Yippeee.... WHSmith announces the launch of its new search banner!!

[Azam.net]

We have been affiliates of WHSmith and it's predecessor, The Internet Bookshop, for nearly seven years. Seven years ago, they used to have a wide range of search boxes for affiliates.

I have been asking for the WHSmith affiliate program at Tradedoubler to allow affiliates to use search boxes for the last couple of years as it would help increase sales.

Imagine my excitement when I read in the newsletter below that WHSmith finally has decided to create a search banner for affiliates. I go to our TradeDoubler account - and it is the most amateur-looking search box I have seen. All it has is a massive "WHSmith.co.uk" on it - fantastic for their branding and to get their URL recognised, but little use to affiliates.

This must be the only company I have come across which has a worse-looking search box for affiliates in 2005 as it did in 1998.

I hope WHSmith will be able to create some decent search boxes for affiliates, with different dimensions, otherwise the company will continue to slide further and further behind the likes of Amazon.co.uk and Play.com.

With such talent working for them I'm not surprised the company reported losses of £130 million last year.