How to build an API for ecommerce sites to expose merchandise on a deal listing site
Hello,
I am working on a project which involves some web development – which I am fairly new to. I was told that developing an API would be a great idea, yet it will still require dev work.
The idea is to list ecommerce items/merchandise from a company/site A on company/site B(wordpress).
The client wants to channel company’s mainstream products on their site. They don’t want to sell the product. Simply redirect the user back to the site/source which is selling it (to company A from company B) via this API.
The clients wants items to dynamically populate on their site(company B) as company A’s merchandise inventory is updated. Or at least the products they expose only for this particular API.
Perhaps I am taking the wrong approach with API. Which is why I would appreciate your input.
My client has a list of about 100 or so companies he wants to interconnect with. I assume that automatically populating merchandise from a company on your site in a “blog” fashion is no easy task.
However, if the client has the time and money, I am willing to commit to this.
Please give your 2 cents on what would require to develop API’s (assuming this is the right model) and target my clients needs. I probably left out plenty of details but will answer any questions and add thoughts I may have left out.
I am working on a project which involves some web development – which I am fairly new to. I was told that developing an API would be a great idea, yet it will still require dev work.
The idea is to list ecommerce items/merchandise from a company/site A on company/site B(wordpress).
The client wants to channel company’s mainstream products on their site. They don’t want to sell the product. Simply redirect the user back to the site/source which is selling it (to company A from company B) via this API.
The clients wants items to dynamically populate on their site(company B) as company A’s merchandise inventory is updated. Or at least the products they expose only for this particular API.
Perhaps I am taking the wrong approach with API. Which is why I would appreciate your input.
My client has a list of about 100 or so companies he wants to interconnect with. I assume that automatically populating merchandise from a company on your site in a “blog” fashion is no easy task.
However, if the client has the time and money, I am willing to commit to this.
Please give your 2 cents on what would require to develop API’s (assuming this is the right model) and target my clients needs. I probably left out plenty of details but will answer any questions and add thoughts I may have left out.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
Thanks for the feedback.
So you guys are saying that I should convince my client to convince his clients to join an affiliate network so that he can perform the affiliate merchandising?
Would joining an affiliate network expose my client’s clients to other affiliate merchandising web sites? Or the clients will be able to choose who “connects” to their data-feed?
I ask this because I assume my client wants to stick to a niche and not let too many others know. Even though these companies are on the public web, he doesn’t want lead his clients into a black hole where other affiliated merchandising sites go hunt for new data-feed streams.
A pure example of a site he wants to replicate is werd.com as you can see they have all sorts of cool gadgets and tier 1 items most people wish of owning. However, when you click on an items price you are directed straight to the manufacturer.
Dave, when you say there should be WordPress plugin for this…do you mean there is a plugin that pulls data-feeds? If my client avoids the affiliate networks like CJ, would signing up as an affiliate with all those companies will make this plugin useful?
So you guys are saying that I should convince my client to convince his clients to join an affiliate network so that he can perform the affiliate merchandising?
Would joining an affiliate network expose my client’s clients to other affiliate merchandising web sites? Or the clients will be able to choose who “connects” to their data-feed?
I ask this because I assume my client wants to stick to a niche and not let too many others know. Even though these companies are on the public web, he doesn’t want lead his clients into a black hole where other affiliated merchandising sites go hunt for new data-feed streams.
A pure example of a site he wants to replicate is werd.com as you can see they have all sorts of cool gadgets and tier 1 items most people wish of owning. However, when you click on an items price you are directed straight to the manufacturer.
Dave, when you say there should be WordPress plugin for this…do you mean there is a plugin that pulls data-feeds? If my client avoids the affiliate networks like CJ, would signing up as an affiliate with all those companies will make this plugin useful?
Affiliate marketing links always go the manufacturer. You should know that you don't get to make the 'rules' for this kind of marketing. And if you 'replicate' werd.com, you will probably get a 'cease and desist' letter from them. I don't see how you will avoid affiliate networks since you get the 'affiliate' feed by signing up with the network and not the individuals. At least that is what I have seen.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
Thanks again for the feedback!
I won’t exactly “copy” werd.com but use very similar concepts and design structure – use it as reference. I now have a better understanding of affiliate merchandizing after you pointed out a few examples from werd.com. My client wants to do the same thing. Perhaps some merchandize my yield him soft profit. Yet, others are for winning audiences.
At this point I have talked to my client about the affiliate networking and he seems interested. However, I’m waiting for his confirmation.
At this point he wants to know what is the best affiliate network for the automotive industry. So now I am looking for the best ones out there. I will definitely check out the ones you guys highlighted on this thread.
thx
I won’t exactly “copy” werd.com but use very similar concepts and design structure – use it as reference. I now have a better understanding of affiliate merchandizing after you pointed out a few examples from werd.com. My client wants to do the same thing. Perhaps some merchandize my yield him soft profit. Yet, others are for winning audiences.
At this point I have talked to my client about the affiliate networking and he seems interested. However, I’m waiting for his confirmation.
At this point he wants to know what is the best affiliate network for the automotive industry. So now I am looking for the best ones out there. I will definitely check out the ones you guys highlighted on this thread.
thx
Here is an overview on how to find merchants that have datafeeds, inside of the Shareasale network. Pretty much every affiliate network has "datafeeds" as part of their merchant offering, so the process to hunt these down at networks like Commission Junction, Avantlink, etc. is the same.
Go one step further and there are companies that aggregate many datafeeds, so that you as an affiliate only need to access one interface to pull in datafeeds from a variety of different affiliate networks. Check out FMTC for this type of functionality.