How to Integrate an Amazon Associates Products Widgets into Sitefinity

Introduction

Amazon.com offers a sales associate service where you can receive a 15% of the purchase price as compensation. By placing a special widget on your website, choosing some products to advertise, uploading a user control with special JavaScript on your website, you can easily use your website to earn extra money.

How to Make the Widget

First, you need to sign up for an associate account. You will be given a Tracking ID, after the sign up is complete. This ID encapsulates all of your personal info from Amazon.com, including your payment method and contact info. Although you could have a check sent to you, you can also have funds deposited in an Amazon.com gift certificate. Once you have logged in successfully, you will be brought to an Amazon Associates web page. This page will keep track of all the orders from your website. On the left of the web page, click on Get Started to see what widgets are available. On the next page you will learn more info on how the program works and how to create widgets:




When you have selected a widget, click learn more and follow the on-screen instructions to create the widget. Using the MP3 clips widget, here is the creation screen:



When you see this screen, click Add to my Web Page and you will receive some JavaScript code. Copy and paste that code into a user control like this:


Although the URL above has omitted my tracking ID, on your URL you'll notice a link to the product plus your tracking ID. This is how Amazon.com knows that you made the referral.

Once you have put the code into a user control, upload it to Sitefinity. Then, drag and drop it onto a page. For more info on user controls and Sitefinity, please refer to this article. Using the favorite product widget as an example, here is what is could look like: