Amazon has been making versions of commerce-focused “shoppable” articles directly accessible through its website over the past few months.
Following a number of tests with a small group of publishers, articles can be found via Google or when searching for specific keywords on Amazon and will allow consumers to buy through them, as on a publisher’s own website.
According to Digiday, the large scale and exposure available to publishers content will be subject to fees based on performance in driving purchases, as opposed to offering licensing fees to run the content.
For instance, if someone purchases a backpack recommend from an article guide, the click of that item directs the shopper to the product page inside Amazon to complete the purchase – the owner of the guide will then earn a commission on the purchase.
Amazon believes the addition of content articles to its site will make it easier for online shoppers to discover new products. However, the commission rates, according to some publishers who have tested it are similar to ones the e-retailer payout for transactions taking place on a publisher’s own website.
Furthermore, Digiday claims that if Amazon trains customers to look for third-party recommendations on its platform, the e-commerce retailer could potentially drop affiliate commission rates down to a fraction of their current levels.
Tests are currently underway from Amazon but there have been no official answers on affiliate commision rates and how publishers will be compensated indefinitely.