Advanced Content Units - Sneak Preview

paidonresults · 27-04-05

Advanced Content Units

Warning; This demonstration page may have a delay in loading as it contains a lot of JavaScript, a normal Affiliate page would not have this delay.

Currently, as many of you will be aware, at Paid On Results we are Beta Testing our Advanced Feed System. Part of this is our new Advanced Content Units. The Advanced Content Units are standalone from our feed system. This means that you don't need to understand how the feed system works to be able to use these. Once you have read the manual you be fully equipped to make Advanced Content Units with very little effort.

Within the Advance Content Units area is a directory of all content units supplied by merchants for affiliates to use. These can include anything from ‘top 10 products’ to ‘newest products added‘. To use the content units affiliates can simply pick up the required HTML code as you would for any banner creative. What makes our system unique is that, should you wish, you can also customise a content unit design to suit your audiences tastes.

You can change the design of the content unit by modifying the HTML code in the Template Editor. Or you can change the settings of the content unit. Variables like the number of products, sort order or even the products listed, giving you total control over the visual design as well as what a content unit displays.

Let’s look at a few examples of how a Merchant created content unit can be customised to suit your own needs.

Merchant created content unit (Default)

Move your mouse over the listings to see the images appear.

Javascript Version

iFrames Version

Note: In this example JavaScript is better due to the rollover image at the bottom. The system will default to the best choice for each content unit, however you would still be able to pick the other if you prefer.

Merchant created content unit that has been modified (in these examples the rollover image size has been changed).

In the Merchant default content unit all image sizes are 50 pixels wide, however if you wish bigger images you can do this via the system without having to ask the Merchant. Our system is already configured to serve the different sizes available. Move your mouse over the listings to see the images appear.

All images are 100 wide

All images are 200 wide

All images are 300 wide

All images are 400 wide

Merchant created content unit that has been modified (in these examples we rearrange the order the ‘top 10 gifts’ are displayed).

This example would be better used in content units of a different theme as top 10's should really be in the correct order but for this demo we will just pretend it's a themed content unit instead of a top 10 ;-) The Random Sort Method will change every time you refresh the page or visit it.

Products Sorted Ascendingly

Products Sorted Descendingly

Products Sorted Randomly

Affiliate created content unit (Using Top 10 Products by default)

Here are some examples of Affiliate created custom content units, all of them use the Merchant (in this case Prezzy Box) Top 10 Content Unit. Regardless of how many changes you make or how you display the HTML, you’re always pulling in the Merchants Top 10 and when the Merchant updates the Top 10, your Affiliate custom content unit is updated without the need for you to do anything at all.

Example 1 - The Basic affiliate created content unit.
In this example we demonstrate how you can use the Merchants top 10 data with your own design. Again whenever the Merchant updates his top 10 your products will automatically update without you having to make any changes or update your site in any way, it's all taken care of by the system. This again means that once you put any content unit in place our system and the Merchant will take care of keeping it fresh for you!

Example 2 - A slightly more complex affiliate created content unit.
In this example we demonstrate how additional information unavailable on the Merchants default content unit can be displayed. You can decide how much or how little information you wish to make available to your users. This example makes accessible content units such as ‘Top 10 products’ and allows you to employ full pages (not just little corners of your site) as auto updating feed holders! Again this means that once you put any Content Unit in place it will allow Paid On Results and/or the Merchant to take care of the keeping it current for you. In this example we have included price as well as a short description, but there are many more options available to you, remember the design is totally up to you!

Technical Side Note: In most of the examples I used JavaScript to pull the content unit in, but you could just as easily in an iFrame, also if your skills are more advanced you can write your own PHP, Perl or ASP script to pull in the content to your site, allowing search engines to see and crawl the content unit. If you wish to make cross merchant content units you can do so but only via the Advanced Product Feed Management Area.

mdrussell · 27-04-05

Hi

These content units look very good Clarke and look like they will be very easy to use on any site.

It is great that they will automatically update when the merchant updates his top 10 list.

When are these likely to be ready for us to use across our sites.

Cheers

Mark

paidonresults · 27-04-05

Quote:

Originally posted by mdrussell
It is great that they will automatically update when the merchant updates his top 10 list.

When are these likely to be ready for us to use across our sites.

Hi Mark, about 10 days time I think. It is ready for everyone doing beta testing just now to use (Email, MSN, PM or Call for details on how to access it).

Presently we have only loaded Prezzy Box and Gadget Storm in for the beta of the Merchant supplied content units, but we are going to have a fair few more before going fully live and then after this add them as they come along.

And remember this is just the Merchant supplied content unit part of the system, you can make your own units right now for any merchant that has a feed (as long as your part of the beta test), you can even make multi-merchant content units so can mix and match products for your pages.

Azam.net · 27-04-05

I'd like to commend POR and Clarke on this innovation. The new development should save us a lot of time, so thank you for such an incredible feature.

Also I'd like to thank you for the manner in which you described how things will work. Even though I have a degree in English, I could never decipher another network's content integration feature. The instructions were absymal. With the NKOB (New Kid on the Block) I can understand everything

Spreader · 29-04-05

Hi Clarke,

This looks great. Well done to all at POR.

I particularly like the content units that you've used as an example

I've a few questions:

1) Can the merchant in essence just create a template for the affiliate to populate? Can the affiliates create their own content templates?

2) Say an affiliate is keen to run a promo on "football tables" can they select all of the football tables from our feed and create a football tables content unit?

3) You also say that

Quote:

If you wish to make cross merchant content units you can do so

Now, I'm assuming that by cross you don't mean angry

. Does this mean that if an affiliate wants to produce a content unit promoting flowers and chocolates they can combine content from two merchants (a flower retailer and a chocolate retailer)?

Nice work Centurian!

Zak.

graeme · 29-04-05

Quote:

Originally posted by Spreader
1) Can the merchant in essence just create a template for the affiliate to populate? Can the affiliates create their own content templates?

2) Say an affiliate is keen to run a promo on "football tables" can they select all of the football tables from our feed and create a football tables content unit?

3) Does this mean that if an affiliate wants to produce a content unit promoting flowers and chocolates they can combine content from two merchants (a flower retailer and a chocolate retailer)

1) Yes, any merchant which supplies us with a Template, we can load into the system and affiliates can select the products they want to place within the template. Or the merchant can also select the products as a starting guide and affiliates can add or remove them. It is also very easy for a affiliate to create a content unit based on products under £20 for example.

This Content Unit system is really a "wrapper" around our feed system, so if the affiliate wanted to create a content unit from scratch, they would just login, enter the Feed System and create there own HTML template and then select the products. No set layouts, No Set Styles, just a blank canvases to enter your HTML and then to populate it with products.

2) Yes.

3) Yes, the affiliate would need to first create a feed with the combination of the merchants they want, and then create there own template for the content unit - but this isn't limited to content units, full pages, whole sites - just enter the HTML, add some "control" tags to the HTML and away you go.

Graeme

paidonresults · 16-05-05

An update to this post. The system is live for all Affiliates to use. We will be adding more content units from Merchants as we start to contact each of them to supply shells and data options such as top 10’s, seasonal products and department specific units.

Find out more here: http://www.a4uforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=30453