Skimlinks better than viglinks?

[Wildcat Media]

I'm toying with enabling the content-text links - anyone else using them?

Do they slow page loading? Do you members find them intrusive? What percentage of your viglink earnings do they represent?

Cheers,
Shaun

I only just started using link insertion over the past two months. I use VigLink for guest visitors only and I'd say daily earnings jumped 20-30%. Keep in mind many forums have half (or less than half) of their discussion areas visible to the public. I could get a greater lift on my sites if I used the link insertion for logged in members also, but I prefer an enticement to get them to join the forums and contribute.

 

[dvsDave]

I've used skimlinks for years on my site, controlbooth.com and I get a nice paypal payout every month ranging from $50 to $200ish. I switched to viglink for 6 months and my payouts went down the toilet. Went back to skimlinks and have been happy ever since. (just as a note: I only use the basic integration, I don't do skimwords, or any other tools, just the basics)

I'm pleased to see that skimlinks will have a plugin soon.

 

[Blackbeard]

skimlinks is awesome.

viglink won't even fly me to forumcon!

 

[MattW]

Since eBay changed their terms, my Skimlinks revenue has dropped to almost nothing. Gone from £20/£30 a month to £2

Running a car site, a lot of eBay links are placed in the for sale section, an that is where 95% of the clicks came from.

Anyone else been affected by this?

 

[Wildcat Media]

Since eBay changed their terms, my Skimlinks revenue has dropped to almost nothing. Gone from £20/£30 a month to £2

Running a car site, a lot of eBay links are placed in the for sale section, an that is where 95% of the clicks came from.

Anyone else been affected by this?

Everyone was affected. From what I understand, eBay only tracks clicks for, I think, 24 hours now? Something like that. On my music related sites, many eBay regulars will see an item the day it is posted, watch it the entire time, then buy it at the last moment. Those are sales we're losing out on since the change, unless that member returns to the forum and clicks on the auction link a 2nd time close to when the auction ends. A link that is generated for a Buy It Now item, where a buyer takes immediate action, is more favorable for us.

I did not lose out big, but on the day they made the change, it was like they pulled the rug out--I definitely noticed the change. If anythings, my earnings now are wildly erratic day to day, where with eBay the earnings were more regular. VigLink may have compensated somewhat on our behalf, as I have had some really good months across all of my sites over the past few months despite the eBay change. Still not getting rich, but at least my time on these sites is almost getting compensated for.

eBay claims the change was better for everyone, yet on one of their forums, I noticed how many site owners were complaining of how their revenues dropped substantially with the change. Many site owners featured links to related products for long-running auctions, and that is what bit them. Hard to believe eBay's claims among so many complaints.

 

[Big Dan]

@Rudy the change wasn't for the benefit of anyone but eBay. Shorter cookie duration = less payouts to affiliates = more profit eBay gets to keep.

 

[Wildcat Media]

They claimed that revenues for their affiliates went up after the change, but I know they could never post proof of it. All I know is, I know many affiliates who have lost money.