer.  However this has posed us with a headache.

How do we fit in the extra prices?  Well to be compliant, we have just ‘stuck them in’ but this is not great, and certainly takes away the good look that the units have.  We’re trying lots of different ways to implement this,  but coming up blank really.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

If you do please let us know in the comments below, or send in a support ticket through ECU.