Anyone else find Amazon sales can be well random?

1. 81

   LondonGirlposted 14 years ago

   I'm lucky - having a good month on Amazon so far (13 items ordered, and a near 10% conversion rate).
   
   Some of the items are directly linked to on my hub, and others, while not directly linked, clearly strongly associated.
   
   But I've also sold some totally random stuff, not connected with my hubs in any possible way, such as an electric razor, and 2 packets of labels for printers! 6 of my sales are these completely disassociated stuff.

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      ediggityposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, I also sell random things.  I had a Blue Tooth Headset order, and I've never written anything about Blue Tooth.  I thought it was a mistake.

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      Mark Knowlesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Referrals?
      
      I sell the strangest things.

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         LondonGirlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Nope, I don't have any referrals.

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      Uninvited Writerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Most of what I have sold on Amazon has nothing to do with my hubs

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         LondonGirlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Glad to know it's not just me, then!

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            Mark Knowlesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            I would say 90% of what I sell is directly related to one of my pages - the rest can be anything from medical books to bulk packages of flavored condoms. And by bulk I mean like 1,000.

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               Miss Takeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               big head, that many would surely last a lifetime for some

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                  sunforgedposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Ive sold a LOT of condoms, its one of my most commonly bought amazon products!
                  
                  but most of my amazon sales are on topic

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   Dolores Monetposted 14 years ago

   Personally, I haven't done well at all with Amazon, far better with the adsence.

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3. 95

   Dolores Monetposted 14 years ago

   So, wait a minute. Do you just sell random things on any hub? Like selling shoes on a hub about wine? Or candles on a hub about fishing?

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4. 81

   LondonGirlposted 14 years ago

   I don't know where the sales came from. I can guess - for example, the DVD of "The Other Boleyn Girl" is clearly from my Henry VIII hub. A book about the history of 'flu is equally obviously from my Bird 'flu / Spanish 'flu hub.
   
   But none of my hubs have anything to do with 750-sheet printer labels, or men's electric razors!

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5. 0

   pgrundyposted 14 years ago

   I don't do very well at Amazon either. So far the only sales I have had are books and DVDS (from reviews) so that's about all I do as far as targeting Amazon. I quit just adding products unless the whole hub is specifically about the thing that is advertised, but I still haven't received a payment. I think I've made about $12 or $15 total, ever.

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6. 81

   LondonGirlposted 14 years ago

   None of my hubs are Amazon-review types, but I'm lucky, I seem to do rather well. Not as much as adsense, but this month so far, $25, and about $50 last month.

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7. 73

   livewithrichardposted 14 years ago

   I'm pretty sure that when someone adds something to their cart on Amazon they are shown items that others have purchased when adding those items.  I think Amazon takes care of the upsell for us.
   
   I've had some random sales too, like "cod liver oil" I can't figure out where that came from.

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8. 84

   KCC Big Countryposted 14 years ago

   My first Amazon sale was for an unusual alarm clock.  Months later I still couldn't figure out how they got to that from anything I had written, so, in hopes of selling more of these clocks, I wrote a hub about them.  I have indeed sold more of them.   
   
   Richard, do you feel a cod liver oil hub coming on?  London Girl, maybe the history of razors? 

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9. 81

   LondonGirlposted 14 years ago

   Sorry to be difficult, but I don't think I can bring myself to give a damn about razors (-:

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      KCC Big Countryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Your lack of excitement for razors will surely be matched with Richard's lack of excitement over cod liver oil!  LOL

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         livewithrichardposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I don't know, that cod liver oil did earn me a $1.89 commission, maybe it will be my 101st hub.   But not tonight.

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    mcbeanposted 14 years ago

    Although they have just about the shortest cookie in the business, anything someone buys after following your link will be credited to you, regardless of what product the original link was about.
    This phenomenon probably just shows how easily distracted people are when surfing the net. These random product sales may well increase around Christmas. Heres hoping.

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11. 60

    ediggityposted 14 years ago

    Well, at least we know Amazon is giving us credit, and being honest.

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    LondonGirlposted 14 years ago

    You may well be right....

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    KCC Big Countryposted 14 years ago

    I saw your medal come through Richard! Congrats on your 100th hub!  How much cod liver oil did they buy to earn that much commission!? LOL  I'm tempting to write a cod liver oil hub now!  LOL

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       livewithrichardposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you.. They only bought 1 bottle but the stuff is pretty expensive.

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14. 84

    KCC Big Countryposted 14 years ago

    Cool.  I'm not stealing your hub Richard.  Your cod liver oil is safe.  I'm not planning any razor hubs either.

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15. 81

    LondonGirlposted 14 years ago

    Bags me, "Shaving Cod Liver Oil: A User's Guide" to combine the two.

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16. 82

    CMHypnoposted 14 years ago

    I've had no luck with Amazon at all - I'm getting more and more clicks, but so far they have never converted into orders.  Not even on hubs talking about specific product, like the bathrobes hub.

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       kirstenblogposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       This has been my experience too. This month so far I have had over a thousand clicks (mostly from the new twitter thing) and no orders and in months past I have had a few clicks but no conversions. I have done a few product targeted hubs and have my fingers crossed that with christmas coming folks might be surfing the net with their credit cards in hand!
       
       Slightly off topic, I have heard that people searching with yahoo are more likely to buy stuff then people searching with google? If so any thoughts on attracting more yahoo traffic?

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          CMHypnoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          What's the new Twitter thing kirstenblog?  (you can tell that I really keep up with the technology!)

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             kirstenblogposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Sorry I have not noticed this post earlier . When you are logged into your amazon affiliate stuff, go have a search for cool stuff, at the top of the page you have a bar with all sorts of different options (affiliate options) well there is this new option that is called 'share on twitter'. With this option there is an affiliate url that is automatically placed in the what are you doing box in your twitter account page (should open automatically and everything) then you can click send. Now I have heard that just sending at this point is spammy, you wanna change their auto text to something more personal sounding. If one of your followers clicks the link and buys you get the commission for that sale. That said I have had almost 2,000 clicks so far and no orders so go figure

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                CMHypnoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                Thanks for the info kirstenblog - I'm sure that those orders will soon start rolling in for you.

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    LondonGirlposted 14 years ago

    such as?

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18. 75

    bloggerdollarposted 14 years ago

    Yeah referrals is the answers. One of my referrals writes Amazon Reviews and I get lot of sales through him/her.

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19. 85

    rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

    mine aren't random, they aren't...

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20. 95

    Dolores Monetposted 14 years ago

    my single amazon sale was some kind of over-priced camp fire thingy and then they showed a list of other camp type stuff but i did not get credit for it. i really don't understand the whole amazon business.

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    viryaboposted 14 years ago

    My 1st Amazon sale yet was a few days ago (ABOUT TIME TOO!!!), but no relationship whatsoever with my hubs. Some top selling novels. I never write about novels.
    I'm not complaining though.
    I like KCC's advise on making a hub about those random sales. Who knows, maybe those are the things people are really looking for.

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22. 82

    earnerposted 14 years ago

    The best one I ever had from Amazon was when somebody bought an expensive camera.  As has been said, once they've clicked through on your link to Amazon, if they then wander off to other parts of Amazon and buy something you'll still get the affiliate earnings for that.
    
    You just need to write hubs aimed at shopaholics I think ... how about that, let's write a series of hubs aimed AT shopaholics
    
    Offer t hem the cure, then a link to a book that cures them
    
    Bingo!

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23. 56

    Siew Chengposted 14 years ago

    I dont have any luck with Amazon. There are clicks but no conversion.  I hope to see the first sale, and hope that the buyer can buy many expensive items.

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    Whitney05posted 14 years ago

    It's just where people deviate from the original search.

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25. 75

    NaomiRposted 14 years ago

    I've had a couple of random sales. I had one person who purchased a CD of music from 1969 ... which had absolutely nothing to do with any of my sales hubs.

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26. 90

    Rochelle Frankposted 14 years ago

    Maybe we should have a cod-liver oil and razor hubmob, if that's what's selling.

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27. 66

    Ms Chievousposted 14 years ago

    Not much in the way of sales with Amazon.. But I will be playing with that new Share on Twitter thing tonight!

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