The multi-tab widget is very cool listing the different server configs, prices, and links. However, if you click the link for an individual server listed in the widget, you don't actually go to the order form for the server you just clicked - instead you get directed to another list of servers and have to find the server you clicked on all over again.

Actually this seems true for all of the links - they don't really take you to the page you'd expect them to. For example if you want to include the link for a dual cloverton with sas drives, productID=459130477, the link will actually take you to a page that starts listing woodcrest servers (but does at the end include clovertons, both with sata and sas drives). I was hoping that you could link to specific servers that an individual affiliate feels are the best deals: e.g. we host with the planet. we recommend servers x, y, and z.

Eek

This is true.

Direct linking into the shopping cart proved problematic/unreliable, and all of the links were changed to point to the best second choice -- the category lists that include the server in question.

This is not optimal, and we're currently working on a better solution. (ie. Linking directly to the order page of the server, as requested.)

I'll update this week with more information.

Fantastic! The idea of the widget would be a very cool addition to many sites I think, but right now with specific links going to repetitive lists, I fear it would look to my shared hosting/web design customers like I got it <coded> wrong (edit: one of my favorite clips... don't mean this to be taken wrong or anything.)

If the idea were to give upsell options, I almost posted before that another good solution could be to highlight the current choice, but in thinking about it more, if someone is interested in a cloverton, I don't really want them to have a second chance to second guess themselves into a cheaper, lower-end woodcrest, so then the "second ideal" would be to code the list to show the current selection passed from the affiliate highlighted with more powerful server options below it as a second chance for an upsell. But that would seem to become very complicated I fear, and ideally from my perspective would be to have the links go the specific servers the potential customer clicks on - that would be awesome and make the widget a really cool drop in as well as the specific links great for providing more selective choices.

Right!

The direct links to the cart checkout page will also help the users of the datafeed so you can inject a client directly into the sales process, without having them hunt for what they wanted.

Nothing concrete resolved yet, but will update.

This is actually fairly complex due to the way the JavaScript and Flash work to trigger a shopping cart checkout session -- more so than I expected.

We will be able to get it done, but honestly this is more of a "month or two" project than a "day or two" one. In the meantime, we're exploring some landing page ideas or similar concepts that would at least allow you to link to a page about a specific server.

Again, I'll update with news, but just wanted to follow-up with something before the week was out. (Any other improvements we should be working on?)

Will the new shopping cart make this possible ?

It does now.

For example, if you go to the main server list ( https://www.theplanet.com/servers/ ) you can grab the link of any server from the "Order Now" link on the right. Take the Conroe 3040 for example:

https://www.theplanet.com/servers/configure...4&series=16

If you use that link as your target, you traffic will drop into the cart configuration directly.

We're updating our datafeeds and widgets in ShareASale as well, and I'll post another update when that is complete.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that if you hardcode to a particular direct order URL (vs updating with the datafeed from ShareASale which we'll keep up to date) it's possible the links will change from time to time as our server line changes -- and this might break your link. (The error right now if that happens isn't very friendly, but we should be able to change this to at least just redirects to https://www.theplanet.com/servers/ -- also note that the "www" is required on any direct links to the site, or the traffic will redirect to site root instead.)

But it's a start, and I wanted to get this information out as a number of ya'll have already tried it -- and some of the pitfalls are tricky but easy to avoid. (And will be shored up soon.)

Thanks again!

Woohoo! Now I'll start using the widget.

Fantastic! Thank you very much. This will be great.

Just wanted to check to see if anyone had discovered any issues with this in practice?

Also...the Virtual Racks went live on the shopping cart today, along with their various direct order links:

https://www.theplanet.com/servers/default.aspx?series=31

Great work .. really informative .. and thanks a lot for sharing


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Damn, that's awesome! Never knew you all even had widgets... Going to have to get in on that and start marketing myself... That definitely prove beneficial, thanks!

I don't seem to see the multi-tab widget available on the shareasale site any longer -- am I missing it?