Top 50 Online Marketing Ad Programs
1.Google Shopping/ Product Listing Ads (PLAs)
Date Founded: December 2002 (originally known as Froogle.)
Interesting Facts: Google Product Search was Google’s free shopping program. Google Shopping is a paid cost per click program which is managed through AdWords.
To list on Google Shopping, you need to send your feed via the Google Merchant center.
Google’s data feed specifications.
GS Issues: It’s a newer program, and often gets confused with AdWords, although it is NOT a keyword based ad program.
Why Google Product Search is the #1 online marketing channel:
Despite being paid, Google Shopping traffic doubled for Q1 2013, after Christmas, and had the highest revenue, conversion rate and the lowest cost of sale among all of the shopping channels.
What else you should know about this marketing program?
2. The Amazon Marketplace
Founded: July 1994 (originally named Cadabra.)
Quirks: For merchants who only plan to list less than 40 items a month, the cost for Amazon selling is just $.99 a sale. For 40 items or more, the price goes up to $39.99 per month, plus selling fees.
Basics of the Amazon Marketplace
Issues: You have to have approval from Amazon to list products in most of the big categories, including auto parts, clothing, jewelry and shoes. Additionally, you’ll need a unique UPC or EAN code for each item you plan to sell.
Amazon Marketpalce Categories and Products Requiring Approval
Why Amazon is the second best online marketing channel:
One of the single largest online marketing channels second only to Ebay, this online marketing channel gives you the opportunity to reach millions of customers at a set cost per sale, anywhere from 13 – 15%. You can even use Amazon to handle your fulfillment and shipping if you so desire.
What ecommerce retailers need to know about Amazon:
While you gain a huge distribution partner, you give up rights to a huge amount of sales data and customer information. Amazon, in turn, can use that against you.
Click here to get more info on the Amazon Marketplace.
3. Amazon Product Ads
Founded: 2008
Quirks: You can upload your product catalog directly using FTP, Yahoo! Store sync or manually. Then, Amazon turns your products into ads, displaying them throughout its site on related products and pages.
Amazon Product Ads feed requirements (need login)
Issues: You have to have an existing website or online store through which customers can purchase the products you’re advertising. The products aren’t sold directly through Amazon; they’re simply promoted.
Why an Amazon ad is a great way to market you products:
Amazon’s PPC program provides extremely high conversions because the average shopper on Amazon trusts the site’s product recommendations more than your average comparison shopping engine. It also gives you more control. Since Amazon Product Ads link directly to your product pages, shoppers complete the sale on your website, and you collect and have exclusive rights to the sales and customer information, which you can use for retargeting, etc.
What else you should know Amazon ads to be successful:
The CPCs on Amazon Products Ads are, on average, higher than other comparison shopping engines, and rightly so because of their higher conversion rates. That, coupled with the fact that the marketing channel can send huge amounts of traffic to your site because of its large audience, it presents a challenge to control your spend if you don’t have a sound strategy in place.
Click here to get more info on Amazon Product Ads
4. Nextag
Founded: 1999
Quirks: Listing on Nextag’s comparison engine comes with a few extras, including ROI tracking, voucher code implementation and buyer reviews. You pay per click, and the minimum CPC bid depends on the type of product you’re listing. Software, for example, starts at $.85, while baby carriers are just $.40.
Issues: As Nextag is a comparison engine, if you’re not the best deal, you may be filtered out on comparison searches.
Why Nextag is one of the top 5 ecommerce marketing channels:
Nextag has consistently been the #2 comparison shopping engine online, second only to Google Product Search. It’s been the best paid comparison shopping engine for a long time now because of the consistent conversions and ROI.
What else you should know about this online retail marketing channel:
Nextag looks out for their merchants, providing them with a slew of merchant tools, including the ROI tracking, a promo message platform, buyer reviews, trusted seller programs and more.
Click here to get more info on Nextag
5. Pricegrabber
Founded: 1999
Quirks: Pricegrabber offers a handful of ways to gain exposure for your products. They have a revenue share program, in which products are sold directly on PG, or a CPC style advertising platform, which allows your products to be compared with other similar products on the web.
Issues: Rates for listing products depends on a number of factors, including the product category, the subcategory and whether you will use a logo in the listing. This can make it hard to estimate costs for merchants with many products.
Why Pricegrabber is one of the best online marketing channels:
Pricegrabber consistently ranks in the top four comparison shopping engines online. It’s a well established marketing portal with a slew of merchant tools to manage costs and sales. Their new bidding tool, released in 2011, gives you the flexibility to spend as little or as much as you want per click to control your ROI as much as humanly possible.
What else you should know about this Nextag:
Pricegrabber is one of the most highly trafficked shopping engines, so it’s vital to get a solid understanding of their bidding tool immediately. Make sure you check your campaign spend multiple times in the first week to ensure that you’re not overspending and getting undercompensated.
Click here to get more info on Pricegrabber
6. Shopzilla
Founded: June 1996 (formally named Binary Compass Enterprises and BizRate.com)
Quirks: Listings on Shopzilla not only appear on shopzilla.com, but also on BizRate and InStore.com. Performance is managed using CPC-style bidding.
Issues: It requires a $50 up-front deposit in order to begin listing products.
Why Shopzilla is one of the best paid marketing channels:
Shopzilla has been one of the best performing comparison shopping engines for our merchants since we began CPC Strategy in January of 2007. One of the main reasons why is because it’s so easy to add coupons and adjust bids. With an easy-to-use merchant interface, it simplifies what’s necessary to get a positive ROI. It’s definitely better for home & garden merchants, but all merchants should give it a try.
What else you should know about this Shopzilla:
Just like Pricegrabber, Shopzilla can be a huge sender of traffic, so it’s important to keep a watchful eye on this paid shopping engine when you first launch a campaign and at least twice a week moving forward. Instead of being able to lower your CPC bids to .01 cent like on Pricegrabber, Shopzilla allows you to zero-out bid products and essentially remove them from Shopzilla’s search results. It’s easy to do through the login, so no feed inclusion and exclusion of products is needed.
Click here to get more info on Shopzilla
7. DealNews.com
Founded: 1995
Quirks: DealNews is only for advertising specials and deals – not for listing your entire product catalog.
Issues: All potential deals are reviewed for quality and accuracy by DealNews editors before they are approved for posting.
Why a deal site is one of the premier marketing channels:
DealNews began in 1995 and now stands as one of the premier online marketing channels for online retailers. The massive amount of data they’ve collected on consumer behavior means your deals will reach the right shoppers. While it’s not a perfect solution for every retailer, it’s definitely a marketing channel you should try out.
What else you should know about this premier deal site:
In addition to listing your deals on the website, you can also utilize DealNews’ various advertising platforms for increased exposure. Try display advertising, email advertising, mobile ad placement or even become a syndication partner.
Click here to get more info on DealNews
8. Ebay
Founded: September 1995
Quirks: You post products to Ebay in either an auction-style format or at a Buy it Now price. In the auction-style format, you can set a minimum amount for what you will accept on the product. However, you have no control over what price the item ultimately sells for.
Issues: You need a valid PayPal account in order to accept payments.
Why Ebay is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Ebay is a fairly quick and painless way to list your products and make some sales. You don’t need a UPC or EAN, like with Amazon, and you can add up to 12 photos for free. You can also customize your listings with your branding, logo and other information, and you can vary the length of your listings depending on how quickly you want the product to sell. Plus, there’s no price to list a product and you don’t pay until you make a sale.
What else you should know about Ebay to be successful:
Shoppers on Ebay are bargain hunters, so most full-priced items won’t sell too well. Consider price-cutting before you list products on Ebay, or only post items you need to get rid of or are having trouble selling.
Click here for more info on Ebay
9. Overstock
Founded: May 1999
Quirks: Overstock only lists products that are deeply discounted from their wholesale price.
Issues: You must file a request to sell inventory through Overstock. The Overstock team will then evaluate your product prices in relation to their proposed wholesale value, if you do not offer enough of a discount, they may be denied. Additionally, because of the volume of requests it receives, Overstock “seeks to avoid” haggling with merchants over pricing.
Why Overstock is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Overstock offers high visibility for quality, brand name products and services, including jewelry, clothing, home décor, electronics, cars and even vacation packages. It’s a great way to get rid of surplus inventory or move products that just aren’t selling like you’d hoped.
What else you should know about Overstock to be successful:
Overstock only allows for deeply discounted merchandise. If your product prices aren’t low enough, you likely won’t be approved for listing.
Click here for more info on Overstock
10. Bing Shopping
Founded: June 2010
Quirks: Bing Shopping integrates with Shopping.com. You can upload product listings to shopping.com, and they’ll be displayed in Bing’s shopping search. You can also submit a feed to Bing directly.
Issues: You’ll need an account with Bing Ads and a valid credit card before you can set up a shopping account.
Why Bing Shopping is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Formerly known as MSN Shopping, Live Search Products and Windows Live Product Search, Bing Shopping has certainly had time to work out its kinks. It has recently partnered with Shopping.com, affording you two venues for displaying your products, and it has launched a special Deals program for promoting your discounted items.
What else you should know about Bing Shopping to be successful:
The easiest way to list on Bing Shopping is to set up your listings in Shopping.com first. This prevents you from having to create a lengthy feed with all Bing’s required information. Plus, it gives you an additional venue on which to display products.
Click here for more info on Bing Shopping
11. Shopping.com
Founded: 1998 (originally named DealTime).
Quirks: Shopping.com is a part of the Ebay Commerce Network. It also integrates directly with Bing Shopping.
Issues: You’ll have to become a merchant with the Ebay Commerce Network and have a valid PayPal account in order to begin.
Why Shopping.com is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
When you list your products on Shopping.com, you also gain exposure through the Ebay Commerce Network, which allows you to display targeted ads throughout member sites. Additionally, you can easily use your Shopping.com listings to populate your Bing Shopping feed, and gain increased visibility through that venue.
What else you should know about Shopping.com to be successful:
Shopping.com also allows you to advertise directly on the site. On-staff media planners help determine where your ads are best served, helping you to reach your target audience and make sales more quickly.
Click here to learn more about Shopping.com
12. Google Adwords
Founded: October 2010
Quirks: Google AdWords lets you use text, display and even rich media to promote your brand and products. Text ads are limited to just one 25-character headline and two 35-character description lines.
Issues: Though you don’t pay until you get clicks, you’ll still need a valid credit card on file before you can begin your AdWords campaign.
Why Google AdWords is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Google is used 67 percent of the time when it comes to online searches. That means it’s used more than Yahoo, Bing and every other search engine combined – and by a landslide. With the high number of searches that Google handles every day, you can’t afford to forgo this promotional venue.
What else you should know about Google AdWords to be successful:
If you’re a newbie at PPC bidding, you may want to take it slow at first. Bid low in the beginning, just to get a feel for what keywords and terms actually deliver good click-through rates. Then, work hard and bid competitively to show up on the first page for those terms.
Click here for more info on Google AdWords
13. Bing Ads
Founded: June 2006 (formerly named Microsoft adCenter and MSN adCenter)
Quirks: The Bing Ad network allows you to manage search ads for both Bing and Yahoo!. It also allows you to restrict your ads via demographic, something many other PPC platforms don’t allow.
Issues: Bing allows for fewer characters than Google Adwords; they’re limited to just one line of text per advertisement.
Why Bing Ads are one of the best ways to market your products:
Bing was the last of the three major search engines to launch a PPC advertising platform. Now, its ad network not only populates the search ads on Bing, but also those on Yahoo!, too. All in all, Bing and Yahoo! hold about 17 percent of the market share when it comes to search (Google has about 80), so you can’t afford to forgo this advertising channel.
What else you should know about Bing Ads to be successful:
Even if you’re not ready to use Bing Ads, you should go ahead and create an account. You’ll need one if you want to list your products in Bing Shopping.
Click here for more info on Bing Ads
14. Your Own Blog
Quirks: A blog isn’t a one-time commitment. You’ll need to tend to it regularly in order to see dividends on it.
Issues: You’ll need to create a blog section of your website or, if you don’t have a website, you’ll need to create a blog through a hosted site like WordPress or Tumblr.
Why your own blog is a great place to market your products:
Posting and promoting your products on a blog can do world of good for your sales. First, it can increase exposure to your products, as well as knowledge of their uses and other details. It can also improve your relationship with your customers, giving them a taste of your company brand, voice and image. Additionally, a blog can also improve your overall organic SEO, increasing your links and giving your site more weight in the eyes of search engines.
What else you should know about running your own blog to be successful:
Regular, consistent content is crucial if you want your blog to make a difference on your bottom line. You’ll also need to commit to responding to customer comments and questions, and promoting your blog through social media and other venues.
15. Industry Blogs
Quirks: You’ll need to spend time researching blogs, websites and blog owners that are relevant and applicable to your products. Then, reach out to them about starting a mutually beneficial relationship.
Issues: Content needs to be top-notch when you’re working with outside blogs and websites. Make sure you find a great writer to help make your content shine.
Why industry blogs are a great way to market your products:
Industry blogs are an excellent way to reach your target demo. First of all, they already have an established audience; you don’t have to work for it at all! Simply connect with a well-known blog or website in your industry and see if they’d be open to a guest blog post.
This affords you a venue to get your products and name out there, while also making their job as a blogger or web manager easier. Then, provide them with great, targeted copy that addresses some need or demand within the industry, and be sure to mention a product or two of yours if possible. If they’d prefer you not to do that, you can at least include your name and company in your bio, gaining exposure to your brand as a whole.
What else you should know about industry blogs to be successful:
Another alternative is to reach out to industry bloggers and offer to sponsor them or advertise for them if they write about your products. It could benefit both of you.
16. Youtube
Founded: February 2005
Quirks: You either need to have your own video content or be comfortable with your brand being advertised amidst other content on the site.
Issues: YouTube is managed by Google, so you’ll need a Google account before starting.
Why YouTube is one of the best place to market you products on:
YouTube affords you two distinctly different marketing channels. First, you can promote your brand, products and website by posting company-specific videos on the site. Post videos regarding your company, products and services directly to the site. These allow you to improve on your SEO rankings (videos rank highly in search engines) and show up in top spots in Google (YouTube is owned by Google.) Second, you can actually advertise directly on YouTube. Display ads right within YouTube videos, and reach the customers you’re looking to reach. Similar to Google Adwords and other similar platforms, you only pay when a customer chooses to actually watch your video or click through.
What else you should know about YouTube to be successful:
If you’re not comfortable displaying your brand amongst content from another company or business, then you can opt to become a YouTube channel instead. Through this, you can fully control and manage the content your customers see, and better encourage them to engage with your brand.
Click here to learn more about advertising on YouTube
17. Word of Mouth
Quirks: It’s the old marketing tactic in the book, but it’s not easy to come by. You first need an existing and loyal customer base that you can leverage.
Why word of mouth is a great way to market your products:
Word of mouth is one of the best ways to get your products and brand out there. Encourage your existing customers to share your products with their friends and family; you could even offer them discounts, coupon codes or points toward a free product for doing so. Use your social media to enable word of mouth sharing, too. All in all, people are more likely to use a brand they know is trusted and used by a friend, family member or colleague.
What else you should know about work of mouth marketing to be successful:
Word of mouth marketing doesn’t just happen. You’ll have to pay close attention to your customer service process, and ensure each and every customer is taken care of to the fullest extent. The happier they are with their shopping experience, the more likely they are to share it with others.
18. Shop.com
Founded: 1997
Quirks: Listings are managed through the MarketPlace Business Center, which also integrates with ShopCompanion.
Issues: Shop.com can modify and delete listings as its staff sees fit (and without notice.)
Why Shop.com is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Aside from access to its customer base of 3 million, Shop.com also affords you another benefit: you don’t need a website of your own to handle payment or order processing. Shop.com allows you to list products in a variety of categories (electronics, beauty, clothing, health and more) and use its on-site checkout process to do the rest. All you have to do is pay a commission to Shop once an order has been delivered.
What else you should know about Shop.com to be successful:
With a Shop.com account, you are assigned a designated account manager. Utilize them to help better your listings and improve your sales.
Click here for more info on Shop.com
19. E-mail Marketing
Quirks: There are a number of different programs and types of software you can use for email marketing. Common ones include Constant Contact, Aweber and MailChimp.
Issues: Marketing emails are so pervasive nowadays, many customers won’t even open them anymore. What’s worse, a large chunk could go straight to users’ spam boxes if you’re not careful about your sending techniques.
Why email marketing is one of the best ways to market your products:
Email marketing allows you to reach customers directly and personally. You can create campaigns tailored exactly to the needs of specific customer demographics, delivering them highly useful, highly targeted deals, coupon codes and other specials that are sure to tempt them to buy. Plus, you can use email marketing to keep in touch with existing customers, fostering those relationships and continuing to grow their interest in your company.
What else you should know about email marketing to be successful:
There are a number of email marketing services you can use, and they vary greatly in pricing, depending on the volume of emails you send out. Additionally, most services vary in how much you can customize your campaign’s overall look and branding.
20. PepperJam
Founded: 1999
Quirks: You have to apply and be approved by PepperJam staff before you can become a member.
Issues: PepperJam requires a PayPal account in order to manage payments for referrals, and payouts are made in increments of $25.
Why PepperJam is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
With Google shutting down its affiliate network later this year, PepperJam is a great way to stay on top of affiliate and referral marketing with your company. You can use links, banner ads, coupons and more. Additionally, PepperJam also helps with social advertising and PPC campaigns.
What else you should know about PepperJam to be successful:
PepperJam has a number of packages for brands who wish to use their network. You can go the self-service route, and create your own ads and creative collateral, or you can choose to work with a PepperJam account manager to optimize your results.
Click here for more info on PepperJam
21. ShareaSale
Founded: 2000
Quirks: There are no assigned account managers. You’ll need to handle all of the account management and creative set-up yourself.
Issues: There is an initial set-up fee of $550, plus a $100 minimum deposit. There are also transaction fees for each payout and a monthly minimum payment required.
Why Shareasale is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
With Shareasale, you can leverage the network’s existing affiliate connections, or recruit new, more applicable ones to promote your brand. Additionally, you can choose your commission structure, as well as the action that leads to the commission, and you only pay when you see results.
What else you should know about Shareasale to be successful:
Unlike many other affiliate programs, Shareasale doesn’t offer you designated on-staff account managers. You’ll need to be dedicated to managing your affiliate campaign on your end in order to see success.
Click here to learn more about Shareasale
22. Google Organic Results
Founded: September 1998
Quirks: Google regularly updates its search algorithms, or the way it determines it search rankings. Make sure you know what’s currently considered a white-hat tactic and what’s not before you begin any hardcore SEO work.
Issues: You won’t just show up in the top spot of Google once your website goes live. Having a great search ranking takes lots of research, time and effort.
Why Google is one of the best ways to market you products:
Even with the high number of marketing channels out there, there’s still nothing more efficient or more cost-effective than showing up in Google’s organic search results. First of all, it’s free. There’s no cost to appear in Google searches; all you need is a website with content on it, and you could show up in search results. Second, it allows you to reach customers who need your products – RIGHT when they need them. This delivers more qualified leads and makes for more sales in the long run.
What else you should know about Google organic results to be successful:
Google is competitive. It’s hard to show up in the first couple of pages without doing some serious SEO work. If you really want to rank highly on Google, consider hiring an SEO export to make sure your site is doing all it can to nab those top spots.
23. Localized listings
Quirks: There are a number of localized listings you can promote your company and website on. The ones available depend largely on the geographic area in which you’re located.
Issues: Localized listings are generally only effective at bringing in new customers who are physically nearby. If you’re a completely online store, localized listing may not be your best bet for promotion.
Why localized listings are a great way to market your products:
Localized listings offer you a great way to reach customers in and around your physical community. Through sites like Yellowpages.com, Yelp, Google Local, Bing Local, Yahoo Local and many more, you can ensure nearby customers find your business when they have a need for your products or services.
What else you should know about localized listings to be successful:
You can also look to list your company with local newspapers, blogs and other websites to ensure your name is associated with the local community as much as possible.
24. Facebook
Founded: 2004
Quirks: Facebook offers a variety of ways for you to promote your products and reach your customers.
Issues: Growth through Facebook requires a significant amount of time and effort to truly achieve.
Why Facebook is one of the best ways to market your products:
There are a number of ways you can use Facebook to promote your products. First, you can simply use it as a social media tool, managing a page for your business or company. Through this page, you can post updates, specials and news and just generally stay in contact with your customers. You can also use it to promote your company and grow your customer base. Second, you can advertise on Facebook. Facebook allows you to run highly customizable ad campaigns; you can select the gender, geographic area, marital status and even interests of the target customer you want to reach.
Additionally, there are also Facebook applications that allow you to embed your products on your page and sell to customers directly.
What else you should know about Facebook to be successful:
If you’re using Facebook as a social tool, make sure you’re going to be able to devote time to the page consistently. You should be posting multiple times a week in order to see real results from your efforts.
Click here for more information on Facebook
25. Twitter
Founded: 2006
Quirks: Twitter is a free social media tool. It costs nothing to join, though it does require some time and effort to see results.
Why Twitter is one of the best ways to market your products:
Though you can’t use it to directly sell your products, Twitter is a great way to gain exposure to your brand. You can use it to stay connected with existing customers, sharing news, updates and sales information, or you can use it to expand your reach, connecting with new customers and encouraging existing ones to share your brand with others. You can also use Twitter to connect with other companies in your industry. If they find your tweets valuable, they may even share them with their own customers.
What else you should know about Twitter to be successful:
Twitter marketing isn’t for everyone. Take a look at your customer base and target demo before diving in; is Twitter a tool they are likely to use? Are your competitors using it? If so, then you may see benefit from it.
26. LinkedIn
Founded: December 2002
Quirks: LinkedIn advertising requires a $5 activation fee. There’s a minimum budget of $10 a day, and ads have a minimums CPC of $2.
Why LinkedIn is one of the best ways to market your products:
If your customer base is largely made up of working professionals and adults, then LinkedIn may be the answer for you. LinkedIn allows users to create online resumes, learn about business and search and apply for jobs directly on the site. With this in mind, you can use LinkedIn in a number of ways to promote your brand. First, you can create a company page, detailing your products and services and telling customers how they can reach you. While that may help expand your reach a bit, the more effective way to see traction from LinkedIn is through its advertising platform. With LinkedIn Ads, you can select highly targeted groups of customers and get your brand displayed on prominent pages within the site, including profile pages, user’s inboxes, search results pages and more.
What else you should know about LinkedIn to be successful:
Be as specific as possible when choosing your target audience; this will help you to more qualified leads and sales in the end. You can target via job title, job function, industry, geographic area, age, gender and more.
Click here for more info on LinkedIn
27. Dating sites
Quirks: You can either work with dating sites directly (Match.com, PlentyofFish, etc) or join an dating advertising network.
Why dating sites are one of the best ways to market your products:
If your products are in any way beauty, health or entertainment related, advertising on dating sites may be a great way to reach new customers. As users on dating sites have an inherent purpose in mind (to go on dates), if your products can in any way enhance those dates, they could look pretty tempting.
What else you should know about dating sites to be successful:
Not all brands will see success with advertising on dating sites. Make sure your products and services would benefit dating site users before moving forward.
28. Build your own
Quirks: There are a number of ways to build your own online store; you can choose to go through a pre-built system, like Shopify or Magento, or you can work with a developer to create your site from scratch.
Issues: Building an online store is no easy task. It will likely take lots of time, effort and dedication to get it right.
Why your own online store is the best way to market your products?
Having your own online store is always the best policy. It enables you to grow your customer base and reach shoppers all across the world. Plus, you need a website and store to use most other marketing channels successfully; PPC campaigns, social media, affiliate marketing and others all need a website to refer back to in order to truly be effective.
What else you should know about creating your own online store to be successful:
Running an online store requires lots of time and dedication. You’ll need to communicate with buyers, handle returns and, of course, make sure orders get shipped out on time. You may want to consider hiring additional staff to help you manage it efficiently.
29. Your Customers (become an affiliate provider)
Quirks: Affiliate marketing can be hard to manage on your own. You’ll need to look into an affiliate management program to help ensure the system runs smoothly.
Issues: In order to begin affiliate marketing, you’ll need a good existing customer base or a decent group of associated businesses that you can lean on.
Why using your customers as affiliates is one of the best ways to market your products:
You’ve already got some customers. Why not use them to your advantage? Create an affiliate program that encourages fans of your products and brand to share you with others. They simply post a link or ad on their website, blog or social media page, and every time that link or ad leads to a sale, they get a portion of the profits. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship for both you and the referrer, and it helps you reach additional and new customers.
What else you should know about affiliate marketing to be successful:
Affiliate marketing takes a high level of monitoring and tracking in order to ensure its accuracy. It’s best if you sign up for an affiliate marketing program that handles all the details – the links, ads, payouts and more – for you.
30. Become
Founded: 2004
Quirks: The placement of listings is determined via CPC bids. The minimum bid depends on the category the product falls into; they range from $.30 to $1.
Issues: You can’t sell items directly on Become. You’ll need to have your own site in order for customers to complete purchases.
Why Become is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Become lets customers compare your products with thousands of others on the web. They get see product photos, specifications and pricing and, if interested, click out to your website to purchase. Become even gives you a tracking code for your website, so you can keep tabs on how many leads it’s generating for you.
What else you should know about Become to be successful:
Become doesn’t allow you to upload products directly to the site. You’ll have to create a feed and send it via FTP for uploading.
Click here for more info on Become
31. Pronto
Founded: 2005
Quirks: Pronto has three payment plans: a rolling plan, a monthly plan and a manual plan.
Why Pronto is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Pronto lets customers shop and compare items in a number of ways; they can even browse just your brand specifically. Additionally, Pronto also has several specialized sister sites that can deliver even more highly qualified leads if you fit the bill. These are ProntoStyle, ProntoTech, ProntoKids, ProntoHome and BabyPronto.
What else you should know about Pronto to be successful:
You pay an extra fee on each listing to have your logo appear alongside it. This could help garner more exposure for your brand.
Click here to learn more about Pronto
32. Find Gift
Quirks: Product listings are pre-funded with manual deposits. The rate you’ll pay per click depends on the amount of your initial deposit, ranging from .12 cents per click to .32 cents per click.
Issues: You need a minimum deposit of $50 before you can begin posting to FindGift.
Why Find Gift is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Customers are always more inclined to spend money when buying a gift for someone they love. You can take advantage of this by listing your products on FindGift, a site entirely dedicated to gift buying. You only pay when you get a click-through, and the best part is, you don’t even have to worry about keywords or targeting. FindGift’s editorial experts manage the entire process for you.
What else you should know about Find Gift to be successful:
It may not be necessary to post all of your products to FindGift. Remember, it’s a gift-buying site, so if you have products that aren’t particularly applicable in a gift giving situation, you may not see much benefit from listing it.
Click here to learn more about FindGift
33. Rakuten.com
Founded: 1997 (formerly named Buy.com)
Quirks: When you sell on Rakuten, you can also opt to sell in Japan and expand your international reach.
Issues: While prices are listed as “monthly,” they’re actually billed quarterly.
Why Rakuten is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Rakuten touts that it allows customers to buy “from people, not the internet.” With this in mind, it’s one of the few sites that allows you to retain your own branding and company name, while using Rakuten’s customers, checkout process and other services. This lets you not only make sales, but also to expand brand awareness and build customer loyalty.
What else you should know about Rakuten to be successful:
There are two plans: a professional and a professional plus. With the professional plus, you have no limit to the number of listings you can have.
Click here for more info on Rakuten
34. Shop.org
Quirks: Annual dues depend on your company revenues. They range in value from $500 up to $7,150.
Issues: To be considered for a retail membership with Shop.org, you have to must sell directly to consumers via a storefront, catalog or online. You also must own the merchandise you sell.
Why Shop.org is one of the best ways to market you products:
While Shop.org isn’t a place where you can list your products or services, it is a trade organization that can help you grow the overall value of your company. By becoming a member of Shop.org, you can learn about industry best practices, marketing strategies, emerging technology and more. Plus, you can network with other members who may be able to help you grow your business. You’ll also get your brand listed on Shop.org’s list of member companies.
What else you should know about Shop.org to be successful:
Shop.org also allows “solution providers” to become members. These are companies that offer technology and other business solutions that could benefit retailers.
Click here for more info on Shop.org
35. Host your own conference about your industry
Why a conference is one of the best ways to market your products:
Hosting a conference can do a world of good for your brand. It can increase your exposure, generate a great buzz, and allow you to connect with the movers and shakers of your industry. It can also afford you a chance to show off your latest products or tease future lines that may be coming soon. You could even give freebies to let attendees try out your products.
What else you should know about conferences to be successful:
If you’ve never held a conference before, you may want to enlist the help of an event planner to ensure it goes off without a hitch.
36. Craigslist
Founded: 1995
Quirks: You’ll have to constantly monitor and renew your ads because they expire. Also, Craigslist tries to keep things pretty anonymous, so it isn’t great for promoting your business (if you have one), just for selling products.
Why Craigslist is one of the best ways to market your products: Craigslist receives a ton of traffic, no matter which region you reside in. It’s one of the premier and front-running ad sites for local listings. It’s free to use and typically rankings are based on recency, so it pays to monitor and refresh your ad listings.
What else you should know about Craigslist to be successful: Craigslist traffic is very qualified, so it helps to be quick about responding to your email inquiries to avoid losing business to similar ads. Images are huge in converting on Craigslist, so provide plenty for each of your products.
37. Bizrate Reviews
Founded: 1996
Quirks: Bizrate reviews are managed by Bizrate Insights. You’ll need to sign up for services there before getting started.
Why Bizrate Reviews is one of the best ways to market your products:
Having your company listed in Bizrate Reviews can help add authenticity to your brand and encourage customer trust. In a digital world where many customers are afraid of the security risks associated with online shopping, a basic level of trust can go a long way. If customers see your reviews paint you as a service-driven, trustworthy and high quality company, they’ll be more likely to buy from you than a competitor.
What else you should know about Bizrate Reviews to be successful:
When you sign up for Bizrate Insights, you also take advantage of other Bizrate programs, including ones for improving customer loyalty and on-site conversions.
38. Ekomi
Founded: 2008
Quirks: There are three pricing packages, ranging from $99 a month to $299 a month.
Why Ekomi is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Ekomi bills itself as “the feedback company.” Like Bizrate Reviews, it enables customers to review your company and share their experiences with others. Additionally, it also integrates with Google Products, so any reviews posted to Ekomi can be integrated with your Google listings in real time. This can improve overall trust in your brand, encourage more sales and increase your SEO rankings.
What else you should know about Ekomi to be successful:
Ekomi also protects you from unjustified negative reviews so it doesn’t affect your reputation.
Click here for more info on Ekomi
39. Pinterest
Founded: March 2010
Quirks: While Pinterest is best used if you have an online store to refer users to, it can be used simply to generate buzz for your brand, too.
Issues: You’ll need good photos of your products in order to see success on Pinterest. You want customers to see your products and be inspired to share them with others (ie Pin them.)
Why Pinterest is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Pinterest is the digital world’s answer to word-of-mouth marketing. It enables users to “pin” products, photos, recipes and other things they find interesting. Then, their entire following see those “pins” in their feed. Essentially, it allows for personal recommendations with just the simple click of a button.
What else you should know about Pinterest to be successful:
For the most qualified leads, create pins for each individual product, and include links to the products on your site. Then, when users click for more info, they can easily purchase the product if they so desire. Additionally, put Pinterest “Pin It” buttons throughout your website, allowing your existing customers to share their favorite items with their followers.
40. Instagram
Founded: October 2010
Quirks: Instragram is only available via mobile app. You can’t post to it via a standard computer or laptop.
Why Instagram is one of the best ways to market your products:
Instagram is a good marketing tool simply for its use of hashtags, which allow users to browse and search photos by certain words and phrases that interest them. Upload photos of your products, include links to your site in the description and tag them with applicable hashtags that describe the product and its use. Then, when users search those tags, they’ll see your photos. If you’re lucky, they may even head to your site to purchase.
What else you should know about Instagram to be successful:
Just like Pinterest, Instagram requires great photos to be truly successful. If you don’t have top-notch product photos, consider getting a professional photographer to help you out.
41. Reddit
Founded: June 2005
Quirks: You can only share links, images and a short description on Reddit, so you’re limited in what you can promote.
Why Reddit is one of the best ways to market your products:
Reddit is a great way to generate links and buzz around your brand and products. Essentially a link sharing tool, Reddit allows users to share cool, funny or otherwise interesting links, stories and photos with others. Users can also comment and have conversations around the links and images shared. In March 2013 alone, Reddit had more than 63 million unique visitors. You can leverage this huge audience by posting links to your products, blog posts and other interesting content on your site. You can even create subreddit dedicated to your brand or a hot topic within your industry.
What else you should know about Reddit to be successful:
Post links that will start conversations, garner comments and get votes. The more comments and votes you get, the higher your posts will display on the site, and the more visibility your brand will gain.
Click here for more info on Reddit
42. PR Sites
Issues: Very few PR sites are free. You’ll like have to pay a monthly fee or fee per each release you submit.
Why PR sites are one of the best ways to market your products:
Press releases have always been a great way to get the word out about news and happenings in the business world. Fortunately, they can do even more than that now; with PR sites like PRNewswire, Cision and PRWeb, you can turn those releases into bona fide SEO fodder for your brand. You can not only start a buzz about your business, upcoming product releases or other updates, you can increase your links on the web and increase your search ranking. You can also use those links on any of your branded social media pages, sharing your important news with all your followers and customers.
What else you should know about PR sites to be successful:
Most PR sites have strict rules for how a release must be written. Make sure you look at all the requirements before submitting a release, or you may have to rewrite it before it’s accepted.
43. Vimeo
Founded: November 2004
Quirks: A basic Vimeo account is free. If you want to manage the ads around your video, use HD or a number of other options, Vimeo Plus or Vimeo Pro may be the best option.
Why Vimeo is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Vimeo is similar to YouTube; it’s an online video streaming site. Like YouTube, Vimeo allows you to advertise directly on the site or within videos, and you can also use it to post your own videos and advertisements. Vimeo videos are given significant weight in Google and other search engines, so it could help improve your search engine rankings, too.
What else you should know about Vimeo to be successful:
To see Stellar SEO improvements with Vimeo, make sure to optimize your video titles and description. Put in important keywords that your customers may be searching for to really make it worth your while.
44. Article Distribution
Quirks: Article distribution sites vary in price. Some are completely free to post on, while others require a membership or a fee per each article submitted.
Why article distribution is one of the best ways to market your products:
Article marketing is a real and viable way to reach new customers and gain qualified leads. By creating information-heavy highly useful articles and submitting them to sites like Ezine, HubPages, and GoArticles, you’re establishing yourself as an industry expert. You’re also able to reach potential customers who are searching for information on the industry you serve. Then, by including a resources box with links to your company in it, you can encourage those users to visit your site and maybe even do business with you.
What else you should know about article distribution to be successful:
You can also see improved SEO rankings with article distribution. Be sure to work important keywords and phrases into you articles in order to see your rankings jump.
45. Tada
Quirks: You can sell a large quantity of products at a time – only it will have to be at a reduced price. Tada only lists products that are particularly unique and that sellers are willing to negotiate on.
Issues: If you’re accepted as a retail partner, Tada chooses the products that it is willing to feature.
Why Tada is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Tada is a deals website that features daily sales at extremely low prices. The site leverages its large customer base to negotiate steep deals with retailers, offering them a high-volume of transactions in exchange for reduced pricing. Sales change every day, and emails are sent to Tada members each morning to alert them of pending discounts and deals.
What else you should know about Tada to be successful:
You’ll first need to apply to become a retail partner. Once approved, Tada will scour your site for possible products and deals to feature.
46. Google Maps
Founded: February 2005
Quirks: Listing your business in Google Maps is free; you just need to sign up for a Google Places for Business account first.
Why Google Maps is one of the best ways to market your products:
Listing your company in Google’s map system affords you yet another opportunity to make sure you have high visibility in the world’s biggest search engine. Google Map listings usually show up within the first few results on page one, so if your site’s SEO isn’t up to snuff (or you don’t have a website), Google Maps can greatly improve your exposure. Plus, it helps you get highly qualified, localized leads who are searching for your products and services in your geographic area.
What else you should know about Google Maps to be successful:
Google Maps listings aren’t just for putting in your company name and address. You can add store hours, pricing, photos, parking information and even a link to your website. Fill out as much as possible to take full advantage of your listing.
47. Mobile Display Advertising
Quirks: You can use mobile display advertising through Google’s Adwords or through Bing Ads.
Why Mobile Display Advertising is one of the best ways to market your products:
Nearly everyone has a smartphone or tablet nowadays, so why not take advantage of it? Try mobile display advertising through your Adwords or Bing Ads account. Use creative videos to advertise your products and services to mobile users while they’re browsing the web, playing a game or checking their email. Just like other PPC campaigns, you can still target these ads to a certain demographic. With mobile ads you can even go so far as to choose the device, the carrier and other details of the smartphone itself.
What else you should know about mobile display advertising to be successful:
Mobile advertising allows you to reach your customers directly. Take advantage of that by creating ads that are highly targeted, speaking to their needs, wants and desires.
48. Ads in Video Streaming
Quirks: You can negotiate video streaming ads directly with the content provider themselves, or you can go through Google Adwords and utilized their In-Stream Video Ads capabilities.
Why video streaming ads are one of the best ways to market your products:
Online video streaming is a huge industry. People use it to catch up on their favorite TV shows, view funny clips, or even watch full length movies. You can leverage this huge audience by advertising your products and services directly within videos that are streamed online. Think of it like a commercial –only online. You can choose videos that are applicable to your brand or ones that you just think your customers will enjoy. Either way, it can be a great way to get new customers and expand your reach.
What else you should know about video streaming ads to be successful:
In order to advertising within streaming video, you’ll need to have video capabilities yourself. Consider hiring a professional production team to help you put together a great targeted advertisement.
49. Tumblr
Founded: April 2007
Issues: Some Tumblr themes are free, but they’re just the basic template-style ones. You may have to cough up a few dollars to get a premium theme that’s highly customizable to your brand.
Why Tumblr is one of the best ways to market your products:
Tumblr is a blogging platform that, unlike others, is searchable and browsable by the public. Visitors can simply search for a keyword or topic they find interesting, and then browse the resulting posts and blogs that fit the bill. You can use it to post new products, company updates, fun behind-the-scenes photos or whatever else makes sense for your brand. Users can comment and interact with you, and if they like your posts enough, they can even follow you and get your updates right in their dashboard.
What else you should know about Tumblr to be successful:
Because a lot of the value in Tumblr comes from its searchability, you have to be diligent in tagging your posts with any applicable keywords or phrases.
50. Etsy
Founded: June 2005
Quirks: Etsy is really only for handmade and handcrafted items. It’s primarily used for jewelry, clothing, home décor, paper goods and artwork.
Issues: You can’t simply sell items on Etsy. You must first open what’s called a “shop,” and create your own brand name on the site.
Why Etsy is one of the best marketplaces to list your products on:
Etsy is a great venue for promoting and selling handmade and handcrafted items. Though it caters to a limited niche of merchants, for those who do fit the bill, it can be a great boon to sales, enabling them to reach customers all over the world without having to foot the costs of hosting their own ecommerce store.
What else you should know about Etsy to be successful:
Etsy runs highly on seller-to-customer communication. As most items are made to order, you’ll need to be dedicated to connecting and communicating with your customers during each and every sale.
You Might Be Interested In
