Online Bookselling101: Amazon Widgets

If you are an author, bookstore owner or budding problogger, are you an Amazon Affiliate? And if so, are you familiar with Amazon's New Widget Applications. This year at CFB I want to help people connect with book buyers, especially Christian book buyers. With an increase in bookstores closings coupled against an increase in books hitting the shelves , the opportunities for online retail gets brighter every day. Here at Christian Fiction Blog we have seen significant increases in book sale purchases via Amazon. After studying my latest Amazon report I have learned that many of the sales come from one application-Amazon Widgets. This week I will try to tackle a few of those widgets.

Today let's look at :

Slideshow Widgets

If you look at the top center of Christian Fiction Blog you will see my top book picks for February 2008 in a slideshow called CFB's Feb Faves. I sell about one or two books a day with this feature alone. Here are some other great ways to use Slideshow Widgets for your book blog/site: 1.To drive traffic to your site I don't upload all my blog entries to every social network platform that I have, because my purpose for joining those networks is to drive my members here to Christian Fiction Blog. However, the slideshow widget is so dynamic and eye catching that my Myspace buddies will recognize and remember to come to my site when they want to purchase a book. Amazon has made duplicating this widget so easy that you can plug your show into your:

• Facebook
• Ning
• MySpace
• Wordpress
• Any site that takes ajax application
• Any page that willl take javascript. You could copy and embed the code to your site

2. To make your site eye-catching No brainer idea here. Amazon has done a great job with making these book covers pop on your screen.

3.To invite new visitors to linger on your site Just like soft music in a grocery store site visitors will stick around your site to watch the slideshow. As they watch they will peruse the site. They may see entries of interest to them.

4. To increase your subscriber base Send an email to your subscribers, who may not visit your site every month because they have an email subscription to alert them of the new books that you are highlighting on your site

5. To showcase bookstore specials I have not set this up on CFb yet because of time, but if you are an online bookseller you should use SLideshow WIdgets and Twitter to promote your store specials and book signings.

6. ??? You tell me what are other great reasons to use Slideshow Widgets?
Dee
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