We are truly excited today to announce that the ECA (E-Commerce Associates) Program is now live and ready for our affiliates to begin promoting!
In case you've missed our updates and "sneak peeks" over the past year that it's been in the making, here's a quick overview of the ECA program:
We will now be allowing commercial sellers and companies of all kinds, from around the world, to market their products side-by-side with our own products at TripleClicks.com. Every product will have both CV (Commission Volume) and VP (VersaPoints).
We expect the ECA program, in time, to bring literally MILLIONS of new products into TripleClicks. Not only that, participating companies will be worldwide, meaning you'll be able to patronize businesses from right within your own country, region, or city. In some cases, you'll be even able to pick up the products from the merchants' local retail outlet, eliminating shipping fees altogether.
This means you are soon going to have an ENORMOUS selection of products at TripleClicks to promote, sell, and buy. TONS of great products are coming to SFI. And great PRICES too...the same or lower prices offered elsewhere on the Web.
And we've made it very easy for companies to plug in their products. Indeed, the ECA theme is "Plug into a world of new customers!" There's no cost for ECAs to upload their products and they can immediately begin taking advantage of the exposure and growing worldwide traffic of TripleClicks.com. It's a "slam dunk" for them, a total win/win.
So how are all these ECAs going to get hooked up with TripleClicks? That's where you, our affiliates, come in! You see, the new ECA program is a major new income opportunity in itself for SFI affiliates. As an affiliate, you can now refer ECAs and earn lifetime royalties on ALL of their sales worldwide generated from TripleClicks...for life!
Simply refer companies that sell products to your ECA Gateway:
www.tripleclicks.com/XXX/ECA <----IMPORTANT! You must replace XXX with your SFI ID number!For each company that becomes an approved ECA, you'll earn up to 6% of the CV on all of their sales at TripleClicks each month.
• 2% of CV if you are an Executive Affiliate (min. 1500 VersaPoints)
• 3% of CV if you are a Bronze Team Leader
• 4% of CV if you are a Silver Team Leader
• 5% of CV if you are a Gold Team Leader
• 6% of CV if you are a Platinum Team Leader
Earnings Example: You accumulate 4,200 VersaPoints this month and qualify as a Silver Team Leader. The total CV for all of your referred ECAs is $50,000. You earn $2000 in ECA Royalties this month (4% of $50,000 CV).
The ECA referral program is very powerful because all you have to do is introduce an ECA to TripleClicks and you're all set to earn royalties for life! Every time anyone–anywhere in the world–buys something at TripleClicks from one of your referred ECAs, you earn a royalty!
Here now are some questions and answers to further clarify some of the details of the new program and how you can get involved:
Q: How do I promote the ECA program?
A: Though there are virtually infinite ways to market the program, the bottom line is you just need to get your prospects to your ECA Gateway (see above).
Q: What happens once I get a prospect to the ECA Gateway?
A: The site provides all the details on the ECA program. If your prospect likes what he or she sees, he/she can click the included link to apply to become an ECA immediately. Applications are reviewed at SFI's corporate offices. Reviews will typically take no more than 1-2 business days. An email is then sent to the prospective ECA notifying them of acceptance or rejection. Provided they are accepted (most will be), they will receive access to a special ECA Admin area at TripleClicks where they can begin uploading products (individually or in bulk via data import). Their products are then added to the TripleClicks site and they're off and running.
Q: How will I know when I've successfully referred an ECA?
A: We will send you an e-mail notification. We'll also be providing, a little later, online reports at the SFI Affiliate Center of your ECAs, their sale activity, etc.
Q: What are the qualifications for acceptance in the program?
A: In short, we're looking for reputable, established companies that sell quality, non-controversial products. Companies must also be responsive to SFI requests, they must process orders promptly, and they must stand behind their products with appropriate return policies.
Q: I'm an SFI affiliate. Can I also be an ECA?
A: If you are a commercial seller of products and meet the qualifications noted in the previous answer, yes, we'd LOVE to have you participate in the program!
Q: How do I sign up for the ECA program?
A: Log in at
www.tripleclicks.com with your SFI ID and password. Then
go HERE to apply.
Q: Who will be credited as the Referrer on current SFI affiliates who become ECAs?
A: SFI will strictly maintain current lines of sponsorship. That is, if you have 20 personally sponsored affiliates, and ten of them apply and become ECAs, you will be the Referrer of these ten ECAs. Conversely, your current SFI sponsor will be recorded as YOUR Referrer.
Q: What if I don't want my current SFI sponsor to be my Referrer in the ECA program?
A: Then you will need to quit (opt out) of SFI for six month and rejoin under the sponsor you want. See more on this topic
HERE.
Q: Should I promote the ECA program to businesses that are not online and/or that do not currently use the Internet?
A: At the very minimum, ECAs will need to be able to send and receive e-mails and be able to access the ECA administration webpages at TripleClicks.com to enter product information, etc. Frankly, any business that is not yet using the Internet is probably missing out on sales. You may wish to respectfully point this out and show them how easy our program makes it for them to get started doing business online. Indeed, all the heavy lifting is done for them. We're going to provide the eyeballs, take the orders for them, and handle all the payment processing. All they basically have to do is ship the orders that we forward to them to the customer. That's it.
Q: What if they already have a good Website?
A: Being an ECA will simply increase exposure for their products. They are under no obligation whatsoever to use or promote TripleClicks, but why not take advantage of the additional sales opportunities having their products in TripleClicks gives them?
Q: What about local businesses? Can I contact them about the ECA program?
A: Yes, we strongly recommend it. You might be shocked at how many would love to get their products exposed to a greater online audience. The ECA program provides them this (one of the fastest growing e-commerce sites in the world, with millions of visitors annually), the marketing muscle of SFI's tens of thousands of affiliates in over 190 countries worldwide, etc. And it's 100% FREE for them to get started and costs them nothing unless they are making sales!
Q: Can a business participate that does not wish to–or cannot–ship its products? That is, can I refer businesses that only wish to sell directly to local customers?A: Yes. The ECA program offers a "Will-Call" option for local pickups of orders. When entering their products, the ECA can select this option while "opting out" of any product shipments. Customers will place their orders through TripleClicks. We will then forward the orders to the ECA and they will then prepare the orders for local pickup by the customer.
Q: There are many SFI affiliates in my city. So if I refer local businesses who offer "will-call" product pickups, all these affiliates can order their products at TripleClicks.com and then pick them up right here in my city without any shipping costs?
A: Yes! By doing this, you can completely eliminate shipping fees for yourself and all the SFI affiliates and TripleClicks members who live in your area. And think about this: SFI affiliates win because they can earn all the VersaPoints they need and eliminate shipping charges by buying locally. The ECAs win because they get new customers and sales that may continue month after month (think Standing Orders). And YOU win because you'll earn ECA Royalties on EVERY SALE...for life!
Q: What happens if my PRMs–personally referred (TripleClicks) Members–buy products from an ECA that I've referred to TripleClicks?
A: Something very good! With the combination of Customer Commissions and ECA Royalties, you can earn a whopping 78% of the CV on any sales generated! Similarly, buying from your own referred ECAs will generate "rebates" on your purchases because you'll receive ECA Royalties for these purchases on your next SFI commission payment.
Q: I've noticed from the the ECA Gateway that all ECA's are provided a free "TConnect" Website that features just that ECA's products that they can promote and use as their own company Website. Will I also earn ECA Royalties from sales here?
A: Yes. And keep in mind that millions of businesses still do not have an online presence yet. Or, if they do have a website to sell their products, they don't get much traffic. By participating in the TripleClicks ECA program, they'll have a basic e-commerce Website with built-in social network components too. And they'll be able to tap into TripleClicks' growing traffic (TripleClicks is already a top 20,000 site in traffic worldwide and is growing rapidly). So, yes, you'll earn commissions from ECA "TConnect" Website sales and we expect many ECAs to actively promote their "TConnect" Websites. In other words, you may have many ECAs you've referred actively advertising their "TConnect" Website–essentially advertising for YOU!
Q: Will you be providing training and/or marketing aids for promoting the ECA program?
A: Absolutely. We have six banners you can start using immediately
HERE. And this is just the start. More banners and many other marketing aids are coming soon, including full-color brochures, envelopes, letterhead, fliers, and more. Brochures. letterhead, and envelopes should be available for order next week.
Q: What should be my game plan for signing up a bunch of ECAs?
A: Make a list of companies in your city, state, or country (and/or worldwide) you think would be good prospects for the ECA program. E-mail marketing will likely not be viable so try to get full postal addresses and/or phone numbers so you can mail literature and/or make phone calls if possible. Size-wise, small to mid-sized companies are probably your best bets. You'll have a much easier time getting through to the decision makers and they likely won't have layers and layers of management to stall action.
Q: You say that e-mail marketing will likely not be viable. Why?
A: For starters, SFI exercises a zero tolerance policy on spamming. You will need to be very careful if you are contacting business by e-mail unsolicited. Moreover, most businesses typically trash all unsolicited e-mails, so you'll simply be wasting your time. You will likely be much more effective using the phone, sending out literature (brouchures, postcards, etc.), or even going door to door in business districts. Of course, the other alternative is to advertise the ECA program in places where business owners will see the ad, allowing the BUSINESS OWNER to initiate contact.
Q: Are we limited to signing up only businesses that sell products?
A: For now, yes. However, in the works are additional program components that will allow you to sign up all types of service providers, restaurants, and more! Imagine earning VersaPoints whenever you dine out and earning royalties whenever a local SFI affiliate or TripleClicks member dines at the restaurants you've referred! All this and more is coming in 2010. Yes, a HUGE opportunity is being born before your eyes.
Now's the time to get focused on SFI!
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