selling leads

Icecube

Icecube

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Mar 14, 2007
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I apologize for the long post

I have a website about widgets that is not monetized at the moment, but it's getting decent traffic.

The only affiliate program available here for these widgets sucks, it generated 10-15€ in commissions ( sales, not leads ) in several months, they have very few widgets for sale so it couldn't be different.

A very good merchant will open its affiliate program "shortly", but until that moment I would like to monetize that site in some other way.

I currently get some requests via the contact form inquiring about the availability of widgets models and sizes, and I am currently throwing them away, or sending them to the affiliate site, which sucks and doesn't convert.

These leads are for items in the 200 - 2000 € range ( I'd say 90% under 700€), not rebillable/returning, single availability and quote requests.
If these leads are used by the right person, in case they don't have exactly the model the customer wants, it's rather easy to sell a different/interchangeable model.

The problem is: I don't own a business, I currently operate and pay taxes as a regular person, that's way I strongly prefer going through an affiliate network.

Note that EPN kicked my butt months ago without giving me any explanation.

How would you go to sell these leads? I guess I could generate somewhere between 10 - 30 leads or more per month adjusting some stuff on the site.

I thought I could approach merchants found on ebay ( these items are strong sellers there ), but not owning a business I can't send invoices so I wouldn't actually know how to request money etc.
Or I could sell such leads on ebay?

Ideas?
How much would you try to sell such leads for? ( Direct, no network/middlemen )
Am I talking nonsense?
 


Everybody's going to flame me, but have you just tried Adsense?

My EPCs have really jumped up during the last couple of months, and I have websites which approach 3 figure EPCs... (People who complain abut their $2 EPCs are doing something wrong....well in the wrong niche or something)

I'd rather use a lead program, because you can "sell" it on the page. But when I have topics that don't lend themself to good affiliate programs, Adsense has been a good solution.

Anyway, maybe it won't work...but it was just my first thought. Selling leads to small businesses works for some people, but when i did it, I found it more trouble than it was worth.
 
I had thought about it, I don't want to use adsense on that site for several reasons.

I have chitika in an incredibly prominent position, and it's averaging $0.10 per day. wow!

I was thinking of replacing chitika + the banner to the current affiliate site with a strong text link to my own contact form, I know this would generate several more quote requests (I'm already getting some leads through the current contact form that is only linked from the footer...)
 
Edit: EPC should be Page eCPM - haha thanks for the PM correction. :bowdown:
 
Lead brokering for tangible goods can just be really awkward because there are so many variables. What I would do is call some manufacturers, explain your situation and see if they'll open you an account with a reseller discount. They usually ask for a business check to prove you are a business, but they have nothing to lose from doing business with a website. Just don't be intimidated. Nothing ventured nothing gained and trust me it's not all as structured as you think. Then it's just a matter of setting up the store, charging retail price and processing the orders.

If you really need to get individual quotes for every order, just get a quote from the manufacturer using your account and it'll come through with the discount. At the last place I consulted we were on both ends of this and it's not rocket science at all.
 
Not having a business I can't sell goods, and the current volume I'm doing doesn't justify running a business.

Setting up an ecommerce site would probably be the best option, not to mention bigger margins, but it's not currently a viable option for the reason above.

This is why I'm trying to sell leads
 
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