Looking to create my own API

[nick-harper]

I have developed my own API over the years and have thought about sharing it.

Basically it is a very powerful price comparison script, it is very simple to use and with over 1,200 merchants and 10 million products it is very quick and simple.

All the end user would need to do is put 1 line of code into their page with the search term, excluded terms and the number of items they wish to show and it fires all of the items back at them, a bit like PHPbay but with a lot more merchants (including eBay)

Now, the dilemma I have is that I am not sure how to let end users have access and monetise it and these are the 3 options:

1. I let them use my links and I just give them a % of each transaction using click references for their domain
2. I let them input their id's for cj, aw, ebay etc and I use their links a % of the time and use mine a %, the only way with this is that they would be mega peeved if it lands on my link when they make a sale. I also have the worry of chasing payments and generally being the middle man when my API users are waiting for payment and I am waiting for it off the merchant
3. I charge a monthly flat fee and just let them use their own links, the only thing is that they will need to sign up to each of the networks and apply to all of the programmes to take full advantage.

Any opinions would be great

 

[Jamie101]

Firstly, I might actually be interested in something like this.

I wouldn't be very happy having to input all my affiliate details from loads of different sites to be honest, especially since I mightn't be a member of some. I also wouldn't like paying a monthly fee.

However, letting you keep a % would be fine. Just my opinion.

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[boxerdog]

Would it not be possible to setup something along the lines of what StoreBurst used to offer?

 

[nick-harper]

Firstly, I might actually be interested in something like this.

I wouldn't be very happy having to input all my affiliate details from loads of different sites to be honest, especially since I mightn't be a member of some. I also wouldn't like paying a monthly fee.

However, letting you keep a % would be fine. Just my opinion.

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It wouldn't be your usernames / passwords it would just be ID's for links as they would need to be substituted at the feed to make the links yours rather than mine

With the %, how would you suggest it would be done? Where it was set to be a 75% probability the link is yours, if not it would be mine?

 

[nick-harper]

Would it not be possible to setup something along the lines of what StoreBurst used to offer?

I never used this so don't know exactly what it did

 

[Jamie101]

It wouldn't be your usernames / passwords it would just be ID's for links as they would need to be substituted at the feed to make the links yours rather than mine

With the %, how would you suggest it would be done? Where it was set to be a 75% probability the link is yours, if not it would be mine?

Oh I get you now.

I wouldn't even do it that way. Here's an example of what I think would work for everybody involved:

You make a £10 sale on asos.

This commission gets paid to you, and in return you pay around £8 to the person who put the link or whatever on their site.

So in short, you keep £2 from the sale.

I'm nearly sure this is how slimlinks work (although they probably don't take 20%).

Can I ask if this API allows you to put a link to a product to it and return some basic information like the price, product name etc?

I have something that returns the price at the moment but wouldn't mind having a backup just in case this API ever disappears. In the middle of making the site now.

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[murph]

I'd make it free and reap the benefits when it's a massive resource used by thousands

 

[nick-harper]

Oh I get you now.

I wouldn't even do it that way. Here's an example of what I think would work for everybody involved:

You make a £10 sale on asos.

This commission gets paid to you, and in return you pay around £8 to the person who put the link or whatever on their site.

So in short, you keep £2 from the sale.

I'm nearly sure this is how slimlinks work (although they probably don't take 20%).

Can I ask if this API allows you to put a link to a product to it and return some basic information like the price, product name etc?

I have something that returns the price at the moment but wouldn't mind having a backup just in case this API ever disappears. In the middle of making the site now.

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My only worry with that is when merchants don't pay. Imagine if you were expecting £5,000 in commission and said merchant wasn't paying up. Where would that leave me?

I am not sure how Skimlinks do it but I bet they have a huge float for things like that.

 

[Jamie101]

My only worry with that is when merchants don't pay. Imagine if you were expecting £5,000 in commission and said merchant wasn't paying up. Where would that leave me?

I am not sure how Skimlinks do it but I bet they have a huge float for things like that.

Good point but I think most people would understand that it's not exactly your fault, although they'd still be unhappy of course.

There's always risk with things like this since you've got to wait for months usually before you get the money paid to you.

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[accelerator]

Whether you are going to be successful will obviously depend on how good your product is, how well you will support it, but in particular how well you market it.

iCodes is a voucher code script, and they charge a yearly fee. I think they are quite successful.

There have been a lot of these scripts and you'll have to stand out from the crowd.

Rgds

 

[wonder_lander]

Take a look at the way "Easy Content Units" works.

You can have a free revenue share model or pay a subscription.

We use the Pro version and it's great for us.

 

[nick-harper]

Good point but I think most people would understand that it's not exactly your fault, although they'd still be unhappy of course.

There's always risk with things like this since you've got to wait for months usually before you get the money paid to you.

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That is the thing, I wouldn't want people to think it was me trying to pull a fast one, some merchants are awful when it comes to payment.

There are also issues with de dupeing.

If I knew it was like adsense where you got paid the same day every month in full it would be fine

 

[nick-harper]

Whether you are going to be successful will obviously depend on how good your product is, how well you will support it, but in particular how well you market it.

iCodes is a voucher code script, and they charge a yearly fee. I think they are quite successful.

There have been a lot of these scripts and you'll have to stand out from the crowd.

Rgds

I think at the minute the api has a great function but then with people using it they can request things to be added which will only make it better.

I will be the first to admit marketing is not my strong point